I love being invited to my paternal-aunt’s house. Amiti is a fantastic hostess, she always brings out the fancy china and the sparkly silverware. There is character in every nook and cranny in her house. She is welcoming, gracious and always overfeeds us. She uses grandmas’ recipes but has managed to make them totally hers without changing her essence. And once we are done, coffee, tea and desserts keep coming until everyone is in a food coma.

Amiti Noura, Alshaya’s newest restaurant concept manages to recreate that experience perfectly. It is located in one of The Avenues’ Souk squares, mimicking an Arabian market with an outdoor “street” seating.

Home cooking is always a challenge to nail down. Everyone craves the flavors of home, nostalgia and comfort. And for a restaurant to find the recipes that connect all of these elements without alienating people from their memories, that’s like hitting the jackpot.

The aromas of the Kuwaiti kitchen hit you as you walk by. The white awnings are reminiscent of sails with a printed motif that look like boats in big bold dots while the sides are trimmed with a sadu-inspired design. The wood paneling is reclaimed from old Dhows. There are so many subtle nods to Kuwait’s rich heritage, like the turquoise in the rugs that points to a history of pearl diving and fishing.

You might notice the beautiful open abayas that the hostesses are wearing as they welcome you inside. They are beautifully woven with the same sadu motif that is repeated throughout the restaurant. There are different styles of seating areas. Some are more secluded and feel more private while others are on the ‘street’ and are perfect for people watching and being seen. All of the tables were occupied in the middle of the day on a Tuesday, the restaurant is already proving to be a local favorite.

Watching the chefs in the open kitchen is energizing. It reminded us of being children and watching our moms and aunts making magic using fresh ingredients, spices, herbs and large pots. Hot tannour bread, the achar and ma’bouch arrived to our table while we were still making up our minds about lunch. We decided to start with a traditional chopped green salad and eggplant hamssat. The hamssat is a tomato sauce- based dish with cumin seeds and curry leaves. It packs some heat from red chilis but is mild enough for everyone, but the secret ingredient is the hamssah spices. And it is served with the perfect side-kick, tannour bread.

We ordered Chicken Machbous and Murabbyan as main dishes. They arrived served in colorful heavy cast iron pots, only to be unveiled at the table, letting all the steam and aromas rise from each pot to immerse you in what is to come. We also realized how generous the portions were.

The saffron rice is a signature Kuwaiti staple that is ubiquitous in every home. In its distinctive yellow shade and its subtle and smooth flavor, it plays well with different proteins.

The murrabyan with its cooked shrimp, fresh coriander and dill comes with a tamarind sauce. The sauce is both sweet and sour at the same time but is so smooth. And the ma’bouch we mentioned earlier? You can add it to your rice for an extra kick of spicy heat.

The Chicken Machbous was just as delicious. The perfectly cooked whole chicken sits on a bed of rice next to caramelized onions, split chickpeas and raisin hashou (stuffing). You can mix it all together or you can enjoy savoring each element separately first. The complimenting tomato daqous pulls it all together for a seemingly simple but highly complex dish of flavors, colors and textures.

We were stuffed before we were even half way done. These are portions that your aunt and grandma think are acceptable. Generous and huge, and need to be eaten by more than one person. But you can’t leave Amiti’s table without having dessert. Or tea. It would be rude.

Keeping up with true Arab hospitality the shiny copper teapot that is brought to the table has its own heating contraption to keep the tea nice and hot and is served in the traditional small gold-trimmed glass cups. For dessert we had Sab Algafsha, dumplings that are shallow fried and flavored with cardamom and saffron and then covered in sugar syrup. Unlike their crunchy but still delicious cousin Lgaimat, these dumplings are chewy, dense, rich and are uniquelyKuwaiti.

We left completely stuffed, because no good aunt would allow her nephews and nieces to leave the table without making sure they had tasted and enjoyed everything and then she still would have offered more of her tasty made-with- love cooking. We haven’t tried the breakfast yet, but we can imagine it is just as grand. Amiti Noura is everything Kuwait is; caring, big- hearted, generous, larger than life and like a warm hug that can only come from close family.

You can find Amiti Noura in the Souk in The Avenues. To stay up to date with their news follow them on Instagram @amitinoura.Featured image courtesy of Amiti Noura.