Review: Dai Forni, Four Seasons Hotel

We booked a table specifying it was for my daughter's 16th birthday and ordered the additional roses for KD 10. One would think that a little extra attention would have been given but no we were assigned a table away from the view and next to the gurgling coffee machine. About 5 window tables have stunning views unless you sit outside which we did contemplate but it was 39 degrees so stayed next to the non-stop coffee machine reminiscent of sitting in a Starbucks. 

Our waitress was fabulous she was articulate, funny and professional. The maître d' was unremarkable. We ordered drinks, calamari, minestrone soup, truffle pasta, shrimps and monkfish. The prices are high and we were expecting great things.

Passion fruit cocktail was delicious. Unseasoned bland calamari even the aioli couldn't make it taste any better. Minestrone soup and the bread basket were superb. Truffle pasta was inedible. Shrimps delicious. Monkfish, the weirdest thing I've eaten in a long time it was overcooked and hence on the tough side served with a pea puree (that was not all pureed} and blanched almonds. Blanched almonds which added zero to the already pitiful, expensive dish. Gordon Ramsey would have had a field day.

Unremarkable Maitre d' did nothing except bring out the chef for humiliation. The poor chef apologised and offered free dessert but we had pre-ordered a birthday tiramisu. Zero knocked off the bill. A limp apology from Maitre d' along the lines of blah, blah next time you come. No honey it's now you need to impress there are too many great restaurants in Kuwait to waste another meal at Dai Forni again.

The average dish is priced at KD 16-20 can't remember how much my husband paid in total but way too much.

It's a 3/10 for great waitress service and a fabulous bread basket. PS the roses were wilted.
Shocked at how disappointingly overpriced this experience was.

Review: Notre Dame Deep Cleansing Facial

Notre Dame Clinic is located on the 7th floor of Mallorca Medical Centre in Block 1, Bneid Al Gar at the corner of the 2nd ring and the 30. The clinic came highly recommended. The first impression was great, I was really impressed with the pristine decor, cleanliness of the clinic and the friendly staff. Even the bathrooms are gorgeous.

My 15-year-old daughter has typical teen skin: spotty, oily patches and dry patches. This was her first ever professional facial (trust me there is a huge difference between a cheap beauty salon facial and a deep cleansing clinical facial by a trained esthetician). The lovely esthetician was very sweet, informative and well trained, she did a thorough cleanse, tone, massage, mask and moisturising. My daughter loved the whole experience especially her blackhead free nose and spotty bump removal.

The very next day we could see how much clearer and more even toned it looked. 3 days later, and it is looking amazing. I will definitely make this a regular thing for her. Professional facials are far more effective than anything you can do at home or in a salon. It is recommended to do one per month to keep your skin in tip-top condition. 

The price was excellent KD 35, compared to KD 50 I paid elsewhere for myself. So happy mummy and happy teen. 10/10

My daughter had deep cleansing but the facial can be tailored to your needs depending on skin type.

Appointments Tel 66663820, 66662910, 22282352.

Map [link]

Review: The Gypsy Kings Concert at Al Shaheed Park

I had planned to go with some friends to this concert put we were all put off by the pricey (KD 40) tickets. A few people also brought to my attention that there was only one original Gypsy King still in the band. So I decided to give it a miss. Very fortunately, at the last minute, my darling niece called me up and said she had bought me a ticket to go with her to the concert. 

We got there on time, unlike many others who piled in during the performance obscuring some of the views of the band. Having paid KD 40 for a ticket one would hope that more of the prime seating would be available. Sadly, it was not and was kept guarded by annoying security personnel and guides who blocked the view most of the evening. Seriously, was it necessary to have blocked off so much freebie seating for so-called VIPS (no biggies, mostly ambassadors and LoYAC people)? 

Was it absolutely necessary for the security to lose their heads and come screaming at the audience to sit down whenever we got up to have a little dance on our spots? I mean really we are not in KG anymore.

However, we did not let that stop us from having a truly, great time and enjoying some fabulous music along with many other enthusiastic audience members. Shame on the ingrates who arrived late, left early or just went up and down for coffee, toilets or looking for people.

The band were amazingly talented and worth every fil, the organisation of the concert was disappointing and has serious flaws that need addressing.

Thank you, Gypsy Kings, come back soon, please. 

Review: Natalys Brows - Trained and Certified by Phibrows

Only for Nataly would I bare my pores and wrinkles. I just had to show you the before and after. I have been walking around for decades with wonky eyebrows it seems, and my Phibrow angel, Nataly (AKA Natasa) has fixed me. Symmetry is everything. I'm so happy with my new brows and cannot recommend the fabulous Nataly enough. 

The fabulous Nataly is offering a whopping 50% discount for December but only has a few slots left. Get whatsapping babes, Nataly Brows 66924381.

Facebook: Natalys Brows

Instagram: Natalys Brows

Merry Christmas

Review: Arabica, Phase 4, Avenues

 Good morning all. For the coffee afficionados you really must try @arabica.kuwait there is one in Avenues Phase 4 next to @letocaffe.kw. The impressive array of internationally sourced coffee beans are kept in individual optimum refridgerated conditions and then freshly ground. The smell is divine and the coffee is strong and robust. Quite an experience. #coffee #arabica #avenues #kuwait

A Drive Thru Pick in Mishref

Map

Happy customers. If you haven't tried Pick frozen yoghurt yet then you really, really should. Especially with fresh berries and pistachio sauce. 

www.pick.com.kw

Review: Rose des Vents by LV

Heavenly smelling, fresh rosy EDT which is light, complex and expensive smelling. Not sure how much as it was a birthday gift to my daughter who doesn't yet know that her mother loves it and has a little teeny spray now and again.

It's going on my Christmas list.

Review: Doppio Pepperoni Pizza with Honey and Chilli Flakes

My daughter brought me home a slice of her pepperoni pizza with honey and chilli flakes last night and at first I was reluctant to try it seeing as it sounded weird and I'm supposedly on a diet, but she kept urging and raving about it and it smelled awfully good. It was yummy I would definitely queue for this slice of heaven. Smitten after one slice. 

My daughter and her buddies had queued for 30 mins which for a restaurant that has been open for 4 years already is a very good sign indeed. Doppio is owned by the same people who have Solo Pizza and we all know how good that is. 

Doppio is located in Salhiya Complex on M2 and it gets very busy on weekends. Tel. 22451511 Open every day from 1-11pm and can be ordered on Carriage. 

Diet over.

Excellent World Cup 2018 Coverage by BeIN Sports HD3

if you are still procrastinating over whether to splash out money on beIN Sports HD3 to watch the world cup - Do it,  there is incredible coverage, lots of updates, statistics, schedules, probabilities. Truly awesome and well worth the money.

www.beINsports.com

Review: L'Eto Caffe in Avenues Phase IV

The Spanish latte at L'Eto Caffe is a perfect blend of ice cubed coffee, saffron milk and condensed milk heaven. Sooooo good. The queues waiting to get in makes this the trendiest restaurant of the week. 

My friends had a quinoa salad and lasagne both were very happy with their choices. I shared a saffron cake and a honey cake with my daughter and the other two guests. Both items are supposed to be best sellers but two of us weren't overly impressed. The saffron cake was more like a pudding and had a strange texture. The honey cake was stodgy, was just too sweet and lacked the honey taste that one would expect from the name. I've had much better honey cakes.  

I would go back and try other items if I didn't have to queue.

8/10 the service was amazing as was my Spanish latte. Great ambiance, perfect for people watching and the rest of the menu looks very tempting indeed.

Review: Cleo Mediterranean Restaurant, Avenues

Today, lunch at Cleo Mediterranean Restaurant, Avenues Phase IV. I was expecting way too much after hearing glowing reviews. It seems like so many establishments here if you don't visit within the first two weeks of opening, whilst the big honcho chef is in town, then you have missed the moment. 

The baba ghanouj turned up looking nothing like the picture. I told the waiter who kindly replaced it and added the missing capers. My kale quinoa salad with roasted veggies was way too oily. I don't think the veggies were roasted as they lacked the sweetness that roasting imparts. The veggies were mostly raw on one side and charred on the other and swimming in oil except for the zucchini which was mushy and oily and looked inedible so I didn't even try. The quinoa was a little bizarre it was harder than usual and seemed deep fried. Sadly, what I had hoped was going to be a healthy lunch turned into a greasy, unappetising disappointment. The bread was boring and uninteresting. Although the service wasn't bad I would have expected more concern over my lack of dining pleasure. I loved the gunpowder green tea but not enough to go back though. Plus I don't need to as the waiter told me it's Twinnings. Lovely setting, disappointing food. 2/10

Review: ABBA Sing-Along

Tickets may still be available for this fun evening of Abba sing-along songs at www.ahmadimusicgroup.com.

 Thank you to the amazing Ahmadi Music Group for a wonderful night we had a great time. Worth every penny, I dare anyone to get their Abba on, go along and not have a good time. 10/10

Review: Toni and Guy Hair Salon, Shaab

Impressive 3-storey building in a quiet area with ample parking. A bonus.

The cutest little outdoor seating area to chillax in.

I made an appointment the day before via phone. I did try to call back and got no answer only to realise they have early closing times, something to keep in mind.

A great impression as we walked in the black, grey and chrome interior is super sleek. The staff are all immaculately turned out and are professional, super efficient and punctual. The facilities and treatment rooms are spotless, cosy and welcoming. 

Emma, the manageress, did my babygirl's balayage. Immediately I was put at ease when I saw her own fabulously coloured hair. Emma was businesslike, rarely talking, thorough and reassuring with her expertise. She did a fabulous job.

Missy loving the whole experience.

Leah, British hair stylist who was sweet, chatty and full of good hair care tips and advice gave my daughter a beautiful blow-out and then curled it into gorgeous beach waves. If this is a look you long for then Leah is your lady.

Meanwhile, Mumma got some semi-permanent lashes which as they fall out over a 2-3 week period you go back and replace them (no, you don't have to save yours that fall out they will give you new ones). I've done these before but it was a while ago and everyone was raving about the new mink lashes that look and feel great.

Preetha did my lashes and they are okay but not as natural looking as I had expected especially as there are no far side lashes and the length is a bit long. Not really her fault about the length as I chose them but I now know to choose shorter than a size 9. At least they don't bother me with my glasses on which is what I was most bothered about. 

 Semi-permanent lashes which are discounted for 

the month of April.

My princess off to the school prize giving looking gorgeous with her new shiny

locks. We did have to re-curl her hair as they had fallen out overnight.

The bill. Eeeeeeek! 

More than I had anticipated but 

a stress-free experience and fantastic hair aren't cheap.

I finally managed to get a pic that shows the colours. We did take plenty of pics but the lighting didn't really show off the subtle, natural-looking balayage. She loves it, and I have never seen her hair look so amazingly glossy.

Overall a 9/10

I'm not complaining about the price but it was more than I was expecting. Having Emma is a pricey privilege. I had not realised the blowout and curling were not included in the price so take note. But you pay for quality and that is what I felt we got.  The smile on my daughter's face and her oozing confidence were priceless.

Review: Paul Arabia App

Easy to download, immediately offered me a KD 2.500 voucher towards my order, I liked the sound of the reward schemes and special offers. Sadly the 'click here to know more' didn't work. I enjoyed the new comfy chairs at the Marina Mall restaurant and the KD 2.500 reduction with my voucher. There is a time expiry on the voucher so maybe best to download app whilst at Paul's before the bill comes. Great experience I'm thrilled 10/10.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Our read for the month. This is pretty good. Can't believe I haven't read it before. I'm having my darling girl read it to me everyday. She hates reading - I can't believe she is doing English Literature at IGCSE. I think she and I both are enjoying some aha moments in the book. Though she would never admit it. 

A few gems from the book:

 “Perhaps a sense of possessing needs to come to come before a sense of genuine sharing.” This was a complete slap in the face for me. As a child my daughter had a few moments of complete and utter inability to share her toys. I wish I had known this back then. I would have handled things differently.

“If you don't let a teacher know what level you are -- by asking a question, or revealing your ignorance -- you will not learn or grow”. Which of course can be applied to most relationships.

“If you carefully consider what you wanted to be said of you in the funeral experience, you will find your definition of success.”  I love this it just puts everything in perspective.

“Albert Einstein observed, “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” True. 

Review: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleansing Gel and Water Gel Moisturiser :O)

I bought this as a last minute, irresistible, bargain special at Sultan Centre, Salmiya,  it's on sale by the express cashiers area and the two products are together in a gift box for KD 3.450 which I thought was too reasonable to ignore. I have oily skin usually but lately have dry patches which means the foundation hasn't been going on smoothly. This has done a brilliant job on both skin types.

I've been using it for 3 days now and it is really, very good. A nice clean smell, only a small amount of wash needed so it's going to last a while, cleans well and has no sticky residue, skin feels plump and beautiful. The water gel moisturiser does everything it says it will, hydro boosts the skin, no greasiness and lasts all day leaving skin looking younger and fresher. I super love it and will go stock up on more quickly before the offer ends. 

Happy Shopper gives it 10/10.

Got me 3 more boxes..

Another review on this product by the scientific beauty blogger [link].

Review: Le Pain Quotidien, Marina Crescent :O(

I go quite often to LPQ at Marina Crescent even though the coffee is always barely warm, the food is inconsistent and sometimes of substandard quality but the location is TDF and therefore until now I've tried to overlook these annoyances. Until today, seriously LPQ serving stale bread and croissants is just unforgiveable we won't be returning. The waiter and manager really couldn't care less and gave us some story about it being baked today, well then how the hell does it get stale so quickly. Don't insult our intelligence, the old adage, 'the customer is always right' should be tatooed on your brain because not only were you very irritating when you told us this 3 times but it is extremely unprofessional. I sent back my almond croissant twice and it was still inedible. The bread basket was hit and miss - half fresh and yummy, half stale and tasteless. Unacceptable, we won't be back. I spoke to the waiter once I got the bill and complained about why I was being charged for the croissant he just gave a half smile and shrugged his shoulders. The only reason I didn't get angry and refuse to pay is that I empathise with these employees and understand it is most likely their cost-cutting superiors who are to blame. 

My second bad review of PQ and I am just so shocked at their lack of quality control. 

2/10 purely because the weather and the view was gorgeous.

Review: Garnier Skin Active Hydra Bomb

For 800 fils it was an irresistible buy from Yarmouk Co-op. My skin has been feeling dry lately and I thought I'd try some of these super easy, less mess, hydrating serum masks. Contains hyaluronic acid which is supposed to be the Holy Grail of magically beautiful skin products. I love it.

I put it on before sleeping for 15 mins as per instructions and used the excess to wipe on my neck and hands. Ta-dah! Super soft, clear looking skin this morning. And not at all sticky or clammy which I hate. It's a 10/10 from me. I think I will try to remember to use one every week.

PS. This is a whopping KD 1.250 in Boots.

Review: A Trip To Failaka

Located in front of Starbucks, Marina Crescent, Salmiya. 

Daily dep 9am returns at 4pm. Call +965 22244767 for more details

Camel rides available for the adventurous KD 1

Historic ruins and archaelogical digs in progress

Cool off in the pool there is a surcharge of KD 5

A few of the locals

Wanasa beach

Failaka Heritage Village Hotel if you plan to stay overnight

Lots of relics left over from the Gulf War

It is a beautiful island with clean beaches and swimming. There is a swimming pool that is 5kd extra that we didn’t do. There is a small zoo and horseback rides for the kids (1kd). A short (less than an hour) bus “tour” that takes you to a camel farm and you can ride a camel (1kd) and to see some of the bombed out military equipment left from the invasion. It was also supposed to include an archaelogical site but we ran out of time. There are 2 small tea/coffee places next to reception and a larger banquet room where they serve lunch. Food was very good. There is a nice heritage museum. Additionally there were 2 inflatable slides (not shaded so very hot) and some other play equipment and a game room. There was a mini golf course but we couldn’t figure out where to get clubs and balls so we didn’t play. Then again we didn’t try that hard. So, lots to do and clean in the “village” and beach. However, it is almost deserted. We had the place practically to ourselves (which we enjoyed) but can be a bit disconcerting. It was 15kd for the day which included boat transportation from Marina Crescent and the lunch. I believe it was through Ikarus.

Review courtesy of Heather on Expat Mums. Thank you Heather.

Ikarus Marine

4 ★ · Boat service

Review: Karak Gholam, Salmiya Souq

Always a treat for me whenever doing my shopping at City Centre. I've been coming here for a while now and happy to say the quality, taste and service is still superb. My usual order of large karak tea and a halloumi, zaater, sun dried tomatoes in a chapati is as delicious as I remember. For a very reasonable KD 2.300 for lunch I am a happy camper and fortified for the week's shopping trip. 10/10