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Eating
Out
Kuwait is rumored to have more restaurants per resident than any
other country in the world. Without a doubt there is
choice enough to suit every taste and pocket.
Hotel Restaurants
The restaurants found in Kuwait's major hotels range
from coffee shops to exclusive dining rooms where
international haute cuisine is served. Compared to
Europe, America and Japan, prices are reasonable.
Every hotel has a buffet where for a fixed price guests
may gorge themselves without limit. These serve a
variety of hot and cold foods and though the cooking is
not exclusively Arabic, they do offer excellent
introductions to Kuwaiti cuisine. Prices range from less
than KD5 to 15 a head at most, which is cheap
considering the quantity, quality and variety of food.
In addition to Arabic and 'international' cuisine, many
hotel restaurants have 'theme nights', such as Italian,
Japanese, Western, etc, when they offer foods and
ambience based on national cuisines from the East or the
West
Restaurants
Outside the hotels there are hundreds of restaurants where
substantial meals can be enjoyed at very reasonable
prices. Those that specialize in particular national
cuisines, such as Arabic, Persian, Indian, Chinese,
Philippino and Italian, seem to enjoy better culinary
success than the few that serve a mix of styles in an
attempt to satisfy all tastes.
Possibly because of its relative blandness, Continental
and American cuisine is mainly found in the larger
hotels. Yet there are several Italian and other
European restaurants in Kuwait City and down the coast.
Small Restaurants, Take-aways & Casual Dining
Every street in Kuwait has several small sandwich shops
with a few seats and a mainly take-away clientele. Most
sell Arabic snack foods, such as sh'wermas, samboosas,
and falafel, and a filling collation may be enjoyed for
less than half a dinar. Most of the Arab, Indian,
Persian, and Chinese restaurants, even the larger ones,
provide a take-away service.
The apex of local restaurants are the kebab houses selling
kebabs, shish kebabs, hummus, juices, samadi (a mix of
ice creams, fruits and juices) and other triumphs of
Arabic casual dining. These are mainly found in
residential areas. A full meal costs KD1/250 a head at
most, and foil and plastic wrapped deliveries to nearby
flats and residences at no extra charge are usual.
For those with unadventurous palates, the homogenous
burger of American casual dining experience is available
most everywhere, along with the usual range of pizza
parlours. Though they tend to be concentrated in the
City and the shopping areas such as Salmiyah and along
the Seif (Gulf Road), outlets for international chains
such as McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Wimpy's,
Hardees, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Express, Pizza
Hut, Pizza Italia, etc, are found just about everywhere
in Kuwait. Of more interest to the discerning is the
growth in recent years of local chains of casual dining
outlets, such as Bint Al-Deek, Naif Chicken, which serve
a creative mix of international and Arabic casual dining
foods using mostly home-reared animals and fresh
produce.
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