Search: “kuwait”

Just over 15 years ago, I posted a review of a then-newly opened restaurant in the city called Little Ruby’s. The place had a very cozy interior, and I loved the food as well as the atmosphere. But Little Ruby’s has grown up, which is why they decided it was time to drop the “Little” from the name and refresh the menu. Little Ruby’s is now just Ruby’s.

The two things I always loved most at Ruby’s were their salads and sandwiches. Thankfully, my favorites are still on the menu, including the Bronte Burger, which now has a new name. Their Mango Chicken Salad and one of the best Philly Cheesesteaks in Kuwait are also still available. But the majority of the menu has been updated to fit the new, more mature Ruby’s.

Kuwaiti chef Khaled AlBaker (@chefkb) really elevated the menu, starting with the pastas, which are now all freshly made in house. He also introduced new appetizers like Cacio Pepe Fries, Steak Skewers, and Chimi Arrayes. The biggest changes are in the mains, with new items like the Soho Cut made with sliced tenderloin in porcini mushroom sauce, the Club Sandwich which I need to try, and a Parma Chicken I’m saving for a cheat day.

Even the kids now have their own dedicated menu, with options like Little Tenders and Sliders.

The new branding and menu have only been rolled out at their flagship location in Assima Mall. The remaining five locations will be revamped throughout the year. So if you want to try the new menu, the Assima location is open daily from 12PM to 11PM. @littlerubys

Turns out Pret A Manger also opened in Terminal 4 of Kuwait Airport. They opened two weeks ago and took over the previous seating area for Shake Shack, on the ground floor of the departure area.

Thanks Yousef

ERA is a new fitness and wellness club that opened a few months ago. I first found out about it because my wife was looking to join a gym and ended up signing up as a founding member. So when they approached me for this post, I already knew who they were.

ERA isn’t your typical large and busy gym. They describe themselves as a premium fitness and wellness hub. It’s an exclusive club designed for a limited number of members, offering personal training, a variety of classes, Pilates, private studios, consultations, workshops, retail space, and a smoothie bar.

I hadn’t seen the space until they shared photos with me, and after going through them, I decided to check it out in person. For the past couple of months, I’ve been thinking about joining a gym again since my old one shut down. I don’t like large gyms, I don’t like mixed gyms, and most importantly, I needed a place with personal training (the only way I’m going to work out is if someone forces me to). ERA ticked all the boxes, so I ended up joining too.

The team and trainers behind ERA are fairly well known, many of them having come from the now-closed Corniche Club. They’ve been working in Kuwait for years and genuinely love it here, which is reassuring because it means my PT or the quality of service isn’t suddenly going to change in a few months.

ERA is spread over three floors: a women’s floor, a men’s floor, and a floor for classes. The space has large windows that stretch from one end to the other and overlook the sea, so there’s plenty of daylight, which is something I really care about. I also liked the design, not just because it wasn’t dark and moody, but because it had a really calm and welcoming feel. That was another reason I ended up signing up.

I half-heartedly don’t want to promote the gym now that I’ve joined, since I don’t want it getting too popular. But they’ve capped the number of members, so I know it’ll never get too busy. If you’re looking for a new gym, you can check them out @eramembers.club

Design by @saccaldesignhouse, Photos by @mashkanani

Kuwait’s favorite hardware store, Bin Nisf, just got a major makeover. Last week, they closed down their old location and opened in a brand new building right behind the original store. I tend to do a lot of DIY work at home and on my cars, and both Bin Nisf and Ace Hardware have been lifesavers. Between the two, there’s hardly anything I can’t find in Kuwait.

The new store is much bigger than the old one, and according to an employee, they’re still expanding. The old location is also going to get revamped and eventually connect to the new space once it’s done. I honestly have no idea what they’re going to do with all that room.

If you’ve never been to Bin Nisf, they’re a hardware store that’s been around since 1970 and carry everything from screws to power tools. You’ll find professionals shopping there, but also DIY hobbyists like me. It’s the place to go, and their prices are usually much cheaper than the market.

If you’re a Bin Nisf regular, everything is a lot more organized now. The old space had gotten pretty messy over the past couple of years after they closed down half the store for the revamp. The new store is now split across two floors, with the main section located in the basement. The aisles are wider and longer, there’s clear signage, and all the items are neatly displayed. It’s a huge improvement.

If you go, don’t do what I did and park outside the old store, then walk around to the back. Once I got to the new location, I realized there was plenty of parking right there. Google Maps still points to the old store but if you want a map of the exact location, they’ve posted one on their Instagram account @binnisfkw although it really is easy to find since it’s just the building behind it.

Note: I couldn’t find the Bin Nisf cat that used to sleep on the shelves, no idea where he hangs out now.

Originally from California, Claudia Farkas Al Rashoud has been working in Kuwait since 1979, when she became the first professional female photojournalist for the Arab Times newspaper. Claudia still has all the negatives and slides from the photos she took and has been incredibly kind in digging through her archives to find images I’ve requested. I sent her a fairly long list of the most random subjects I’m interested in, and so far she hasn’t blocked me, which is good news!

The first batch of photos I’ll be sharing from her archive are of Entertainment City during its construction.

Claudia had taken photos and written a number of articles on Entertainment City for the Arab Times and other magazines. At the time, Entertainment City was the first theme park in the region and Kuwait’s most complex construction project, so it was big news. The design was handled by VTN, an American consulting firm, while construction was a joint venture between the Kuwaiti company International Contractors Group (ICG) and Castelli of Italy.

The park was divided into three main areas: Arab World, International World, and Future World. The contract was valued at KD 16,845,281, with around KD 1.8 million allocated to just two rides, Sinbad the Sailor and the African Boat Ride. Construction began in February 1979 and was commissioned by the Ministry of Public Works. At the time, it was one of the most ambitious and impressive projects ever undertaken in Kuwait. The park even featured Kuwait’s first railway line, which ran for two kilometers.

The photos she has are from different points in time, starting from the construction phase to after the park was completed. The aerial shots of the construction site were taken from the Space Needle in Future World. You can check out all the photos on my Instagram account.

If you’re interested in more of Claudia’s photos, her books are available for sale at the CAP Bookshop in Shuwaikh. Claudia is also the co-founder of Touch of Hope, the Kuwait’s largest animal shelter. @claudia_alrashoud

Jahez is kicking off their new 2 x 2 campaign in Kuwait! When you join Jahez and make your first order, they’ll drop 2KD straight into your wallet and hook you up with free delivery for 2 months. All you need to do is download the app, place your first order, and let Jahez do the rest. @jahezkuwait

Looking for refreshing, healthy options this summer? Joe & the Juice has introduced new summer items that are light and satisfying.

Most of their sandwiches are already pretty light, but they’ve now added a creamy Labneh sandwich with mint and cucumber. They’ve also expanded their drinks lineup with the Iced Lavender Matcha Oat Latte and the Iced Blueberry Matcha Oat Latte.

My personal favorite iced drink isn’t new, but it’s one I order all the time, the Pick Me Up. It’s made with strawberries, banana, and apples, and I find it very cooling.

What’s great about Joe & The Juice is that they’re all over Kuwait, so you’re always close to one. And if you’re not, that’s fine since they also offer delivery through Talabat and Deliveroo. Check them out this summer @joeandthejuicekuwait

Yesterday, I came across a tweet by Sharifa Alshalfan, a member of the Kuwait Municipal Council, sharing a proposal that I think is a great idea for solving the current congestion in suburban areas. Sharifa tweeted that she had submitted an amendment to the residential building regulations, aimed at addressing the increasing number of cars in residential neighborhoods and their negative impact on the quality of life.

Currently, the regulations only allow the ground floor of a residential building to extend to the property line, while upper floors must be set back. Sharifa’s proposal seeks to modify the regulations to change this rule. The amendment would allow parking spaces to be added on the ground floor and make up for the lost space by letting the first and second floors extend out to the property line.

Key features of the proposal include:

Optional parking spaces within the plot: Giving property owners the choice to add parking without compromising living space above.

Automatic shading: The new design would provide shading for parking spaces through the upper floors’ extension, eliminating the need for separate canopies.

Improved pedestrian safety and greenery: The changes aim to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and enhance the greenery in residential areas.

I had an architect help me create the image above to help visualize how this proposal would work. I’m actually surprised this wasn’t suggested before since it makes so much sense. According to Sharifa, the average 400m plot house can easily fit 6 cars.

Sharifa’s proposal is part of a bigger effort to update building rules to better fit our changing cities and make life better for people living there. According to her, it could take 2 months or longer to find out if this proposal is approved or rejected.

Sharifa is the co-author of “THE MULTIPLEX TYPOLOGY: Living in Kuwait’s hybrid homes”, a book on housing in Kuwait co-authored with Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea and Sarah AlFraih. If you’re interested, the book is available to purchase at That Al Salasil in The Avenues.

Thanks Zaydoun!

This came as a bit of a surprise, The Marafie Group of Companies announced that the B&O agency has been transferred to Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi Group (BNK Holding). I couldn’t find any details online on how long Marafie had the B&O brand in Kuwait, but it must be at least from the 80s since I remember going to their basement store in Zahra Complex as a kid. Link

I’m a pretty huge fan of the Bang & Olufsen brand, as long as it’s not battery operated that is. All my portable B&O units (BeoLit 12, BeoLit 15 and BeoPlay A2) stopped holding a charge a couple of years after buying them. My A9 on the other hand pictured above which I got back I 2013, still works perfectly. For all my B&O related posts, click here.

According to a thread on twitter by an exhibitor at the recently held Gold & Jewlery Exhibition, they had a diamond bracelet stolen from their booth.

Investigations by the Ministry of Interior revealed that two women were involved in the theft, stealing dozens of jewelry pieces worth hundreds of thousands of dinars from several stores at the exhibition. The stolen items included a diamond ring valued at over 30,000 Kuwaiti dinars from a well-known Kuwaiti store.

The MOI were able to identify the suspects and arrest them in less than 24 hours with all the stolen jewelry in their possession.

I hadn’t read about this heist anywhere else so thought it was interesting, and after googling found an Arab Times article with more information which you can check out here.

Hamleys, the world’s oldest toy store, just opened a new location at The Avenues. When Hamleys first opened in Kuwait back in 2020, I was a bit surprised they chose to open at The Gate Mall instead of The Avenues. I found that store small and too far out of my way to ever want to visit. But a few days ago, they opened their new location in Phase 1 of The Avenues, and I feel this is the one they should have opened back then.

The new Hamleys is bigger and more inviting although still tiny compared to the Hamleys flagship store in London. I think it’s also slightly smaller than the Fantasy Land store in The Avenues, but it’s filled with lots of toys including dedicated Hot Wheels, LEGO, Barbie and Play-Doh areas. There is also a Build-A-Bear Workshop inside the store.

The opening of this new store feels like a relaunch of the brand in Kuwait, since their Instagram account has deleted all traces of the previous store and positioned themselves as if they’re just opening in Kuwait for the first time.

If you want to check out the new store, it’s located on the ground floor of Phase 1 next to Foot Locker (not to be confused with the Foot Locker in Phase 3 or the one at The Forum). To make things slightly more confusing, Hamleys’ profile says they’re open in Avenues Phase 2, but the map on The Avenues website says Phase 1 🤷🏼‍♂️. Here’s their Instagram @hamleyskuwait

Spa Time and Men Time were the first specialized luxury spas to open in Kuwait. Known for focusing on traditional healing techniques and body care, they’ve recently introduced two new treatments: a healing massage designed for Office Syndrome and another for tension in the lower legs and feet.

Office Syndrome is a growing health issue caused by poor posture, repetitive movements, and extended periods of inactivity, usually from long hours spent working at a desk or in front of a computer.

Some common symptoms of Office Syndrome include:

• Muscle stiffness and body pain
• Headaches or migraines
• Numbness, tingling, or pain in the limbs
• Eye strain
• Poor circulation and fatigue

I relate to all of the above since I spend so much time sitting in front of a computer. This specialized treatment is actually recommended for people like me, as well as office workers, students, and even gamers.

The second treatment they’ve introduced, which you might also find interesting, is called Tired Leg & Foot Massage. This targeted therapy is designed to relieve fatigue, heaviness, and tension in the lower legs and feet. It’s ideal for people who stand or walk for long periods, travel frequently, or experience poor circulation and swelling in their legs. Sounds like the perfect treatment after a trip that involved a lot of walking.

I’m actually considering trying the Office Syndrome treatment myself, so if any of them also sound like something you’d be into, check them out. They have 7 branches around Kuwait, including in Al Muhallab, Avenues, Al Kout Mall, and Kipco Tower, so chances are there’s one near you. You can find out more on their website here.

Back in February, the second phase of the waterfront project opened up. The second phase starts at the Swimming Pool Complex near SVN resort and ends at Green Island, while the first phase of the project starts at Green Island and ends just past the Kuwait Towers.

Since the full waterfront opened, I hadn’t ridden it from end to end. But this morning, I did go out for a ride and noticed a bunch of issues.

First, the good stuff. The bike path is amazing. It’s a massive difference from the path I used to ride. Back in 2020, I sold my mountain bike and got a road bike. I loved the bike but was kinda regretting not getting a mountain bike, since without any suspension and with skinny tires, it was a pretty rough ride in some areas. The new bike path, on the other hand, is super smooth, and my bike is perfect for it.

I think that’s the only good thing I have to say about it. But I do have a lot of negative opinions I want to vent about.

There is no shade. ANYWHERE. Like, nowhere at all. I used to park my car outside the Swimming Pool Complex parking. It was a shaded lot, but it’s not anymore. They removed all the shaded parking, so I now have to park further down at SVN where it’s shaded. Not that big of a deal, but I don’t understand the thinking process here. It’s as if the people who worked on the project have never been to Kuwait before.

Car shade aside, there isn’t any shade for humans either. They removed all the large trees, so no tree to stand under and catch your breath. Weirdly, they also removed all the shaded cubicles which people used to chill and BBQ under (at least in the second phase of the project). Why?

I rode my bike this morning from SVN to Green Island, and the only shade I found was the shaded pathway that takes you into Green Island. What do they have against shade? I don’t get it.

I wish they had cool-down areas along the way. Like a bit of shade and maybe a water fountain. I love that they’ve fixed up the waterfront, but I feel like the people who worked on it had never engaged with the waterfront before or have never been to Kuwait.

I remember when I first posted about the first phase completion, a lot of people complained about how the benches don’t have any back support. And I remembered that when I used to ride my bike, I used to see a lot of people chilling on the benches, talking to each other, maybe reading a book, or just staring into the horizon. You can’t do that anymore. It’s like they don’t want people to spend time at the waterfront, and there’s a term for this:

Hostile Architecture.

The architects of the new waterfront designed it in a way that purposefully changes the behavior of the previous “customers” (not sure thats the right word but you get what I mean). So for example, instead of providing comfortable seating for the people who used to spend hours sitting and reading, those people now have to find another place to sit due to the lack of comfortable benches. Instead of creating an area for summer runners and riders to cool down and take refuge from the sun, they designed it in a way that makes the waterfront hostile to summer daytime users.

I love the bike path and will continue to use it, but all I’m asking for is for a bit of shade (something like the photo above) and water fountains.

The Scientific Center is opening its new expansion today, but I managed to get an early tour yesterday afternoon. First impression, wow, the view is incredible. I was there around 4PM, and the light was coming through the large glass wall surrounding the new area was casting beautiful shadows all over the interior. I wouldn’t be surprised if people went there just for the view.

The new expansion is massive, and I was given a tour of all the areas that are currently open. Some sections are still closed, with openings being staggered over the next year. The first area to launch is the World of Science, which spans three floors and features the following exhibits:

• Kuwait, Earth & Universe Exhibit
• Engineering Our World
• Robosapiens Exhibit

There are plenty of interactive displays for both kids and adults that are fun and educational. The most fun for me was probably the paper plane building area, where you make a plane, load it into a machine, and launch it. My favorite section overall though was the Robosapiens Exhibit, which explores how humans and technology have evolved together. It had several displays that demonstrated the interface between technology and the human body, which I’ve personally always been fascinated by since I was a kid (I used to love the 80s cartoon Bionic Six).

I’d estimate the new expansion would take around two hours to fully explore with your kids, especially if they play and interact with all the different exhibits.

If you want to visit the Scientific Center, they’re initially limiting the number of visitors per day so it doesn’t get overcrowded. There are two ticket options, KD 5 and KD 6. Both give you access to everything, including the original Scientific Center and the new expansion. The KD 6 ticket also includes entry to the IMAX theater. Children under 2 enter for free. For more info, you can head over to their website tsck.org.kw

To check out more photos and videos, head over to my instagram @248am

I was randomly checking to see if anyone else in Kuwait opened up pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 and found Jarir while searching. The link is dead but according to the search summary, Jarir had listed the Switch 2 Mario Kart bundle for KD 169.990.

If that was true then they’d have the cheapest prices in Kuwait, which isn’t very Jarir like.