2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

I found out about Herafy through Tamara’s Teaspoons instragram account. If you don’t already know about Tamara, she’s a super talented artist who creates handmade polymer clay and resin charms that are mostly food related. You can check out her instagram account [Here] to see what I’m talking about or check out the photo below.

Anyway so Herafy is a small store in Al Rai that has everything you need to get into this hobby and what caught my interest is not only do they supply all the items, but they also hold clay classes in the store as well. It’s such a random hobby which is why I thought I thought it would be interesting to share on the blog. So if you’re looking for a new hobby, check out the Herafy instagram account @7erafy or visit their website where they have an online store selling all their products [Here]

Second photo via @ayacocoa.kw

Is pickle juice the new health hype? Many new health claims state that pickle juice can enhance athletic performance, and improve blood sugar control for those with diabetes; which makes me wonder whether drinking pickle juice can actually be worth it?

Before we take a look at the nutritional aspects of pickle juice, we need to keep in mind that this drink is definitely going to be a salty one! So those with high blood pressure issues should definitely stay away from this drink. In regards to carb, protein or fat amounts, pickle juice doesn’t really have much to make it stand out in a special group. What pickle juice does have is lots of sodium as well as a decent amount of probiotics.

In the old days, pickle juice was the result of combining cucumbers, salt and water. The cucumbers are fermented by the bacteria Lactobacillus resulting in some probiotic content in the pickle juice. Nowadays, pickle juice is the result of combining cucumbers in vinegar, therefore no probiotics are really available, so stick to your yogurt if you want the probiotics. Regardless of the probiotic content, pickle juice is claimed to have other health benefits that may or may not have any truth to them.

1 – Pickle juice can help relieve muscle cramps.
Muscle cramps could be the most annoying thing, especially when they happen when you’re asleep or during a workout. There could be a cure, but only after the cramp takes place. Recent research has shown that taking 1 ml per kg of your current body weight of pickle juice during a muscle cramp could help you recover faster than drinking plain water or ignoring it and not having anything at all. The verdict: TRUE! Keep your pickle juice jars on your nightstands or take them with you to the gym if you frequently get muscle cramps. It could be worth it for you if it takes you a while to recover from that cramp.

2 – Pickle juice can help with stomach cramps.
Stomach cramps usually happen due to low amounts of acid in the stomach. Adding in the acidic pickle juice could potentially help since we are re-adding acid to our stomachs. Unfortunately no scientific evidence has proved that re-adding acid could help with stomach cramps. The verdict: FALSE! Maybe sticking to antacids or just avoiding some foods could be best with stomach cramps.

3 – Pickle juice can help enhance athletic performance.
The theory is behind the high salt content in pickle juice. Since salt retains fluid, the idea is that having pickle juice prior to exercising could keep you more hydrated and enhance your athletic performance for exercises requiring stamina. Unfortunately most studies have not shown any effect making this claim worthwhile. The verdict: FALSE! Stick to regular water, good training and sleep to enhance your performance.

4 – Pickle juice can control blood sugar.
Vinegar and blood sugar have been researched for a while. The link is between vinegar and insulin to be precise, where vinegar has been shown to improve sensitivity to insulin in the body – therefore reducing blood sugar levels. Vinegar has also been found to slow down the absorption of food in the stomach, when taken with a meal; that could also help potentially lower blood sugar levels. The verdict: True! I would consider adding vinegar but not necessarily consuming a cup of pickle juice with my lunch or dinner. Perhaps some apple cider vinegar in my salad dressing would be a more palatable choice.

So, would you be consuming pickle juice? I certainly will continue to enjoy eating my pickles and until more research has been conducted, I will be holding off on the pickle juice.

Post by Hyatt Al Sayegh, a Clinical Dietitian and Dr. Sears Health Coach.
Founder of Fork Fed.

Image Source

Since summer is knocking on our doorsteps this is the perfect time to post about the Cuisinart ice cream maker I recently purchased (the Cuisinart ICE-30BC).

I’ve recently been trying out the ketogenic diet after hearing about it on one of the podcasts I listen to and the main principle of the diet is you’re not supposed to consume any sugar or any carbs but you’re supposed to have lots of fat. Avocados are one great way of introducing a lot of fat into your diet but I personally don’t like the way they taste. So I was looking for a simple keto recipe that involved avocados and I found one for an avocado chocolate chunk ice cream that sounded delicious. I had honestly been looking for an excuse to buy an ice cream maker for a while so as soon as I found the recipe I decided to get one.

I kinda already knew what I wanted a Cuisinart ice cream maker since I’m fond of the brand and I knew I had seen them in Kuwait. So I did my research and the only places that carried the ice cream maker were Lakeland, Williams-Sonoma and Tavola (the Cuisinart dealer). Williams-Sonoma only had the dual ice cream maker which I wasn’t interested in since it was too big, Lakeland had the model I wanted but they were selling it for KD42 while Tavola were selling the exact same one for KD32.350. So I ended up picking it up from Tavola and since I was already in Shuwaikh, I decided to pass by Williams-Sonoma to pick up the best ice cream scoop you can buy, the Zeroll 1020.

The way the ice cream maker works is very simple. There are two main parts, the bowl and the main unit. You take the bowl and stick it in the freezer for 12+ hours and only take it out when you want to make ice cream. When your mixture is ready and the bowl frozen, you take the bowl from the freezer and place it in the main unit. You then pour your mixed ingredients into the bowl and let the ice cream maker churn your mixture for around 20 minutes until it turns into ice cream. Thats all there is to it.

I have to say, my avocado chocolate chunk ice cream has been turning out really delicious. And because I am buying the ingredients, I can control how healthy my ice cream is and so I’m having it guilt free. At KD32 this really is a no brainer impulse buy. So if you feel like making your own ice cream this summer, get this. Here is the map to Tavola [Google Maps] and you could call them on 24825761.

With all the creative agencies available in Dubai, the Dubai based telecom operator Etisalat ended up going with a Kuwaiti one called Caviar for their latest series of commercials called “No More Drama”. You’ve probably seen some of Caviars work since they’ve done most of the NBK Ramadan commercials as well as a few old MTC (now called Zain) ones. Personally I didn’t like these Etisalat commercials but I still think its impressive how they were able to beat Dubai agencies to get this project. The video above is one of three “No More Drama” commercials, the other two are linked below.

No Drama Network – The Operator
No Drama Network – Mission Improbable

I was passing by La Brasa yesterday in Dar Al Awadi when I noticed a new shop that had opened up in the basement called Meatchops. It’s a gourmet butcher shop similar to Prime Cuts except Meatchops is open inside a mall which I found a bit odd.

Anyway no idea what kinds of meats they have since I asked for a list or menu and they told me to check their instagram account. I don’t have time to check each and every single photo in their account looking for what they have to offer but if you’ve got the time, their instagram account is @meatchops_kw

My advice? At least have a small printed takeaway menu of all your items I can take home with me, or a website similar to Prime Cuts. A website is a lot more practical compared to an instagram account since not only can I navigate and see all your items much easier, but with Prime Cuts I can even order directly from their website. I hate how businesses try to use instagram to accomplish everything.

Alghanim Motors are bringing the Lotus brand to Kuwait and they’re opening their first showroom in Shuwaikh opposite The Historical, Vintage and Classic Car Museum. Lotus is a British car brand and currently have some really hot looking cars like the Exige and Evora range. They aren’t a mainstream brand but they do have a bit of a cult following.

I’ve also heard rumors that Alghanim Motors acquired the Ford brand but I haven’t been able to verify that so I’m treating it as just a rumor for now. I heard that Ford and the current local dealer weren’t getting along and so Ford gave the brand to someone else. We’ll find out soon enough, I’m just glad that someone finally brought Lotus to Kuwait.

Once a year Arabian Business releases a list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Arab Women” and every year I go through the list and find all the Kuwait based women and list them on the blog. Last year the list was the smallest since I started keeping track of it with only 5 women making the list and 2013 had the highest number with 11 women making the list. This year things have improved slightly with 7 women making the list including a few new comers like Noor Al Qatami, the owner of SaveCo. Shaikha Al Bahar is also back on top as the most powerful Kuwaiti woman after losing that spot last year to Maali Alasousi, who went from 25th most powerful Arabi women to no longer being on the list. Here are the most powerful women in Kuwait for 2016:

48- Shaikha Al Bahar (-27)
56- Maha Al Ghunaim (-5)
74- Sara Akbar (+20)
76- Eaman Al Roudhan (New)
83- Elham Yousry Mahfouz (New)
89- Noor Al Qatami (New)
94- Rasha Al Roumi (-48)

Note: The (-) is how many spots they dropped from the previous year, (+) is how many spots they’ve moved up and (New) means they weren’t on the list last year.

For the full list of most powerful Arab women, click [Here]

Update: Changed the post title to reflect the fact not all the powerful women in Kuwait are Kuwaiti.

Bike Box is a specialized storage facility for motorbikes. At first I didn’t really understand the purpose of it but after talking to the team behind it I realized why it could be practical for some people, especially those living in residential buildings.

Bike Box is a place where you can keep your motorbike parked and not worry about it. Their facility is safe, clean and air-conditioned. They also provide you with free servicing for your bike, free cleaning, lockers, changing rooms, battery charging, electrical ports, and a fully equipped garage. As a bike owner myself there are a couple things that always concern me, (1) my bike is going to get stolen (happened to my barber recently) and (2) the battery is going to die because I’m not riding the bike enough. Bike Box solves these two issues and more.

The reason I was originally hesitant to post about Bike Box was their price which starts at KD55 a month. But according to them the reason their monthly price is high is because they want to encourage long term customers since they’re hoping to create a community and not just offer a service. If you do decide to sign up for a year, the price drops down to a much more reasonable KD30 a month. I like their way of thinking and at KD30 a month I can see a lot of people wanting to use their facility, so if you’re a bike owner and are interested to find out more, check out their instagram account @bikeboxkw

I was at Souk Sharq yesterday and passed by to check out the new restaurant that opened in place of Breadz called Baker & Spice. I didn’t get to try it since I had already had lunch but the place inside looked really good and the outdoor vibe felt very un-Kuwait like. They opened around two weeks back and I’ll most likely be passing by next week to try it out. For now you can check out their instagram account [Here]

Photo by Jassim Alshehab

Another busy weekend and the weather looks like it will be nice and sunny. The biggest event taking place this weekend is the HVOB concert but there are a bunch of other musical events taking place as well. If you’re a car fanatic then you might want to pass by Murouj this weekend since the Gulf Run car show is taking place there. Finally on Saturday there is the charity Sport Relief Mile in the morning which should be fun, if you’re interested in participating in that don’t forget to register.

Check out the list below for this weekends events:

Thursday
Exhibition: Edge by Abdulrahim Sharif
Gulf Run Car Show
Ecco Pop Up Event
ADASA Festival
Rooftop Movie: Breathless
Concert: Dorsaf Hamdani

Friday
Gulf Run Car Show
Ecco Pop Up Event
ADASA Festival
Taichi in the Park
Red Bull Music Academy Presents Kuwait Rising
Pop Up Movie Night

Saturday
Gulf Run Car Show
Ecco Pop Up Event
ADASA Festival
Sport Relief Mile 2016
Yoga at the Park (Vinyasa Flow – Women Only)
Bait Al Arab: Kuwait State Stud
Yoga at the Park (Men & Women)
5:46 Light A Candle For Bayt Lothan
Rooftop Movie: Theeb

If you’d like to share an event on the blog [Email Me]
For a full list of upcoming events click [Here]

Sometimes events get canceled or have details changed so double check info with organizers.

Yesterday the Kuwait Towers officially opened to the public for the first time in over 4 years. Here is everything you need to know in case you’re planning to visit it.

Entrance Fee
There are two main areas in the Kuwait Towers, the restaurant’s sphere and the viewing sphere. If you want to go to the viewing sphere it’s KD3 per person. If you want to go to the restaurants there is no entrance fee. If you eat at the restaurant then you can go to the viewing deck for free as long as you keep your meal receipt. Children under 4 go in for free. If you’re going to the restaurants you can also park inside the Kuwait Towers parking lot.

The Viewing Sphere
This sphere is located in the top most part of the Kuwait Towers. It’s split into two floors with the top floor having a rotating platform and a small food stand. It’s open from 9AM to 11:30PM.

The view from the top is spectacular and better than before since we now have a beautiful city skyline because of all the new skyscrapers like Hamra Tower.

For a closer look, they’ve kept the original coin-operated binoculars.

The only issue I had with the viewing deck is that it smelled of popcorn because of the food stand. The food stand really should have been a Starbucks since right now it reminds me of those small dodgy food stalls located under the stairs in old Salmiya. They have drinks, a few cold sandwiches, soft serve ice cream and popcorn.

The Restaurant Sphere
There are two restaurants and a lounge in the restaurant sphere which is also divided into two floors. The first restaurant is called Horizon (pictured above) and is located on the top floor of the sphere. It’s an open buffet and they’re open from breakfast to dinner, here are the details:

Breakfast Buffet 8AM to 11:30AM for KD7.5
Lunch Buffet: 12:30PM to 4PM for KD14
Dinner Buffet: 7PM to 11:30PM for KD14

For reservations, you can contact them on 22081999 or 1806806

There is a second restaurant (pictured above) which as of this post hasn’t opened yet. Its located on the lower floor of the sphere and it’s called Le Cafe (but it’s going to be a steakhouse). It looks slightly more fancier and instead of being a buffet it will have an à la carte menu. Once it’s open the timings will be 8AM to 12AM (midnight).

Right outside the second restaurant on the lower floor is a small lounge. You can order beverages there but it’s a fairly small lounge with only three seating areas similar to the one pictured above so good luck trying to find an empty one.

Finally, if you’re taking a guest to the Kuwait Towers and they were hoping to leave with a souvenir well they’re going to be disappointed. According to an employee at the Kuwait Towers, the souvenirs shop that was originally located on the ground floor has been closed down and will be converted to a prayer room.

If you’ve never been to the Kuwait Towers I would highly recommend going. If you’ve been to it before I’d also recommend passing by just for the nostalgia. It’s still by far one of my favorite places to take visitors who come to Kuwait.

Update: I added a bit more information to the post, specifically the reservation numbers and information regarding souvenirs.

Update2: Le café Steak House doesn’t exist anymore, the restaurant is now Japanese instead and called Amimoto. The gift shop was also not converted to a prayer area, it remained a gift shop.

Incase you missed the biggest cat event in the Middle East that was held in Kuwait last month, someone uploaded a video of it onto YouTube. It’s a pretty long 18 minute video though so you probably might just want to just skim through it. [YouTube]

Update: Video is back up so reposting this.

Spotted this great deal at Sultan Center Shaab. The almond milk expires end of April but that doesn’t change the fact that this is a really good deal since you can drink a lot of almond milk from now till then.

Last week I was making ice cream and had trouble getting Vanilla Extract so I ended up ordering Vanilla Paste (and 100% unsweetened cocoa) from Gourmet Shelf’s website. When they delivered my items they told me that they now had most of their products at The Approved Market and since I hadn’t been there in awhile, I decided to pass by this weekend to see what new items they had. Turns out The Approved Market now sells water enhancers.

I only found out about water enhancers when I was in LA last summer since they’re pretty big over there. Water enhancers are basically liquid drops you add into your water to give it a flavor. It’s mostly for people who have trouble consuming enough water during the day and also for people looking for healthy alternatives to soda. I hadn’t seen water enhancers being sold anywhere else in Kuwait so figured I’d post about it here.

Since we’re on the subject of items that we can’t find in Kuwait, when Gourmet Shelf dropped off my items they asked me if there was anything I wanted but I couldn’t find in Kuwait. They’re looking to start importing more products to Kuwait and need some ideas of what to bring. So if there is a food item that you love but can’t find in Kuwait or think they should bring, mention what it is in the comments below so I could pass it to them.

The Ministry of Communications has announced that its starting phase 2 of its nationwide fiber optics rollout with 34 new areas including Mangaf, Mahboula, Egaila, Messila and Khiran. They’ve got a short presentation that lists all 34 areas which I’ve shared above but the video is in Arabic. [YouTube]

Thanks Osama