Ahmed Al-Ibrahim and Ahmad Al-Abdulmohsen always wanted to start a business together and with one of them a master of cooking and the other a master of finance, what better business to go with than food – especially here in Kuwait!
Their original idea was to bring southern soul food to Kuwait but when they stumbled upon an ad showing a Chinese restaurant for sale they were intrigued. When they found China Garden, they saw that it was a little run down restaurant where the owners, an old Chinese couple, were doing everything themselves – cooking, shopping, deliveries and much more.
There was something about the place though, and Ahmed and Ahmad took a leap and bought the place. They kept China Garden open during the takeover phase and eventually brought in their own chef, with over thirty years’ experience in the kitchen, and worked on developing the new menu together.
It was while out pondering the age-old question ‘plastic or paper?’ that the guys discovered what would become the foundation of China Garden’s principles. They were dismayed by the amount of waste generated by the food and drink industry. The majority of this comes from packaging and so Ahmed and Ahmad hit upon the idea of using recycled materials. They even found a source for a continuous supply of authentic Chinese takeout boxes so beloved in the states. The bags they deliver in are fully recycled and even the glue holding them together is made from starch, meaning the bag is 100% biodegradable – so like all organic matter this means that it will simply return to the earth, not stay around for thousands of years like plastic and Styrofoam. By eliminating plastic, aluminium and Styrofoam, and introducing cutlery made of bamboo, China Garden has managed to reduce their waste by almost 90%!
Not only did they overhaul the menu, going from run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant to making their own spring rolls, noodles, dumplings and all the sauces from scratch, go green with packaging, also making it biodegradable, they did all this without having to close the restaurant! It was a stressful period but one they wouldn’t change for the world.
The signature dishes, proprietary to China Garden, like Orange Chicken, General Tso, and Walnut Shrimp are what it is all about for Ahmed and Ahmad. From creating the dishes and naming them, to packaging them in such a way that you can feel good about ordering Chinese food again it’s no wonder that these dishes are amongst their bestsellers.
For delivery, takeout, or catering call 2572 0010 or 25720070. Alternatively you can place your order through talabat.com Follow them on Twitter @chinagardenkw. Look out for the full bazaar review in our 2013 Dining Guide.
