The only thing that gives away Fumé’s existence is an egg-shaped mirror door. Purposefully designed to be inconspicuous, THIS restaurant is going against current trends, and we love that. There are no industrial elements or filament light bulbs; this is not a space that was designed for the Zeitgeist, it is minimalist in its architecture but maximalist when it comes to the food which is the one-true star. 

That doesn’t mean in any way that Fumé isn’t beautiful once you step inside the restaurant that is specializing in Nordic cuisine. After negotiating with the revolving door, we found ourselves surrounded by gray concrete walls covered with beautiful white linen curtains all around.

The stark contrast between the softness of the fabric and the rough texture of the walls creates a feeling of safety, but also, adventurousness. The space and in turn, you, are a Tabula Rasa (blank slate) for what is to come.

Friends, food-lovers and co-founders Bader Alsalem and Tareq Alyaqout were determined that their food should speak for itself. This is a project that has been years in the making. The pair have wanted to introduce ‘New Nordic’ cuisine to Kuwait for years, but they had never felt that the time was right, until now. 

Despite its name, New Nordic is not about Scandinavian food. It is a philosophy and a food movement that encourages chefs to develop menus and dishes that are pure, simple and fresh. Ingredients should be seasonal and local, and that is exactly what Alsalem and Alyaqout have done. They focused on local produce and developed a menu that brings out the best in all of the building blocks of their dishes.

But they also have another not-so-secret addition. As the name of the restaurant reveals, almost all of the dishes are smoked to give them more flavor. At Fumé, they use wood from different trees for different effects. For example, Apple wood is mild and fruity while hickory is sweet and much stronger. The chefs soak their woods in liquids too to add another layer of flavor. Like intrepid explorers, they are charting their own path into a land of unexplored taste.

We started with the Iceberg Lettuce, which is seared and plated in a sea of sesame miso dressing and croutons. Such a surprisingly simple dish, but the crunch of the greens with the tanginess of the salad dressing makes it come together perfectly. You can only pull this off if you start with the freshest, most perfect lettuce leaves. 

It was quickly followed by the Beef Carpaccio. Made from scratch in-house, the paper-thin slices of tenderloin melt in your mouth. It is served with baby arugula and a honey lime vinaigrette, but we would have happily had it on its own as a main course.

We weren’t expecting Scandinavian Fish Tacos to be on the menus. But these are upscale tacos. The season dictates the type of fish that will be fried and served on top of a mini taco with cream habanero and charred tomato salsa. Each taco is a single bite of light flaky goodness. There is a wonderful balance between the creamy sauce and the crunch.

If you have always thought of yourself as a Steak and Potatoes person then this might be your new favorite dish. And even if you aren’t you are still going to love the Milk Fed Veal. The seared baby veal on a bed of roasted baby potatoes swimming in a pool of pistachio yogurt dukkah was delicious. 

We hope that your understanding of meat cuts is better than ours, because we thought the Oyster Blade was a seafood dish. #sorrynotsorry, because we were glad to be schooled in this underappreciated cut of beef. It is also known as flat iron steak or butlers’ steak, cut with the grain from the shoulder of the animal.

It is not an easy thing to cook properly, but thankfully the masters in Fumé’s kitchen know exactly what they are doing. It was surprisingly full of flavor, and complimented with cauliflower puree, which was so smooth and creamy. The chimichurri sauce adds the right amount of heat to pull this entire plate together like a sweet meaty dream.

We were finishing it off when the Fumé Tenderloin made an appearance at the table; Pan-seared tenderloin fillet, finished over orange wood smoke to give it a mild smoky flavor without overpowering the beef. The burned sweet potato and the truffle and caper sauce are the perfect sides to this strong main dish.

But for the true steak aficionado the Picanha Steak should be your new go-to meal. A mesquite grilled cut that comes from the rump cap is paired with salsa verde and faroofa. The latter is a specially made garnish that adds crunch and texture to an already perfect dish and elevates it to a revelatory experience.

Did you think we would skip dessert? We dug into the huge Pate a choux filled with honey gymar cream. This self-confessed brownie lover fell in love with the Kladdkaka, a classic Swedish fudgy chocolate cake served with ice-cream.

It is a warm, silky, chewy, gooey brownie pretending to be cake because it has manners. We were treated to something else that is in the works, but we promised not to spill the beans just yet. But we can tell you this, it is going to be divine and sweet and like nothing you have ever tasted before.

The most interesting thing about Fumé is that their offerings are quite carb-light. The entire focus is on the selection of right cut of meat and the skill it takes to properly infuse it with the delicate aromas and flavors of a smoking wood. There are no heavy cream-based sauces for a badly made steak to hide behind. And most pleasantly, you don’t feel exhausted and stuffed after dinner. You feel fueled up and ready to conquer the world. 

Just like the décor, the menu is minimalist. One salad, seven sharing plates, two mains and two desserts. But that is because it is constantly changing. New dishes are developed and added while others are removed, depending on the seasonally available produce. Alsalem and Alyaqout pride themselves on their flexibility, creativity and ability to create an ever-changing fine-dining experience every single visit. 

Fumé is located on Salhiya Street in Kuwait City, for more information follow the restaurant on Instagram @fumekw.  Featured image courtesy of Fumé.