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X-cite launched the new Jamie Oliver home cooker from Philips yesterday afternoon at Gaucho grill, the Avenues.

Jamie Oliver’s home cooker will give you an extra pair of hands in the kitchen. Easily create your home made meals from scratch and have one thing less to focus on. It cuts, cooks, and stirs for you so you can enjoy other things you like.

These are the highlights of the home cooker:

• The Home Cooker allows you to leave during cooking
• Always the exact temperature you need
• Timer up to 99 minutes, with ready signal
• Automatic shut down
• Cutting and slicing directly into the pan
• XL feeding tube for all your ingredients
• Unique combination for perfect end result
• Pasta insert, steaming basket and tray for different recipes
• Jamie Oliver recipebook full of variety and inspiration
• 2 cutting and slicing speeds
• 5 different discs that slice, shred and cut julienne
• Dishwasher safe parts for easy cleaning
  

A demonstration was done to show how easy the product is to use, and I loved it because even people who don’t know how to cook, can easily cook a meal with this home cooker!

After the launch, lunch was served with a side of entertainment by the great juggler Sir Julian from Germany. It was a perfect way to end the afternoon. Thank you x-cite, Gaucho Grill, Philips, Jamie Oliver, and last but not least Sir Julian for putting together an unforgettable afternoon.

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For all you soccer fans out there, for all Real Madrid Fans, for all Ronaldo Fans.. I share with you the following:

So, who did it better – Messi or Ronaldo?

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Hungry? Want something quick but fulfilling at the same time? Then head on down to Rowdy Taco, located at Alia & Ghalia Towers in Mahboula.

Kayan Restaurants, the owners of Smash Burger, have decided to launch their Mexican Concept – Rowdy Taco. The interior is amazing, the staff so friendly and the food – let’s just say I’ll be going back for more.

They have everything from Breakfast Tacos to Quesadillas, Salads, and even Dessert Tacos! All their ingredients are freshly prepared daily, using fresh local produce and organic foods. The price range is not bad at all as the most expensive item on the menu are the Quesadillas priced at 1.500 KD.

Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: RowdyTacoQ8

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I’ve been seeing this new restaurant so called Rio which is located next to Uban in Kuwait City for a while now, though all I knew is that it has Brazilian concept but that’s all. So last night I decided to pass by Rio and see what is it all about, luckily I was having my coffee at Salhiya which is only 5 minutes drive from Rio. As I arrived I had difficulty finding parking spot but fortunately there was a free valet service. As I stepped inside Rio I was warmly welcomed from the staff, “What does churrascaria means?” I asked right away, “Oh it means Brazilian steakhouse” the lady supervisor replied.

So Brazilian steakhouse it is, that’s good because I’m a steak lover after all. Inside it was medium sized with simple interior design; dimmed lighting with small and big tables scatted around, hidden A/C, fancy chandeliers. The glass walls gave the interior more spacious feeling. As I grabbed the relatively small menu and started seeing what they serve I started to get the real concept behind Rio, it’s not a traditional steakhouse where customers order a steak type in 250g, 300g, or 400g and then choose sides but instead customers in Rio pay fixed price (KD15.5 for adults & KD7.5 for kids) for main meat course, one salad order, and 6 side dishes. This concept is new to me but I overheard that there’s another Brazilian restaurant at Free Zone in Shuweikh called Cuts that has the same exact idea.

So after selecting my starter salad (plain Caesar salad) and the 6 sides; sorry I can’t recall exact names but they were mashed potatoes, rice, mushrooms, fried potato chips (see picture below) they gave me a circular token with red on side and green on the other, they said they will continue serving me (re-fill) as long I’m displaying the green side, so basically it’s like I’m saying there’s more room for food.

They started off serving cheese bites and my Caesar salad (both tasted good for starters). Afterwards, waiters started to come one after the other each carrying a skewer with different meat course and serve me with slices of each. The meat courses were medium cooked (customers can ask for well-done) and included tenderloin, flank steak, rumps, ribeye, chicken sausages, grilled shrimps, grilled pineapple…etc.

I was tasting each meat course. Generally all those I tasted were fine but I personally favored the tenderloin and grilled chicken slices. I asked about the source of the beef, they said all meats are USDA beef grade. My check was KD15.5 plus the price of my diet soda because they said all drinks and desserts are not included in the fixed price. Also sodas are not refillable. So did I like Rio? I gotta say I enjoyed the concept of Rio and the food tasted good and quantities were adequate, it’s not the best tasting steak out there but generally was of good quality and taste.

Rio is currently in soft opening phase, they are open from 7:00 pm to 11:00n pm daily. We appreciate if you share your opinion about Rio with all of our readers in case you try/ied it.

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Each year Kuwait witnesses a much awaited culinary festival called Horeca. Organized by the forward-thinking Leaders Group, this gastronomic trade event took on an elevated level this year. The venue features exhibitions, F&B supplier booths, seminars, and cooking demonstrations. With over 50 participating companies, and thousands of visitors, one of the main events, nevertheless, is the cooking competition. One hundred and fifty chef participants from different restaurant establishments partake in an extremely challenging creative cooking competition which is judged by some of the best experts in the F&B industry.

Led by group executive head chef, Louis Kenji Huang, Maki Chefs went up against some of the best in the business in the long-anticipated Live sushi creation competition. Chefs Louis, Ranjan, and Jaya went on to dazzle the audience and judges with their sushi making skills. Incorporating different complex techniques and multiple, sophisticated ingredient layers, Chef Louis Kenji Huang of Maki earned a gold medal for best live sushi creation and display. Chefs Jaya and Ranjan collected the silver and bronze medals for the same competition, thus registering a Maki “sweep”! In the live “cooking from the basket” event Chef Louis, assisted by skillful Chef Pathirana earned a bronze medal. Very well deserving of the next prize, Chef Louis and staff used the most advanced hygiene methods which have long been applied inside Maki’s kitchens, thus reaping the prestigious Boeker award of “best food hygiene and safety”, in both the “live sushi competition” and the “live cooking from the basket” competition. It is noteworthy to mention that among the 150 competitors, Boeker only offered four awards, two of which were deservedly claimed by Maki Chefs.
It is also worthwhile to mention that considering a highly elevated, competitive atmosphere, Maki’s Chefs, who were celebrating “ten years of magical cuisine”, went into the competition with more in sight than just “awards”. Maki Chefs’ aspirations were to contribute to the local culinary culture, entertain show visitors and judges, and set the bar higher for next year’s event in terms of creativity, taste, and hygiene. Until next year, Maki’s Chefs will continue to work hard, and come up with yet more tantalizing, delicious, elegant creations.

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I was at Farwaniya the other night and spotted another branch for popular Philippines fastfood restaurant, Jollibee, has just opened. Jollibee to pinoy is what McDonald’s to Kuwaitis. I heard many positive opinions recommending their fast food but I haven’t yet tasted it. Have any of you tasted it yet? Is it anything like McDonald’s or say BK?

The other branch is located in Salhiya [link]

Address: Farwaniya, block 25, building 6 (2nd roundabout near police station).

image via [link]

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ACK students are smashing that’s for sure! Last night, Smash Burger held an all you can eat in the shortest amount of time contest at the ACK campus in Mishref. I must say the enthusiasm was amazing and the competitors really know how to shove burgers down their throats!

The burgers were big, juicy, and looked tasty you could eat one or even 5 (which is what the contestants needed to eat to break the previous contest record of 4 burgers). Contestants had five minutes to break the previous record and the organizers provided bottles of water to help the participants get the burgers down.

The winners, one male, and one female, won free food for a whole year from Smash Burger. I think this was a good competition to get the students active but maybe next time, we can have a healthier competition? Take care ACK, nice smashing with you!

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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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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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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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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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