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If you’re looking for a new place to try this weekend, HACHI is a new Japanese restaurant that is opening in Shuwaikh tomorrow (Friday, August 9th).

Their menu revolves around the concept of fusion, blending different culinary traditions together. This approach allows them to create innovative dishes that are uniquely their own.

Initially, they will be open evenings only, from 5 PM to 11 PM. They’re located on the same street as Mayar Complex, and you can find them on Google Maps. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended. To book, you can call them on 50050133.

If you want to check out their menu, they have photos up on their account @hachi.kwt

Jasem Alsanea is a Kuwaiti multidisciplinary artist who caught my attention with his incredible hyper-surrealistic installations inspired by Kuwaiti culture. The two sculptures I’ve shared above are titled ‘Dana in the Desert’ and ‘Bū-Daryā’.

‘Dana in the Desert’ depicts an old lady and draws upon the Kuwaiti mythology of Hmarat Al-Gaylah, addressing the aftermath of the Gulf War and the landmines left in the Kuwaiti desert. The second installation, inspired by Khaleeji mythology, portrays the water djinn Bū-Daryā, who roams the Arabian Gulf Sea. Through this artwork, Jasem explores the connections between Kuwait’s historical pearl diving economy and its current oil production economy, while also reflecting on the 1991 Iraqi invasion’s oil spill into the Kuwaiti sea.

Since childhood, Jasem has had an extremely vivid imagination that he wanted to bring to life. He began his artistic journey with performance and special effects makeup, then moved on to painting and mixed media before enrolling in the sculpture program at the Rhode Island School of Design. Today, Jasem uses sculpture, film, and virtual reality to bring his imagination into the real world.

His installations have only been exhibited in the United States so far, as he was studying and living there. However, Jasem plans to return to Kuwait this autumn, where he hopes to exhibit his work. In the meantime, if you’d like to see more of his work, including behind-the-scenes photos, check out his Instagram @jasemalsanea

When my friend and I used to play tennis, we had trouble finding courts that were available without requiring a membership. When we did find courts, they were all outdoors, making it difficult to play during the hot summer months. It’s been years since we last played, but after seeing photos of the new tennis court at The Space Arena, we might have to dig out our old rackets again.

The Space Arena in Shuwaikh recently converted an abandoned laundromat into a stunning tennis court. It might also be the only indoor tennis court in Kuwait that you can book without needing a club membership. The court features air conditioning, guest seating, high ceilings, and access to changing rooms, washrooms, and showers for both men and women.

It costs 25KD to book the court for an hour, so 12.5KD per person, or 6.25KD if you’re playing doubles. You can book through the Padel Mates app or by contacting them on 96760802. The Space Arena is located behind Shuwaikh Market and is open from 9AM to midnight. @thespacearena

Sinjeon Topokki, a popular restaurant chain in Seoul known for its Korean street food is opening in Kuwait today (August 1st).

Sinjeon Topokki began in 1999 as a small, humble food stand in South Korea. Since then, it has grown into a global phenomenon with over 700 branches worldwide, and the Kuwait location will be their first in the Middle East.

Although we have quite a few Korean restaurants in Kuwait already, what will set Sinjeon apart is the topokki. If you’ve never had it before, they’re small cylinder-shaped rice noodles which I like to describe as the Korean version of gnocchi (Don’t unfollow me for this!). They’ll have 4 different bases (sauces) for you to pick from, and you can also choose to add different veggies and proteins to it. In addition to topokki they do have traditional Korean dishes on the menu including bibimbap, noodles, and curries.

Sinjeon is located in the industrial part of Shuwaikh, right next to Eat Softie, and in the same complex as Haraka Center (Google Maps). Their opening hours are from 2PM to 10PM and to book WhatsApp them on +965 41040604 or through the WhatsApp button on their Instagram account @sinjeon_kw

Four years ago I posted about the Burgan Blowout, an incident that took place back in 1964 and is now long forgotten. The Burgan Blowout was the largest oil well fire in Kuwait before the 1990 invasion. It took six weeks to extinguish and for that short period of time, was the biggest touristic attraction in Kuwait. Since I originally posted about the event I’ve now come across a lot more photos so I’m reposting the story again with a bit more details as well as the new photos.

The explosion took place at Burgan oil well No. 331 on December 29th, 1964. The gas was ignited by a spark as a worker tried to control a sudden upsurge of mud. Once work started on putting out the fire, it became the biggest tourist attraction in Kuwait. So, a plan was put into place to let the public come and see it, but in a controlled manner, so that it was safe and so that no one got in the way.

Once you got to Burgan you followed in a convoy to a designated parking area a safe distance from the fire. You’d then would walk the remaining way towards the viewing grandstands that were set up for the public. According to a reader (John Beresford) who was 10 years old at the time, as they drove towards the oil well, they could hear a moan that kept getting louder and louder. The force of the gas coming up was so powerful it was causing the ground to vibrate, and this was from quite a distance from the well. It was winter but the heat coming off the fire was so strong that the climate was getting warmer as they walked towards the viewing area. The sound was also getting louder to the point where they had to speak more loudly, almost shouting at each other. By the time they reached the viewing area the temperature had increased to a level that was unpleasant causing the skin facing the flames to get quite warm.

A couple of days after the fire started the famous American oil well firefighter Red Adair was called in to help. Adair became notable internationally as an innovator in the specialized and hazardous profession of extinguishing oil well blowouts. Amazingly, at the age of 75, Adair was called again 26 years later to help extinguish the 1991 oil well fires set by retreating Iraqi troops after the Gulf War.

The first image is from the @trmkuwait family archive, the second was taken by the John’s parents, and the remaining black and white photos were provided by @badshaiji

Interesting tidbit, the photo above is of Red Adair (left) and his fellow fire fighter lieutenant Coots Matthews (right). Coots formed his own competing company in 1978 called Boots & Coots. Combined, Red Adair Co. and Boots & Coots were responsible for extinguishing more than a third of the 700 oil well fires set by the retreating Iraqi soldiers in the Gulf War.

This is a collab I didn’t know I needed in my life. I was at The Avenues and noticed that Lush have a new line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles soaps from bath bombs to shampoo bars and they look like a lot of fun. They also had a weird soft and icky feeling Krang shower jelly which I think was my favorite item followed by the pizza slices bath bombs.

Kuwait is currently oversaturated with burger spots but that wasn’t always the case. Back in 1969, when Wimpy opened in Kuwait, there weren’t any other burger brands.

Wimpy was a US burger franchise that first opened in 1934 with the name inspired by the burger loving character, Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons. In 1957, Wimpy International was created, and in 1969, Kuwait Food Company (Americana) brought the Wimpy franchise to Kuwait.

The first Wimpy location in Kuwait was in Salmiya which I’ve shared the pictures above. The other location I have shared is the Ahmadi Market location below.

Wimpy claim to have served the first ever cheeseburger to Arabia. I know from people who used to go to Hubara Club in Ahmadi in the 60s that they had a burger on their menu. But, that wasn’t really open to the general public. So, it would be safe to say, that Wimpy, at least helped introduce the burger to the mainstream population of Kuwait.

Boutiqaat, the largest online fashion and cosmetics platform in the region just launched a very cool campaign where you could win one of three Hermes bags.

Every 30KD spent on their website enters you into the special draw for a chance to win a bag. So for example, if you spend 100KD you get three entries for the draw. The more you spend the more chances you get. What’s funny is that you probably have a higher chance of winning a Hermes bag with Boutiqaat than trying to buy one from a Hermes store. These bags are incredibly hard to come by!

This campaign is applicable across the Gulf as well as Iraq and for both men and women. For more info and to stay posted on future campaigns, follow @boutiqaat or shop by visiting Boutiqaat.com

I’m a very routine-oriented person, and one of the things I like to do is head to The Avenues every Friday morning, at least in the hot months when I can’t be outdoors. I just find it relaxing to walk around and shop, and before it gets busy, I have an early lunch and then leave. My go-to place for lunch is usually Em Sherif Café or Midar; but recently, I’ve added Matbakhi to the list.

Matbakhi is an authentic Palestinian restaurant that has been open for a couple of months. It’s owned by Chef Sawsan (@sawsansmatbakhi) and is inspired by her heritage and her mother’s recipes. I think I’ve been there six or seven times already, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite spots.

I think they have one of the best, if not the best, tabbouleh and shish taouk in Kuwait. The reason I first went there was because of their shish taouk. A friend at work who knows that’s all I ever eat tried their taouk and told me I had to try it because it was the best one she’d ever had, and she was right. Matbakhi is also one of those places where you can’t really go wrong no matter what you order. Every time I’ve been there with various people, everyone has always loved whatever they’ve ordered. Oh, and they also have the best Om Ali ever—seriously, so good.

Their prices are in the mid-to-upper range of Lebanese restaurants. The taouk, for example, is 4.950 KD, while the tabbouleh is 2.950 KD. The only negative aspect might be their service, which can be a bit iffy sometimes, but that’s just nitpicking. If you want to try the place out, they’re located across from Cheesecake Factory in Phase 3. They’re always pretty busy, so either head there when they first open at 12 PM (which is what I do), or put your name on the waiting list and then kill time walking around The Avenues. Their Instagram account is @matbakhibysawsan

Philippe is a New York-based high-end Chinese restaurant by Executive Chef Philippe Chow. They are opening their first location outside the US at JACC this coming Thursday, June 6th.

The restaurant is known for its sophisticated dining experience, and its New York location is a popular destination for celebrities and food enthusiasts. The cuisine is considered modern Beijing-style, and they are especially famous for their Peking duck and satays.

The reservation link is on their Instagram page, but there doesn’t seem to be any dates available. You could try your luck as a walk-in without a reservation since most restaurants in Kuwait tend to have a no-show rate of around 20-30%. @philippechow.kw

Nando’s are opening their new location at the Marina Mall sea side extension, Marina Crescent this coming Thursday, June 6th. Although I really enjoyed the food at The Warehouse location, it was just too far for me to want to drive there just for Nando’s. The Marina location makes a lot more sense for me so I’ll be there pretty much all the time.

If you haven’t gotten your biometric scanning done yet and can’t find an appointment, here is a tip, if you’re traveling soon do it on the way out.

I got my biometrics done last year at the Saudi/Kuwait border but my wife hadn’t done hers yet and was worried we’d have to get stuck in line on the way back to get it done. But, a friend who recently traveled from Terminal 1 told me she got her biometric scan done after passport control on the way out, and she didn’t have to wait. So this morning while leaving from Terminal 4 we asked passport control if my wife could get her biometrics done and he pointed towards a blue booth in the corner. We went to it, no line, no appointment and no waiting. She got her biometrics scanned and now she’s done with it.

If you try getting your biometrics scanned on arrival, good luck cuz I’ve heard the lines are a nightmare.

Ten years ago, Kuwait held the largest sand sculpture festival in the world, the Remal International Festival (@remalfest). The festival took place at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds and covered an area equivalent to six football fields. Now a decade later, Damon Langlois, the creative director behind the project is releasing a book called “Stories in Sand” that documents his experience.

Damon was a five-time world champion and Guinness World Record holder for the tallest sand castle before getting hired to come to Kuwait and lead the project that would be based around the Arabian Nights. He spent over seven months researching and designing the scenes before bringing together 72 of the world’s best sand artists to reimagine the stories from 1001 Nights.

The sculpture park was constructed out of only sand and water, it was a major artistic feat, and extremely risky. The artists were all reminded of this when the park was destroyed by a devastating three-day storm halfway through the build. At the time, it was the worst storm to hit Kuwait in over 50 years.

I remember reading that “some” sculptures had been damaged, but now I realized how bad it really was. The destruction caused Damon and his team to feel defeated after all the hard work had been washed away. But, they were able to recover and complete the project, and the park eventually opened in January 2014 before closing 4 months later in April.

Damon’s book “Stories in Sand”, is part art and part storybook. The initial print run is set at only 260 books and contains 276 pages filled with behind the scenes and final creation photos and stories. There are limited copies of the book so if you want one you need to act fast. I’m assuming they will get sold out quickly after this post which is why I already ordered my copy. The book doesn’t ship to Kuwait directly so I had to put my Shop&Ship address instead.

If you want to pre-order a copy, here is the link to the Kickstarter.

For my old posts on the Remal Festival, click here.

Last week a video popped up on my feed that I thought was fascinating. A guy called Hamad AlMuzaini (@hamad.muzaini) had spotted a little piece of architecture history at a scrap yard in Amghara, the Maison Bulle (Bubble House) by French modernist architect, Jean-Benjamin Maneval.

The Bubble House which was conceived in 1963 is considered to be one of the most successful designs for “futuristic plastic houses“. Only 300 of these prefab homes were ever built and so it’s pretty incredible that not only did one end up in Kuwait, but the fact that it survived and is in fairly decent condition is a miracle.

Hamad is an architect and designer who lived and worked in the US for roughly 13 years. Most of his work experience revolved around modular and prefabricated construction, which is why when he spotted the Bubble House roughly two years ago, he immediately recognized that it was a novel system and had immense value. But, Hamad only realized recently what he had spotted when an account he follows posted a similar Bubble House. So Hamad went back to Amghara and called the number of the scrapyard asking if it was for sale. From there he purchased the house and started planning its relocation.

Most of the images online consistently depicted the Bubble House set against nature, making a really beautiful composition of something quite futuristic. So he decided to move the Bubble House out of the scrap yard and onto his family’s farm.

Currently Hamad is focusing his efforts on restoring the structure without permanent and damaging procedures. He wants to restore it as close to the original as possible but without an interior layout, leaving it as an open floor plan. He hopes to one day host events with some community engagement surrounding the Maison Bulle, but for now his focus is to restore it.

How the Bubble House ended up in Kuwait in the first place is still a mystery, but at least it’s in good hands right now.

There are a lot of great Thai restaurants in Kuwait but my favorite by far has to be Phet Phet. I think they have the best Pad Thai and Panang Curry in Kuwait, but I also really love their Spicy Potato Noodles. They have been delivery only since they launched a few years ago, but today they’re opening their first dine-in location.

Phet Phet was started by two female friends who used to go to Thailand a lot. When covid hit, they missed Thailand and the food they used to have there, and since delivery wasn’t available at one point, they decided to make their own recipes and cook their own food. Eventually, they decided to open up a restaurant and called it Phet Phet.

Their new location is located in Salmiya, on the same street as %Arabica and Joe and the Juice. It’s a very cute space and so close to where I live which is great for me. They’re open from 3PM to 11PM daily except for Sundays when they close. Here is the location on Google Maps, and their instagram account is @phetphetkw