We can’t look to the future without properly celebrating and learning from our past. This is what Kuwaiti restaurant founder and Executive Chef Ammar Al-Fouzan tells me when I ask him about how Balaleet became a breakfast favorite in Kuwait. He says, “Geographically and historically, Kuwait was a major hub for the exchange of different food practices and spices, and this is why I think Kuwaiti cuisine is the most vibrant cuisine in the GCC region today. We have embraced so many incredible spices and ingredients into our cuisine.”

I am always in awe about how the attorney-turned-chef has made waves with the fabulous Khaneen restaurant. A visit to Khaneen is truly a treat from start to finish, with mouth-watering dishes that embrace Kuwaiti culture in a modern fashion, coupled with kitschy décor reminiscent of local memories of yore. From appetizers to comforting main courses and tantalizing desserts, Khaneen’s presentation of authentic Kuwaiti flavors is the concept’s answer to maintaining a traditional culture in today’s modern world, by nodding in appreciation towards the melting pot of influences Kuwait has become known to love and embody.

Each of Khaneen’s locations in Murouj and The Avenues celebrates something so comforting and beautiful about Kuwait that only we, those who call Kuwait home, can fully understand. And this is precisely what Chef Ammar aims to deliver with the concept. Now going strong for ten years, we celebrate Chef Ammar’s journey in our retrospective interview by bringing back the first questions we asked the chef ten years ago, along with a sit-down where we talk all things food at Khaneen.

THEN

Why Khaneen?
I always wanted to create a concept that celebrates the amazing flavors we have in Kuwaiti cuisine. Our food culture is quite distinct, and there is nothing quite like it in the region.

What were you doing before you began your cooking career?
Legal consultations! I was a fully-fledged attorney before I got into the culinary world.

When and why did you first get into cooking?
I got into the idea of being in the kitchen from a young age when cooking for my hungry friends during weekends at late hours back when we were in high school.

What do you think sets Khaneen apart from other Kuwaiti restaurants?
We don’t, and won’t, ever use cheap or artificial ingredients. We make sure everything is authentic, we check to ensure that every spice we use is what families would use in their own homes. It’s not about the color of saffron, for example, it’s about the fragrance and flavor it adds to our dishes.

How does your personality differ inside and outside the kitchen?
Inside the kitchen, I’m a very serious person who hates to be disturbed even by the ring of an incoming SMS [we told you guys, ten years ago!]. Outside, I’m genuinely an ordinary person who loves to spend time with friends and family.

When you’re not cooking, what do you do for fun?
I enjoy Scuba diving, riding my Harley, photography, and music composition.

NOW
Ten years on, how do you feel today?
I believe that with Khaneen, we have a beautiful success story. I feel extremely proud.

What do you think is the hardest thing about maintaining this success?
The food industry is extremely challenging, you have to continuously fine-tune your processes and monitor the operations in the kitchen. It is a daily process and it is constant. Luckily, I am not doing it alone, I have a beautiful team.

But it surely must be easier to delegate things as time goes by.
Of course! You delegate, but the problem with having an amazing team like mine is that you end up feeling more relaxed and less involved, which is a mistake [laughing]. But seriously, I am always in the kitchen, and I love checking on our customers personally. It’s important to build a good foundation with a solid team, and this is what guarantees longevity in any operation.

Let’s talk a bit more about the good stuff, the food! Tell us about your favorite items. For breakfast at Khaneen, for example, what do you usually go for?
I know that anything I say will sound biased, but I do love our egg options here because I feel that eggs are a breakfast must-have. I love the Chapati here too!

Chapati, part of a Kuwaiti breakfast?
Interesting!Of course! So many items now served at Kuwaiti restaurants weren’t originally Kuwaiti. But with time, a lot of dishes have become a part of Kuwaiti culture and cuisine. For instance, people here can choose hummus from our menu, but when I first opened, I refused to serve it. I used to serve people Hardah (a yogurt and tahini-based sauce) and after studying this further, I realized that items like hummus and mutabbal are now a vibrant part of Kuwaiti dining.

This is true. Even the modern dairy options we have were not part of traditional Kuwaiti dining, so this evolution makes sense.
When it comes to dairy specifically cow’s milk and cow’s milk products, it is one of the later arrivals to Kuwaiti cuisine. Kuwait had sheep, goats, and camels- and we used to make fresh cream from the milk, and we drank laban. Even rice is a novelty, traditionally, we used to consume more bread, like khobz rgag. If we were going to get super traditional in how we prepare our food today, people wouldn’t be enjoying machboos with rice.

THE FUTURE
Do you feel like you want to make some changes to keep things fresh at Khaneen?
People love our classic flavors, which is why I am anti-fusion. I am always open to the idea of modifying the menu and adding new items that borrow from the region, but that’s the extent of it like Kebab and warag enab. You won’t be seeing burgers here anytime soon. You come to a traditional place for a traditional food, you want hummus, you get hummus! You want Machboos, and you will get the full service of the classic.

How do you imagine the next ten years for Khaneen?
I am optimistic, and looking towards a more prosperous future with more branches in the pipeline in the region.

Khaneen is located in the Avenues and Murouj. For more information, please visit @khaneen.restaurant on Instagram.