Search: “maki”

My favorite sushi place in Kuwait is Kei but honestly I hadn’t tried sushi anywhere else here until yesterday night. Once you get used to a sushi place its difficult to eat sushi somewhere else because the dishes differ and your favorites in one place might be a completely different experience in another. Thats mainly the reason I have been hesitant to try any other place. Another advantage of eating at the same sushi place all the time is the fact that you make friends with the people who work there and if you are like me and only sit at the bar then you get to make friends with the most important person at the sushi place.. the sushi chef or “my bartender” as I like to call him. Our bartender is always creating new and exciting dishes for us to try including my favorites so far a sushi pizza and most recently maki desert which involves banana, mango, crab and some other ingredients wrapped in rice and seaweed. Yesterday night though I was invited to Maki and I wasn’t expecting it to be any good since Nat had been there before and given it a rating of 1.5 out of 5. My own experience last night was on the other hand a very good one.

Maki is a very trendy looking place that feels like a pub minus the beer taps and whisky bottles. From the minute you walk in you forget you are in Kuwait, which is a good thing when you want to get away from things. The interior is very cozy and the tables are closely packed together, not as close as Al-Boom but still very close. We sat next to the door, which is probably the best location since you could see the people coming in. Our host was a regular at Maki and he ordered a very large assortment of appetizers for us. My favorites were the Negimayaki, which consists of sliced beef rolled with spring onions surrounded by teriyaki sauce. I think it looked very appetizing and interesting, kinda like tiny potted plants.. My other favorite was the deep friend chicken with plum sauce. For main course our host also ordered a wide range of dishes including a maki dish that was named after him called the Issa. My favorite dishes from the main course were the Fusion, the Fusion 2, Issa and Ghandour. They were all REALLY incredible dishes. The Fusion’s were sushi wraps, but the wrapping paper is their own creation and tasted really good. The Issa and Ghandour were maki dishes and they were really superb, maybe the best maki dishes I have ever had.

The service was good and very friendly. The owner of Maki is Lebanese and the manager and main waiters are also all Lebanese which is similar to how Casper&Gambini and Waterlemon are. The problem I had with the place is that near the end of our evening they started playing Arabic music really loud which I didn’t find cool at all. If it was a pub I would have finished my drink and walked out and down to the next pub, but in reality its a Sushi place and there is no pub anywhere near.

The pricing is decent and compared to Kei, Maki is more expensive but just by a tiny bit. You can check out their prices yourself and compare it to your favorite place by downloading the menu from their website. I also noticed that Maki isn’t what I would call an authentic Japanese experience. They do have your regular maki’s and sushi’s but the regular dish I tried which was the Crazy Maki tasted normal and bland. Its their special dishes with their secret sauces and ingredients that are exceptional but they are what I call modern sushi.

Maki is located in Salmiya behind Diva’s. Its easy to find and if you want to pass by make sure you reserve since I went there on a Sunday night and the place was fully packed. At the end of the month they are opening a new location in Marina World in that thing I don’t know what you call it.. you know when you stand outside at Marina Crescent and you look right you see that large structure with colorful lights? Its the thing located between Marina Crescent and Hard Rock Cafe. Anyway they were opening there which should be cool.

I really enjoyed Maki and I would definitely start going there but I also won’t be ditching Kei anytime soon. Both places offer completely different experiences and dishes and I would rather have both then to choose either one of them. I am going to give Maki a 4.5 out of 5. It lost points on the Arabic music. You can check out more pictures and details on Maki by visiting their website olivermaki.com. Next week I will try Edo since they tell me its really good and will post a review once I do.

I was watching 5th Gear yesterday on the Discovery Channel when they had a bit on light poles similar to the ones used on Kuwait streets. They took a regular car and installed hardware on it so they could control it remotely and then driving at 45mph they made it ram into one of these steel light posts. The result was catastrophic. The light pole barely moved or bent while the car was destroyed and thrown violently around. If there was anyone in the car they would have been seriously wounded if not killed.

They then started to tell us about these new types of light poles that are being using in countries like Sweden and Finland, collapsible poles. These poles are made from aluminum and are designed to absorb the impact of a car and slow it down. They look very similar to the regular poles except of course they are very different.

To demonstrate how safe driving into the poles were the inventor of the “safe” poles got into a car wearing only a seatbelt and a helmet (to protect him from flying glass if any) and drove into a pole going at 45mph. It was incredible, once the car hit the pole it bent and the car drove over it slowing down. The car did get damaged but very lightly, the driver got out safely and the car was even drivable after the crash.

Now I have seen loads of accidents here in Kuwait specially on the Gulf Road where people have rammed into the light poles and gotten killed. With all the money in Kuwait how come the government hasn’t installed these new collapsible poles.. at least in places where it is very common for people to ram into them?

Update: Here is a link to an article abou the Lamppost which turns out has been in use in Sweden for the past 12 years! [Link]

Update 2: If you want to download the bit on the lamppost you can from the 5th Gear official website for a price of KD1 [Link]

Update 3: The video is on YouTube you can check it below

My iPod Video doesn’t like phones post has been making its rounds around the web. Here is where its been mentioned so far:

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
Mac4Ever
Macfeber
Engadget
Slashphone
Macenstein
Macorama
iPod Fun
MacWorld (SE)
Sektori
Onliner

Yesterday I discovered fried maki at Kei and its great! Why didn’t anyone tell me about it before? I am not a professional sushi eater so I don’t feel comfortable eating raw fish but fried is something I much more agreeable with. I had the Crispy Rolls and Prawn Tempura Maki and they were the best maki I have ever had. I would definitely recommend fried maki to any amateur sushi person.

Click here for Quick Sushi Places Reviews

Today marks 35 years since Iraq invaded Kuwait, starting the Gulf War. I was in Kuwait and just 11 years old when I woke up that morning to find out what had happened. We had just finished celebrating my younger brother’s birthday the night before, so it took a while for me to grasp how much life was about to change.

My family stayed in Kuwait for six weeks before fleeing by road to Lebanon, where I lived until the war ended and we moved back to Kuwait in the summer of 1991. Although I was young, I have vivid memories from that time, mostly tied to the media, from CNN’s Operation Desert Storm coverage to the “FREE KUWAIT” and later “Free Our POWs” campaigns, and even small things like anti Saddam car bumper stickers.

I remember as a kid desperately wanting a “FREE KUWAIT” badge or t-shirt. It was such a strong and meaningful visual that, 35 years later, it’s still a powerful image.

The “FREE KUWAIT” logo was designed by Michael Lorrigan with the help of the British design firm Bostock & Pollitt (now called Pollitt & Partners). Michael, who was a teacher and deputy headmaster at New English School at the time, was in England on summer break when the invasion happened. After the war broke out, he discovered the newly formed Kuwaiti media committee in London and joined them, eventually becoming one of their most dedicated members. The name “Free Kuwait Campaign” was chosen as a unifying label for various London-based groups supporting Kuwait during the invasion. When Michael shared the sample logos with the campaign group, a member called Ali Al Mulaifi suggested making the word “FREE” larger than “KUWAIT.” That became the final version. source

There is actually a great interview you can watch (it’s in Arabic) that details Michaels role in the Free Kuwait campaign which you can watch here.

The photos in this post were all taken in London by Dr. Adel Al-Yousifi. They are part of his photo-book “A Testimony from London” and are also available online at his website, free-kuwait.net. Dr. Adel also created the website evidence-kw.net, which documents the impact of the war on Kuwait and is based on another photo-book he published in 1994.

Jazeera Airways just kicked off their Mega Sale that starts today and lasts till July 31st.

100,000 seats are up for grabs starting at just KD 14 one way. The offer covers a wide range of destinations across the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Africa, and Europe. The travel window is from August 1 to September 30, making it perfect for an end-of-summer escape or a quick weekend trip somewhere new.

This offer is only for a few days and just 100,000 seats so if you want to take advantage of the deal book through their application or head to jazeeraairways.com

OffTheCoal is a restaurant that’s been over a decade in the making. Its owner, Bader AlMutairi, has always had a passion for food and design, and OTC is a combination of all his interests and obsessions rolled into one.

Before my first visit, I had seen photos of the space, but once you’re actually there, it’s a completely different experience. The owner, a fan of the lifestyle and design of the 1920s to 1950s, as well as both Steampunk and Art Deco, worked with @manmade.studio to bring his vision to life. Every corner is filled with quirky details, from vintage gears to bold geometric patterns to a retro-style flap display that shows custom messages. There’s even a miniature train-like mechanism that transports food between the back kitchen and the front bar. The space feels more like a themed movie set than a typical restaurant, and that’s exactly how the owner wanted it.

The restaurant itself is meat-centric. They have a highly specialized smoker that runs 24 hours a day, constantly churning out pastrami and ribs for guests. The pastrami, by the way, is one of the best I’ve had and completely caught me by surprise. The menu is full of fresh, creative, and slightly upscale small dishes, most of which feature smoked or roasted elements.

Going back to the retro-style flap display I mentioned earlier, guests can even request to show their own custom messages on it. That’s just one of the ways they can interact with the space. OTC also has carnival-style coupons and golden tickets that can be used to redeem fun prizes. These touches were inspired by the owner’s love for the 1920s and the nostalgic spirit of mid-century American boardwalk carnivals. It’s a playful reference to that era and a way to make the dining experience feel more personal and engaging. As for the name OffTheCoal? It was inspired by Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall album. That’s another one of Bader’s interests.

OffTheCoal is clearly a passion project, so whether you’re into design, food, or just curious to try some of the best pastrami in town, it’s worth experiencing at least once. Here is their location on Google Maps and they’re on Instagram @offthecoal

Not a lot happening this weekend, but I did manage to find some activities that look pretty fun.

Here are my favorite things happening this weekend. As always, double check the event details with the organizers.

Thursday, June 26
Chapter Three: Literary Open Mic

Friday, June 27
Early Birds Book Club Meeting

Saturday, June 28
Second Chance Thrift Sale
Treasure Hunt Challenge
Girls Only Open Board Gaming
Lego Printmaking Workshop

Human Rights Watch yesterday published an article accusing Kuwait of violating international human rights law with the new exit visa requirement. The article was written Michael Page, the deputy director at HRW in the Middle East and North Africa division.

This decision is an alarming step backward in Kuwait’s migrant worker governance. Instead of dismantling the kafala (visa sponsorship system) in its entirety, the Kuwaiti state is reinforcing it by putting migrant workers even further under the control of their employers and making them more vulnerable to exploitation.

There is no basis to Kuwaiti authorities’ claim that the exit permit will balance the interests of both employers and workers. Rather, the permit enables employers to trap workers in abusive situations and serves as a tool for retaliation.

The whole exit visa requirement decision is a really weird one which I don’t get. But then again, there are so many things that happen here I don’t get. Yesterday after posting the photos of Entertainment City under construction, I went through more of my old photos and still can’t understand how the whole place was demolished, trees and all, then just left as a barren desert with nothing in its place. There are so many things that happen here I don’t get, and this exit visa thing is just another one to add to the list and move on.

You can read the full Human Rights Watch article on their website.

A few months ago, I posted about a guy named Abdullah AlJarallah. During the day, he managed investment deals, but at night, he was in the kitchen perfecting his pizza-making skills. He operated out of a small commercial kitchen with no set menu, timings, or delivery. Whenever he planned to make pizza, he’d let his followers know what was on offer and when, and they’d place their orders and pick them up.

A lot has changed since then, and Abdullah just opened his first restaurant called Jars (@atjars).

Jars is a small, cozy pizza spot located in Hawalli. It’s right off the main highway, so you don’t have to deal with the usual Hawalli traffic. The interior has a basic, slightly industrial look because he had to work with a limited budget, but it works well for the concept. Abdullah also keeps things simple with a set menu. It starts with a welcome bite of focaccia and butter, followed by two seasonal starters. The mains include four pizzas: Margherita, mushroom, pepperoni, and a fourth one that changes often. For dessert, there are two choices.

Yesterday the starters were Bresaola and a watermelon feta cheese salad. For the pizzas we were two so we ordered the pepperoni (Pep Talk) and the mushroom (Funghi Bianco). We also ordered a gelato and strawberries with mascarpone for dessert.

The starters were good. The bresaola was great, though the portion was small. You can’t go wrong with a watermelon and feta cheese salad in summer. Between the two pizzas, I liked the pepperoni more and would order it again next time, or maybe try the Margherita or whatever special pizza Abdullah’s cooking that day. His crust is very crispy with little to no flop, so if you’re not into soft floppy pizzas, you’re gonna like this. I also preferred the gelato over the strawberries with mascarpone for dessert.

Jars opened about a week ago, and even though it wasn’t a full house when I visited, the service was good and friendly. The set menu costs KD 8.750 per person (doesn’t include drinks and dessert), and you need to reserve ahead since they don’t accept walk-ins. They’re currently open from 7PM to 11PM, and you can find them on Google Maps by searching for Jars. To reserve, click here.

Something really weird happened to me yesterday. I was ordering the new AirFly Pro 2 (it’s a device that allows me to connect two bluetooth headphones to my iPad) and as I was checking out I noticed that Amazon weren’t charging me for shipping to Kuwait. It was making me pay the import charges, but shipping was free.

I placed the order and just a few moments ago it shipped to Kuwait using Aramex. So I just went through my wishlist to see if this was just a one time thing, or specific product offer, and nope, turns out a lot of the items on my wishlist can now be shipped to Kuwait for free which is crazy.

Turns out Amazon.com (US) has now introduced free delivery to Kuwait when you purchase one or more eligible items with an order value of USD 59 or more.

This is a game changer!

Alghanim Industries has announced that they’re now the official distributor of Starlink’s satellite internet in Kuwait and across the Middle East, North Africa, India, Turkey, Pakistan, and more. For those not in the loop, Starlink offers high-speed, low-latency internet that works through satellites, making it perfect for places where regular internet can be spotty or completely unavailable.

This is pretty big news. Although our internet is pretty fast here, our latency is terrible. Latency is the time it takes for data to travel from your device to a server and back. Basically, it’s the delay you feel when you’re trying to load a webpage, play a game online, or join a video call. Lower latency means less delay and faster responses.

According to the Sama X website, there will be four packages to choose from:

Sama X Personal 500GB
Sama X Personal 1TB
Sama X Personal 2TB
Sama X Personal 5TB

All four packages promise speeds up to 350/40 Mbps (download/upload), and 20-40ms latency. The difference between the four packages will be the bandwidth.

The rollout has already started across the region. According to the Starlink website, the service is currently available in Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are pending regulatory approval, while Kuwait will be available this year. Exciting!

Sama X don’t seem to have an Instagram account, but their website is samax.com

One of the cool things about my partnership with Jahez is that I never know what they’re going to send me, so it’s always a surprise and a fun way to try something new. This weekend, they sent over desserts from OYO. I hadn’t tried OYO before, but they sent so many items I basically got to sample almost everything on the menu. Here’s what I got:

Crunch: Three layers of chocolate and crunch biscuits

Fluffy Box: Moist cake coated in layers of milk, white and crunch chocolate

OYO Crack: Milk chocolate with pecan salted caramel

Pist-OYO: Chocolate bites filled with crispy kunafa and pistachio spread with wafers

Very Berry: Fresh raspberry with milk chocolate and white chocolate

The brand clearly focuses on gatherings, offering lots of bite-sized options. Their bold yellow packaging also stands out, making their items pop next to other dessert brands at gatherings. I like taking bite-sized desserts to gatherings since it lets people try a bit of everything instead of committing to just one dessert.

From what they sent over, my favorite was the Crunch, even though it was the least visually exciting. My second favorite was the OYO Crack, while the best-looking item was definitely the perfectly shaped Pist-OYO (which was basically Dubai chocolate in a bite).

If you’re looking for new desserts for your next gathering, OYO is available on Jahez. If you’re a Jahez Prime member, you also get free delivery. Check them out @oyo_kw.

Recently, I decided I needed a better way to organize my CDs. I have around 300 packed away in boxes, making it virtually impossible to listen to them. While a lot of this music is available digitally, I still have a huge collection that isn’t available online. Initially, I started looking on eBay for CD cases, but then decided to look locally first. Since, the only music shop I know of that’s still open is ROMCO, I decided to head there.

I’ve posted about ROMCO before. They used to have a shop in Hawally, but it closed years ago, with all remaining cassettes and CDs moved to a small room within their offices, located in the same building but at the back. They carry a few English tapes, but most of their collection is Arabic. The last time I posted about them they used to sell the tapes for 1.5KD but now they sell for 2KD for some reason.

Up until a few years ago there were a couple of more cassette shops open in Kuwait but they also closed suddenly and I think this is the last one left standing. And if you’re curious, yes I managed to find a CD case for my CDs. They had two SKB CD-400 ATA Carrying Cases left which I guess DJ’s used to use since each can hold up to 120 CDs. They don’t have anymore of those cases left, but they do have some CD stands and wallets still available.

The employee there told me they’re open from 9AM to 4PM, so if you want to pass by and check out their tapes, they’re located across the street from Alandalus Complex in Hawally. You can also find them on Google Maps.

If you know of any other music shop still open, let me know.

A news article is making its way around the internet today about airlines like British Airways and Lufthansa no longer flying in and out of Kuwait. The article put the blame on a few things, including outdated terminals and substandard passenger services, two of the main reasons I try not to fly out of the old airport terminal.

But, what caught my attention is the article mentions that 14 airlines have now stopped flying to Kuwait without mentioning what those airlines are. What 14 airlines? The only ones I can think of are:

British Airways
Fly Arna
KLM
Lufthansa
United Airlines
Wizz Air

What are the others? Also, United for example stopped flying to Kuwait years ago, so I’m assuming they’re not even counting that.