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I noticed a ton of new places opened up at the Avenues food court, most of which I hadn’t heard of before, here are their names:

IZ Juice
Shanghai Express
Dondurma
Dippin’ Dots
Santoor
Rice
Sawah
Nolita Pizza
Meias

I think thats pretty cool, finally we have some new fast food places…

A friend just told me that there is a KD35 burger at Burgan Bank’s Chairman Club. Can anyone confirm that?

Just saw this on CNN, a Kite Surfer in Florida got swept away and got thrown into a building and it was all caught on video. [YouTube]

Update: Fixed the video

Houston we have a problem! When I first started this burger challenge I thought it was going to be a pretty easy task but now that I am approaching the end I’ve realized I am going to have a difficult situation on my hands.. who to crown the winner. Originally at the start of the challenge I anticipated either Fuddruckers or Burger Boutique would win but as it stands both of them are out of the picture and its Burger Hub and Slider Station that are currently rated the highest. So I had my hopes in the Gaucho Grill burger to make my decision easier and it didn’t.

I’ve only been to Gaucho Grill during the evening but for the burger challenge I’ve been trying to have the burgers during the day so that I could have decent pictures to attach to the reviews. Gaucho Grill during the day is a completely different experience, its quieter, emptier and of course much more brighter. There was only another table occupied so finding a place near the window wasn’t a problem.

Once I got the menu I flipped through it till I got to the burger section and decided I would order the Gaucho Burger with Roasted Mushrooms and Cheese (medium well). I ordered a side order of baked potato but no appetizers since I have yet to try any appetizer at Gaucho Grill that I liked. The burger arrived soon after and my first impression was whats up with the bread? The bread didn’t look very appetizing and actually looked a bit burnt so that put me off. But, once I took a bite I realized the bread in fact wasn’t as bad as it looked and the beef patty was actually really good. The burger was very juicy and the thickness of the patty was perfect. The burger came with lettuce, tomatoes etc.. on the side and thats where I kept them because the burger really didn’t need them. The bread although as you can see in the picture was slightly burnt on the edges really didn’t bother me much and it was crunchy or anything of the sort. I do think though that if they had used a better kind of bread this burger could have been the winner.

While thinking of what to score this burger I considered the fact if I’ve been too hard with my ratings. I tried some incredible burgers and so far the highest score has been a 4 out of 5. I was actually starting to believe that I’ve been too hard until I realized there was one burger I had that I would have given a 4.5 but that burger isn’t in Kuwait sadly. While I was in Jordan back in April I had the most amazing burger at the Four Seasons hotel. I think it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. I truthfully don’t think I could give a burger a perfect 5 out of 5 but at least I know I could give a 4.5 rating if needed be. The Gaucho Burger although a great burger was let down by the bread and if it wasn’t for that I do think it could have gotten a higher score. The final score is another 4 out of 5. There are only two or three more places I still need to try out so there is still hope that a burger in Kuwait will get higher than a 4.

Gaucho Grill is located at The Palms
The cost of the Gaucho Burger with Roasted Mushrooms
and Cheese is KD6.750

I just found a post in the coolq8y forum that contains vintage pictures of the Kuwaiti police force. Click the link for more pictures. [Link]

If I hadn’t taken this picture myself I would have definitely thought it was a fake because no way on earth would I have ever imagined that someone would call a juice shop “Love Life Boost”. The place is located in the Marina Mall food court.

Don’t recognize the school but it seems like a regular occurrence in this class. Someone is going to get in trouble now… [YouTube]

I am not sure if I should try the KD55 burger next week while I am in Thailand so I decided I will let you guys decide for me. The Trilogy Burger at Trader Vic’s in Bangkok costs KD55 ($200) because of the very expensive ingredients. If you guys vote that I should try the burger then I will do it, take pictures of it and post my feedback on this blog. Since I’ve already gone through most of the best burgers in Kuwait as part of my Best Burger in Kuwait Challenge then I think it would be interesting to see how the Trilogy Burger will compare. If you guys think its a stupid idea and not worth it then you can vote a no.

[poll id=”2″]

Update: Some readers suggested it would be better not to waste money on this burger and to feed the needy instead. So what I’ve decided to do is also donate $200 to the World Food Programme. That way if the result is YES to having the burger I won’t have to feel guilty. $200 will be enough to feed 133 children for a week. You can also help by donating to the WFP. [Donate Now]

I am going to be in Thailand next week for work and there isn’t much I am looking forward to except for this burger I read about once that costs like KD50. Someone had a posted a link to it under my Slider Station burger review and ever since then I’ve been wanting to try it. So I was just checking online to see what place that burger was available in and to my surprise it turned out this special burger was being served at Trader Vic’s which is located in MY HOTEL! From all places in Bangkok that I could have stayed in I ended up staying at the exact same hotel where one of the most expensive burgers in the world is served. If that’s not a sign I don’t know what is.

Why is the burger so expensive? Well here is a run down of its ingredients:

Matsusaka beef (KD52 per KG)
Morel Mushroom (KD107 per KG)
Black Truffle (KD70 per KG)
Foie Gras (KD15 per KG)
Gold Leaf (KD2)

Only thing I am worried about is that I am a fast eater so paying KD50 for a burger I am going to gulp down in 5 minutes is a bit too much. Maybe this week I should start training myself to eat slower… [Link]

Update: I just called the hotel, the burger now costs around KD55. I guess even this burger is effected by inflation. I was also told I need to book the burger ahead of time which makes sense.

Yesterday I passed by Ruby Tuesday to try their burger after some friends had recommended I try it. First off I have to say that I don’t like Ruby Tuesday. I’ve maybe had a good experience there only once and I hadn’t been to the place for maybe a year or more. The place hasn’t changed much since then, the menu has been updated and it seems they make better burgers now.

When I got the menu I knew what I was going to order, the Triple Prime Cheddar Burger which consists of a “blend” of certified Angus beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and garlic mayonnaise sauce. It comes with fries usually but I told them to swap it for baked potato which they had no problem with.

Since I was there early the place was empty so my burger arrived quickly. At first glance the burger looked pretty good but I quickly found out that the bread was a problem but I will get to that in just a second. The beef patty itself was tasty although I originally found the “blend” word a bit iffy. Its like the fast food place Great Steak and Potato Company who have a large sign that proudly says their burgers are 98% pure beef. Its like o…k.. and whats the other 2% exactly? So that aside lets move on to the biggest problem in this burger, the bun. It looked more like a croissant than a bun which is ok but it was falling apart in my hands and I also found it too thin. That combination resulted in a very messy burger to eat, not good!

Overall though it was a good burger, I wouldn’t mind going back to Ruby Tuesday just for the Triple Prime. The patty had good flavor and the garlic mayonnaise went well with it but their bun left a lot to be desired. Thats why the final score is a 3 out of 5. You have the bun and you have the patty, its simple yet many places can’t seem to get it right.

Ruby Tuesday is located on th Gulf Road, Salmiya and Abu Halifa.
The cost of the Triple Prime Cheddar Burger was KD2.950

Update: I went back to Ruby Tuesday a few days ago and ordered the same burger, this time it was horrible. Presentation wise, taste wise, everything was just terrible. New score is a 1.5 out of 5.

If I had a garden I would definitely get a couple of these sculptures. [Link]

Anyone who’s played a Mario game should recognize this immediately. The recipe is after the jump. [Link]

My favorite person to go out eating with is Choowy Goowy guy since we both have similar tastes in food and all his recommendations usually leave me with a happy stomach. Yesterday we decided to pass by and have lunch at Burger Boutique, I hadn’t been there since Slider Station opened and since I am finishing up the Burger Challenge it was on my to do list.

It wasn’t easy trying to choose a burger to have. I’ve had nearly all their burgers before and they were all great but for the burger challenge I need to choose just one. I decided to go with one of their new burgers which came highly recommended, the Madison. I’ve had it before as a slider at Slider Station and loved it so I couldn’t wait to try the burger version.

The Madison’s ingredients are a chargrilled rib eye infused beef patty, processed American cheddar, pickles and west coast sauce. I ordered mine without pickles and fries as my side dish.

I love how Burger Boutiques burgers look like and the Madison is no exception. Although a simple burger the presentation was very appetizing with a great looking bun and nicely melted cheese on what looked like a perfectly sized patty. But not all was perfect. Although I loved the Madison slider I don’t think it works well as a full sized burger. I had the same issue with their Midnight slider, it was one of my favorite sliders but when I had it as a full fledged burger it didn’t come out as good. I think the sauce is great in small quantities but once you have a lot of it then it becomes a bit too heavy. The bun was excellent though and their beef patty is seriously one of the best.

I think Slider Station which also belongs to the same owners raised the bar on burgers in Kuwait and now a good burger just doesn’t cut it anymore. I am giving the Madison a 3.5 out of 5 which is still a really good score but just not as high as I was expecting it to get. I think the Madison is one of the best looking burgers so far in this challenge, I will definitely be having it again… but as a slider.

Burger Boutique is located in Alraya Mall
The cost of the Madison Burger is KD2.950

This rendering is of the new Center for Knowledge and Culture in Saudi Arabia. It still hasn’t built but the design just got approved and it looks like something from the future. Hovering cars wouldn’t look out of place in this shot. [Link]

via BoingBoing

It’s been a while since my last burger review and I was hoping to start it off again with a great burger but that didn’t happen. I passed by Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) today for lunch, it was my first time and probably my last.

Their burger menu is pretty big with lots of different styles to choose from. I asked the waitress what their most popular burger was and she told me it was the Cajun Burger. She also told me they had a special offer now where they gave away a drink and fries with the burger. I thought that was cool and I went ahead and ordered it.

The Cajun Burger is made up of Black-Angus beef, smoked chili mayo, salad, and Cajun relish. It didn’t take too long to arrive and at first glance it was disappointing. The burger looked very dry and unappetizing while the bread itself looked very poor and thin. It didn’t get any better from there. Once I had my first bite I realized that although looks can be deceiving, it wasn’t in this case. The burger didn’t taste good, the Cajun relish was slightly sweet and I didn’t think it went well with the chili mayo while the bun was the worst part. The upper half of the bun was very thin and was breaking apart while I was having the burger as if it was old. The burger was also pretty messy to eat which didn’t make things any better.

For a place like GBK which specializes in burgers its strange that their buns are so bad. Maybe GBK is a popular place in London but with strong local creations like The Burger Hub and Slider Station, GBK doesn’t have a chance here. I gave the burger a 1.5 out of 5. The burger patty was good but everything else around it wasn’t.

GBK is located in The Avenues and Marina Mall
The cost of the Cajun Burger is KD2.950