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Cantina is a new restaurant that I’ve been looking forward to opening for a while now. It’s for Chef Basmah Marouf (@chefbasmah) who I’ve known since she got back to Kuwait from culinary school and was part of the Madison & Heig launch team. I’ve been a fan of her food and flavor profile ever since, and she’s now opening her own restaurant which she’s calling Cantina.

Cantina is a Mediterranean restaurant with heavy Italian influence. I first got to try a few items a couple of weeks ago when I passed by to see the progress of the space, and then last night I was invited along with some other close friends for a private tasting. Firstly, the space looks amazing, it has a very ‘Mad Men’ feel without being too retro. I love the colors used and I love the cafe curtains all around that help cozy up the place.

I got to try a lot of different things, but I already have my favorites. For starters, I highly recommend the ‘Whipped ricotta with crispy pasta sheets’ and the ‘Sea bass carpaccio with chili and coriander.’ For the main course, my favs were the ‘Chicken Milanese with preserved lemon aioli and radicchio salad’ and the ‘Ricotta Ravioli.’ The Ricotta Ravioli I first tried a couple of weeks ago when I passed by, and since then it’s become my favorite dish in life right at this moment. I’d go back just for this dish over and over again.

Basmah is set to launch Cantina next week and is currently accepting bookings, but due to limited staff, the seating capacity initially will be very limited. Cantina is located inside the new Lot90 complex in Shuwaikh which is right behind the restaurants Cure and Ovo. If you want to book a table, you need to DM her @cantina.kw

Every Monday and Tuesday the Kuwait Motor Town racetrack is open to cyclist and it’s free.

The track is 5.6KM long but has 3 different configurations, each a different length so you can pick and choose which part of the track you want to ride on. The track isn’t flat but has uphills and downhills which makes for a more interesting ride (my Apple Watch recorded 14m of elevation).

I got there yesterday while the sun was setting, and it was such a chill experience riding around the track. Because the track is far off the main road and not surrounded by anything, it was very quiet with only my own bike making any sounds. There were less than a dozen other riders when I was there so the track was empty. But even if there were 30 or 40 riders, it would still feel empty because it’s such a large racetrack.

Riding around without having to worry about potholes, curbs or cars running you off the road is very calming especially with the beautiful backdrop of the sunset. Once the sun disappears the track lights come on for nighttime riding and that’s a completely different experience as well.

If you want to try riding at the track, they open to the public from 4PM to 8PM on Mondays and Tuesdays. You don’t need to pay anything or even register, just get to the track, park your car in the parking lot and then ride into the racetrack. There is a security guard there with a sign in sheet, just put your name and number and continue onto the track. You need a helmet but that’s the only requirement. You can’t bring rollerblades, scooters or skateboards onto the track, but if you want to walk, jog, or run around the track you can.

There is also plenty of security and even an ambulance on standby in case of any emergency or an injury, it’s all very professional.

The only downside really is that it’s around a 30-to-40-minute drive out depending on where you live. If you don’t know where the track is, here is the location on Google Maps.

Their website is kmt.kw and their instagram is @kmtkw

Kuwait Airways recently launched three weekly non-stop flights to Barcelona. I just checked the ticket prices and they start at 99KD. The flight time is 7 hours going, and 6 hours coming back.

Barcelona is one of my favorite places since the food is great, the city is not too expensive, and there is so much to see and do. If you’ve never been I highly recommend it. Here is a link to my Barcelona Guide.

The Palestinian Culture Center has been operating in Kuwait since the early 1970s. Every year they hold an exhibition with the aim to keep the vibrant Palestinian culture alive, and support underprivileged women and children in the camps.

This will be the 58th exhibition held by the Palestinian Culture Center and all net proceeds from it will be dedicated to humanitarian aid for Gaza.

The exhibition starts tomorrow and will have hand-stitched dresses, shawls, and cushions for sale, as well as handmade ceramics, books, and food aimed to preserve the Palestinian national identity and showcase how it adapts to modern times.

Place: Women’s Cultural & Social Society in Khaldiya
Date: Tuesday Nov 7th – Friday Nov 10th
Time: 10AM – 8PM

For more information or photos, visit @palestiniancc

Photo on top by @prettygreenbullet

Starting tomorrow Sunday, November 5th, the American International University Film Festival 2023 will take place for the second consecutive year.

There are various activities you can participate in during the film festival, including film screenings, lectures, workshops, and discussion panels. Best of all, they’re all free to attend and participate in! Whether you simply want to watch movies or you’re an aspiring filmmaker looking to attend a workshop or watch a lecture, this is an event you definitely shouldn’t miss.

The film festival will be held at the AIU campus from November 5 to 11, 2023. Cinescape is their strategic partner, and as a result, film screenings will take place both on the AIU campus and at selected Cinescape theaters. There is also no registration requirement for any of the Cinescape venues.

There are 12 speakers, 7 lectures, 4 workshops, and over 40 film screenings all scheduled for next week. The director of the Kuwaiti film “How I Got There”, Dr. Zeyad Alhusaini is also going to be one of the lecturers at the festival. His movie got significant international attention making this a great opportunity to pick his brain.

So one more time just to be clear, ALL events during the film festival are open to the public, are free, and do not require prior registration.

For more information visit aiu.edu.kw/film-festival or head over to @aiu_kw

Strategic partner:
@cinescapekuwait

Sponsors:
@debenhamsmiddleeast
@weyaybank
@alialghanimandsons

Below are some events taking place this weekend, as usual, let me know if I missed anything:

Thursday, November 2
The IMPROVengers Comedy Night
The Perfume Expo
Kuwait Outdoor Expo
AlSadu Museum Guided Tour

Friday, November 3
The Perfume Expo
Kuwait Outdoor Expo
AlSadu Museum Guided Tour
Alboyahra Farm Reopens
Eco Warriors Beach Clean Up

Saturday, November 4
The Perfume Expo
Kuwait Outdoor Expo
AlSadu Museum Guided Tour
Alboyahra Farm Reopens
Art N Dine: Weave of Cultures

Exhibitions
Arabia Felix and Rome
Palestine Art Stands
The Eye of The Sky Drone Photography Exhibition
Sacred I by Yasmine El Hazek
SIF, An Introduction by Mohammad Kassem

You might have noticed that Elevation Burger recently went through a major rebrand. The Elevation identity was given a much needed facelift by Farelo Studio, a design studio based in Portugal. The new look is not only cleaner visually, but also environmentally.

Pedro Farelo, the creative director of Farelo Studio, explains that the central idea was to take the Elevation Burger motto “ingredients matter” and expand it to “everything matters” encompassing health, the environment, and the community. This is because being a market leader comes with a responsibility of setting high standards for everyone else, which is why the new Elevation Burger packaging uses recycled paper, while the new minimalistic design helps reduce ink usage by up to 95%.

Farelo Studio aren’t strangers when it comes to Kuwait based projects, their first client in Kuwait was back in 2015 and since then have helped create several other local brands. If you’re looking for a talented and creative design studio with local experience, reach out to Farelo by sending them an email to [email protected] or check out their website farelo.com

This week I basically spent it binge watching the TV series 1923. It’s the prequel to Yellowstone and the sequel to the series 1883. It’s starring Harrison Ford and it’s really really good, like I think it’s my favorite of the three Yellowstone shows.

Other than that I rewatched the movie Se7en for the first time since the 90s. I originally watched it on VHS so rewatching it like 30 years later in HD was fun, and the movie has held up really well. A lot of now really famous people starred in the movie back then including Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was also started the career of David Fincher who’s behind movies such as Fight Club, The Social Network, The Girl and the Dragon Tattoo and the series Mindhunter. I highly recommend watching it if you haven’t, it was pretty shocking when it came out in 1995 and still pretty dark today.

Let me know if you’ve watching anything new and interesting.

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Weekend:
Butcher’s Crossing (6.1)
Five Nights at Freddy’s (6.2)
Freelance (5.3)
Headspace (5.4)
How to Save the Immortal (5.2)

Other Movies Showing:
57 Seconds (5.3)
Elevator Game (4.2)
Killers of the Flower Moon (8.6)
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (6.1)
Saw X (7.2)
The Canterville Ghost (7.6)
The Creator (7.3)
The Equalizer 3 (6.9)
The Exorcist: Believer (5.1)
The Island (4.3)
The Nun II (6.3)

The classic films below are currently showing at the 1954 Film House:
Coraline (7.7)
The Addams Family (6.9)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

I’m a fan of restaurants that are very focused with a small simple menu, and Chopsters is one of those places.

Chopsters is a locally created concept that is committed to making premium steak affordable without compromising on quality. They’re your everyday casual steak shop and they’re all about keeping things simple.

Their menu is composed of a handful of dishes so they can ensure excellent consistency and flavor every single time. Their most popular dish is their chopped steak served with their secret sauce, signature salad, home-baked bread and hand-cut fries. But, they also offer chicken, salmon and a very juicy beef brisket cheeseburger, so there’s something for everyone.

Another cool thing is that they’re located in Al Andalus, one of my favorite outdoor spaces especially with this cooler weather. You have a cinema there, a VR experience, a kids gym, and a bunch of retail shops, so they’re the perfect place to grab a bite before or after whatever activity you end up choosing.

No need for reservations, and no fancy dress codes, just come as you are. They’re open from 1PM to 11PM daily and you can check their instagram @chopsters.kw and here is their location on Google Maps.

A few weeks ago I got a call asking me if I’d be interested in getting a sneak peek of a new Italian restaurant opening called Piatti. I was hesitant to check it out at first but the person over the phone told me it was a fine dining restaurant and was confident I’d be impressed with the space. Since it’s not everyday we get a fine dining concept opening in Kuwait, I was intrigued. Just a month ago, a video went viral of a Saudi personality stating that unlike Riyadh, Kuwait didn’t have fine dining or an even a fine dining culture. I guess that’s going to change now.

As soon as I walked into the space I realized it was going to be something special. I think it took the walk from the reception area to the waiting area for me to fall in love with the interior, so pretty much instantly. There were so many different layers of materials, textures and colors all somehow working together cohesively to create this visual eye candy. Wherever you looked you’d spot an interesting design detail or beautiful craftsmanship, even the wallpapers were hand painted for Piatti. It had a lot of classical elements, but yet still felt contemporary.

They had wanted me to take some sneak peek photos, but after seeing the place I told them I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t feel I’d be able to do the interior justice, so instead, I connected them with my favorite architectural photographer @mashkanani who was able to take these beautiful photos in this post.

I haven’t tasted or even seen the food yet and I’m already excited about the place. The average paycheck per person isn’t going to be over the top crazy, from what I understood it’s going to be similar to Cipriani, probably a bit less, so fairly reasonable in the scheme of things.

The restaurant location is interesting as well. It’s located across from Seef Palace, right above Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Google Maps) and has a beautiful view of the sea and the palace. There will also be an outdoor terrace but it wasn’t ready when I passed by.

They’re starting private dinners tonight and then opening to the public on November 1st. If you’re interested in booking you can do so through their website piattiofficial.com starting October 31st. Their instagram is @piatti.official

Give is a local non-profit organization that aims to improve the process of donating to charities. Their online platform connects people with registered Kuwaiti charities in order to make it easier to discover what projects are available and to donate to them all from one place.

In light of the atrocities taking place in Palestine right now, Give has over a dozen Palestine missions listed aimed squarely at urgent relief efforts.

The process of donating is really simple and fast, the easiest I’ve personally ever encountered. You don’t have to create an account or input any personal information, all you have to do is select the relief mission you want to donate to, select the amount and then pay using one of the many different options available. If you have Apple Pay set up, the whole process from selecting a relief project to donating will take you less than a minute.

To donate right now to the relief efforts, just click here.

Etihad Airways have a ridiculous promotion right now. A return flight from Kuwait to Abu Dhabi is only KD19.950 including tax. It’s 8KD to go there and 12KD to come back which is so cheap! This doesn’t include any checked baggage but if you’re going for a weekend you can just fly with your carry on.

There is UFC 294 taking place in Abu Dhabi this weekend which is why I think they have this promotion. Even if you don’t end up going to the @ufc event there is still a lot to do and see in Abu Dhabi.

One of my favorite museums in Kuwait is the Tareq Rajab Museum. I always found the museum interesting since it was packed with a vast variety of objects covering many different subjects. They have an incredible collection of over 30,000 pieces many of which can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Over a year ago, the museum closed for renovations but they’re now finally reopening again tomorrow (Oct 17).

The museum was originally founded in 1980 by Tareq S. Rajab and his wife, Jehan S. Rajab. A couple of years ago their grandson Tareq N. Rajab took over the responsibility of the family museum and started the process of rejuvenating it. He originally started with the website and Instagram account, that was followed by the creation of the new Arms & Armor wing of the museum before being handed the rest of the museum to renovate.

Tareq invited me to visit the museum for a sneak peek and although before visiting I was worried it might have lost its charm with the renovation, I’m pleased to say it hasn’t.

At first glance, the museum’s aesthetics remain largely unchanged, but there have been significant improvements. The displays, previously overcrowded and lacking descriptions, have been completely revamped. They are now curated with clear descriptions for every item. There is also a new and HUGE diorama in the museum depicting the famous “Battle of Hattin”. The diorama is composed of 3,500 tiny soldiers that were hand painted individually by Tareq, his dad and three other colleagues over a period of 14 months. There was clearly a lot of time and passion involved in the museum renovation.

If you’re looking for an interesting place to visit then I can’t recommend this museum enough. The entrance fee is still only 2KD and it also gives you access to the “Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Calligraphy” that’s located in the same neighborhood.

The opening hours are:
Saturday to Thursday: 9AM – 1PM & 4:30PM – 8:30PM
Friday: 9AM – 1PM

The museum is in Jabriya and here is the location on Google Maps.

Pixel House was designed by the Kuwait and Madrid based firm AGi Architects. It was completed this year and designed around two main features, privacy and temperature filters.

The garden which looks visually amazing serves as the first barrier to the warm air and the retention of dust. This first thermal filter is followed by the swimming pool which is covered with a perforated slab that will eventually be covered with climbing plants. The living room next to the garden area has openings to the shaded outdoor space, minimizing heat gain caused by solar radiation. Finally the courtyards in the middle act as thermal filters for the interior of the house.

When it comes to privacy, the living and entertaining areas are located in the most public part of the house, near the entrance. On the other hand, the private rooms are tucked away but are still attached to the outside area through gaps, patios and courtyards. The whole facade surrounding the pool also opens and closes for privacy.

For more photos, click here.

Photos by @ngphoto.com.pt

The second season of Winter Wonderland is opening its doors on October 15th, and tickets just went on sale a few moments ago.

Last year tickets were really difficult to come by so this season they increased the number of tickets available for sale everyday up to 15,000. That should hopefully solve the sparsity faced last year.

This season there are also two kinds of tickets available to purchase. The regular ticket is 5KD but there is a new second ticket option that is in partnership with Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre located next door. The new ticket costs 8KD and gives you access to both Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre and Winter Wonderland. With this ticket you also get the benefit of being able to park in the cultural centre’s underground parking.

Tickets are available now but as of this post the app and website were crashing. I’m guessing that’s due to the number of people trying to get tickets. Link