Everybody knows that it can be quite hard to find fresh fruits and vegetables in the middle of the desert; that is, until now. With the opening of the Chiquita fruit bar there is now a place to go and get your fix for year-round fresh fruit without any additional added coloring, sugars, or preservatives. That they round out this offering with fresh salads, cut fruit, and ice creams to boot, makes them my new favorite spot at The Avenues.

Now the cynic in me instantly says, but how is that possible? How is it that this one franchised juice bar that just opened has the access to fruits that many other more well-known smoothie shops and juiceries (yes, we are two steps ahead of Merriam Webster on that word-but its coming!) do not. Quite simply-they are a subsidiary of Suma Fruits International, a regional supplier of fruits to much of the retail public at large. What that means for you personally, is that no matter when you go to Chiquita fruit bar, you know that you are getting the freshest fruit around.

Many people know the Chiquita brand for its historical presence in the banana market. However, in recent years they have moved on to both other fruits, and other manners of getting them to you. With the launch of the Chiquita fruit bar in Kuwait we are treated to the first of its kind in the Middle East—though I am sure it will not be the last. With a menu that is both fun and innovative, as well as more versatile than one would expect, they are poised to be your new favorite drop-in to satiate that mid-shopping need to refuel.

For the straightforward juice and smoothie lover they have 4 categories: Pure Fruit, Cocktail Fruit, Shakes, and Power Smoothies. As the categories are mostly self-explanatory we shall, for now, let the names suffice. However, the one I personally tried was the Flower Power (off of the Power Smoothie menu)- a mix of pineapple, mint, coconut, and orange. This was probably the freshest juice I have had since my last trip out of Kuwait, so to say the flavors were intense, unique, and a welcomed respite from the ubiquitous sugar and water added juices normally found, would be a vast understatement. They also do have one in-house sweetener for you should natures normal nectar not be enough, yet even their answer to that, is another of mother natures natural solutions—agave! Basically, no sugar added and you wouldn’t even notice if I had not just told you, so there it is. They also have some additional add-ins like Acai, Aloe Vera, Guarana, and Propolis; all of which have their own unique herbal benefits for the modern juice enthusiast.

Their options of Bubble tea, which your correspondent was told is a drink for kids, only proves again that I am not completely an adult, as this may be my new favorite. A variation of Boba Tea (A Vietnamese tea that is more prevalent in parts of the states like California, due to large Vietnamese populations) but here brought in for the fun that results from biting into them like a fruit version of something between pop rocks and bubble gum. Picture a pea-size fruit-bubble that floats up through a (wider than normal) straw like Augustus Gloop in the latest Willy Wonka movie, and explodes in your mouth. With four flavors at hand, this could keep you busy for a while. I tried the Lychee version myself and it was dee-lish-ious! These are also done in a mix-and-match manner that allows you to pick from several options of Fruit, Tea, and Bubbles for a variety of flavor combinations.

For the ice cream options, all of the selections here are lesser calorie than their normal equivalents. However, I would be doing a real disservice to just talk about how good they are for you. Texture wise they vary between what one might think of as normal ice cream and gelato, with an occasional nod towards Icee’s. They have created some unique flavors for the local market that you cannot get anywhere else, the best of which include: Avocado (don’t be afraid-try it-seriously!), Date with Walnut and Banana, Banana Coconut, Apple Mint, and Mango.

Oh yeah, and one more thing that you heard here first: they sell whole coconuts! So don’t be surprised if you see me wandering aimlessly through the mall with a straw-in coconut, dreaming off to somewhere tropical while my friends get their shopping fix.

The Chiquita fruit bar is located in the new Souk section of Phase III of The Avenues. Find them online at www.chiquita-fruitbar.com or follow them on Twitter @chiquitabar_me, or on Instagram @chiquitafruitbar_me.