Art exhibits in Kuwait are common, they usually take place at a gallery, the work goes up for some time and then it’s done. So when I found about the exhibit “Nothing to Write Home About” I was intrigued. Firstly they didn’t call it an exhibit, instead, they called it an intervention.
“Nothing to Write Home About” treats art as a consumerist activity. They intervened into the KIPCO mall space with a collection of works from a private collection that were previously stored in Kuwait. The works are visible from the storefront… but you can’t enter the store. This is to force you to think about other things related to the work, and not the work itself. There is a booklet for this intervention with notes, but even the notes aren’t about the works, but about the subjects the works bring up.
It’s a visually interesting display so if you’re interested in dropping by, check out the event page for more info [Here]
We do cooking classes and collaborations once in a while at PantryBee because well, they’re fun. It’s a nice way for us to learn from local chefs as well as being a great way to interact with our customers.
With Ramadan coming up we thought it would be fun to put together a Middle East inspired cooking class. So, we teamed up with Ayyame’s head Chef Ali Mahmoud Bitar at their newest AlShaheed Park II location to create a “Flavors of the Middle East” cooking class and dinner.
It’s a 2.5 hour event where you learn how to make green dough for their traditional fried bread, fattet badinjan, borek, lamb chops and more. Class ends with you enjoying your creations at a sit-down dinner accompanied by some of our favorite Ayyame sides and desserts.
If you’re interested in taking part, the event is this coming Tuesday at 6:30PM. For more details and to register, click [Here]
We’ve got limited seats for the event but for those that cant make it, here’s a fun little recipe to try out for yourselves at home that makes for a good appetizer all Ramadan long!
Fattet Hummus
2 chickpea cans- drained
3 Pita breads- cut into small rectangles
Olive oil
1/2 cup Pine nuts
1 cup yogurt
Fresh mint – small bunch
Pinch of Paprika
2 Garlic cloves – minced
3 Tbsp unsalted butter – melted
Pinch sumac
Heat oven to 400°. Toss pita rectangles with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste then lay on a baking sheet evenly and bake till golden around 10 mins. Toss with chickpeas and place in final serving dish. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pan on medium-high and brown pine nuts 3-4 mins. Stir yogurt, mint, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl; drizzle over pita mixture. Top with pine nuts and drizzle with butter and finish with sumac.
Post by Hind CoFounder of PantryBee where home cooking is made easy.
The online magazine Muftah published an article last week on Laila Al Hamad, the owner of Zeri Crafts. If you haven’t passed by Zeri Crafts you should, it’s a small boutique with a beautiful space that’s located on the Gulf Road. The location used to be a boat chalet, back before the Gulf Road existed, when it was still just a sandy beach.
The article on Muftah covers Laila’s background as well as the concept behind Zeri Crafts. Check it out [Here]
Just to keep you guys in the loop, I’m currently working on a major facelift for the blog. Visually it shouldn’t differ too drastically from the current look, the biggest change is that the new design will be 2 columns instead of 3. This will allow me to post larger photos in my posts and visually make the blog look a lot cleaner and simpler. The biggest changes though will be behind the scene. The current theme code is extremely outdated and so I’m pretty limited with what I can do to the blog. For example, I want to add like buttons or upvote buttons to the comments like how it is on Reddit, but I can’t do that right now with the current theme.
For mobile users, you’ll be pleased to hear that with the new update there will be a mobile friendly version of the website. That should make browsing and commenting from your phone a lot easier.
If there is anything specific you think I should add or do with this upcoming facelift let me know. I can’t promise I’ll actually implement them but I would be curious to hear your thoughts.
Back in January I swapped out my Lotus Exige S with the Exige 380 Cup, a lighter and more powerful version of the Exige that was more track focused. I still remember when I posted about my Exige S after getting it, I had linked to a Exige 380 Sport video and I remember thinking, damn I wish I had the 380 Sport instead. It was faster, more aggressive and looked slightly better. And now, I’ve got the 380 Cup which is an even more extreme version. Someone pinch me!
Anyway, here is a rundown of the car after doing around 4,500KM on it plus taken it to the Bahrain International Circuit for a track day.
The Good
I was hoping because the car was so stiff and rough, I wouldn’t drive it a lot so I could keep the mileage low, but that didn’t happen. I’ve been driving the car daily since I got it, racking up miles like I would in any normal daily driver. I don’t have sound isolating carpeting in the car, just floor mats, so I can see the aluminum car frame as well as hear alot of the road noise. And I love the sound of the road under my car even the sounds of little pebbles hitting the underside of the car. Just makes me feel more connected to the road.
I also still love climbing in and sitting inside the tiny cockpit, and I love how the car feels on the road. Road clearance isn’t that much of an issue and since I tend to spend most of my time driving from my home to the office using the Gulf Road, I don’t have problems with crappy roads.
Unlike my previous Exige this one has a manual gearbox and I do have mix feelings about it. Not the specific manual gearbox in this car which is incredible, but more on the idea if I prefer an automatic over a manual gearbox. Car guys are going to say manual is the way to go but personally, I’m 50/50 split on this. On the one side, the thing I like most about this car is the analog feel of it. There isn’t much technology in this car, the interior is very simple and so the manual gearbox works really well with the overall feel of the car. I like the metal clunks the gearbox makes when I shift gears, I like trying to match my revs or practicing my heel and toe skills when slowing down. But, I also miss the convenience of an automatic gearbox especially when I get stuck in traffic.
The Bad
I haven’t really had any issue with the car other than the fact this past weekend while on the racetrack the hatch on the front of the car was coming loose whenever I hit 200km/h. Not fun and I had to keep coming back into the pits to push the hatch back down. You can actually see it happening in the video above, if you look at the left corner where the black carbon fiber hatch meets the blue bodywork at the 3:12 minute mark, you’ll see the front hatch lift up.
The Ugly
The only other issue I’ve had isn’t really an issue for me, but more for the cops. The car exhaust has a valve, in normal driving the car is quiet, too quiet which I don’t like. So I usually have the car in sport mode which opens up the exhaust valve. The problem then is the car becomes too loud, like I’d be driving 40km/h but from the sound of it you’d think I was doing 140km/h. It attracts tooo much attention from the cops and since I get stopped for no reason anyway, this doesn’t make life any easier. Oh and I’ve definitely been traumatized by the cops! This weekend while I was on the racetrack, I swear at some points I was worried I was gonna get pulled over or get caught by a speed camera. I’m convinced its some sort of PTSD.
Mods
There isn’t much in terms of modifications I can do to this car since Lotus already upgraded everything in it that can be upgraded. The sound system is really shit but I’m not going to upgrade it since I did that with my last Exige and the sound wasn’t that much of an improvement since the speakers that fit are pretty small. So the only upgrade I did was install a harness bar along with a 4-point racing harness for the driver’s seat. I can still use my regular seatbelt for day to day driving but for track driving, I can now use the 4-point belt instead. The advantage of the 4-point system is that it allows you to become one with the car. Once you tighten it up you can’t move anymore, you’re just glued to your seat which allows you to feel the car a lot more.
Plan B
Before I got the 380 Cup I did consider other cars. The most obvious car was the Porsche 911. They’re hot, super practical and really easy to drive. I’d love a 911 GT3 or GT3RS, and I think a black Targa is one of the most beautiful cars out there. But, the problem with Porsches is that everyone has one. They just aren’t special anymore, it’s like owning a Rolex. On track days they’re the most popular cars on track and I wouldn’t want to spend so much money and not feel special. Other cars I considered were second hand Ferrari 430’s and 458’s, as well as second-hand McLarens. My dream car right now is the baby McLaren, the 540c, but even second hand they cost around 50K. Then you’ve got the maintenance costs associated with Ferrari’s and McLarens, I don’t want to worry about that shit when I buy a car. With the 380 Cup on the other hand, because the car is so rare (1/60) it’s instantly special. On the track this past weekend it must have been the most photographed car even though there were McLarens, Ferraris, Lambos and Porsches. I like that.
So yeah, I still really love the car, I love the brand and the online Lotus community. I love the way my car looks and I love it even more with the roof off. I love the sounds it makes, the un-practicality of it, and I love watching my friends try to climb in and out of the car. Do I wish I had a McLaren 540c? For sure but I also wish I had a Ferrari F40, a Porsche 918, a Lancia Delta HF Integrale, my old Datsun 240z, a BMW E30 M3, a Golf GTI MK1 etc.. I’m a car guy so I’m always going to want more.
I’m pretty sure that I’m butchering the pronunciation of the restaurant but, USQUYU (oos-ku-you?) is a new restaurant that just opened up in Shuwaikh. The food is inspired by Peruvian cuisine and the interior looks pretty interesting based on the photos I’ve seen.
I haven’t had the time yet to pass by and try it, but if you’re looking for something new, you could check this place out. They’re currently only open from 6PM to 11PM. They’re on instagram @usquyu and here is their location on [Google Maps]
Lots of events taking place this weekend! Tonight is the last night of the Palestinian Cultural Exhibition and they’re having a bake sale. Friday you have the Kuwait Rising Music Festival which features Grammy award-winning artist Joss Stone among others. Finally, on Saturday you have a full day of activities taking place during Soul Fest. Check out the list below for all the events taking place this weekend:
Last night I was invited to drop by the new VOX Cinemas in Avenues phase 4 to get a tour of their space. This is their first VOX Cinemas location in Kuwait, and since there are three other cinema chains already in Kuwait, they know they’ve got to bring their A-game if they’re hoping to succeed.
VOX is nearly ready to open up to the public and tonight they will be premiering the new Avengers film with an invite-only affair. The only area that was still under construction and one that I wasn’t able to take photos in was the THEATRE by Rhodes section.
Tickets + Food
When you first go up the escalators into the VOX Cinemas you’ll find ticket machines on the sides and the food area in front of you. Ticketing and food are combined into one, so you can buy your tickets and popcorn at the same time. That’s pretty great and convenient if you didn’t buy your ticket online since instead of waiting in line to buy tickets and then a second line to buy food, you’re combining it into one line. The disadvantage is to those who already have their tickets. The food line is usually pretty long anyway but now you have to also wait for people to decide what movie they want to watch and where they want to sit. So I’d imagine trying to get food is a longer process with this system.
THEATRE by Rhodes
This is VOX’s equivalent to VIP theaters in other cinema chains. There are 4 small theaters located in a separate section and the reason the area is called THEATRE by Rhodes is because the food menu was created by Michelin star chef Gary Rhodes. THEATRE by Rhodes will have reclining seats with adjustable footrests, blankets, pillows and, a waiter service which you can call via a button on the seats. This area of VOX should be completed in two weeks time.
Their Largest Theater
The picture above is of VOX’s largest theater, they have two of those. It was huge, filled with seats and yet it still felt so spacious because of the fact they’ve left a really large gap between the screen and the first row of seats.
I liked the color scheme as well which was all black with red accents. The seats were comfy, large and had a pretty good amount of legroom as well as cupholder and a side table for your food or phone.
If you arrive to the theater when dark, you’ll be able to find your seat easily since the aisle and chair numbers are lit up.
Their Regular Theaters
VOX has 17 theaters in total, 4 are the Rhodes theaters, 2 are their large theaters which I’ve posted about above, then they have 2 more kids theaters (more on those in a bit), 1 rentable theater and finally, 8 regular theaters. These regular theaters are smaller in size, have smaller seats compared to their larger theater and, less legroom. If you notice in the picture above there are two colors of seats, black and blue. This is to separate their VIP or premium location seats (in black) which cost more than the seats in the not so prime viewing area (in blue).
The theaters I used to frequent in London had a similar setup, if you want to sit in the prime area you’ll have to pay more for the ticket. I’m not a fan of this system although in London it was great since nobody wanted to pay for premium seats so I always got great seats, even though I booked late.
Their Kids Theaters
VOX have a separate area for kids. The area is colorful with a play area and a separate entrance. You’ll be able to book the area for your kids birthday and they can run around and scream without bothering the rest of the movie goers.
The theaters themselves are small and have multi-colored seats. They look tacky but I guess kids will love it.
Thier Millennial Theater
It’s not really called the millennial theater thats just what I’m calling it because that’s the age group they’re targeting with it. The small theater is filled with reclining sofas and the concept behind it is that you would be able to rent it out for you and your friends to watch a movie or even to play video games on the large screen.
VOX Cinemas is opening tonight but like I mentioned already, it’s invite only. Once they’re done with tonight’s opening they have a few more things they need to finalize before they open to the public. No specific date has been set but it’s probably happening in the next week or two. Here is a link to their web site [Link]
Update: I went last night to watch Avengers and here are some observations. They don’t have any IMAX theaters. They have MAX theaters that sound like IMAX but are just regular theaters. I wish the chairs in the MAX theaters were slightly more reclined. The seat numbers that light up are actually a bit annoying in the dark since you can see light coming from the chairs behind you.
If you’re looking for new shows to watch while you wait for a new Westworld episode every week, here are three:
Lost in Space
Even though I finished watching the whole first season, I am still undecided if I like the show or not. I managed to binge watch ten episodes over two days but that’s not really a tell on how good the show is since I also binge-watched the terrible Seven Seconds over two days as well. Lost in Space is a remake of a series from 1965 with the same name, it follows a family who get thrown off course in space and crash into an unknown planet. The show started off really entertaining but there was this one character and story plot I couldn’t stand which is why I’m not sure how I feel about the show. It’s worth checking out and I’m curious to see how the second season will develop. Lost in Space is on Netflix.
The Crossing
I originally thought this show was by the same creator as LOST, but while looking for info on the show for this post I realized it’s not. This should give you an idea on what kind of show this is. The Crossing is four episodes in and it has me hooked. The plot is very interesting and focuses on refugees that end up on a beach outside a small town, but the thing is, these refugees are from a war-torn future. The trailer above is what got me watching the show so check it out. The Crossing is available to watch on Hulu.
Barry
From the three shows here, Barry is my favorite. The show stars Bill Hader who plays the role of a hitman who moves to LA and decides he wants to quit to become an actor. Its a funny show that stars some legendary comedians like Stephen Root (Newsradio, Office Space) and Henry Winkler (Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation). Barry just recently started so only five episodes are out so far. If you’re interested, Barry is available to watch on HBO.
A lot more places have started offering açaí bowls on their menu since I last shared a list in January. So far I’ve tried the açaí bowls at Liquid, Be Cafe, Bowl’d, Pick, Super Foods, Magnet, and JS Foods which is why decided to share my favorite ones below.
Be Cafe and Bowl’d both use the same açaí base but Be Cafe comes out on top because the granola they use is so much better (pictured above). But, they don’t always have açaí available and when I last spoke to them this past weekend, they were considering removing açaí from their menu completely. So without Be Cafe in the picture, my top 3 açaí bowls would be:
My only issue with JS Foods (pictured on the very top) is their location sucks and the fact they close at 5PM. If they had a location closer to my office or home, I’d probably pass by them more than I would Bowl’d or Liquid. If you have a favorite açaí place that isn’t mentioned here, let me know.
Lots of events taking place this weekend, most of which are live musical performances. Check out the full list below and if let me know if I missed anything:
According to the Tamdeen Group annual report, they’ve signed with Live Nation to manage the events and activities that will take place at the International Tennis Complex that’s currently under construction next to 360 Mall. Live Nation is the largest live entertainment company. They are concert promoters, venue operators and also handle ticketing and artist management.
This is pretty big news since more and more concerts are taking place in Kuwait and with Live Nation coming in, it could also mean a lot more concerts will start taking place here. Not only that but since the largest arena at the tennis complex can hold 4,000 people, twice more than the largest theater at JACC, this could mean they’d be able to price the tickets cheaper.
Construction on the Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah AlJaber Al-Sabah International Tennis Complex is expected to be completed by next year. For previous posts on the tennis complex, click [Here]
