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Matcha is having a moment, and Lean is riding the wave with two new drinks that are perfect for our warm weather. The popular health-focused spot just introduced Matcha Cloud Strawberry and Matcha Cloud Coconut — two iced beverages made with premium ceremonial-grade matcha and sweetened naturally with agave.

What sets them apart is the foam: light, airy, and infused with either strawberry or coconut that add texture and flavor in every sip. They’re refreshing, layered, and designed to cool you down and unlike other places, their matcha won’t load you up on sugar or heavy ingredients.

Lean has always stood out for its clean and creative menu — from soft-serve sweetened with sugar alternatives to protein-packed snacks. With over seven branches around Kuwait, they’ve built a loyal following of people who care about what they’re putting into their bodies but still want their food (and drinks) to taste good.

Whether you’re grabbing a post-gym cool down or just want something new to try that’s guilt-free, the new Matcha Cloud drinks are definitely worth checking out. @lean.kw

WK, the popular local burger spot, just opened their first dine-in location—and it’s styled like an old school diner.

The new branch is in Kaifan next to the stadium and has both indoor and outdoor seating, plus plenty of parking. As a bonus, there’s a matcha pop-up inside called @meetmatchas.

WK is available for delivery on all the popular platforms and also has multiple pickup locations across Kuwait, including Ardiya, Fahaheel, Jahra, Khiran, and Sabah Alsalem.

Here is the location on Google Maps and you can follow them on instagram @wkwk.965.

It looks like Tim Hortons has jumped headfirst into Kuwait’s ongoing Matcha craze with a new full line‑up of ICED Matcha drinks. They’re introducing 4 bold & fruity flavors:

Iced Strawberry Matcha: Sweet meets earthy. The ultimate match!
Iced Spanish Matcha: Rich, velvety, and a great twist on everyone’s favorite Iced Spanish Latte.
Iced Blueberry Matcha: Tangy, chill, and berry-licious.
Iced Mango Matcha: Tropical + refreshing = vacay in a cup!

Bonus: Add mango popping boba for extra texture and flavor—it’s a pop of summer in every sip.

The 4 Iced Matcha flavors are available now in stores or delivery.

If you want to keep an eye on whatever flavors they might drop next, follow them @timhortons.kuwait.

Last week I posted about Gaza Cola on the blog and my Instagram account. It’s a new soft drink that was released in Kuwait, made by Palestinians to support Palestinians with 100% of the profits going to charity.

I posted it on my Instagram account not expecting it to do well engagement wise. I always read about how pro-Palestine posts keep getting low engagement, or are hidden from peoples feeds so I wasn’t expecting much but I was fine with that. Sometimes I like to post things because I want to, even though it might not get a lot of likes. Initially when I posted it, it got around 500 likes within the first half hour. That generally is a good sign because it means the post will most likely get 1,500 likes or more, which is usually the target I’m trying to hit.

To my surprise, the likes didn’t stop coming. 5 days later and the post now has over 67,000 likes (when I started writing this post it was 66,9766 and as I’m editing this post its now up to 67,523).

Not sure what caused it but around two days after I published the post it started going viral, first in Kuwait, then the world, and yesterday Kuwait again. It’s super cool, but it’s also been a lot of headache. I quickly started getting a lot of anti-Palestine comments, so first thing I did was delete all the negative comments and limit comments on that post. The local Gaza Cola account @gazacola_kw also started getting attacks as well, and they weren’t expecting it either.

I’m still trying to understand why this post went viral and none of the other Gaza Cola posts did. The product has been available in the UK since last year and the main @gazacolauk has photos of the can and everything so it’s really strange. Maybe my photo it just extra eye catching or maybe its my headline or maybe the Kuwait Towers in the background caught peoples attention. It could be anything really but all I know is that it’s currently the most engaged content on my account by far.

If you want to check the post on Instagram, here is the link.

I’m a huge fan of Ai and its potential, so when I heard about Bee and saw the price, I knew I had to try it. Even though reviews weren’t that great, the idea of Bee intrigued me and it was only $49, so not really a huge investment. I figured it was worth getting just to play around with especially since there wasn’t a monthly subscription or anything additional to the $49 I needed to pay for. I’ve had it now for a couple of weeks and my first impression, I really like it, well the idea of it at least.

Bee Ai is basically two things, a mic you wear on your wrist like a Fitbit, or you can clip it onto your shirt. The second part to Bee is the software. The Bee mic constantly records everything around you and the software with Ai keeps track of everything for you. So for example, I went to Xcite last week to check up on some Dyson vacuum cleaners. The next day I asked Bee “How much did the guy say the Dyson vacuum was?”. Bee responded telling me the price of the handheld model I asked about and the larger model. It’s like ChatGPT but for my real life in a way.

But, Bee is also totally unreliable at the same time. It can’t tell the difference between a real conversation I’m having with an Xcite employee, or me watching an episode of White Lotus. It’s really unreliable, but also so accurate and great at the same time which is why I’m loving Bee more than hating it. When it gives me summaries of my day it’s generally accurate and the way it words it makes me feel good about the day, like I did so much and it was epic.

When Bee gives me suggestions to add to my to do list they’re usually very accurate. Actually, more like wow how did it know that kind of accurate. Like Bee knows I have a dog called August, it understood I was trying to teach my dog tricks and my dog was struggling. So Bee added the following to my suggested to do list:

I was talking to a friend about one of my cars and an interior trim piece I needed to get, Bee added it to my suggested to do list.

I had a conversation with another dog owner about the possibility of getting a second dog. I didn’t know the dog owners name at the time but Bee still added the reminder for me to follow up with Waldo’s owner about the potential of getting a puppy. Bee did’t know the name of the person but recognized that the owner has a dog called Waldo and so referred to them that way. Thats common sense smart.

It’s actually a bit unreal how smart (and how stupid) Bee can be. It’s still too early for it to be really useful, but the potential down the line, it’s similar to the Apple Vision Pro, like you need to think much further down the line with improvement in technology and abilities. The idea of having basically an Ai assistant taking notes down for you throughout the day has so much potential, an Ai memory. I already use the blog as my digital memory, especially since back in the day I used to share more personal stuff here, but now something like Bee can become my real world memory. I mean it even recognized that on Sunday the talk of the day was the Ya Hala drama.

If you want to try Bee out, they just started shipping their 3rd batch. Here is the link to their website.

Scrolling through the Instagram account @kap.posters, you’d think you’ve stumbled upon retro blueprints from Kuwait’s golden era of architecture. But what you’re actually seeing is the creative work of Ahmed Safer, an architect and visual artist who creates digital posters of Kuwait’s architectural landmarks.

Kuwait’s modern architectural identity began to take shape in the aftermath of 1946, the year crude oil exports first took off. With newfound wealth, Kuwait became a melting pot of global influences. Western art, literature, technology, and architecture poured in. Brutalism and Modernism, the global architectural trends of the time, found a strong foothold here, and Kuwait embraced it. A wide spectrum of structures were constructed, everything from massive rigid buildings, to colorful and playful villas all reflected this new wave of architecture that defined the 50s through the 80s.

But now, a lot of those buildings are being demolished, and that entire era is disappearing.

KAP Posters is a visual archive, a growing collection of digital illustrations that pay tribute to Kuwait’s architectural gems. These aren’t just digital sketches though. Because Ahmed is an architect, he approaches each building with discipline, precision, and care. He told me he tries to be as accurate and original as possible with his illustrations. He doesn’t draw building extensions or alterations for example. His illustration of the National Council for Culture, Arts & Literature (NCCAL) building for example (above) took 12 days to complete because he had to replicate the exact same number of tiles on the building.

His whole process actually starts with a lot of research, scanning old books, digging through the internet, or photographing buildings in person, often with a drone. He then corrects distortions and stitches the reference images together in Photoshop. Only after that does he start tracing, layering, coloring, and adding subtle details.

KAP Posters isn’t just an art account, it’s turning into a time capsule. If you’re interested in Kuwait’s old architecture then check it out. @kap.posters

Earlier this week I got back from an incredible 8-day trip to Morocco. I flew direct from Kuwait to Casablanca with Kuwait Airways, rented a car, and drove to Marrakech. It was my second time there, and it’s definitely a city I’d recommend visiting. There’s so much to see and do, so I wanted to share my list of lesser-known spots to add to your Marrakech itinerary:

Eat
My favorite restaurants were Plus61 and Grand Café de la Poste, both located in the trendy Gueliz area. I also had really good meals at Le Petit Cornichon and Blue Ribbon, and on my previous trip I liked the upscale traditional experience of Le Tobsil. One place I wanted to visit but didn’t because they were fully booked was Sahbi Sahbi. I also missed out on lunch at Farasha Farmhouse since it rained the day I was planning to go.

Drink
Thirty5ive and Blue Ribbon were my two favorite coffee spots. Blue Ribbon also has great banana bread, plus the added bonus of serving breakfast and lunch. While having lunch at Royal Mansour, I saw people having Afternoon Tea and it looked great. I didn’t try it, but the hotel is beautiful and worth a visit.

See
Head to LRNCE for ceramics, Magasin Général for vintage furniture, and Marrakshi Life for handwoven garments and atelier tour. MORO have an interesting concept store and Studio Sana Benzaitar have beautiful carpets. For art, visit Loft Art Gallery, MACAAL and Le Monde des Arts de la Parure. If you’re looking for a less crowded alternative to Jardin Majorelle, check out CACTUS THIEMANN.

Sleep
I stayed inside the old Medina on both trips, and both times at Riad Mena. I can’t imagine staying anywhere else. Their Grand Suite is huge, and the riad itself is beautiful and super chill. The team is also really friendly—I’d stay there again if I go back. My plan B was Maison Brummell Majorelle.

For my previous travel guides, click here.

I visited Nasco a few months ago while looking for the local USM dealer because I needed a console for my living room TV. USM is a modular furniture brand you’d probably recognize if you saw it since it’s fairly popular and has a unique look. When I visited back in October, they had unofficially opened their new location, but since then, they finally held their official inauguration.

The new Nasco showroom has a sleek, premium aesthetic with high ceilings and diverse spaces. The building interestingly was originally a glass factory before being repurposed into a multi-brand showroom, designed by Flaviano Capriotti Architetti. The Nasco building also houses Gourmet Grocers, which I previously posted about. Gourmet Grocers is a high-end boutique offering a curated selection of premium gourmet products to quality-focused customers.

My favorite part of the building though is the area they call The Pavilion. It’s a bright inner courtyard infused with greenery that creates a seamless connection between architecture and nature.

Inside, the showroom is divided into two main areas, the Poliform showroom and the Nasco Interiors showroom. The Poliform showroom features the brand’s latest collections, from sleek kitchen units to sophisticated wardrobe systems, while the Nasco Interiors showroom offers a curated selection of luxury brands, including: SieMatic, Meridiani, Bellavista Collection, USM, de Le Cuona, Oluce, along with a wide array of textiles and fabrics.

The showroom is more than just a display—it’s an inspiration hub, demonstrating how these elements come together to create stylish, cohesive interiors for a range of tastes.

For context, Nasco Group has been around for over 30 years, operating in Kuwait and the UAE. They’re well-known for exclusively distributing premium lifestyle products across home interiors, gourmet foods, and even brands like Nestlé Nespresso.

The new Nasco building is located in Shuwaikh, on the same street as Ananas and Al Tilal Complex (Google Maps). They’re open Saturday to Wednesday from 9AM to 7PM and on Thursday from 9AM to 5PM. For more information, head to @nasco.group, @nascointeriors, and @gourmetgrocers.

According to a contact of mine, Wingstop, the popular chicken wings chain will be opening in less than two weeks!

They have two locations under construction, but the one in Bid’a will be the one opening first. The second location in Salmiya will open at a later date.

Their Instagram account is now active as well so if you want to stay posted on their opening follow them @wingstopkuwait

Gravity coffee shop recently reopened its newly redesigned shop in Seaview Mall, Abu Hulaifah. The interior was designed by Studio Nama, the same studio behind the new Matchbox at JACC, which I also love and highlighted back in December.

The main design concept of Gravity aims to accommodate both individuals seeking quiet moments and larger groups looking for communal interactions.

What caught my attention was the contrast between the different materials, colors, and textures used to give this space its unique look. I also love how the space has so many layers and nooks—plus, I’m a sucker for chocolate brown velvet sofas. Studio Nama deliberately created a variety of seating options, from sofas to casual tables with chairs to platform cushions for a more informal feel. It’s because of these different arrangements, the space can accommodate both solitary visitors and larger groups.

If you want to see more photos of the space as well as other work by Studio Nama, click here.

Photos by @mashkanani

I’m a huge fan of Anker products, which is how I first found out about Astore Kuwait. I was searching for a specific battery pack and looked up the local dealer, which led me to them. Their flagship store in Shuwaikh recently got a major facelift, and I passed by last week to check it out.

What many people might not know is that Astore started in 2009 by Abdullah Allafi as a small basement workshop on Bin Khaldoun Street called ‘Al-Molook.’ They originally specialized in iPhone and MacBook repairs, as well as screen protectors. As they grew, they rebranded to Astore Kuwait and now operate six stores across the GCC, including the Anker Innovation Stores in Kuwait, Qatar and Dubai.

Their flagship store is my go-to spot for Anker products because they have everything on display and usually in stock. But beyond Anker, they’re a full-fledged electronics store, carrying security cameras, dash cams, smart home devices, and even outdoor and travel gear. Every product they sell is carefully selected, making it more of a curated store rather than one that just stocks random brands and items. Also, something I didn’t realize until working on this post is that their flagship store is open 24/7.

Right now because of the Ya Hala Campaign, they’re running promotions on Anker and eufy security products, along with many other brands in-store. If you want to pass by and check the place out, the main store is in Shuwaikh, on the same street as VOL.1 and Five Guys. For more info, head over to @astore_kw or visit their online shop astorekw.com

The Gulf Bank Al Danah Millionaire draw for KD2,000,000 is taking place in Khiran Mall this Thursday, February 13th. They’ll be holding various activities and concerts on that day including

• Competitions with prizes
• Interactive games
• Kuwait Television Band will be performing
• The Backstage Group will have performances
• NEO the mascot will be there all day
• Q&A with the audience and prizes
• KD2,000,000 winner announcement

The event is from 4PM to 8PM and is open to everyone, especially families and kids. So if you’re looking for something fun to do with your kids this weekend, this is it. @gulf_bank

According to my TikTok feed which has become pretty weird recently, making charms is a really popular new trend. This fun activity that has recently gained popularity abroad has now popped up in Kuwait.

For those unfamiliar with charm making, it’s a creative process where you design and assemble personalized jewelry pieces like bracelets, necklaces, or keychains.

Charm Studio is a local small business that started back in October by Fajer Al Owaish who wanted to re-create this existing concept here in Kuwait. Back in high school she used to make charms and jewelry using beads and other accessories, and then sell them to classmates as a side hustle. It’s something she’s always been passionate about, which is why she was able to turn it into a success so quickly.

If you’re looking for something fun to do, she has a few workshops coming up, including one this weekend at the trendy sneaker shop @solelabkw. You can check out her Instagram for more details @charmstudiokw

Wingstop, the popular American restaurant chain specializing in chicken wings, is opening in Kuwait. Apparel Group, the company that brought back Nando’s to Kuwait, is behind the launch and aims to open the first location within 2-3 months (around March or April).

Initially, they’ll be opening two locations: one in Bid’a where TGIF Nike used to be, and the second in Salmiya on Baghdad Street next to Trolley. Two additional locations are planned to open by the end of the year.

If you’re excited about their launch and want to stay posted on their opening, follow them at (tag removed, read note below)

Note: I made a mockup of how the hoarding for Wingstop might look like since it’s currently just white, just a fun preview.

Note2: I had initially tagged what I thought was their Instagram account but turns out they don’t have an account yet. Once they do I’ll update this post with one.

Ya Hala, the largest shopping festival in Kuwait’s history, is launching in just a few days, and they’ve just announced 120 cars up for grabs!

Over ten weeks, there will be weekly draws for 12 cars, which is pretty insane—and that’s not even counting the millions of dinars in additional prizes.

Stay updated on the festival by following @yahalakuwait and @whatsonyahala.