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Lavan is a new Indian restaurant that opened up in the city last month. When I first got invited to Lavan I didn’t really have high expectations. Lots of Indian restaurants pop up all the time and most tend to be average so I wasn’t expecting Lavan to be any different. When I got to the place I realized my expectations might be right, the interior was bland, so much so that I wasn’t even sure I had walked into the right restaurant. There was nothing Indian about the interior and the fact the restaurant didn’t have a sign outside didn’t help either. We definitely didn’t start off on the right foot.

But once the food started coming out my view of completely changed. Every single dish we had ordered was just delicious. I left so impressed that first time, I went back three more times since then. I’ve now practically tried every dish on the menu and it’s my favorite Indian spot at the moment. Here are some of my favorite dishes:

Starters
Sweet Potato Chat
Prawns Amritsari

Tandoor
Humour Tikka
Tiger Prawns
Lamb Tikka

Biryani
Chicken
Mutton
Lavan Special (Goat)

Pricing is on par with the likes of Asha’s and Copper Chimney which I think is very reasonable. You can get a better idea by checking their menu which I’ve uploaded [Here]

Like I mentioned earlier, Lavan is currently my favorite Indian restaurant. I still find the interior bland and lacking charm, but the food makes up for it which is why I keep going back. For a map of the location as well as more photos, you can check out their instagram account @houseoflavan

Last month while visiting the Lotus dealer with a friend of mine, I was given the opportunity to upgrade my car. A friend had ordered a Lotus Exige 380 Cup, but once it arrived at the local dealer he decided he wanted the more powerful 430 Cup instead. So, the dealer gave me first dibs on the car along with a too good to be true buyback offer on my Lotus. So after a lot of deliberation in my head (which mostly sounded like yada yada yada, you only live once, yada yada yada, mid-life crisis, yada yada), I decided to pull the trigger and get the car.

So what are the biggest changes over the Exige I already had? (skip this paragraph if you’re not into cars)

To start with, the 380 Cup is over 100KG lighter than my previous already super light Exige. The Cup weighs in at just 1,057KG! It also produces 375 hp compared to the 345 my previous car made and does 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds. The aerodynamics of the Cup car is also much more aggressive producing over 250KG of downforce compared to my previous Exige. You can really feel the car being pushed down to the ground once you hit high speeds. The wheels are also lighter forged aluminum, and the tires are larger and come with the track and competition Michelin Cup 2 tires. The AP Racing brakes have been upgraded and the gearbox is now a manual instead of paddle-shift and looks incredible with all the metal gearing exposed. The suspension is two-way adjustable so I can make it softer for the road or harder for the track. Finally, the car is covered in carbon fiber, everywhere, from the roof to the interior, even the rear engine window was replaced with a carbon fiber hood to save weight. So yeah, loads of changes compared to my previous Exige and that’s not even including overall usability improvements. I should also add that the 380 Cup is limited to just 60 cars worldwide (and the only one in the region), so its super rare.

I’ve had the car for around 10 days now and I’ve put just a bit over 1,000KM on the car already so I’ve gotten a good feel for it. The Cup is a lot faster than my previous Exige, and because it’s more track-focused, it rides really rough, is pretty noisy and is now even more unpractical than what was already a very unpractical car to begin with.

But I love it.

Its raw, it’s not bullshitting you pretending to be something it isn’t, it’s as honest a car as you can get. And it’s not just me, EVO magazine gave it a 5 out of 5 and Road & Track called it “too much fun to be street legal”. It is too much fun.

I was planning to take the car to Bahrain for their open track day on February 15th, but turns out I need to have at least 3,000KM on the car before tracking it and I don’t think I can get that done in two weeks. So not sure when I’ll have the car on the track but hopefully pretty soon.

If you’re looking for a good place to take car photos by the way, I’d highly recommend the rooftop parking of the complex in front of Mayar in Shuwaikh. I took all the photos here with my iPhone on the roof and loved the spot because of the neutral colors and clean lines. Here is the location on [Google Maps]

The Staged in Kuwait IMPROV comedy night is back again and will take place next weekend. I got my tickets right away last night as soon as they went on sale and would highly recommend you get tickets to. They’re my favorite local comedy troupe and this season they’re holding their shows at the impressive American United School so even the venue is great. For more information, click [Here]

Lots of events this weekend including two coffee festivals. Check out the full list of events taking place below:

Thursday
Filipos Brekkie
The Human Capital Forum
Cofe District Festival
The Kuwait Motor Show
Global Game Jam 2018
Sadu Reimagined
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: The Red Turtle

Friday
Charity Drive
Filipos Brekkie
The Kuwait Motor Show
Global Game Jam 2018
Sadu Reimagined
The Warehouse Series 0.2
Eighty Six Pop-up

Saturday
Filipos Brekkie
The Kuwait Motor Show
Global Game Jam 2018
Sadu Reimagined
Guided Tour: Landmarks of Old Kuwait City
Here Exhibit
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: Things to Come

If you’d like to share an event on the blog [Email Me]
For a full list of upcoming events click [Here]

Sometimes events get canceled or have details changed so always double check with the organizers.

Looks like Apple Pay is now starting to work in some places in Kuwait. Some of the new Knet machines that support wireless Knet payment now also work with Apple Pay. I haven’t been able to try this myself, but a friend of mine was able to paying using Apple Pay at Solo Pizza. You need to have a credit card already added to your phone from a country that has Apple Pay like the US for example.

There is no real advantage to using Apple Pay in Kuwait, if anything its actually more expensive when you factor in the cost to transfer money from Kuwait bank account to your US one. But for now, I guess there is a bit of a cool factor to using Apple Pay.

Update: Just tried my Apple Pay at Liquid and it worked!

Over the weekend I went to the movies to watch Jumanji, a good movie by the way, just censored the hell out of in Kuwait. Seriously this has to be the most censored movie I’ve ever watched in Kuwait, and I have no idea how that’s possible since it’s a PG-rated film.

So, originally we were planning to watch it at Grand Cinemas in Hamra Mall, but surprisingly, they didn’t have any theater that would accommodate a wheelchair. I don’t mean the theater playing Jumanji, I mean neither of their theaters playing any movie had wheelchair access.

So I gave Cinescape a call and they told me they had wheelchair access at ALL their theaters except for two, Laila and Central Place. The operator also told me that if the person was permanently in a wheelchair, then they could get a lifetime pass to watch movies for free at their theaters.

I think that’s pretty thoughtful of Cinescape and pretty odd of Grand Cinemas considering their Hamra theater is fairly new. The only feedback I would give Cinescape is to mark the wheelchair areas on the seating map since I had to call the operator and find out where they were. For example, the map above is how it currently looks like while the map below is what I think they should do (notice row J).

Anyway just wanted to thank Cinescape with this post for being so considerate.

RAW originally opened up back in 2016 in the industrial area of Shuwaikh but recently closed that location down. It was one of my favorite sushi places, but a lot of people had an issue with the location since at night the area around was super dark and creepy. So they closed that space down and moved to the city where they just officially reopened this past weekend across the street from Hamra Tower [Map]

Along with the new location, they revamped their menu by adding a lot of interesting and delicious new dishes that go beyond what you’d find at your typical Japanese restaurant. You can check out the full menu [Here].

I’ve been there three times so far (two tastings and a dinner), and really love the food. You really can’t go wrong by choosing any of the 20+ items on the menu.

RAW is currently only open for dinner, so you should call and reserve ahead of time just in case they’re busy. For more information check out their instagram @eatrawkwt

Note: Make sure you try the Koji Glazed Thigh (pictured above), the Tofu Croquettes, Sablefish and the Yuzu Yogurt dessert.

A packed weekend with a lot of things going on. I’ll probably be hitting up the car show at 360 Mall as well as the Kuwait Aviation Show. Check out all the events taking place this weekend below:

Thursday
PostCraft Exhibition Tour 2018
Kuwait Aviation Show
Photography Gallery
The Kuwait Motor Show
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: Everybody Wants Some!!

Friday
Kuwait Aviation Show
Photography Gallery
The Kuwait Motor Show
Kuwait Spartan Race
Book Club Meeting: Kuwait Bibliophiles
Oriental Musical Night at Argan Square

Saturday
Kuwait Aviation Show
Photography Gallery
The Kuwait Motor Show
Saturday Brunch at Barba
Guided Tour: Arab Organization Headquarters
Tea & Oud
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: Escape from Alcatraz

If you’d like to share an event on the blog [Email Me]
For a full list of upcoming events click [Here]

Sometimes events get canceled or have details changed so always double check with the organizers.

A post shared by Comic Con Kuwait (@comicconkuwait) on Jan 13, 2018 at 9:28am PST

Stan Lee, the comic-book writer who co-created the popular characters Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, the X-Men and more is coming to Kuwait next month. Comic-Con Kuwait announced on their twitter account that he will be coming to their event that’s going to be held from February 22 to 24 at the Fairgrounds.

Stan Lee might be the biggest guest star yet to come to a comic-book convention in Kuwait and they still haven’t even announced all the guests. For more information on this event and to buy tickets, click [Here]

Thanks Hanna-Bell

I haven’t reviewed a car for some time now mostly because there really hasn’t been a car I’ve been interested in, but also because I love my Lotus so much I’d rather be in it than any other car. But, since my Lotus isn’t with me at the moment (more on that soon), I decided to take advantage of the situation by test driving the Ferrari 488 GTB.

Driving off in a car for the first time that costs as much as a home is a pretty nerve-wracking experience. The fact the car is also super low, and the roads around the dealership in pretty bad shape didn’t help the situation either. But the Ferrari 488 I was driving had the option to raise the suspension to give it a bit more ground clearance, so I managed to make my way out onto the main road without too much drama. It was pretty early in the morning so the first thing I did was head to Arabica in the city for some coffee. I took the long way by going through a bit of traffic on the 4th all the way to the 30th, and then from the 30th exiting onto the Gulf Road. I spent most of my day taking the longest way everywhere I went. Instead of grabbing my usual acai bowl for example from Liquid near Arabica in the city, for example, I decided to drive all the way to Bida’a and pick one up from Be Cafe. After spending the day zigzagging across Kuwait, I headed out to the desert to get some shots before the sunset.

After driving the Ferrari 488 GTB for a day I’ve come to the conclusion that the car has just two speeds, fast, and I’m going to get deported fast. I’m being serious here. The Ferrari 488 hits 0 to 100km/h in just 3 seconds. That’s just 0.8 seconds faster than my Lotus but damn what a difference that 0.8 makes. But that’s not even the impressive part, if you keep your foot down on the gas for just one more tiny second, you’re suddenly in the getting your license revoked territory. The car is insanely powerful, so much so that there just isn’t enough road for it. Usually, when I take out a sports car to review, I tend to drive it like I stole it. The 488 is probably the first car that I drove decently just because stepping on it would get me in a lot of trouble. Ferrari 488 owners are really going to love our racetrack once it opens up, its the only way to really enjoy and take advantage of all the power the car has to offer.

Other than the speed, a few other things impressed me quite a bit. The brakes on the car impressed me more than the speed of the car, the pedal feel is just so on point and the car stops in an instant. The interior of the car is also a wonderful place to be in. The interior is covered in leather with beautiful stitchwork and lots of carbon fiber trimming. I never felt uncomfortable, and even on my long trip with my friend into the desert, we spoke about how great the car would be on super long trips. Even though the 488 is a sports car first, you’re not sacrificing with comfort or amenities. The sound system was impressively good and the car I drove even came with front and rear parking cameras. It’s a luxury car that just happens to also be crazy ass fast.

So are there any downsides? Well yeah, the car costs as much as a house. The 488 GTB starts at KD78,000 which means I’m not really going to end up owning one anytime soon. But on the bright side, the Ferrari 488 GTB does come with a 5-year warranty (that can be extended up to 15) and 7-years free maintenance. So really the only costs you’ll have to factor in down the line are tires and brake pads. Not bad.

If you’d like to find out more about Ferraris in Kuwait then you should follow the dealer on instagram @ferrarialzayanikuwait. You can also go ahead and build your own 488 by visiting the Ferrari online car configurator [Here]

Jeans Grill was a pretty popular restaurant back in the 90s, and the one on the top floor of Sultan Center Salmiya was probably the most popular location since it was open 24/7. Back in the 90s, there were barely any restaurants that opened 24/7, so if you wanted to hang out somewhere late at night, you’d always end up at Jeans Grill. I even went there after my prom with a bunch of friends, so I’m sure other people have memories of the place as well.

I don’t recall the last time I ate at Jeans Grill, but I used to walk by it often while shopping and always admired the fact that it still looked exactly the same. But it clearly wasn’t doing as well as it used to, and recently the Sultan Center Salmiya location was closed down. I originally thought they were revamping it but instead, they opened a coffee shop in its place. Now I kinda regret not having one last dinner there.

Last month I posted a sneak peek of the new ORA and mentioned that it was opening this month. Well, it’s opening this month, tomorrow in fact.

If you were a fan of the old ORA then you’re gonna love the new space and their updated menu. If you weren’t a fan of the old ORA, or maybe thought their prices were too high, then you’re gonna have to give the new ORA another chance since they’ve added a ton of new items to the menu and also reduced their prices.

The new ORA is located in Kuwait City, here is a link to [Google Maps] and you can also follow them on instagram @ora.kw

Açaí is starting to look like the new frozen yogurt craze with more and more places starting to pop up offering it. I had my first bowl a couple of months back and now its something I have whenever I feel like having a treat. Açaí is a berry and is said to contain a high level of antioxidants, similar to cranberries, so it’s pretty good for you. If you’re looking to grab a bowl, below is a list of some açaí places I’m aware of:

Be Cafe
Be have my favorite açaí bowl in Kuwait, but they’re more of a dine-in place and they’re pretty out of my daily routine so I don’t have it that often. But its really good with quality toppings especially the granola (pictured on top).

Bowl’d
Not my favorite place but definitely the most convenient since their location in Salmiya is pretty close to where I live. They’re also open all day so whenever I feel like having a dessert I know I can pass by and grab a bowl from them.

Liquid
Liquid is the new kid on the block since they just recently opened up. They’re located in the city near Vol.1, so I usually pass by them whenever I’m in the city. It’s a cute little place with a nice quiet seating area upstairs. I’ve heard their smoothies are great but I haven’t tried any yet.

The Foundry
I haven’t tried their açaí yet but they’re the only ones that deliver via Carriage that I am aware of.

If you’ve got a favorite açaí place that I didn’t mention, let me know in the comments.

ReQueue is a local app that allows you to add yourself to a restaurants waiting list. I found out about it a couple of days ago so I haven’t been able to try it out yet, but going through the list of restaurants in the app, I don’t think you need to wait for most of them. The only reason I got the app is because Table Otto is on it, and they do get crazy busy on Saturday for brunches.

The app seems fairly simple to use and even lets you know if a place has a waiting list or if you can just walk in and get a table. It’s available for both [iOS] and [Android] devices.

If you’ve used ReQueue before, let me know how it worked out for you.