As the current co-owner, Chef Khaled Al Baker stumbled across Magma to revamp their menu in the past; not knowing what he now calls a “gold mine” of a location would be his next successful endeavor. Chef Khaled is certainly no stranger to the field, but Magma has a special place in his heart. With many restaurants under his belt, Chef Khaled told us about this pizza and pasta concept conveniently located opposite of Souq Sharq.
It was not too long ago when Chef Khaled was working alongside his team, solely on redesigning the menu of Magma while enjoying a cup of coffee on the patio. Although that has not changed, Chef Khaled’s role definitely has. At the beginning of his journey with Magma, he worked on improving the menu, adding new items and giving it his own twist. Without even realizing, he fell in love with Magmas’ potential. He could envision adding more than just pizza and coffee, and it started meaning more to him.
During this experience, the kitchen was completely expanded and redesigned. Lunch launched in January of this year, dinner, a few weeks before that and breakfast is coming soon. Wanting to stand out from a typical Italian restaurant, Chef Khaled emphasized how he does not want to be limited by having Magma put into an “Italian” restaurant closet, “The concept I wanted here is American Italian…New-York Italian,” he said. Chef Khaled credits this successful endeavor and says it wouldn’t have been possible without his partners and team, the Ventri guys and Chef Ranjit.
Simply, Magma became a pizza and pasta concept. It does not identify with a certain cuisine, but instead is a combination of fresh flavors from an infusion of Italian, American, and Middle Eastern influence.
Chef Khaled also does not seem to put himself in any boxes, constantly experimenting with different flavors with some of our favorite ingredients. This belief is apparent in the design of the restaurant as Magma comes off as very modern, but also industrial with a trattoria vibe. High ceilings with gorgeous lighting hanging down make their own statement as soon as you walk in. Red bricks are exposed under a basic coat of light matte grey walls to map out a shape of Italy in one corner, while in the center stands the show stopper. A genuine olive tree lies in the middle of the restaurant with tables and benches surrounding it. It might be the biggest indoor olive tree we have seen! The huge grey vase holding it complements the overall feel of the spot.
Just as we were still taking in the beauty of the place, we started receiving our order on the table. For starters, our appetizers and salads were placed in front of us. They looked too good to touch. Though the food at Magma is satisfyingly Instagrammable, it is even better enjoyed. The Focaccia Bruschetta and two different salads, Zucchini Carpaccio and Pumpkin Arugula were up first. The Focaccia bread tasted like the best pizza dough we had, while the salads were dowsed with flavor. Making a salad look interesting enough is on another level! The Pumpkin Arugula salad contained tri-colored quinoa that added fiber and protein to the dish while giving it a crunchy texture.
If you’re a fan of trying new things or are a veggie lover, then you will love the zucchini fries! If you’re feeling something a bit lighter, the Zucchini Carpaccio is a nice way to start your meal – fresh, vegan and filling enough that you have room for more!
It was a risky step when Chef Khaled decided to include no main courses on this menu except for pizza and pasta. But, he believes that most people in Kuwait have a greater love and appreciation for smaller, delicious meals that can be shared. The lovingly prepared crispy artichoke was served and it was absolutely surprising. With a burst of flavor all thanks to the truffle oil and labneh, it is definitely an appetizer unique to Magma.
The Pesto Orchietti is green and dreamy while the Funghi Gnocchi, creamy. It is the perfect mushroom-y warm pasta dish to have while sitting outdoors. Speaking of outdoors, although the restaurant has both outdoor and indoor seating areas, you should take full advantage of the great weather nowadays by ordering a Magma signature coffee while overlooking great scenery.
At Magma, food created by Chef Khaled is perfection with a twist. Magma, is their spicier take on pepperoni pizza. Their ingredients include tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni, fresh green chilli and chilli sauce. The cherry on top was the dessert, and it was the best cherry we had. Except, it wasn’t really a cherry. It was two staple Italian desserts, the Cannoli, and the Tiramisu.
Overall, if you’re into food with innovative flavors that are prepared with great care and attention to detail, you cannot go wrong with Magma. Their décor will leave you in awe, setting the mood for a piquant dining experience with family and loved ones.
Magma is located across from Souk Sharq. For more information, follow @magma.kw or call 5590 6331. Images courtesy of Magma and by Kulsum Kunwa @kulsumkunwa.
