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Finally the long awaited for opening of Ribs and Rumps has arrived! I heard it opened in Menu’s Food Court in Mangaf so I decided to go have dinner there.  I picked up my friend and we made our way to Mangaf. I hated the long drive but the weather was beautiful and the small talk in the car made it worthwhile. We reached Menu’s and climbed up the restaurant’s steps the outside seating was quite nice but it’s only worth it to sit outside if the weather is good. We walked in and I loved how they had the tables set up. You could see the kitchen, the grill and how the food is prepared and that’s very important because you could see how clean the kitchen was. They gave us the menu and I was a bit disappointed because the menus were worn out and torn, we asked the waiter and he said they had them shipped in from Dubai because the menus for Kuwait didn’t get printed yet.

We placed our order and waited for the food, service was a bit slow but worth the wait. We tried to order a wide range and everything we ordered was splendid except…. the meat! Our ribs were really juicy but our steaks came overcooked and kind of burnt.

I loved the burger though; it was exactly how a burger should be – juicy, perfectly grilled, and a bit greasy.

So, other than the steaks everything else was great. The dessert was great, we ordered three kinds of desserts and we finished all of them! The price range for a 4-course meal: salad, appetizer, main course, and desert (for one person) is around 25-30 KD. Other than the long drive, and over-cooked steaks our experience was a good one. I would definitely go back for that burger!

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As he walked into his classroom, he spotted his desk at the back corner and made his way. With each step his breaths became heavier and louder. He reached the desk, dropped his backpack to the floor and squished his way into the desk. His jelly belly hung over his knees and his flabby arms scraped against the desktop.

“Hahaha, look at you! You can’t even fit into your own desk!” exclaimed a child sitting next to him. His chubby cheeks flushed red and tears stung his eyes. It was true, he had outgrown his desk and he couldn’t deny that.

Hamad is a 10-year-old who knows what he likes. The list includes play station, music, and skyping with his little brother.

The list also includes food: eating, snacking and nibbling.

“I want a burger,” Hamad told his mother. “I want a brownie… I want chips.”

But it’s not just a brownie Hamad wants. He also wants French toast, French fries,  ice cream, pasta, etc. …

Weighing 50 kilos, Hamad is the biggest boy in his 3^rd grade class.

But does Hamad really have a weight problem? Or does he just have some extra baby fat?

Yes, Hamad does have a weight problem and so does almost half of Kuwait. Going back to a previous post about Kuwait being the 2^nd fattest country in the world; I can now announce that we have surpassed the United States and have become #1.

According to Mail Online, Kuwait is top of the list with the highest average body mass index with Kuwaiti women having the highest rates!

It’s really sad to see these statistics and I think that we need some more mental awareness going on in Kuwait cautioning that this has become a serious issue. Does anyone have any ideas on what we can do to raise such awareness?

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Salad Boutique was gracious enough to send me an invitation to dine and try it out. I must say, I was very skeptic about this place but I absolutely loved it. From the moment I walked in to see the forks and spoons painted on the floor, my face lit up. The décor is fresh and I like how each corner is different than the other.

Besides the décor, the service was splendid. As I walked in I was greeted by the waiters/waitresses with huge smiles and friendly auras. I don’t know about you, but for me, good service is better than good food. Since I mentioned food, I must say that there is not one thing I ordered which I did not like. Every single thing I ordered had a unique taste which made me want the recipe too! I started with a fresh lemon and mint juice which was a combination of both the perfect sweetness and the perfect sourness you would expect to find in lemon juice. My taste buds were ready to explore now…

For starters I ordered the: Chicken Plum, Mushroom & Potato, and the Buffalo Chicken. Each were exquisite in their own unique way. The chicken plum was spectacular; the chicken was so juicy, the sauce was just right and it had a nice sweet taste. The mushroom & potato was by far the best mashed potatoes I had in my life – it was mixed with sautéed onions, mushrooms, sweet corn, cheddar and mozzarella cheese and served with buttered cream sauce. I literally had the whole portion by myself from how good it was. What surprised me was the buffalo chicken because I don’t usually like spicy food but the sauce was just so good I couldn’t resist going back for more!

I also ordered two different kinds of salads: Halloumi Eggplant and Nachos Salad, both were really fresh and the dressing was just perfect. It was a nice change from the usual salads that we order.

For my main dish, I wanted to try different things so I ordered two kinds of different sandwiches: Club Sandwich and the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. The club was stacked perfectly and in every bite I got a taste of something different which is what I usually expect in my club sandwiches. The grilled chicken sandwich was amazing because they added bacon to it which made it crispy and but juicy from the chicken.

I don’t want to keep ranting because I am making myself hungry, all in all, the restaurant, atmosphere, service, food, and even pricing was pretty awesome as opposed to the usual boutiques that are opening up these days. And be sure, if you go there, 99% you will find the perfect thing to order according to your taste.

*Salad Boutique is located at the Avenues Mall, Phase 2, Gate 9, Ground Floor. There is also a branch in Jabriya, Block-1A, Street 6, Building 91, behind Champions Health Club and a branch in Al-Shaab, behind Flex for Men Health Club for take away only. To place your Take-away or Delivery order Call: 22921355.

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I was in for a nice surpirse when I found out that Chiquita Fruit Bar opened up at the The Souq in the Avenues last night. The opening was really nice as they had a live band playing some cool jazz tunes with plenty of samples to go around. The fruit juices are simply divine, and the ice cream definitely makes you want to go back for more. The ice cream is made from 100% natural ingredients used from daily fresh fruits, with no sugar! The sweetner they use is organic agave which, for me, made the taste ten times better than any ice cream I’ve ever had.
The juices are all fresly made right in front of you and they have so many options to chose from! I would recommend this place for any diabetic who can’t enjoy the usual sugary ice creams that we enjoy or for anyone who’s a fruit juice lover. I’m heading there right now, that baby cocount is calling out to me!

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The Bazza Cafe at Qadisiya Co-Op has just opened on the first floor, it’s a traditionally designed Kuwaiti concept cafe that serves traditional food and drinks. The seating were neatly designed and the decorations looked nice. I remember I liked their Murabyan. Read my previous experience [link]

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Every month my friends and I gather at one of our homes to catch up and chit chat over dinner. Today was that day and boy was I in for a real treat! Since we usually have a really heavy dinner, I decided to skip my usual lunch and mid day snack. I went home, got dressed, and drove to my friends place. After all the reminiscing, catching up, and non-stop gossip; dinner was served…

The cook served us a lovely garden salad, some hot sweet potato soup, the usual finger foods, and for the main dish (please brace yourselves) – Locusts with a side of rice! Locusts? LOCUSTS!?? Did I really skip my lunch for this? I sat back in my seat, took a deep breath and tried to take it all in. I was in shock and my mind began to wander off, I know some cultures are accustomed to unusual cuisines but I have never seen this in Kuwait before… I was brought back to reality when three of my six friends sitting around the table all said simultaneously, “you have got to be kidding me right!?” This then caused us to roll off our chairs laughing while my friend tried to explain that this is actually a delicacy here in Kuwait.

Apparently, when Locust season is over, the locusts are taken ALIVE and sold at Souq Al Rai (seasonal market) along with Truffles and many other seasonal goods. The Locusts are sold by the kilo in a red sack and mostly the elderly are the ones who are a fan of these rare delicacies. The Locusts are currently brought from Saudi Arabia and the price of the bag is between 4 – 5 KD depending on the size but since a lot of people enjoy these little brown creatures, you have to be quick to get your bag first or else to reserve a bag one day earlier.

My friends and I decided not to be rude and at least give it a try. I must say personally, I did not enjoy it but two of my friends actually found it to be really tasty. I came back home and told my dad about our interesting dinner and he actually told me that Locusts have several benefits such as: stimulating blood circulation and they can also be used as a treatment for rheumatism and back pain. “What do you know,” he said, “you’re the McDonald’s generation.” That’s right, what do I know. But hey, you learn something new each day and today’s dinner will definitely be a dinner I will never forget. Bon Appétit!  

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While I was drving across the borders of ‘State of Jabriya’ on 4th Ring Road I saw this new building that looked liked a big restaurant or a cafe, so I stopped by and asked the working men what this is, they said this is Villa Fayrouz, the famous Lebanese restaurant and cafe, and that it will be opening very soon. By far this is the biggest Villa Fayrouz branch that I’ve seen, I’m noticing that opening of bigger restaurants is becoming sort of a trend in Kuwait. I recall their hummus and grilled chicken tikka were great.

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Spotted Chili’s Too opening at Moahalab complex in Hawally as I headed to the cinema on M2 level. It’s been almost a year since my last dinner at Chili’s, I’m still boycotting it until they further lower their prices. Check our previous post here [link]

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