2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

The Center for Gulf Studies at the American University of Kuwait in association with EBLA International presents a film screening entitled:

Teswa? (Was it worth it?)

A national drive safe campaign documentary film showcasing the effects of reckless driving in Kuwait.

EBLA created the first investigative film inquiring into the reasons behind Kuwait’s road accident death toll, disclosing the factors that make Kuwait the country with the highest global statistic of lethal car accidents per capita.

The 30 minute film covers a wide range of issues identifying the source of the problem, ranging from institutional to societal factors, and concludes by offering proposed solutions. The aim of the film is to inspire proactive change, raise awareness and to empower society to produce change. The film is launched in tandem with a nation-wide marketing campaign that includes outdoor media, magazines, radio and newspapers.

Date: Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Time: 6PM
Location: AUK Auditorium

Qabaq shot the video above at the Kuwait Car Hydraulics Battle. The cars look great, too bad the video is really short. [Link]

No completion date but it’s going to be a new entertainment hub located in Al Mahboula and will have restaurants and gyms. [Link]

A lot of readers yesterday recommended a bunch of Chinese restaurants to try out so I’m going to be going through the list one by one. One of the places that was recommended by more than one person was Golden Chopsticks. I used to know Golden Chopsticks from the early 2000’s back when they were located near Scientific Center but I hadn’t been there since. They’re now located in Shaab where they moved to around 8 years ago. The restaurant is pretty spacious with around 10 tables so finding a place to sit shouldn’t be an issue. I passed by last night and there were three other tables occupied so mid-week the place seems quiet and private.

We ordered the following items:
Chicken Corn Soup KD0.750
Crab Corn Soup KD0.850
Shrimp Spring Rolls (3pcs) KD0.950
Shrimp on Toast (8pcs) KD2.250
Boiled Shrimp Dumpling (8pcs) KD1.950
Sweet & Sour Chicken KD2.250
Chicken w/ Cashew Nuts KD1.750
Egg Fried Rice KD1.100
Prawn with Chili & Garlic KD3.250

Based on the readers comments about the place I was really expecting the food to be exceptional. But, most of the items I had were good at best. The Sweet & Sour Chicken was the worst thing I had while the Prawn with Chili & Garlic was my favorite dish. The dumplings and Chicken with Cashew Nuts were also both really good while the Shrimp on Toast and Sprint Rolls were really boring and I wouldn’t order them again. I was meant to try their Peking Duck which I was told was really good but they had run out of it by the time I got there so I couldn’t try it.

The service was really good and friendly and I was greeted with smiles as soon as I walked in. The interior is cozy and I was there for around 3 hours and never felt uncomfortable. Overall I wasn’t too impressed with the dishes (other than the ones I highlighted as good) but their prices are pretty cheap and their comfortable interior and friendly service would make me want to go back again.

If you’re interested in passing by their phone number is 22656161 and here is their location on [Google Maps]

A reader send me photos of a menu from a juice place in Fahaheel opposite the British School. I found the “For Husbands” section funny.

Thanks Thomas

A friend took the picture above at his local Coop and then yesterday another friend sent me a photo of a letter from the Union of Consumer Cooperative Societies in which they state they’re pulling all of KDD’s products from the shelves.

The letter doesn’t mention a reason but my guess it’s a financial disagreement of some sort. If anyone can shed some light on this subject that would be great. Here is a picture of the [Letter]

Update: I got the below image of a Co-op notice as well as the following explanation…

the reason is that they always change their prices / sell at different prices for different coops and so the coops dont have an official pricing for KDD products as they always change and are sold to different coops at different prices and constantly changing (manly going up)

Update2: It turns out KDD released an ad in the newspapers today stating that they haven’t changed their prices for the past 5 years and encouraging the public to order from them directly to get a fair price.

Thanks Infinite Driver

A reader emailed me informing me that around a month ago her uncle had a motorcycle accident on the road to Hilton resort (Al Mangaf) because of an unmarked speed bump. She shared the video above of her uncle with his son backtracking the route he took before his accident.

When you watch the video you’ll see that the first speed bump has no markings, no reflectors and no sign before it warning of speed bumps ahead. All she’s asking for is the Ministry of Public Works to consider marking the speed bump so that no one else gets hurt. I think thats a very reasonable request. [YouTube]

My favorite Chinese restaurant used to be Peacock but since it closed down I really haven’t found a good alternative. I still go to Caesars every now and then but that isn’t really authentic Chinese food.

I’m looking for a new place and figured I’d ask, what’s your favorite Chinese restaurant (preferably a hole in the wall and a dine in) and how can I find it? Let me know.

Picture above is of the Chicken Thai Dynamite from Pei Wei

Monstariam are three guys who were united by their shared passion for creating art. This exhibition is their first and will feature a multitude of artworks from intricately designed canvas posters to framed A4 prints and original sketches to exclusive bespoke vehicles.

Kuwait came in 66th place which lies somewhere above the middle of the list while Lebanon came in a low 128th place and the UAE in a pretty good 27th position.

The most corrupt country in the world is Somalia while the least corrupt is Denmark. [Link]

The winners of the 2011 Emporis Skyscraper Award was recently announced and Kuwait’s Hamra Tower came in second place. The Emporis Skyscraper Award is a renowned architecture prize for new skyscrapers and the winners were chosen from over 220 skyscrapers completed in 2011. The tower that came in first place was the 8 Spruce Street which looks pretty impressive as well. [Link]

I’m probably one of the few people left in Kuwait who hadn’t been to Oriental Cuisine before. I had heard about the place but never really felt like going until a couple of days ago. For those of you who don’t know, Oriental Cuisine is a Thai restaurant located in Kuwait City. It’s not a new place but it started off as a small and awhile back expanded into a larger restaurant.

I went with a friend and we ordered a whole bunch of things including:

Chicken Satay KD1.750
Khanom Pang Na Moo (Shrimps on toast) KD2.750
Tom Yum Soup (prawns) KD2.750
Kaeng Khiao Wan (chicken green curry) KD1.750
Honey and garlic chicken KD1.750
Pad Thai (chicken) KD2.000
Plain rice KD0.300

People told me everything on the menu is good and from my one time experience there it seems that could be possible. All our dishes were at the very least good but most were great. My least favorite was probably the chicken satay since there wasn’t much flavor there but on the other hand my favorite dishes were probably the honey and garlic chicken along with the shrimps on toast which I couldn’t have enough of.

Their prices are pretty affordable and they weren’t stingy with the food quantity. My only complaint about the place would be the fact that their service wasn’t that great. When I arrived no one greeted me and I had to wait at least 5 minutes for anyone to give me any sort of attention. Other than that minor quibble it’s a pretty cool place. If you’re interested, they’re open all week except on Mondays and their phone number is 22470400. Here is their location on [Google Maps]

Cars, trucks and now buses are using the emergency lane during traffic. On the bright side, I was on the 5th Ring Road the other day heading to Avenues and people were driving on the emergency lane (even though traffic wasn’t that bad). Turns out there were cops parked on the emergency lane further down the road and they were stopping all the cars on the emergency lane and giving them tickets.

Photo by Musaed

According to Arabian Business, Apple will officially be launching the iPhone 5 in Kuwait and the GCC on December 14th. So if you were planning to purchase an iPhone 5, put it on hold until it’s officially out. My guess is the 16GB version will end up costing around KD220 when it’ officially launched here. [Link]

A 48-year-old passenger who owns a reptile shop in Kuwait smuggled a cobra onboard an Egypt Air flight to Kuwait from Egypt. Right after takeoff the snake bit the guy and then escaped slithering under the passenger seats. That’s pretty freaky. CNN has the full story [Here]

Thanks Naveen