2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

Before I found out someone had broken into my car I was enjoying dinner at P.F. Chang inside the Avenues. They haven’t opened up to the public yet, it’s just by invite since they’re still training and I managed to get one. The first thing that struck me about the restaurant (other than the fact it was packed) was how big it was. According to my friend they’re either the largest or second largest P.F. Chang’s branch in the world. They’re also the 200th P.F. Chang branch to open and only the second to open outside the US. The other international branch is in Mexico.

I had the crab wanton for starters which was amazing and then for my main course I had sweet & sour chicken and this other dish that had prawns, melons and walnuts. The sweet & sour chicken looked nothing like the usual ones I have, it didn’t have the regular red sauce nor any vegetables or fruits but it still tasted really good (I actually always order my sweet & sour without fruits or vegetables anyway). The prawns and melons dish was a very strange but interesting combination, I can’t believe someone actually came up with this mix, very cool.

There was a ton of staff in the restaurant since in addition to the P.F. Chang Kuwait staff they’ve brought in over 20 more staff from the States to help with the training. Paul Fleming the creator of P.F. Chang was even in the kitchen overlooking everything. Our waiter was one of the local staff and was very friendly.

The prices haven’t been finalized yet but they’re supposed to be even cheaper than what was currently on the menu. The sweet & sour chicken was around KD4.400 and the prawns dish I think KD5.450 so if they drop the price it should be pretty affordable. The quantity of the food was too much and I think they know that because they were quick to offer to pack my leftovers to take home. Too much food is always better than too little. While there I also got confirmation that Shake Shack will be opening up in Kuwait early next year and the first branch will be at the Avenues. It was a pretty nice evening overall until the car incident…

Someone fucking broke into my Z4 this evening. I went to Avenues for dinner and because it was packed I parked my car across the street from Avenues. I was gone maybe an hour max and when I got back to the car the passenger window had been smashed in. There wasn’t anything in my car except for my house and wrangler keys which I had put behind the hand brake (check picture below). They took my keys and I have no idea what they are planning to do with them. I am going to change my home locks now and will probably need to change my Wrangler locks which is probably going to be expensive. Why would anyone steal my keys? Are they seriously contemplating on robbing me? How would they know where I live? Will they try to steal my Wrangler? Who the fuck steals cars in Kuwait? I’ve never heard about anyone’s car getting stolen…

My theory is someone smashed the windows to see if there was anything they could steal from inside (a phone, glasses, radio etc..). They then saw my keys and took them thinking they were the Z4 keys and maybe they could open the trunk or something. When they realized it had nothing to do with the Z4 I would assume they would throw the keys away. That is why I am going to go back now with a flashlight and look around and see if they threw my keys somewhere. I’m pissed.

Update: Went last night looking for the keys with a flashlight. Searched the whole block around where my car had been broken into but didn’t find anything. Passed by the BMW dealer earlier to have my window fixed. The window will cost only KD50 which is not bad except for the fact they don’t have it in stock. Will take over 2 weeks for them to get the part so I’ve got to search the scrapyard or glass shops in Shuwaikh for a replacement.

A reader sent me the following email with a few pictures (of which I’m sharing two).

i received my aramex package today , i saw the package little bit outta shape i thought something was up. i payed shipping charges then i headed to my room opened the box and here comes the SHOCK there is a puddle of water inside and the items are soaking wet. the funny part that the box contained a 400$ digital camera :S. i called aramex they told me customer service should contact you soon and hoping a refund for the item and shipping charges. been waiting and no one called :S. waiting till tomorrow.

I’m guessing the shipment got damaged while waiting to be cleared at the airport customs so it’s interesting to see how this will pan out. According to their terms & conditions:

Aramex is not responsible for any customs or duties incurred on any package contents. Furthermore, Aramex is not responsible for penalties, loss or damage of shipments while in possession of customs.

Aramex is responsible for the customer’s packages only while they are within Aramex’s custody and control. Aramex’s LIABILITY IN ANY EVENT IS LIMITED TO ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS (US $ 100/=) OR ITS EQUIVALENT PER SHIPMENT as stated on the back of the Express/Air freight waybill.

So legally Aramex are no liable for any damage and even if they are they only cover up to $100 which is not much. Has anything like this happened to anyone? What was the outcome?

Note: Btw if you ever wondered how Aramex’s building looks like in New York, a blogger 3baid found it using google street view. Looks cool, maybe someone from Aramex could get us pictures of the inside? That would be an interesting tour. [Link]

Update: Aramex resolved the issue with the damaged package and refunded the reader. Here is what the reader (Sam) had to say about it:

Dear Members,

NEW UPDATE regarding my issue.

i just got a call this morning from Aramex Shop and Ship Manager notifying me regarding my damaged package, he was very helpful and he took full responsibility of the damage caused, told me to bring the package to Aramex Arthiya for a full Refund of the product & shipping charges.

I went there got my refund and the manager was kind enough to explain to me the cause of the incident due to a leakage in customs warehouse, where they are taking action to solve this issue.

PROBLEM SOLVED.

Thank you, Shop & Ship Manager for Handling this Issue Professionally.

Very weird commercial. [YouTube]

via

THE 99 is a locally created comic book featuring a team of superheroes based on Islamic culture and religion. Although it’s been only 2 years since the comic got published it quickly became a bit hit and is now licensed in 8 languages including Chinese. Next year Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other members of The Justice League of America will team up with THE 99 in a global series by DC Comics. In addition to that THE 99 is being turned into an animated series and the video above is the preview. 26 episodes are currently in production written by top names in Hollywood who’ve also worked on Ben 10, Spiderman, X-Men and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. [YouTube]

Here is a link to THE 99 website [Link]

Since EasyShop uses DHL I just realized I can track the status of my packages with an iPhone application. There are a ton of applications to use but I am using one called “Delivery Status“. Since the DHL tracking is EXTREMELY detailed the application is very useful. Another reason so choose EasyShop over Aramex.

Note: One more thing, you can create an account with Delivery Status on their website and that way you can copy and paste all your tracking numbers there and it will sync it with your iPhone app. That means you don’t have to type them one by one on your iPhone, very practical.

Note2: The application can also track your Aramex packages but it will only start tracking once the package ships from the US and since their tracking isn’t very detailed it’s not useful.

Update: Turns out the application can sync with your Amazon account and provide even more details. Just added my Amazon order number from yesterday and it collected all the information from my account.

Whenever I get back to Lebanon one of the things that pisses me off is the amount of racism that still exists there. I was just checking CNN and noticed an article called Maid Suicides and it turned out to be an article about the recent spate of maid suicides in Lebanon. This is extremely depressing and honestly I am not sure what can be done to educate the employers of those maids. Anybody have any ideas? How do you educate a whole country? [CNN Link]

This is an interesting event, Genki Sushi who are located at Al Raya want people to try and see how good their sushi is so they’re holding an event at The Exhibition and inviting everyone to come and try their sushi for free. Here are the details:

Genki Sushi Nights @ The Exhibition
Enjoy FREE SUSHI for two nights ONLY!

6PM-10PM
Wednesday and Thursday
December 9-10, 2009

Directions to event: Three shops to the left of Slider Station on ‘The Strip’ – Across from Alseef Palace, Jibla, Kuwait.
Telephone: + (965) 940 662 26

The Genki Sushi restaurant is located in Arraya Mall, Kuwait City. Tel: (+965) 229 979 33

That’s free all you can eat sushi people!

Thanks Hiba

Here is the calendar for Cinemagic’s rooftop movie nights for December:

Thursday, December 3rd at 7:00 PM
BRODRE, DENMARK 2004
Director: Susan Bier
Genre: Drama | 146 min | English Subtitle

Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 PM
COUSCOUS, TUNISIA 2007
Director: Abdellatif Kecheiche
Genre: Drama | 148 min | English Subtitle

Thursday, December 10th at 7:00 PM
DEATH NOTE – THE LAST NAME, JAPAN 2007
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Genre: Adventure | Mystery | 141 min | English Subtitle

Saturday, December 12th at 7:00 PM
SURPRISE FILM

Thursday, December 17th at 7:00 pm
A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, USA 1993
Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Comedy | Musical | 80 min | English Subtitle

Saturday, December 19th at 7:00 pm
UN CONTE DE NOEL, FRANCE 2008
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Genre: Drama | 150 min | English Subtitle

Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof on top of Alghanim Electronics and LG. Attendance is free of charge and snacks and refreshments will be served.

Here is a link to their facebook group [Link]

The video above is the new teaser trailer for GulfRun 5 thats going to be held at the end of January in Bahrain. The guys promised me I will have another video and more information to post in a few more days so will keep you posted with any updates. [YouTube]

Here is a link to the Gulf Run website [Link]

Just got the following message from the Facebook group Keep Kuwait Green:

Friends, please come to the green rally on Saturday, December 5th from 10am to 11:30am. Wear green and support the peaceful cause to keep reasonable hedges and stop cutting down Kuwait’s trees. The Green Rally will be held in West Mishref, across from the Australian college facing the Mishref Fair Grounds. Bring the kids

Picture by Ramez

Someones found a way to turn vodka into pills. That should be fun for airport customs officials:

‘Solid’ vodka would become popular for two reasons only – it would be easier to carry it and because it cannot be broken. In fact, ‘dry’ vodka can be wrapped in paper and carried around in your pocket or bag. Besides that, vodka in the form of pills can help consumers determine their preferred ‘dose’ of intoxication.

Here is the link to the article [Link

Just learned that octogenarian means a person who is between 80 and 90 years old. [YouTube]

Tonight was the soft launch for The Meat Company so I decided to pass by with Nat and have dinner there. Like Wagamama, I hadn’t been to any other Meat Company before so I didn’t come in with any expectations. The interior of the place is very well done, the lighting, the carpet, the wooden walls all help give the place a very warm and cozy feeling. The staff all seemed to be from South Africa and very friendly. Our waiter was previously based in Dubai and he’s now going to be living and working in Kuwait along with a few other waiters who also moved to here from Dubai.

For starters I ordered the salt & pepper calamari while for my main course I ordered the 300 grams Australian fillet, pepper crusted and medium rare with a side order of mashed potatoes. Nataly ordered the petit fillet which is 200 grams but she ordered hers well done with a side order of salad but also pepper crusted. The calamari was ok but I wouldn’t order it again. The steak on the other hand was probably one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. It was cooked perfectly and the meat was so soft and tender it was just melting effortlessly while I was chewing it. Even Nat’s well done fillet was extremely soft, I was actually surprised since most well done steaks I’ve had end up being dry and tough. I really loved the steak which has put me in a strange position because when I was first checked the menu I spotted some burgers and decided that I would try one on my next visit. Now I don’t think I will because it would be a shame not to have the fillet again.

Price wise the petit fillet for example costs around KD10.5 and comes with a side order. The calamari was KD3 something. Oh I also tried their home made wine (alcohol free). It comes in a nice wine glass and it looks a lot like wine but sadly doesn’t taste like wine. On the bright side I didn’t drive back home drunk.

I really liked the place and would try to make it there once a month at least. The Meat Company is located in the 360 Mall, first floor opposite Coffee Republic.

Although I would think by now everyone knows what Ace Hardware is it seems it’s not as popular as I had imagined. Whenever I mention Ace on my blog a few people always comment asking what it was or where it was so I figured I would highlight the place.

Ace Hardware is one of my favorite stores in Kuwait. They’ve been open over a decade now and every year they just keep on improving. They sell everything from bedsheets, towels, sporting equipment, ATV’s, barbecue’s, gardening tools, car accessories, bathroom accessories, hardware tools, power tools, toys, paint, kitchenware, bulbs, pet supplies and the list goes on and on. Everything is arranged nicely, the place never gets too crowded, the staff are friendly and helpful and since they import a lot of items directly from the States, you find a lot of stuff you can’t find anywhere else. I use Ace mostly for the hardware tools section, the barbecue accessories and pet supplies but every now and then I would need something totally random and I would find it only at Ace.

They’re located in Al-Rai in the area between Avenues and the 4th Ring Road. I’ve drawn a map below of how to find the place, they’re open from 9AM to 10PM daily and their phone number is 24769100.