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I’ve been working in the food industry for years now and I haven’t come across a concept similar to this. It literally breaks all the rules for what a restaurant should be.

The owner, Abdullah AlJarallah, comes from a financial background. By day, he manages investment deals and entrepreneurship, but his true passion is actually pizza.

Jars Pizza isn’t a traditional business; it’s a creative space where Abdullah explores the art of pizza making, experiments with techniques, and shares the journey with his small but growing community. He bakes the pizzas himself but doesn’t bake or sell every day, nor does he have a fixed menu. He isn’t even on the delivery platforms and he doesn’t have a store front. Instead, when he plans to make pizzas, he informs his followers about the type of pizza available that day and when. He involves them in the process, from making the dough to baking the pizza. Customers then pick up their orders from the commercial kitchen he operates out of. No delivery since he wants you to taste the pizza fresh.

His focus isn’t on sales, it’s on craftsmanship, fermentation, and the joy of sharing great pizza with those who appreciate it.

The concept began with his deep love for the process and the science of dough fermentation. What started as a personal pursuit evolved into something he wanted to share. His goal is to build a community that appreciates pizza—not just as food, but as an experience. Whether you want to learn, watch, or simply enjoy a well-made slice, Jars Pizza is about bringing people together over something simple yet beautiful.

I’m personally following his account so I can wait for his next drop. If you’re curious to see what it’s all about, you can follow him too at @jarspizza.

Paparazzi is a new Italian restaurant located near the fountain area outside Salhiya. I actually hadn’t been to that area for quite some time so I wasn’t aware that the fountain had actually been removed. I used to visit that corner of Salhiya a lot because of the Lebanese restaurant Leila and Johnny Rockets, but they’re both gone now with both locations taken over by Paparazzi.

When you first enter Paparazzi you’ll walk into their cafe area, a small cozy space with a cocktail bar, a small lounge composed of vintage furniture, around 8 tables with a long bench seating and a mirror above with framed celebrity photos. Paparazzi was designed to feel like an Italian restaurant in Europe that has been around for a long time and frequented by various celebrities over the decades. It worked because that’s exactly the vibe I got.

Walking past the cafe area and through the brown velvet curtains you enter the main restaurant floor, a surprisingly large area that still managed to feel warm and comfortable. I fell in love with it right away especially with all the brown tones. My winter wardrobe has mostly been shades of brown this year and so I blended in perfectly with the interior and furniture. I loved all the interior colors including their kitchen which has mustard yellow cabinets and dark green tiled walls, and the private room which used a shade of a light desaturated blue. It’s all very mid-century.

Paparazzi also has an outdoor terrace with built-in floor vents for AC cooling during the summer. I’m surprised more places haven’t adopted this since it makes the outdoor areas a lot more bearable in the summer months.

I didn’t get to try the food, I will in the next couple of days, but I did get a copy of the menu. Looking at it now, it has a small pizza section, both dry and fresh pastas, mains like steaks, chicken, and seafood, plus a variety of starters, four different carpaccios, salads, and sides. It’s a pretty substantial menu, so I’m looking forward to trying it.

Paparazzi opens tonight and, for now, will only be open for dinner from 7PM. To reserve, click the reserve button on their instagram account @paparazzi.kw

A few weeks ago, I shared photos of old Kuwait taken by Ghazi Sultan (1941–2007), a Kuwaiti architect and urban planner. Ghazi was regarded as one of the key figures in Kuwait’s modernization and is best known for the waterfront project, including Green Island.

Since that post got so much engagement, I was granted access to his full archive and I will be publishing posts in collaboration with @ghazihamadsultan whenever I come across something interesting. I already have a few posts lined up, starting with these photos taken by Ghazi Sultan of Kuwaiti homes in the 1960s, many of which were either under construction or newly completed.

To check out all the photos from his archive, click here.
To find out more about Ghazi Sultan, visit ghazisultan.com

According to my TikTok feed which has become pretty weird recently, making charms is a really popular new trend. This fun activity that has recently gained popularity abroad has now popped up in Kuwait.

For those unfamiliar with charm making, it’s a creative process where you design and assemble personalized jewelry pieces like bracelets, necklaces, or keychains.

Charm Studio is a local small business that started back in October by Fajer Al Owaish who wanted to re-create this existing concept here in Kuwait. Back in high school she used to make charms and jewelry using beads and other accessories, and then sell them to classmates as a side hustle. It’s something she’s always been passionate about, which is why she was able to turn it into a success so quickly.

If you’re looking for something fun to do, she has a few workshops coming up, including one this weekend at the trendy sneaker shop @solelabkw. You can check out her Instagram for more details @charmstudiokw

Yesterday I started receiving forwards to my @248am account from followers. They were sending me a video created by four content creators (@bukhaleefa,@oalthuwaini,@bo6aleb,@dr_m_alkandari) who had essentially taken my post about the story of Haydo, translated it to Arabic, and then used it as a script for their video on the same subject. It’s basically a word for word copy of my post with no mention of where they got their script from. They even used the exact same footage I had dug out for my post.

The four content creators combined have a total of over 4 million followers so I’m assuming they’re popular although I only recognize one of them. Based on their names I think two of them are doctors? I don’t know, but it’s just so weird that “content creators” seem to think it’s ok to copy someones work and not even credit them. It’s what I posted about recently, we live in a society where copying other peoples work is normalized. I remember watching a video a few months back where a “content creator” was responding to accusations that he was copying other peoples videos by saying its normal to copy and everyone does it. No it’s not normal.

The Haydo story isn’t mine to own obviously, it’s a historical event. But, the story they chose to share is mine. It’s my post, I did the research, I wrote and put the article together picking what I thought were the most important details to share. I edited the article so that it was fun and interesting to read, and then I spent two days looking for videos and photos that I thought were the best to go with it. So to have 4 established “content creators” to just translate my post and turn it into their script two days later because they ran out of their own creative ideas is frustrating.

Anyone that copies my content I usually report straight to Instagram. Sometimes I contact the person directly and ask them to remove the post, other times I just head straight to Instagram. Although Instagram are a bit slow, so far every time they’ve removed the infringing post and given a strike to the person that copied it. I think once they get two strikes they get some restrictions. I’ve already reported their post, but in this case I feel Instagram won’t be able to do anything since their post is in spoken Arabic while my post is written and in English. So it will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Actually, as I wrote the last sentence, I realized a much simpler way for instgram to realize they’ve copied my post. Without going into too much details for now, they essentially used something they could have only gotten from me. So I just submitted a second complaint to Instagram so that way in case the first one doesn’t work, the second one should.

I’ll post an update once I hear back from Instagram.

Frank’s, the go-to spot for authentic Philly Cheesesteaks, has just raised the bar with an exciting new menu item, the Frank’s Philly Burger. Known for their bold flavors and quality ingredients, they’ve managed to combine two all-time favorites into one irresistible creation. Imagine their iconic Cheesesteak, loaded with tender beef and melty cheese, now paired with a juicy Angus beef patty.

This game-changing combo delivers the best of both worlds in every bite. Whether you’re a Cheesesteak purist or a burger enthusiast, the Frank’s Philly Burger promises to satisfy your cravings and leave you coming back for more.

If you want to try it out, Frank’s is available on all major delivery platforms. Check them out @tryfranks

UR Cookies first opened back in 2020—just a small spot, nothing fancy, it was primarily a pick-up and delivery location. But, they had a solid, satisfying cookie that wasn’t too big, not too sweet, and always fresh. They had a straightforward approach which I appreciated.

Recently, they opened a second, much larger location at The Avenues. The new spot offers plenty of seating, a cool trendy interior, and it’s much easier to visit (for me) since I’m at The Avenues once a week, usually more. Despite the bigger space and the busier setting, they haven’t lost the simple vibe, it still feels like a cookie place, not a cookie factory.

With the opening of their new spot, they also launched a must-try item called ‘UR Scoop,’ which I’d been seeing all over my TikTok feed. It’s a warm, thick, and gooey cookie dough scooped into a cup and topped with creamy vanilla soft serve. When I saw it on TikTok, I knew I had to try it when I’d pass by to take pictures for this post. It’s as amazing as it sounds, and I’m already looking forward to having it again this Friday when I’m back at The Avenues. It’s definitely worth the hype.

UR Cookies is located in The Avenues Phase 4, in the food court below Vox Cinemas. Their viral item ‘UR Scoop’ is exclusively available at this location and not available for delivery. The new location also has cold and hot drinks including milkshakes and specialty coffee. Swipe left to see the pictures I took and then head over to their account @ur.cookies.kw

From all the issues in Kuwait, this is one they felt needed fixing? This was a pretty iconic mural, yes it was old, and the paint had faded, but that’s because it was painted over three decades ago. The mural had a purpose, and it meant something. Now it’s just a painting of a flag on a side of an old building.

Yesterday, the Environment Public Authority reopened the Jahra Nature Reserve to the public for the winter season. The reserve is considered to be the first eco-tourism project in Kuwait with the aim of increasing environmental awareness and appreciating the landscape.

Since it’s a reserve, visits are guided, and you’ll only have access to selected areas, with no wandering off on your own.The reserve has three observation outposts, and you’ll need to select one when booking your visit. Each visit is limited to an hour and a half.

The cost of visiting the reserve is KD10 for a group of up to 5 people, and increases the larger your group is. If you’re interested in visiting the nature reserve, you can book through the Sahel App, or through the EPA website.

If you have an iPhone, this is a very cool way to track the US elections live. Just open your News app and you’ll see a banner about the elections with a “follow live” icon on the top right. Just click it.

On my iPhone 15 Pro the activity island will show me live results and when the screen is locked I have a similar widget showing. Very nifty.

via AppleInsider

Years ago I found photos of Kuwait from 1980. I didn’t share all of them back then, but I just found the folder on my computer this morning and picked a bunch taken by The Architects Collaborative while they were in Kuwait back then.

When we look at old photos of Kuwait, we often see only beautiful shots which gives the inaccurate impression that everything was perfect back then. Which is why I like these unpolished photos of Kuwait which shows the beautiful old buildings starting to fall apart.

It feels like the architects captured a period when Kuwait was transitioning from old to new once again. Check them all out in hi-res here.

Patti & More has been around long before smashed burgers became a TikTok trend, and they’ve now launched a new burger that pokes fun at the whole truffle burger craze.

The new burger is funnily enough called ‘Not Truffle’, and it’s their new limited release burger featuring their exclusive home-made sweet and tangy sauce. What else is inside? You’re going to have to discover it for yourself (although the pictures might spoil the surprise).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Patti (@pattiandmore)

The new ‘Not Truffle Burger’ is available via delivery, pick-up & V-thru. Check them out @pattiandmore

Not sure how many people remember this, but the Italian restaurant Lorenzo was originally located on the corner opposite Sheraton Hotel in a now-demolished building in Kuwait City. I didn’t know much about the place back then, but I always noticed the cool cars parked outside—red and yellow Ferrari 355s, or a purple Lamborghini Diablo. It definitely intrigued me.

Eventually, in the mid-2000s, a friend invited me to lunch there, and it was my first time seeing the place from the inside. I remember it felt very fancy, and I felt out of place. It was also my first time trying their famous chocolate cheesecake. That location closed when the building was set to be demolished, so they relocated across the street from Salhiya.

Lorenzo originally opened in 1993 under a different name—’Salumaio di Montenapoleone.’ In 1997, the name was changed to Lorenzo. Both the first and second locations were designed by American architect Richard Davidson from Alamosa Design. However, my favorite Lorenzo was in Al Khalid Complex, designed by Atelier Aziz Alqatami.

In 2019, Lorenzo finally closed after 23 years in business.

I had a tough time finding photos of the original Lorenzo, but eventually, I reached out to the family that owned it, and they graciously searched for and shared what they had. The photo of the Salhiya location is from the Almosa Design website, while the Al Khalid Complex location photos are from Aziz Alqatami’s website. To check out all the photos, click here.

Video is in Arabic but shows you the step by step guide on how to do it. They don’t seem to mention how to get a printed copy of the registration though, only that once you update it you can then refresh the registration in your Kuwait Mobile ID app and it will be updated there. YouTube

If you’ve renewed your car this way, I’d be interested to hear about the experience or if you ran into any issues.

WK is a popular local burger concept, known for their viral ads as much as for their delicious burgers.

They’re always trying to up their game which is why they just launched their new cheeseburger priced at just 649 fils while still managing to retain their high-quality ingredients. If you love the cheeseburgers of the other brand which can’t be mentioned, then you’re going to love these because they taste pretty much the same, cost 1 fils less, and have the advantage of being local.

WK is available for delivery on all the popular platforms, but the cheeseburger is only available for pick-up. However, WK has multiple locations across Kuwait, including:

Ardiya
Fahaheel
Jahra
Khiran
Sabah Alsalem

So check them out at @wkwk.965