The fact that this post is going to be about Mais Alghanim has made my job so much easier as Mais has been the undisputed winner when it comes to the bestest Lebanese Cuisine in K-town. The ambience, the view and the service, everything is always on point. And honestly I have not seen many fine dine restaurants be so busy all the time. I like to keep exploring the new places to eat and even I could not resist to be back here multiple times before, each time being super satisfied and entranced. So when I got this lovely invite to review food for Mais, I was fairly delighted. They have come up with the new menu and decorations at the Gulf road Branch, which I was really excited to experience. The place is aesthetically done with beautiful dim lit lanterns and antique pots, carpets & paintings which give it the old Kuwait vibes and nostalgia. Seating areas are huge and mostly a full house. Reviewing all what was on our table: Started with the drinks, we ordered Cocktail – Banana Mango & Strawberry in layers which was actually three drinks in one as I could adjust my straw and taste whichever fruit I wanted, I didn’t mix it at all :P Pink Lemonade – The refreshing and prettier version of the old school lemonade Gourmet Salads – Fattoush Mais Alghanim – Crunchy with lot of zest. I am a fan of fattoush crunchies, here in we had fancy round shaped ones instead of the usual square flat bread crunchies cos yes it was the special Fattoush Mais Alghanim. Rocca Zaatar Salad – Rocca leaves, Zaatar, Tomatoes, Onion, Feta Cheese, Summack, olive oil & lemon dressing. I felt we could have opted for another one as both salads were quiet similar except for some ingredients. The quantity was a full big bowl for both the salads. Hummus Beiruty – I am always on the lookout for variations and addition of different flavors in my plate of hummus. This one had parsley tomatoes mint and green chilly pepper. Not spicy at all for those who like their food with flavors but medium heat. Hummus with Muhammara – This one was on recommendation and I am so glad we tried it. It came as a vibrant orange paste topped with Muhammara & walnuts. Absolutely loved the distinct flavors in Hummus and the crunch through walnut toppings. Batata Harra – Seriously can my table for middle eastern food ever be complete without the staple order of Batata Harra. Cubes of potatoes spiced up perfectly with coriander, garlic & chillies. Grilled chicken wings and Pan fried Chicken lever – Both were good, I felt they cud have been a lil better without the really strong lemon it had as it was overshadowing the other flavors. But Chicken wings being my favorite and lever his, we munched on these like crazy. Tikka Hammour – Hammour fish cubes are first marinated with special spices, then prepared on hot tandoor. It was evenly cooked and so tender and juicy within. The tikka came with some grilled veggies, saffron rice and lemon butter sauce. The lemon butter sauce went amazingly well with the tikka. It was Ham-More than what the usual hammour tikka has to offer. Lol Excuse me if u noticed what I did their, just couldn’t resist. Spicy Chicken kabbab – And this cos, who can resist ordering the forever favorite Kebabs. They were not too spicy as the name suggests. Juicy and flavorful is how I would like to describe them.Surely one of the best in Kuwait. Was served with fries, garlic sauce and hot chilli paste. Kunafah – Sealed the Lovely spread with warm plate of cheesy Kunafah and tea. How can we not enjoy Sheesha with a spread like that. The service is great, coal is changed on regular intervals without being asked. When our food arrived and we were busy with the food, the guy removed the coal so that the flavor doesn’t get wasted in all this time. This way we could enjoy the sheesha later too. We tried, Flower with mint – The flavor was Rose and we were pleasantly surprised cos its not available in a lot of other cafes of Kuwait. & the usual favorite Double Apple Special mention to the warmest of its kind hospitality we received. The MD, Mr. Chawki Barakat and the Floor manager showed us around the new decorations and constantly checked if everything was alright at our table which undoubtedly was at its best already. All in all a delightful day spent with great food, picturesque sea-views, and excellent service. Must visit. On second thoughts, I don't think there is anyone in Kuwait who hasn't already visited Mais, so if you are tempted with all these pictures, visit now and tag me cos I m so very interested in knowing whats on ur plate. See Ya, until next time. Have a great weekend ahead.
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Hola!! Yea I am all things Mexicana today after I got a lovely invitation to review authentic Mexican food at restaurant Azteca. It is located at “The Village” Restaurant Complex, off Fahaheel Express, Highway 30. The complex in itself is such a pleasant change from the usual Malls setting as the Green outdoor seating with colourful ambiences look so lively. I had visited the complex earlier for the evenings, however day outing was a first here which I absolutely loved, probably because the weather was still cooperating.. As we entered the restaurant we were quite pleased with the decors which were so much in line with the authenticity that Azteca raves of. Aesthetically done in the hues of Mustard and Blue with some specially imported pieces from Mexico itself gave the place just perfect vibes. We were warmly received by the staff and I can easily say that the amazing hospitality we received all this while would be a very big factor in deciding to visit that place again, of course the yummilicious times we spent here would contribute greatly too. Lets Guacamole Happiness to me is Chips and Guacamole. And this perfect Azteca Guac served in Molcajete (traditional Mexican version of the mortar and pestle) did just that to me. I totally appreciate the originality with no added mayo or cheese as in other Tex-Mex restaurants. The drinks Jamaica and Mojito were very refreshing. Another thing which made my smile wider was Mango Guacamole. And this was the highlight for me as I had not tried it before. All other things same and infused with mango’s sweet and savory flavor. Chunky, Creamy (from perfectly riped avocados and not mayo as I said before), Sweet and Spicy. Could there be a more perfect start – I guess not. Sopa Azteca It was quite a sight when the hot chicken and tomato broth was poured over strips of fried corn tortillas. There were toasted ancho chillis, chicken, cheese, avocado and cream. Amazingly Hot and Spicy (on request), soothed my throat and filled the palette with flavors. Tacos Tacos I had all this while in Kuwait meant hard shelled tortillas. Not here though. I really felt like I never actually ate the authentic Mexican cuisine (although I thought I had, until today :P). The flavors, the texture and the servings, all had some or the other highlights which were new. We ordered Gringa Tacos upon recommendation and I am so glad we did. They were soft flour tortillas filled with melted cheese and chicken (or beef), served with Pineapple on top and rice on side. Next was Tacos Al Pastor Chicken. Developed in Central Mexico, Al Pastor chicken is based on shawarma spit-grilled meat cooked with a piece of fresh onion and a pineapple on top. This marinated thinly sliced chicken was served with diced onion and pineapple. Although they are made with almost the same ingredients as Gringa but the taste was totally different and full of flavors. Definitely a must try. And it was time for some sizzling entry by Fajitas We had ordered a Vegetarian dish for a change and boy it was in no way lesser than what we ate already. The veggies (Mushrooms, carrots, corn, peas, onions and bell peppers) were crackling and crisp and so fresh that it instantly became my hubbys fav. Served with a large serving of rice, sour cream and pico de gallo (salsa made with fresh tomatoes onions and jalapenos). Now that I write about it I really feel that we should have tried the Shrimps sizzler Mojo de ajo as well. To be honest, there were so many variants to choose from that we chose to try the most popular food first as it was our first visit but yes next visit will see a lot of experiments and new orders. Our big Dessert platter This was my most favorite part. We were presented a BIG dessert platter garnished beautifully with kiwi, strawberry, mint leaves and jam piping. There were three strips of long thick Churros, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, one had chocolate sauce, one some milk or cream, and other was plain. Crunchy from outside and softer inside, I thought that this was the best they got until I tried the milk cake named Pastel Tres Leches on its side. OMG it was just so tender, so refreshing, sweetened just the right amount and a First. Of course I have eaten similar taste and composition sweets before but none in the form of cake. We finished it in absolutely no time. The other cake Pastel Imposible was great too but as we were so much in awe of the previous one couldn’t give it the attention it deserved. It was a chocolate cake with cream cheese flan on top. And now I feel like relishing it all over again. It was an absolutely impressive debut with Azteca and my mind is still resonating with authentic Mexican vibes and flavors from the day. Definitely going back soon. Do share whats your fav Mexican cuisine which we can try next. |