2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

Yesterday I went with a friend to Chipotle for lunch and to my surprise there was a pretty huge line. There were actually two lines, a really long line for the counter where they build your order, and another shorter line for the digital kiosks. But, here is a life pro tip, you can skip both lines by just placing the order through their website.

Instead of waiting in line to place my order, I just went to chipotleme.com and placed an order through the website and then just went up to the pick up counter and got my order from there. I placed the order at 3:21 and five minutes later at 3:26 I got an email telling me my order was ready to pick up.

The reason you get your order so quickly is because Chipotle have two prep lines, one for in person orders and another in the back for digital orders. There are a lot less people ordering through the kiosk or website so you’re basically skipping the line by going through one of those channels.

So next time you’re at Avenues and feel like having Chipotle, just order through your phone.

Starting tomorrow (April 16), Kuwait will be hosting the 2024 World Ice Hockey Championship Division IV. Four countries will be participating in this tournament, Mongolia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Kuwait.

The IIHF World Championship Division IV is an annual sports event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The winner of this championship will progress to the higher Division III. Last year Kuwait finished 3rd while Philippines finished 1st.

The tournament is running from April 16 to 19 and taking place at the Kuwait Winter Games Club’s ice skating rink in Bayan. If you’re interested in attending and watching the games, here is the schedule (no tickets required):

Tuesday, 16 April 2024
14:00 – Mongolia v Indonesia
18:00 – Malaysia v Kuwait

Thursday, 18 April 2024
14:00 – Indonesia v Malaysia
18:00 – Mongolia v Kuwait

Friday, 19 April 2024
14:00 – Malaysia v Mongolia
18:00 – Kuwait v Indonesia

Yesterday I had a Talabat order where the driver hadn’t moved from his spot in nearly 20 minutes. I thought he might have gotten into an accident so I decided to contact Tabalat support to check on the situation, and that’s when I noticed they’re now using ChatGPT to answer regular support questions.

When you click on “Get Help” you now automatically get ChatGPT customer support by default. You can still get a hold of a real employee if you want to chat with a live person, but the default option now is ChatGPT which I thought was interesting.

The thing is, most of the time when I am talking to a real person, I think I’m talking to a bot due to the very odd language they tend to communicate with. They’re super helpful don’t get me wrong, I actually think Talabat’s customer support has improved a lot recently, but the phrases and words they use when being super friendly is really weird. I think I’m going to start saving them all so I could share in a separate post.

Ok it’s been awhile since we did this so here we go.

Shōgun – Watch this, from all the shows I’ve been watching recently this is my favorite one. Great story, great acting, beautiful locations and sets, everything about it is pretty much perfect. There is very little lull in the episodes, every moment feels important, I love it. (Hulu)

Palm Royale – It’s a good new show, but really watching it because Ricky Martin is starring in it. I’m not a fan of his music, but a huge fan of his and his acting on this series. (AppleTV+)

Bodies – Started watching this yesterday actually, 4 episodes in and still no idea whats going on. It’s got an interesting plot though that caught my attention that takes place over different time periods. Nothing like Dark though. (Netflix)

3 Body Problem – 5 episodes in out of 8 and no idea whats going on. I want to recommend it for Game of Thrones fans since its by the creators of Game of Thrones and stars a bunch of people from the show, but it’s kinda lost me and not sure the ending is going to be worth it. (Netflix)

Elsbeth – If you’re a fan of The Good Wife and The Good Fight, then you’ll probably like this spinoff. Only 3 episodes out and I like it so far. (Paramount+)

Fallout – Comes out today! (Prime Video)

Let us know in the comments what you’ve been watching or planning to watch this Eid.

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Week:
Kung Fu Panda 4 (6.4)
The Bricklayer (5.1)
The First Omen (6.9)

Other Movies Showing:
Dune: Part Two (8.8)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

I had Ferdi for the first time back in 2013 when I visited a couple of friends who were studying in Paris. They were both regulars at Ferdi, a hole in the wall restaurant that was starting to become a hotspot for celebrities and a place to be seen during Paris Fashion Week and other high-profile events. I remember the second time I was having dinner there, Kim and Kanye were also there just a couple of tables away. It was surreal, mostly because everyone there was so casual about it.

But that was then, today Ferdi has become a popular tourist destination and they now have locations around the world as well as a spinoff brand called Dinand par Ferdi. They also just opened in Kuwait, and last night I was invited to try it out.

The best way to describe Ferdi’s food is unpretentious comfort food. My usual order includes corn on the cob, mac & cheese, French fries and their famous cheeseburger. Nothing about their food is special, they don’t have the best cheeseburger in the world or the best fries, but when in Paris, it’s the combination of good simple food, decent prices, cozy space and the ambience that makes Ferdi, Ferdi. Not sure that concept works in Kuwait since we all have our favorite comfort food spots and we all definitely have our favorite burger places, but we’ll soon find out.

Ferdi Kuwait is located at JACC right next to White Robata. Their prices are similar to Paris with their Mac Ferdi’s Cheeseburger costing KD5.850 and KD2.000 for a side of fries. Reservations at the moment are required and as of this post, it looks like the next available date is May 29th. So good luck getting a table until the hype settles. @ferdi.kuwait

A couple of years ago I posted about the issue with getting the Sahel app translated to English. Everyone was assuming it was just about getting the app translated, but in reality that wasn’t the issue.

According to a source back then involved in the project, the app had the English option available for a while now but they couldn’t launch it because some of the entities that are in Sahel had not finished adapting to English and English data. So until they do, the app has to remain in Arabic.

But, someone on Reddit posted a loophole that forces the app to display the English version of the app. Here is how to do it:

iPhone
– Launch Sahel app then exit and go to the phone settings
– Under settings go to Keyboard and add Arabic. If you already have the Arabic keyboard, remove it
– Go back to the app, it should now be in English

Android
– Same as the iPhone version except instead of getting to keyboard settings, go to language settings and change your default language to any other form of English (for example UK or US)

You’re going to be limited with what you can do in the App and what you can read, but at least it could help you navigate around and learn where everything is.

Bassem Youssef (@bassem), is coming to Kuwait next month to co-headline a comedy night alongside popular standup comedian, Maz Jobrani (@mazjobrani).

If you don’t know Bassem Youssef, he’s an Egyptian-American comedian and television host who went viral late last year after his appearance on the Piers Morgan show. Maz, on the other hand, has performed in Kuwait multiple times and was part of the popular ‘Axis of Evil’ comedy group.

The show hasn’t been officially announced yet, but Maz Jobrani was able to confirm to me that they are indeed coming. The date is currently being finalized, and they will announce it soon. Both will be performing together in Abu Dhabi on May 24th, so I’d expect them to be in Kuwait around that date.

Yesterday I was at Chipotle Avenues Mall (they’re not open yet, I was just given access) and here is everything you need to know.

Opening Date:
They still don’t have an exact date, it will be during Eid that’s for sure, possibly April 10th. (Update: The opening date is officially April 9th)

Prices:
They’re going to be slightly more expensive than the US, but just slightly. For example, the burrito in Kuwait starts at KD 3.5 which is around $11.5, the same burrito in the US would cost around $10.5 (with tax). Here are all the items and their prices:

Burrito KD 3.500
Burrito Bowl KD 3.500
3 Tacos KD 3.500
Single Taco KD 1.250
Quesadilla KD 3.700
Salad KD 3.500
Kids BYO KD 2.250
Kids Quesadilla KD 2.000

Chips KD 0.950
Chips & Guacamole KD 1.900
Large Chips & Guacamole KD 3.150
Chips & Fresh Tomato Salsa KD 1.250
Chips & Tomatillo (Red Chili) KD 1.250
Chips & Tomatillo (Green Chili) KD 1.250
Chips & Roasted Chili Corn Salsa KD 1.250
Chips & Queso Blanco KD 1.750

Proteins:
Chicken, Steak, Braised Beef (Barbacoa), Sofritas, Veggies “includes Guacamole”

Ordering:
There will be 4 ways to order from opening day, you can either stand in line and build your order with an employee, or you can order from their digital kiosks, order through a QR code on the table, or order through the Chipotle Middle East app which will be available at launch.

Delivery:
Won’t be available at launch, but will become available as they open more branches.

Tidbits:
Some of the staff were brought in from Chipotle in the States and will be here permanently including the manager. Their prep and cooking kitchen is open and visible while waiting in line (I love that). Everyone I met and saw while there seemed happy and thrilled. I’m not very familiar with the brand since I only had it twice before, but the vibe I felt was really upbeat and fun, they’re really excited to open.

Hmmm, I think that’s all there is to know. I didn’t eat anything because I wasn’t really hungry, but I did leave with some fresh chips and guacamole.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments. And this is my last Chipotle post, I promise 😅

Just a random post, I’m obsessed with these spinach nuggets, I got them a few days ago from a place called Makani in Shuwaikh and they’re so delicious. It’s by a brand called Dr Praeger’s and they are very easy to make, you just throw them in the air frier for 10 mins and they make a good breakfast. They’re not ridiculously priced and they’re not just for kids, you can get them here.

Last year, Chipotle announced a partnership with Alshaya Group to introduce its franchise to the Middle East, and they’re now ready to open their inaugural location.

The first Chipotle in Kuwait is set to open at The Avenues (next to VOX Cinema) this Eid. While an exact date hasn’t been finalized, they’re aiming to open soon after their private VIP event on April 8th. So stay tuned.

Update: They just informed me that the official instagram account for the Middle East is @chipotle.me and will go live later today

Update2: The final opening date is now April 9th

Amer Zahr, the popular Palestinian American comedian is coming to Kuwait to perform his hilarious stand-up show, “The Truth”.

Amer has previously headlined at New York City’s world-famous Carnegie Hall and John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. He also served as a national surrogate for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders back in 2016. His comedy tends to draw on his experiences growing up as a child of Palestinian refugees, performing on topics like politics, society, culture, Palestine, and more.

If you’re looking for a night out full of laughter, he’ll be performing in Kuwait on April 23rd at 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm. The show will take place at the American University in Kuwait Theater in Salmiya and tickets start at KD15.

Amer is proud to partner with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

To get your tickets head over to tktfox.com

Last week artist Jad El Khoury was brought back to Kuwait to create a new mural in place of his erased one, that project was just one of many that the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters have in the pipeline.

NCCAL recently underwent a leadership transition that is instigating significant changes. They want to transform the public art scene starting with a commitment to providing increased opportunities for both local and international artists. By fostering trust between artists and the public sector, they hope to cultivate a vibrant public art community in Kuwait.

Their first project launched earlier this year and they called it “Al Fenn Al Thalith Murals Project” (roughly translates to “The Third Art Murals Project). The project is an open platform for artists that streamlines the process of obtaining permits to create murals on public property and spaces. They launched the project with an open invitation for people to submit their designs and if chosen, they’d then be able to paint them onto the electrical substations in that area.

With their first projects out of the way, NCCAL are now working on the next ones. One of the future projects targets what they call “trouble zones” all over Kuwait, breathing life into them with mural art. They also want to collaborate with a variety of entities such as Jedareyat, the Australian Embassy (future project in the works), and various private sponsors/collaborators.

I also found it interesting that NCCAL supports all local artists, regardless of where they’re from. Additionally, they aim to continue inviting international artists so they could bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the local scene.

NCCAL are currently in the process of setting up social media pages and an official website that will encompass all these projects, but for now, if you’re interested in obtaining a permit to create a mural on public property, you can do so through the NCCAL website, nccal.gov.kw

Yesterday someone on Reddit shared a video he took at a beach in Abu Halifa. The video shows a guy driving an SUV (Toyota FJ Cruiser) carelessly on a beach when he suddenly loses control and the car flips over throwing the driver out.

That original post disappeared but not before the video quickly going viral locally. It even started going viral online with one post getting 54,000 up votes and a reel on Instagram getting over 5 million views.

Supposedly the car was stolen and the driver was later apprehended although I can’t find a news site verifying that information. If you haven’t watched the video or if you want to watch the full unedited video, I’ve uploaded it to YouTube and shared it in this post.

Netflix has officially announced that the popular Kuwait-based series ‘The Exchange‘ will be returning for a second season. The show which had a very successful first season will see the comeback of the two main stars, Farida played by Rawan Mahdi, and Munira who’s played by Mona Hussain as well as the director Jasem AlMuhanna and producer Abdullah Boushahri.

Although I was hoping the show will be moving into the 90s for the second season, it looks like it will continue to remain in the 80s. Production is currently underway but Netflix hasn’t mentioned an air date but I’d imagine it’s Q4 of this year or Q1 of next year.

A hacker is claiming to have 600,000 passenger data for Kuwait Airways customers which supposedly contains the following information:

Member title, first name, middle name, surname, marital status, job title, dob, gender, e-mail address, nationality, Kuwait national ID, passport, passport validity period, primary telephone, second telephone, address, city, state, zip code, country, award mile, next card, qualify miles, quality sector, tier, total award miles, total qualify miles, valid from, valid till, contents.

Kuwait Airways have responded to the claim stating:

The security and privacy of our passengers’ information are paramount to us. We are investigating the claims made on social media and have engaged leading cybersecurity experts to assess and mitigate the situation. source

🇰🇼 Alleged Sale of 600,000 Passenger Data of Kuwait Airways

A threat actor claimed to have 600,000 passenger data belonging to Kuwait Airways and was putting it up for sale. Allegedly in the database: member title, first name, middle name, surname, marital status, job title,… pic.twitter.com/PRndsOe5ce

— ThreatMon (@MonThreat) March 25, 2024

I’m a Kuwait Airways customer so I originally was concerned my credit card details might have been part of the security breach. But, I checked and I don’t have my credit card details saved, and don’t think there is a way to save them anyway. So one positive I guess. For more details, check this article out on cybersecuritynews.com