smashburger

smashburger
the village (and other locations)

what was consumed: smashburger, fries, fried pickels

okokok, so smashburger hails from colorado (i believe). but the first time i had it was in Q8, so it counts as being part of the Q8 burger challenge, right? 

some friends and i head over to smashburger even thought we knew that each burger contained an exorbitant number of calories. but there's something about a burger whose meat hangs over the side (i.e., is larger than the bun). and with the requests for additional veggies met, i thoroughly enjoyed my burger. i tried the arabic version and while i'm happy for that experience, i prefer the more usual standard smashburger. classic. on top of everything, there was the super duper fried pickles! what's not to love? i wish i had gone to smashburger more frequently. so, in my stead, please enjoy!

 

azteca

azteca
@the village

what was consumed: tacos, burrito, chips and salsa

i am a sucker for mexican food. when you grow up in so.cal, you can't help but to always crave it (along with korean, mexican is my comfort food). i could probably, and maybe have, eat chips and salsa all day long. and so, when i heard about azteca, i was super excited.

i was still relatively new to Q8 when i visited azteca, so even getting there was an ordeal (now, i cruise around town like a pro - ha!). at the time, the village only had a few restaurants and was still relatively unknown (though now it has loads of people and parking super sucks). and so, it was no surprise to see that azteca wasn't brimming with patrons (we also did go earlier than the more typical late-night kuwaiti dinner time).

i was happy to see that azteca's ingredients were fresh and homemade (do they have a choice?) they had "beef" carnitas (are they carnitas, then, if they're made with beef?) and corn tortillas, which i prefer. i'm so happy to know that the kuwaitis will not be without my beloved mexican food, thanks to places like azteca. now, if only i can easily find parking there ... hahaha.

online: http://www.restaurant-azteca.com/ 

upper crust

upper crust
the village, hamra tower

what was consumed: pizza! the swellesley, charles street, garden veggie, and and and ... boston style.

okokok, so i know upper crust is a boston chain. but there's something about never having been to some of these places stateside (or not frequenting them, anyway) and enjoying them while here in Q8.

as a kuwait newbie, new friends recommended going to upper crust. i hadn't heard about it (and only know of its bostonian roots after looking it up. i should've known it had american roots because so much does here in kuwait!), but was happy to go to any pizza joint. but man, upper crust is pretty solid for good thin crust pizza. uppder crust follows the "tradition" of boston-style pizza, but as its coupled with fresh ingredients that top the pizza, you are bound to get some delicious pizza (even if the pepperoni is beef-based. oh well).

and can't decide between two (or even three!) favorites? let them know and they'll split your pizza between/among the different types (though i think their rule is that they at least have to have the same sauce base. but i could be wrong). this is perfect for someone like me because 01) i love pizza, 02) i have a hard time making up my mind because they all sound delicious.

we will also frequently order upper crust delivery for movie nights/events for kids because for almost the same price, we feel like we get delicious-er (and sometimes even bigger) pizzas. yay yay yay! more pizza please!

online: http://uppercrustpizzeriakuwait.com/index.php

junkyard

junkyard
the village, arabella

what was consumed: burgers! and potato skins. and chicken wings.

my Q8 burger challenge continues! 

so, i like the idea of a place having some classic american fare. burgers, wings, potato skins, beverages served in mason jars (is that still real hipster, or has it gone back to being practical? i guess it's hipster over here). this is what the junkyard offers. and, imo, junkyard does a pretty good job. especially their potato skins. i feel like they're more like the twice baked potatoes our of america's test kitchen. no matter - they are delicious and i can most likely (and easily) polish off an order all on my own.

the burger was pretty delicious. the regular one comes with two patties which was a pleasant surprise. that said, the buns sort of overwhelmed the burger (i.e., the patties, albeit double patties, were too small for the buns. or the buns were too large for the burger. and i ended up not eating a lot of bread). that said, the patties were cooked nicely and tasted pretty darn good (though, i was still obsessing over the potato skins :O ... hahaha)

junkyard has some cool wall art and seems like a pretty hip place to hang out. mind you, i went during ramadan, so the place was pretty empty. that said, i can see myself going again. a lot. hahahaha.

online: https://www.facebook.com/JunkyardKuwait

ayyame

ayyame
marina crescent, the village

what was consumed: some of my favorites at ayyame include hummous, lentil salad (among lots of their salads), tabliyas, pomegranate chicken ...

turns out, when we have programming guests in town, we always take them to ayyame. i think it's because ayyame offers a variety of middle eastern fare that is delicious according to "locals" and palatable to foreign/new palates.


meals often start with an array of "dips" and salads. i love their lentil salad where the lentils are cooked just right and the salad has just a bit of cream with just a bit of tart with just a bit of spice. i'm frequently tempted to order one of the table and one for myself (i usually don't. not with company, anyway - haha).

i will also frequently order their tabliyas. some people call it the middle eastern version of pizza (it sort of is), but ayyame does a great job with so many of their ingredient combinations! the usual zataar or haloumi is delicious, but so are the ones with chicken or with fresh veggies or or or ...

the first time parents came to visit kuwait, i took them to ayyame. i wasn't sure how they would react to some of the middle eastern fare that is so different to what they usually have, but they were really interested in trying the different flavors (as i knew they would) and, most importantly, the food settled well in their systems (ftw!). they commented on the fresh ingredients and the clean flavors. woohoo! since then, ayyame stayed on my list of places to take people. in particular, i like going to the marina crescent location because you can sit outside, facing the marina, watching the boats that are docked. it can get really crowded there in the evenings, but provided you get there before the crowds (usually later than my preferred dining hour), you'll be able to nab a good seat.

ayyame, until next time ... soon!

gelatissimo

gelatissimo
@the village (and other locations)

what was consumed: gelato

no surprise, kuwaitis love ice cream. and gelato. and dessert. and really food altogether (do the super high rates of diabetes say/mean anything?). now, i'm not a huge ice cream person, so i may not be the best person to comment on the virtue of gelato vs. ice cream vs. any other cold and icy sweet dessert. that said, when looking to go out for ice cream, gelatissimo may be what sets the bar.

gelatissimo offers a huge variety of gelato flavors, including some that are sugar free, as well as some sorbets. i wish they had some dairy free options as well, but, let's face it - dairy based gelato is just that much more delicious. each time i go to gelatissimo, i try quite a few samples before landing on the flavor that feeds my craving. the attendants are really nice and let you try as many as you can. and while their over-boisterous welcoming has gotten grating over the past 2 years, i appreciate their excitement as my visit to gelatissimo.

j once tried the apple gelato and was over the moon about it. he then proceeded to get an order of it (after already having consumed a peanut butter gelato shake) which may have been over the top. that, of course, didn't prevent him from finishing it off anyway.

i now feel like some gelatissimo ... let's go!