Successfully converting common night owls into early risers all over Kuwait.
Celebrated for an ever growing following of gourmet aficionados, the insatiable Prime and Toast located opposite Al Seif Palace in Kuwait City sets out to claim higher grounds, aiming to tantalize the regular on goers of the famous Beda’a strip with a deviously delicious gastronomic experience. Comfortably nestled amongst the diverse collection of the highly acclaimed international and local eateries on offer at the trendy Al Arjan complex, Prime and Toast has a new place to call home, and a bigger challenge to quickly turn its ‘newcomer’ status into a regular hotspot.
Naturally, bazaar eagerly pays a visit to explore the brave new venture. Armed with the previous and what could only be deemed as an unforgettable culinary experience at Prime and Toast’s first home in Kuwait City, our expectations are undeniably biased and our standards are highly set. Hoping to beat the rush that is a natural occurrence given any Thursday at the bustling Beda’a strip, we promptly arrive at 9:30 am only to be astounded by the crowded outdoor seating area. Still we are immediately greeted by the friendly staff and are shown to the smaller yet cozier, indoor area.
Prepare to be schooled in the art of crafting the perfect breakfast and brunch, the chosen menu on offer and culinary direction of this new P&T location. Earthy green chalkboards make for the walls of the interior of the restaurant, and floor to ceiling windows allow light to flood the beautifully polished central mahogany and benches. The bright ambience prompts our attention towards the very interesting lessons to be learned about the scintillating ingredients that would amount to our highly anticipated breakfast. Get to know the ‘egg’ in all its simple glory by reading a wonderful eclectic collection of chalk written quotes devoted to the most important aspect of a typical breakfast at Prime and Toast: “The egg in its divine perfection, embodies all the causes and effects”, or “the past is a broken egg, the future a hatched egg” and finally our favorite, “the egg is an emulsifier as well as a pacifier”. The lesson doesn’t end there, as the walls are completely adorned with renditions about all the elements that create the perfect breakfast, ranging from the simple berry to the varied qualities of thyme, rosemary and other organic herbs. It is amazing how the ambience of a certain restaurant completely enriches the culinary experience; ours is organically transcendent with the refreshing display of planted basil, mint, lemongrass, rosemary and plump cherry tomatoes.
How could an innocent breakfast, infused with organic goodness, turn into a delectable feast? The answer simply lies with P&T’s successful decision to take its hit breakfast menu favorites to a delicious new level. The breakfast and brunch menu is filled with endless choices of freshly prepared starters, salads, sandwiches, omelets, brunch favorites, sides, desserts and beverages- simple, straightforward, devastating. Not only so, the crafted selection of dishes offers the desired blend between eastern and western breakfast options, so expect to find an omelet with Parmesan cheese and zaatar alongside a side dish of crispy beef bacon.
After the age-old debate over going healthy versus immediately diving into the sea of pancakes, waffles, French toast and Brioche available, we decide to defer the dessert option after we’ve had our fair share of whole-hearted goodness. A final selection of scrambled eggs with cheese and mushroom, veggie filled farmer’s omelet, hash browns, and whole grain toast was made. In a pre-emptive effort to stifle any sugar urges, we also decide to fill up on fresh orange juice. Little did we know, our simple plan would eventually backfire, as every sip of the delicious freshly squeezed juice painfully reminds us of the sugary goodness we would be missing. The surrender to temptation begins upon the arrival of our select breakfast dishes. The farmer’s omelet is a successful harmony of fresh bell peppers, mushroom, aromatic herbs and Swiss cheese while the scrambled eggs with cheese and mushroom embodied the perfect rendition of scrambled eggs: fluffy, light and airy in texture yet delectably rich in flavor. The hash browns, slightly crunchy on the outside and skillfully doused with fresh herbs created the perfect companions to our prized egg creations. The mere idea of dessert should be a bygone concept by now, however we are easily defeated by the wafting aroma of pancakes coming across from the kitchen. It was done; two typical females simply bid their skinny jeans goodbye for the rest of the week (or month).
The friendly staff jovially tries to alleviate our obvious guilt by discussing the various dessert options we have and what would represent the “lighter” choice leaves us in fits of laughter. At this point we are sure that P&T is here to stay, because the notion of ‘good service’ is an evident joy shared by the staff and this is a fortunate quality rarely sustainable in crowded, established restaurants.
We swiftly agree to the suggestion of Earl Grey tea while we wait for our secondary order of traditional pancakes with fresh berries, maple syrup and a whipped concoction of ricotta cheese and a French toast brioche filled with nutella topped off with maple syrup. The pancakes are light, yet incredibly moist, crowned with the delicious maple syrup and fresh berries to deliver a unique taste only evident of the high attention to detail devoted to creating such signature desserts. The French toast brioche is reason enough to come back to P&T, as the unexpected mélange of added maple syrup and infamous nutella filling sinfully teases the taste buds. One bite of this amazing creation officially proclaims all other versions of French toast as obsolete.
Our dessert dishes are dutifully polished off, and we finally manage to peel ourselves away before ordering a third round of waffles. As we thank the wonderful staff for their prompt service, we glance outside to notice that the seating area is completely flowing with people waiting to be seated. It is finally happening, breakfast will no longer be the hurried component of a quick morning routine, as Prime and Toast continues to successfully convert masses of night owls and late risers into early morning birds.
Prime & Toast is located on the Gulf Road Strip across from Seif Palace (2241 1252), Al Bida’a Complex (2225 3131) and Marina Walk in Salmiya, right across from Symphony Mall (2226 4530). Breakfast & Brunch is served all day. You can also follow them on Instagram @PrimeandToastkw.
