Search: “sti”

Sawah has been open for around a year now but I only finally managed to pass by this past weekend. When I want to have Lebanese I usually have Leila but since I’m practically having Leila everyday I decided to try something new. Sawah is located in the Avenues right next to Napket and the place doesn’t look like your average Lebanese restaurant which is what always grabbed my attention.

I ordered tabbouleh and taouk and both dishes turned out pretty good with the tabbouleh being the best of the two. Actually their tabbouleh is currently in a tie with the tabbouleh at Al Mayas as my favorite in Kuwait. What I mostly liked about the place though is the look and feel. As I mentioned earlier Sawah doesn’t look like an average Lebanese restaurant, from the furniture to the cutlery, they have their own unique look.

The only negative thing I would say based on my short experience is that I thought the price of the taouk dish at KD4.250 was a bit on the expensive side for just two skewers and a bit of french fires. Other than that though the food was good, the service very friendly and the design of the place very interesting. I would definitely go back.

BBC News have a nice piece on the state of Kuwait’s theatre industry. Gone are the golden days of plays like Bye Bye London but there are a few people who are still trying to bring the theatre back. I really hope they can, like New York is known for Broadway Shows, Kuwait could be known for theatre as well. I couldn’t embed the video on my blog so you’re going to have to view it on the BBC website [Here]

Thanks Nibaq

A few weeks back Nat accidentally slammed my FJ’s door onto a little pole while opening the door and I ended up with a nasty dent. The usual fix for this would be to take the car to a body shop and have them repair the dent and then repaint the door but I decided to pass by Dent Xpress and see if they could fix it. For those of you who’ve been checking my blog for a few years you might remember Dent Xpress as one of my previous advertisers. They’re a little shop behind Sun City in Shuwaikh that specializes in paint-less dent repair.

I had finished some morning chores that day and decided to pass by Dent Xpress to get an estimate and book an appointment. Once I drove up to their front entrance their employee was standing outside and noticed the dent as I pulled up. After getting a closer look he told me the dent was pretty deep and since my car was black he couldn’t repair it 100%, I told him anything would be better than the current state. I asked him how much it would cost and he told me just KD15 and it would take 30 minutes to repair. Luckily there wasn’t anyone there before me so I told him to go ahead and start on it.

I went and sat down in their cozy little corner and watched the guy work on my dent. It’s really interesting to watch so you don’t get that bored waiting. If you’ve got an iPad with entertainment on it I would bring it along or you could be old fashioned and flip through some magazines they had available. After exactly 30 minutes my FJ’s dent was repaired. Even though the guy said he couldn’t repair it 100% it looked like it was 100% fixed. He told me if I looked closely I could see a tiny little bump. That bump which you couuld only see under a certain light and up really close was basically non existent so it’s a 99% fix even though you really can’t see the tiny bump. I left extremely satisfied which is why I’m currently writing this post. So if you’ve got a dent and need it repaired Dent Xpress would be a good place to stop by before a body shop. They can’t repair all dents and the paint also needs to be factory original but it’s still worth passing by and seeing if they can repair it. Below is a picture of my FJ door before and after the repair.

Their website address is www.dentxpress.com
Their phone numbers are 24837666 and 55787747
Their Facebook page is [Here]

A small breakfast place opened up near my house and I decided to pass by and try it out last week. The place is called Breakfast & Brunch and is located in the large outdoor parking lot adjacent to Marina Mall (facing BoConcept). Nat and I passed by during the week around 10AM and out of the five small 2-seater tables at the place, only one was occupied. We sat down at a table and got the menus which had a ton of items on it. It was huge. Other than the regular breakfast place stuff like eggs, pancakes, crepes, etc.. they also had a long list of sandwiches to choose from (I’m guessing the “brunch” aspect of the place).

I ended up ordering freshly squeezed orange juice and a 3 egg omelet with cheese and turkey while Nat ordered the Nutella Crepe. I wanted to order pancakes as well but I knew Fahad would make me suffer at the gym if I did. The food arrived a bit later and looked very good. My omelet came with sausages, brown bread and hash browns on the side which I quickly dug into after taking the picture above. Everything tasted good but then again it’s hard to go wrong with omelets and crepes.

There isn’t really anything negative to say about my experience. The only thing I can think about is the fact the place was a bit too quiet when we first sat down but the couple on the other table asked for the radio to be turned on which fixed things. I personally liked the place, it’s close to where I live, there is a lot of parking space available and because it’s still not very popular, finding a place to sit shouldn’t be a problem. For those of you who are interested to try out the place, here is one of my famous maps to help you find the location [Map] and here it is on [Google Maps]

Wallpaper* magazine featured an article on the Octium Jewellery store at 360 Mall. It’s not the first time Kuwait was featured in Wallpaper*, I know of at least one other time since I posted about it [Here]. Too bad the Wallpaper* article doesn’t really show how beautiful the Octium store really is. [Link]

Last week Nat had dinner with some of her friends at a new restaurant that just opened up in Kuwait City called Ruby’s. She had a good experience and suggested that we pass by for lunch yesterday.

From outside the place doesn’t look like much since the shops and buildings next to it are pretty old but once you walk into Ruby’s it’s a completely different atmosphere. The place is pretty spacious and has a very cozy look and feel to it. We sat down in a comfy corner and the waitress brought us the menu. The first thing that impressed me was with how minimal their menu was. They have only 3 salads, 3 panini’s, 3 pastas and 3 burgers which I thought was very brave. Restaurants here seem to get the impression you need to have a million items on your menu but you really don’t since it’s about the quality not quantity.

Nat ordered the Mango Pumpkin Chicken Salad while I ordered the Bronte Burger on my first visit and the Chicken and Mango Chutney Panini on my second (had lunch there yesterday and today). Nat really loved her salad and I thought my burger which had a sweet chili sauce was really well made. It was delicious and on my second visit I was really tempted to order it again but decided to try something else and I am glad I did. As much as I thought their burger was amazing the Chicken and Mango Chutney Panini was even better. The Mango Chutney was sweet and gave the panini amazing flavor, I really loved it. I also ordered their chocolate dessert on my second visit and although it was good, I would prefer the Chocolate Fondant at Life with Cacao or the Chocolate Pudding at Slider Station instead.

Their prices are very decent. Their menu ranges from KD2.250 for their cheapest Salad up to KD3.750 for their Shrimp in Linguine which is their most expensive dish.

Ruby’s has been open I think for around 2 weeks only. They still don’t have a sign outside and they will be installing their Knet machine hopefully this week according to the waitress. I’ve drawn a map to the location which you can view [Here]. The service is great, the place is cozy and the food is amazing. I highly recommend the place.

Update: Currently (as of December 29, 2010) they open from 3PM to 11PM. According to the employees there within the next 10 days they will start opening from 11AM to 11PM. Their phone number is 22496526,

Just found out Alshaya are bringing IHOP to Kuwait. IHOP stands for International House of Pancakes and is an American breakfast chain. I don’t think they’re open anywhere outside of North America.

In non-food related news, Harvey Nichols will be opening their first store in Kuwait in Avenues Phase III. Originally Harvey Nichols said they were opening the store in the summer of 2011 but not sure if that’s still the case since I thought Phase III still needed more time then that to be completed.

Thanks damdy

The cops now have new portable cameras and by the looks of it they will be very difficult to spot. Judging by the picture above they will be used to catch the people who drive on emergency lanes which is cool but I believe they will also be able to capture speeders.

The Ministry pointed out that the new radar is accurate and can be transported from one place to another easily, in addition to having the video and photographic characteristics, which confirms the fact of the violation. It stated that the mobile radar is currently working with high efficiency in many locations, especially places of high traffic density, including schools.

Here is the link to the article on Arab Times. [Link]

Back in May I posted about MILSIM and how I took part in one of their Tactical Military Simulation Games. It was amazing! I was totally surprised we had something like that in Kuwait, it was lots of fun, the weapons were very cool and realistic and the location the simulation took place at (old abandoned prison) was something right out of Call of Duty. Now this year my friends at MILSIM (which is short for Military Simulation) have introduced something new called Desert Ops Tactical Paintball for the trigger happy people. Unlike the Tactical Military Simulation Games which require a lot of patience, skill, strategy and discipline, Desert Ops Tactical Paintball is a faster paced game that’s easier to get into right from the start.

The MILSIM Paintball is located in an area near Mutlaa. You can sign up and come as an individual or group. Price is KD15 for a full day of playing. A bag of 500 balls is for KD10 and can be shared amongst the players. You need to book in advance and you can do that from their website [Here]

They have another field opening up at Shaab Park in mid January. It’s going to be the first Milsim Airsoft and Milsim Tactical Paintball field in the region. Basically real life Call of Duty stuff and it’s going to be located right near my home so I can’t wait.

For the advanced players who are interested in the Tactical Military Simulation Games (pic above) which I took part in back in May, if you’re willing to take a 2 day training program at desert Ops to get familiar with the MILSIM game play and gear then you can also email them [Here]

I passed by the car exhibition tonight. I was expecting it to be really packed but surprisingly it wasn’t. The exhibit is divided into 4 halls, one is full of American cars, another European, a third was taken by Toyota and Lexus while the fourth was a mixture. The exhibition was ok, not too exciting but there were a few cars (and a bike) that grabbed my attention. My favorite has to be the Ford SVT Raptor (pictured above) but at KD20,000 I’m never going to own one. The Range Rover Evoque was on display surprisingly and priced very reasonably at KD17,000. Other interesting cars were the Aston Martin Cygnet, the Mini Countryman and the beautiful Confederate motorbike. There’s lots of parking space available and the entrance is free so it’s worth the visit. For more info on the exhibition click [Here]

GoNabit is an interesting website that’s been around for awhile now I guess but just recently included Kuwait. It’s a website where they have new offers all the time. Last week for example you could open up an Aramex Shop&Ship account for half price, today for example you can get a KD10 voucher to use at Diva’s for KD5 or you can pay KD10 and get a KD20 voucher to use at Saso Ocean Groove. They have limited quantity on these offers and once they run out they move over to the next offer. For each deal to work a minimum amount of people is required to sign up. For example for the Diva’s offer 10 people need to sign up for it at least. If 10 people sign up then the deal goes through and you get your voucher. If less than 10 people sign up then you get your money back and the offer is canceled. [Link]

Thanks Ghinoua

Update: I added more details on how GoNabit works

This is one of my favorite events that takes place in Kuwait so I definitely will be passing by. I hope they have some interesting cars this year like the Lexus LFA or the Land Rover Evoque.

The Kuwait International Fair Auto Show is one of the oldest automobile exhibitions in the Middle East. To this day, the Auto Show is growing remarkably and has positioned itself as one of the foremost automobile exhibitions in the Middle Eastern region. This must-attend event is held once every two years, and 2010 will see its appearance once again, providing a wealth of opportunities for exhibitors, sponsors and partner organizations.

When: December 12 to December 18, 2010
Where: Kuwait International Fair, Hall 5, 6, 7 & 8

For more information you can check out the KIF website [Here]

Just found this documentary about the KLT on their website. It’s really well made and interesting to watch (they’ve been around since 1948!). The documentary is divided into two parts, the first one is above and the second part if below. This is the description posted with the videos:

“From its humble beginnings as the KUOCO Independent Players in 1948 to its present day position as the leading amateur theater company in the region, Kuwait Little Theater (KLT) has undergone quite a transformation. Through archive footage, photos, interviews, and video clips dating back to the early days of The KLT, this documentary offers a fascinating stroll down memory lane of the busiest and best little theatre in Kuwait.

Join us on a journey back to times when sets were painted out in the 40 degree summer sun, theatrical lighting consisted of car headlamps, and staging a live performance in Kuwait meant closing down the local cinema for a night. Then, stroll through six decades of development as the Little Theatre is born and raised by a band of enthusiastic volunteers.

‘KLT – Celebrating 60 Years’ takes you on a journey, not only of the development of amateur theatre in Kuwait but also of the country at large as its members battle the climate, the culture and the aftermath of war to bring live entertainment to the stage year after year.”

Produced By – PANORAMA PICTURES (A division of Agrim Projects Services)
Script writer, Editor & Director – SONU SHARMA

Please write your reviews about this documentary to – [email protected]

Here is a link to the Kuwait Little Theater Documentary [Link]

I was at Dean & Deluca when I spotted the sign above and I could make out the word seedless underneath the sticker. I love seedless watermelons and always have them whenever I am in the States but never knew why we never got them in Kuwait. So I asked an employee there if they had any seedless watermelon and he told me they ran out but are getting some again in a couple of weeks. Finally seedless watermelons in Kuwait!

Oishi Nippon at Marina Crescent is opening today. Nat’s currently designing their menu and from what I saw they will have Japanese fruits, desserts and coffee and tea.

An interesting fact, I found out that in Japan fruits are sometimes given as gifts. I thought that was an interesting and healthy concept which I might pick up on since Oishi Nippon will be selling the Japanese fruits I had previous posted about. They even package them up as gifts for you.

Update: Nat just told me they opened up yesterday.

Update2: Sorry I mixed up in my post above. Turns out the place is called Kei Cafe and not Oishi Nippon. Oishi Nippon is the name of the fruit company.