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According to a news article on KUNA you will now be able to transfer your mobile number from one operator to another. The cost of the transfer is KD5 and the process should take around 24 hours. Here is the [Article]

Sheikh Majed Al-Sabah is planning on creating an 86,000-square-foot Exhibition Hall, scheduled to open in 2014 inside Kuwait City’s 360° Mall. Who is he getting to design the hall? The legendary Rem Koolhaas!

Like the glass cube that is Villa Moda, the new department store will consist of transparent facades, punctuated by circular cutouts to let in natural light. Unlike the average high-end mall, however, its design and programming will pay homage to its surroundings: Corridor-shaped shops reflect “the geometry of the Middle East,” WWD reported, with a special push towards spotlighting homegrown talents.

“We want to introduce the future Elie Saabs and Zuhair Murads,” Al-Sabah told the fashion industry paper. It’s a timely decision, in light of the Arab Spring uprisings. As a result of the region’s tumultuous political climate, there has been increased interest among denizens in local leisure activities and, consequently, local art as security concerns in cities like Beirut and Cairo have kept would-be travelers grounded.

Here is a link to the full article [Link]

Note: Dear Sheikh Majed, please let me know when Rem Koolhaas is in Kuwait so he can sign my S,M,L,XL book!

I’ve only been to Spain once and it was a couple of years ago on a work related trip. There are two things I still remember from my trip, the fantastic food and the unbelievably amazing Sangrias. Luckily for us both will be available really soon in Kuwait… and yes, even the Sangrias.

The new place that’s opening up is called Bubó. Bubó is a popular pastry store in Barcelona created by Catalan Pastry Chef Carles Mampel and he’s opening his first location outside Spain here in Kuwait. Carles is an award winning pastry chef with a number of achievements including “Best Master Pastry Chef in Spain in 1999” and winning the prize for the world´s best chocolate cake in 2005. In 2008 he was also incorporated into Relais Dessert. I had no idea what that was until today. It turns out Relais Dessert is like the Michelin Star of pastry chefs and it’s very difficult to earn and keep since they limit it to just 80 members around the world at any given time. In the Arab world for example there is only one Relais Dessert chef and it’s Lionel Pelle of Pâtisserie Cannelle in Beirut. In England there is only one and in the whole of the US there is also just one Relais Dessert chef. So Bubó will be the second store in the Arab world with a Relais Dessert so that’s pretty cool for us.

In addition to pastries the local Bubó will also serve over 20 different kind of tapas. Tapas are very popular in Spain and they’re basically appetizers, kinda like the Lebanese mezza. As I mentioned earlier they’re also going to have Sangarias… virgin Sangarias without any alcohol which should be interesting.

I sat with the local GM of Bubó as well as Carles Mampel and they really sold me on the whole concept which is why I can’t wait until they open next month. Carles explained to me how they have three important things they focus on with their food, health, quality of the food and presentation. Their food isn’t healthy as in diet kind of healthy but their food is healthy because it’s all made with natural ingredients. They do everything in house be it their mustard or the roasting of the hazelnuts. Carles is a control freak and the only way he can control the quality of his food is if he controls the ingredients as well.

The restaurant is located in Al-Ghunaim Tower in Kuwait City. It’s right opposite the parking entrance of Souk Al Watiya which is located behind Sheraton. When you first walk in the area on the right is similar to a casual lounge. It’s in case you just want to meet up with some friends, have coffee and dessert and just chill out. The middle section is made up of tables and chairs for dining be it lunch or dinner. Finally on the far left is where all the pastries will be displayed in jewelry like displays. The place looks pretty cool with a partly black angular ceiling which I think adds the most to the place design wise.

After sitting with Carles and understanding how he thinks and how he dissects ingredients and puts them together, I’ve realized to him the dishes are like an art and science. For example the Relais Dessert group of pastry chefs get together every year and they share new techniques they’ve each created. Carles for example created something called the Balsamic Caviar Vinegar. You can watch a video of how it’s made [Here]. It’s a different and more creative way of adding balsamic to dishes. They always have to innovate and set a certain bar or else they’re out of the Relais Dessert and someone else takes their place. I’ve heard a lot about how stressful a Michelin star is to a chef so I can only imagine how much stress these Relais Dessert members are under since theres only a limited amount of spots.

Price wise they’re still finalizing things but I was told they’ll be competitively priced. They gave me some price examples which I’m not sure I can share but lunch for example with friends would cost less than if you went out for sushi. The reason I’m using sushi as an example is because it’s the only other cuisine I can think of right now where you sit down and order a variety of dishes to share. Actually the Lebanese mezza is another one so their tapas will be priced somewhere between mezza and sushi dishes.

Left to right: Najla Yassin the GM, Jesus Arcas the executive chef and Carles Mampel

They’ve started tastings a few days ago and this is going to go on for another week or so until Carles thinks everything is up to par. I’m most likely going to pass by next week with Nat to try it out but will post another update later on once they officially open up. Should turn out to be pretty cool.

I was going to pass by Kout Way this weekend but Me Blogging beat me to the punch. Kout Way is a new restaurant located on Baghdad Street right next to DoDo and La Baguette. They’re sort of a fast food restaurant but specializing in Kuwaiti dishes like machboos and murabyan.

Me Blogging has some great pictures and a bit more info which you can check out [Here]

Gourmet Magazine have a feature article listing some of the best burgers from around the world and Kuwait made the list. The featured burger from Kuwait is the Kuwait City edition burger from Smashburger. I haven’t had Smashburger yet so I can’t vouch for them but I am curious to try it now. Here is the link to the full list [Link]

Thanks Nasser

The Future Shorts Festival is the biggest pop up film festival of its kind, showcasing the most exciting short films from around the world. As part of their world tour they’ll be making a stop in Kuwait next week at the Contemporary Art Platform.

Date: August 8th, 2012
Time: 9PM
Location: Contemporary Art Platform, Shuwaikh
Ticket: KD2

For more information on the Future Shorts Festival click [Here]

Grand Cinemas, the new theater company in Kuwait will be opening in Al Hamra Tower during Eid. The theater once open will have a total of 9 screens with one of them being a VIP theater which I’ve been told will rival those of Dubai.

Update: The launch has been postponed [Link]

The Olympics is going to start tomorrow and most of us will be at work or away from our TVs during the various sporting events. Luckily with the BBC app for the iPhone, Android and Blackberry’s, you will be able to watch the events from wherever you are.

There is one minor hurdle and that is the fact that streaming is only allowed if you live in the UK. But, there’s an easy fix. All you need is a VPN server based in the UK. This is similar to using a VPN to sign up to Spotify or Pandora except in this case we want BBC to think we live in the UK not US. So here is what you need:

UK Based VPN Server
I use StrongVPN and their $55 a year package includes both US and UK servers. I currently have mine set to the UK server so I can watch the Olympics on my phone. Here is a link to their [Website]

When you get to their website, click on packages, then on the bottom of that page click on “click here to see all our packages” and then choose their cheapest $55 a year package.

Once you’re done move over to the next step

Download the BBC Mobile Apps
Android
Apple iOS
BlackBerry

or

Watch Online
To watch online you need visit the BBC website [Here]

I’m currently on a 20Mbps connection and have a ping rate of around 124ms with the UK server and on my desktop I find the video a bit pixelated but this might improve once the Olympics officially starts tomorrow. On the phone it’s not noticeable. One thing to note with the iPhone app is you need to get it from the UK store so if you don’t have a UK Apple Store account you need to create one.

NBC Olympics Live Extra
US based NBC have an iPhone, iPad and Android application and will be offering live streaming for US residents. BUT, other than a US based VPN you would also need to have a cable, satellite or telco TV service package that includes CNBC and MSNBC.

The popular Kuwait guide iPhone app Urban Moon just got a major update yesterday. The biggest difference I’ve noticed is the speed of the app. My biggest complaint with their previous version is that once you launched the app you had to wait a few seconds for it to download the latest phone numbers. Now the downloads take place in the background so you can start using the app as soon as you launch it.

Another new feature is that the app will now contain reviews. Currently restaurants in the app have a generic description but they’ve already started writing reviews and soon they’ll be swapping out the generic descriptions with honest reviews of the restaurants. That I think could be interesting and maybe even more so if they allow people to submit their own reviews similar to the Yelp app.

You can check out the full list of improvements and features in the Apple Store [Here]

Trying to be Fahad is back and from now till Friday he’s going to be sharing various tips on how to surivive Ramadan with your health intact. He already started today with Pre-Futoor tips which you can read [Here]

I had to pass by and get my government health insurance renewed today and so I passed by the government’s health insurance center located behind Mubarak Hospital to get the paper work done. Once I walked in I was shocked at how many people were there all waiting in long lines. I’ve experience similar lines before for car registration and car ownership transfer but wasn’t expecting it today at this place which up until a few hours earlier I hadn’t heard of it before. I showed a security guard my papers and he told me I had to go to the top floor which I figured would have less people but turned out it was also packed.

But…

There were around 5 or 6 different windows each had a long line and then one window with KNET written on top that was empty. Under the word KNET was a small notice saying that there was an extra charge of KD4 for KNET transactions. I went to that window, handed my paperwork, paid the extra KD4 fee and walked out with all my paperwork completed in less than 5 minutes! Not only that but the guy asked me for photos which I forgot to bring so he took my civil ID card, scanned the photo from it and used it for my medical insurance card.

EVERY government related task in Kuwait should have a VIP line like this!

This is going to be a somewhat strange review since I have no idea what I ate or what ingredients made up my meal. I don’t even like vegetables but when I found out about the place from @basilalsalem’s Instagram, I decided to pass by and try it out.

Green Land is an Indian restaurant located in Souk Al Mubarkia. It looked pretty trendy based on Basil’s picture but my first impression got a bit tarnished since the table cloth on my table had food stains on it. Turns out they don’t change them after each customer but instead just brush off the dirt. That’s just gross.

I ordered a bunch of things for me and my brother, most of which were recommended by Basil and some by the waiter. Here is the whole list:

Masala Dosa KD0.900
This is pictured above, it looks like an oversized crepe but instead of it being filled with Nutella it’s filled with a potato mash of a sort and comes with Marak sauce on the side which is spicy and full of flavor.

Subzi Maharaja KD1.600
I believe this dish is the one pictured at the bottom of this post. No idea what’s exactly inside just that it’s a mixture of vegetables and topped with a bit of cheese. It kicked ass. Definitely worth going back for.

Dal Makhni KD1.250
I also have no idea what this dish was. It’s picture in the photo below (it’s the pot on the right). It was also great, my brother preferred the Subzi Maharaja but for me both are equally as good. If the Subzi Maharaja has one slight advantage it’s that it’s less saucy and so easier to eat with bread.

Poori KD0.300
Easily the best poori I’ve ever had. The order comes 8 in a basket each around the size of a CD. They aren’t very oily and are delicious.

Butter Nan KD0.400
Again the best butter nan I’ve ever had. The order comes 4 in a basket.

Phulkas (Chapathi) KD0.400 (for 2 orders)
Great but waited for the poori and nan to run out before ending with these.

Mango Juice KD1.250
They have a juice stand in the middle of the restaurant that makes fresh juice by order. I went with the Mango juice and it was great since the mangos used were ripe.

Water Melon Juice KD1.250
My brother ordered this and I tried it. Tastes exactly like you’re eating water melon so it’s very refreshing.

Small Water KD0.450 (for 3 orders)

———————

Bill Total: KD7.800

Although we started off on the wrong foot with a dirty table cloth, I have to say the food made up for it. As I said I don’t like vegetables but these dishes were so delicious that I realized I probably don’t like vegetables because I’ve been having them the wrong way. Kinda like how I grew up hating zucchini and then I tried it grilled a few months back and now love it. All the breads we had were great, even the dough of the crepe looking dish was delicious and kinda makes me want to go back with a jar of Nutella and ask them to spread it all over the inside. Price wise they’re on the affordable side with just the juices adding a bulk to our bill. The service was fast and the waiters friendly and helpful. Their menu is huge with no descriptions so you either have to know the dishes or get recommendations like I did. I had a good time and I’m definitely going back to try more stuff.

Green Land is located at the edge of Souk Al Mubarkia in Kuwait City in the block behind Shater Abbas Restaurant. If you ask around for Shater Abbas everyone knows it. They open from 8AM to 4PM and then again from 6PM to 11PM. Their phone number is 22424246 or 22424247

Update: Forgot to add an important point. They don’t accept Knet or credit cards so make sure you bring cash with you.

They’re aiming to reopen again in Arraya hopefully in time for Eid.

I have no idea how to begin this post honestly. In fact, in the back of my mind right now I’m going “don’t post about this place” over and over because I loved it so much and I don’t want to share it with anyone. But it’s because I loved it so much I really HAVE to post about it. Singarea is a small Korean Supermarket with a small cozy restaurant on the upper floor. It’s located in one of those plazas (plaza is actually too nice a word here) in dajeej surrounded by stores that sell cheap furniture and lights. By the looks of the place outside I was expecting it to be pretty dodgy on the inside but wow was I wrong.

When I first walked into the supermarket I was surprised at how clean and organized it was. Majority of their products are imported so there were many interesting things I hadn’t seen before. After I was done taking pictures and wandering around the aisles aimlessly I decided to go upstairs and check out the restaurant.

The plan was to snap a few shots, check out their menu and leave but once I saw how the restaurant looked like there was no way I could leave without having lunch. It just felt like I was no longer in Kuwait. The wooden roof, the dark tables combined with the green chairs and the decorative partitions all combined gave the interior a very calm cozy and foreign feeling. I decided to sit in a corner where I knew I’d have a good view of the interior and enough light to take my food shots. There was only one other table occupied by three asian business men so it was peacefully quiet. The waitress was extremely helpful and friendly. She gave me the menu and asked me if it was my first time there which I replied to yes. She started to help me out with the menu explaining how they had Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisine. My eyes quickly started checking out the things I knew like sweet and sour chicken but I resisted going with what I was comfortable with and instead asked the waitress to help me choose my dishes. Since I was in a Korean restaurant I wanted to try Korean dishes and asked her to recommend me some options. In the end I decided to go with the following (descriptions taken from the menu):

Starter
Deuk Bokki: Stewed rice cake with spicy Gochujang. Especially youngster’s favorite.
KD2.000

Main Course
Beef Bulgogi: Most favored Korean barbecue. Savory and succulent.
KD3.500

Dessert
Frappe: Fruits, sweet red bean paste and one of three flavors, strawberry, chocolate, blueberry syrup over shaved ice.
KD1.000

Drink
Red Vinegar Drink: Naturally brewed red vinegar from red Ginseng, pomegranate, Ume helps changing body into alkaline.
KD0.750

I forgot to mention that as soon as I sat down I was served corn tea (Oksusu cha) at room temperature. Never had that before and didn’t know you could make tea from corn. It tasted better than regular tea at room temperature.

My starter arrived a short while later and using my chopsticks I started to eat. The rice cakes were a bit spicy but full of flavor. I didn’t like the dish that much but I did appreciate all the flavors in it. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Korean food, I figured their flavors would be a bit safe like Thai food but it turned out to be more exciting like Chinese food which actually makes sense since they’re neighboring countries.The red vinegar drink was very refreshing and although I was expecting it to taste like vinegar it didn’t. It tasted more like a cocktail you’d have pool side and is a great summer drink. Because the rice cakes were spicy sipping the red vinegar helped cool things down. My second dish the Beef Bulgogi was ridiculously good and I mean I wiped the plate clean kinda good. It was sweet and the beef was very tender and oh I’m so going back just to have this dish again. Finally the desert arrived and although I’m not a fan of most fruits especially blueberry, I still wanted to try the dish just because I wanted to experience a Korean dessert. I expectedly didn’t like it but that was no surprise.

They have a huge menu and although I’m really tempted to order the Beef Bulgogi again on my next visit I’m going to try and not do that and instead try something else new. I generally eat the same thing all the time so it was very exciting to experience some new flavors. I really loved the place, the food, the ambiance, the service the whole experience was like nothing else in Kuwait. I can’t believe this place has been open for over 2 years and I just decided to pass by now.

Finding Singarea is a bit difficult but I’ve highlighted it on this [Map] If you can get to Sears then it’s easy. If Sears is on your left side, drive straight until you have the option to go straight or turn right and get onto the 6th Ring Road. From that point drive straight around 30 meters and you’ll find the plaza on the left. Singarea is inside that plaza. I recommend you park the car outside and walk in since during the daytime it’s incredible chaotic inside there. It’s a great place I highly recommend it.

Update: The supermarket has changed location. Check this post for details [Link]

Two days back I found out Ralph Lauren had a summer sale (50% off) taking place so I passed by today and picked up a few shirts. To my surprise it turns out I now wear size “small”. Thank you Fahad for that. If you’re interested, sale is on till July 10th. The classic polo shirts are not included in the sale.

Update: Forgot to add they’re also opening up a huge flagship store in Avenues Phase III.