Our favorite place in all of Kuwait is Mabarakiya. It is the old city juxtaposed against the high rises of a modern nation, quietly and defiantly celebrating roots and carefully watching the world change. We found ourselves sitting at a colorful table at The Base in SOMU square thinking these deep thoughts. It only lasted a couple of minutes until our food started arriving.
We met with Tareq Q known in the digital realm as the one and only @kicksTQ, a partner at The Base to find out more about how this cozy little restaurant came into being. He actually joined the Sons Of Yusuf brothers, Abdul Rahman and Yaakoub El-Refa’I at a later stage. They had already conceptualized it as a café that only served drinks. Their love of music had inspired the name partly as a nod to bass and to Jay Electronica, who had once labeled their presence in Kuwait as the base.
As we spoke, Tareq ordered us a Salted Caramel Latte and a Saffron Latte to try. Both were brewed using organic coffee beans. The Salted Caramel was beautifully balanced and not overly sweetened. The Saffron Latte, on the other hand, had these lovely distinct layers. It felt like a shame to stir it, but it was so worth it, to taste the unique flavor of the spice.
Tareq and Sons of Yusuf had met through their mutual love of music and he had invited them to his Follow/Unfollow event that raised awareness about the negative impact of social media. Since then the brotherly bond extended to include Tareq. When Sons of Yusuf approached him to partner up with them, he was all in.
The Base has evolved slowly into a cozy little restaurant that offers comfort food, made really well. It’s not habba-oriented, instead they have curated a menu that focuses on foods that people love and constantly crave. The space itself is designed to feel like a den; exposed brick, bold artwork and meaningful memorabilia adorns the walls. When the weather permits, you can sit outside and enjoy the swings and dine on a hand painted, one of a kind table. Just like the tagline, Art, Culture and Kitchen.
The head Chef Acis (@chefacis) told us “To me, the way we are here. Once we started with the restaurant, it’s not like you’re working. It’s like doing what you love most and doing it with the people that we feel very comfortable with,” when he heard us asking about what makes the food unique.
We wanted to experience it ourselves. We started with the Side Chick, four super crunchy chicken strips served with beautiful hand-cut potato chips and a special sauce. The sound of the crunch would have been perfect for an ASMR or Muckbang video. We also tried the Spicy Chick, a spicy fried chicken burger topped with sharp yellow cheddar cheese, lettuce, string sweet potatoes, and The Base’s special chicken sauce. If you deconstructed it to examine it, you wouldn’t think it would taste so good, but the layering and the proportions of all the textures and flavors work together to create a banging sandwich.
The winter always gets us in a carby mood, so we were delighted when the two pasta dishes arrived, both topped with fried chicken. The Pink Matters Pasta is made using a special pink pasta and parmesan cheese, while the Truffle Chicken Pasta And Mushroom has just the right amount of truffle oil. Both were rich and creamy, without being heavy or greasy.
You can’t leave a table without having dessert and the Nutella Croissant Waffle left us stunned. As it arrived at the table it looked delicious but unassuming. It had a generous layer of Nutella chocolate drizzled on the in-house made croissant waffle, topped with fresh blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream. The real magic happens when you take the first bite. Alone, it is worth the visit.
We needed something to wash all the delicious food down so we ordered the Mixed Berries Mojito and the colorful Nipsey Blue, a fresh lemon mojito, with soda, mixed with crushed mint and honey.
It’s easy to get lost in today’s breakneck speed of life, but we need our own ‘Base’, where we can head to and find comfort, the familiar and a safe space where we can think, be creative, reconnect with old friends and build new relationships. And for now we’re calling The Base our second home.
The Base is located in SOMU Square – Souq Al Mubarkiya and is open 12pm-10pm every day except Mondays. Follow @thebasekuwait to stay on top of their news.
