Chipotle opening in Marina Mall

 

It looks like Chipotle is opening soon in Marina Mall right in front of the escalator that goes down.

What happened to TIES and the AWARE Center?

 I was going through my links and I found that TIES and the AWARE Center have disappeared which is sad because they did a lot for the expats who wanted to learn about Kuwait. TIES was more religious and offered religious programs, religious classes in English and tours. 

The AWARE center offered programs, activities and tours for everyone in Kuwait. The last post for the AWARE center was November 2024 and then nothing, the Google location says permanently closed. They had been located in Surra for a long time then moved to Funaitees. It was non-profit, non-governmental and non-political NGO. I do remember them being backed by the ministry of Awqaf so maybe the government decided they didn't need the centers any more.

I had attended a lot of events from AWARE center, they were always offering tours which included transportation for a small fee. I visited a few Kuwaiti dwaniyas and interesting tops of chat gatherings. I can't find any information on when or why they closed?

Update:

I ran into the British lady who worked for AWARE center today and she told me that they shut down in May because the government said they can't be in Kuwaiti housing area. They had been located in a Kuwaiti house in Surra until they moved to Funaitees. It has been difficult both financially and trying to find a commercial location. I hope they can find a place and bring back their program in the near future.

Shadeness Make-Up Vending Machine

In USA there are so many different kinds of vending machines, from food to Labubus and now there's a make-up vending machine in Gate Mall from Shadeness Kuwait. From their IG account it looks like there might be a few vending machines around Kuwait.

They are also known for their first ever drive-thru make-up location in Shuwaikh close to Ananass restaurant.
 

New Wingstop Kuwait locations

 The first Wingstop location in Kuwait is in Bida and now there are two more locations opening soon:

Liwan Mall in Egaila 

Liwan Mall is a surprising location as that mall is dead, it's beside Gate Mall and everyone knows how crowded that parking area gets.

The second location is in Sea View in Abu Halaifa        

 

A slightly better location with more foot traffic but horrible traffic and minimal parking. You can easily get stuck inside that area. I really thought they would open a branch in The Warehouse, Gate Mall or Al Kout considering they are malls and have plenty of parking. I wonder where the next locations will be?

Junky Burger ,In-N-Out Dupe? Or?

 My mom spends a lot of time on Instagram and came across a supposed dupe for In-N-Out restaurant, or so they claim. We are from California and my sister's first job was at In-N-Out so she knows the secrets and how things are done. It's called Junky burger and their IG page is full of videos and pictures of In-N-Out type burgers and fries, even the menu is from In-N-Out. Last night we gave it a try, I'm the one that never tries new things from social media because I'm always disappointed.

Here's their menu from IG

My mom and daughter ordered regular single size burgers while my other daughter and I ordered ''Animal Style'' with mine having no sauce. The sauce they use for IN-N-Out is a thousand island type sauce and I hate it. ''Animal style'' is a cheeseburger prepared with a mustard-grilled patty, added pickles, extra spread and grilled onion topping, we ordered regular fries. You can only order by whatsapp and when you click on the above link for the location a juice shop appears, maybe they replaced the shop?

There isn't any info about delivery charge, their location is Abu Fateira and we are in Egaila, the charge was 1 KD. After a while the food was delivered, I'm assuming by the owner as the guy who handed me the bag was Kuwaiti? I opened the bag and this is what we got for 12.800 KD:

The picture above is of the regular single burger, the sauce is only ketchup and mayo mixed together, not the same sauce as In-N-Out by any means. As for my ''Animal style'' there was grilled onions, no mustard to be found or tasted and the fries were just normal frozen ones. In-N-Out make their fries from fresh hand cut potatoes, my sister told us the stories of how many hours she used to make their fries. Maybe, just maybe it might be a little better if you pick up your order but I won't be trying it again. IF you want to try them their IG is junky_burger

When I looked closer at their IG posts I figured most of the videos are of actual In-N-Out burgers from USA and a few Kuwait videos mixed in. I was hoping it was true but nope, just a regular no frills burger.

Wingstop in Kuwait

 For my daughter's birthday my mom took her to Wingstop for lunch. I've never been to Winstop so this was new for me. I usually get wings from Buffalo's on Monday for their buy one get one free special, we visited the Bida location. There's a variety of spice blends with different heat levels, it would be nice if you could taste test them beforehand as the names don't give flavor details.

I got the hot buffalo sauce and lemon pepper wings, my daughter got the boneless with barbecue sauce and my mom got parmesan cheese. The hot buffalo sauce was actually mild, but the other flavors were much better than Buffalo's.

My mom ordered a strawberry milkshake, it wasn't pink, I didn't see any strawberry pieces, I think 5 Guys milkshake is better.

The fries were just frozen fries, nothing special unless you want to add cheese or sauce

Surprisingly it was really good overall and I would visit again. It's an American franchise but the word 'flavor' is written with the British version 'flavour' which is kind of weird.

MADANG Korean Cultural Center - Game Night

 It was my daughter's birthday so our family friend invited us to hang out and play some Korean games with MADANG in Mishref. I thought it might be all young kids, we were 2 adults and 3 teenagers but it was actually a mix of ages. We started off in a room coloring our wooden blocks and designing our Ddakji folded paper which as I have read, was featured in Squid Games. It's a folded paper with carboard middle, players take turns throwing their 'tile' at the opponents 'tile' to try and flip it

This is our Ddakji class

Our instructor

 

Yutnori Game

Some brochures about Korea, they also had some Korean skin care products selling with a discount

We also played Biseok which involved our colored wooden 'rock' we made. We used it to play Biseokchigi - a few games which involved taking out the other opponents 'rocks' in three different game styles.

Lastly we played Gonggi also known as Korean Jacks or Knucklebones, we used gonggitdol (small plastic stone shaped toys) to throw in the air and pick up the ones on the table. I must admit it was a really great event and I may look into the other various types of events they have like cooking, K-Pop night and Korean movie nights. You can find all of their information on their IG @madang.kw

Better Books Closing for Good

 Almost everyone knows about the Better Books Store, it's been around for ages. I've donated books and bought books from there. Sadly, it will be closing, the last days are July 19-24, 2025. There is a big sale going on this weekend for book lovers.

Some of the proceeds from the book sales will be going to charity. The store had recently moved to a new location but the owner has lost her Kuwaiti nationality and according to Kuwait laws only a Kuwaiti can have a license to sell books.

Aventura Mall

"KUWAIT CITY: Capital Governor Sheikh Abdullah Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah stated on Wednesday that the Aventura Mall project represents the future vision of development projects in Kuwait. He emphasized that the project will serve as a pioneering marketing and entertainment hub, benefiting both citizens and residents across the country.

Sheikh Abdullah made his remarks following an inspection tour of the Aventura Mall investment project, located in Jaber Al-Ahmad Residential City. He was accompanied by Walid Al-Shariaan, CEO of Kuwait Building Company, Project Manager Engineer Sami Al-Abdul Ghafour, and several engineers involved in the project.

The Capital Governor highlighted that the Aventura Mall is a unique entertainment and commercial destination that will become a key addition to Kuwait's shopping landscape. He noted that it will offer a high-quality experience, providing comfort, variety, entertainment, and shopping for all members of society. The project is expected to rival the best shopping destinations both locally and regionally.

In a similar statement, Walid Al-Shariaan, CEO of Kuwait Building Company, praised the Capital Governor’s visit, calling it a significant endorsement for sustainable and pioneering community projects. He emphasized that the Aventura Mall project represents a strong partnership between the public and private sectors.

During the tour, a visual presentation of the project was provided, outlining the stages of construction and the facilities being developed. The attendees were also given a brief overview of the project’s progress from the project’s management team.

It is important to note that the Aventura Mall project is an investment initiative led by United Buildings Company, in collaboration with the National Industries Group and the Privatization Holding Company. The project aligns with Kuwait’s future vision for development and aims to make a significant contribution to the country’s commercial and entertainment sectors.

 

Avenues Phase II- Bahrain, Avenues Riyadh, Avenues Khobar coming soon!

According to Mabanee PDF it looks like the Al Shaya empire is spreading across the GCC. The expansion of the current location in Bahrain and the new locations in Saudi Arabia. I guess GCC people will no longer have to travel to Kuwait to enjoy The Avenues.

 

I've been to the one in Bahrain many years ago, it was just a mini version of Kuwait.

Goodbye Hilton Mangaf - Hello Blaj-13

 It's been a while since I've driven along the seaside of Mangaf, I did notice the Hilton looking a little dark, there wasn't any traffic or movement which is weird as a lot of people are always visiting. I decided to try to stop by the Starbucks, sadly we weren't let in as the Hilton has been closed. I went to their IG page and they closed in November of 2024. 

'After more than 20 years of delivering exceptional, hospitality, Hilton Kuwait Resort will close on 15 November 2024. As a result we are unable to accept and bookings beyond 17 October. We are proud of the legacy of hospitality the hotel has delivered and would like to thank you for your loyalty'

I had read briefly some where about Touristic Enterprises taking over or something, after some research I did find that Mabanee company who is responsible for many projects in Kuwait and abroad, such as Avenues Bahrain.

"Leading Kuwaiti developer Mabanee has signed a KD5.1 million ($17 million) contract with Touristic Enterprises Company for the operation and managment of a resort in Kuwait city.

The resort by top hospitality group Hilton will come up on a 242,436 sq m area in Almangaf beach area, said Mabanee in its filing to Kuwait stock exchange (Boursa Kuwait).

The contract, for Plage 13 (previously Hilton Mangaf), is for a period of 17 years starting from the date of actual operation of the site.

A pioneer in the entertainment and recreation business, Touristic Enterprises Company has largely participated in the tourism development of Kuwait through the varied services it providers in its facilities located around the state.

"The contract signed with Mabanee Company represents the first step towards activating and consolidating the strategic partnerships that the Tourism Enterprises Company is carrying out with the private sector to develop and advance the tourism and entertainment sector," said a company spokesman.

A leading real estate investor, developer, and project manager, Mabanee collaborates with partners to create world-class real estate projects that excite customers and are innovative and recognized for their design, quality, and return on investment.

Last year, it had signed an agreement with Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) for the Sabah Al Ahmad Project (S3), a key mixed-use development coming up on a 40,121-sq m-area in the capital city.

As per the public-private partnership (PPP) agreement, Mabanee will provide the design-and-build services as well as the funding and operation of the KD26 million ($84.6 million) project.

A commercial mixed-use development, S3, boasts a hotel and a shopping mall with the theme of an old Kuwait Souq. It is set to be completed within three years.-TradeArabia News Service"

Welcome - Blaj-13