Ray Boyington
Latest Reviews
Peacock Chinese Restaurant
This was the first restaurant that I'm kind of meh about in Kuwait. Not worth a dedicated trip, or even really stopping by.
It is located INSIDE the Radisson Blu hotel. Makes sense why I never saw it before... I only knew about it via a Google search.
Beautifully decorated, lots of red. It is rather inviting. Inside, it is pretty dim. I came on a slower time and night (after 2200 on a Monday), it seems like... it was fortunately not packed.
Service was immediate, which was great. Staff are super friendly.
The food was okay. Hot and sour was just about perfect... it was hot AND sour with slight subtle sweetness on the tongue, plenty of food in the soup, and very thick. Not a lot though with such a small bowl... but this is the one thing I would come back for. The chicken spring rolls were very crisp but rather flavorless. I really had to lean into the sweet and sour sauce and hot pickled pepper "water" (it was that thin). Even the braised mixed vegetables in oyster was rather lacking... not even the oyster sauce was strong, and oyster sauce is POTENT. Singaporean noodles didn't hold a lot of flavor either... it actually tasted more of egg than anything, and that was because they let me have all the proteins in there: shrimp, chicken, and egg.
It's interesting because most Asian dishes usually scream with flavor, with some exceptions with things like brown sauce, which add a nuanced profile. Aside from the hot and sour soup and the condiments, there was nothing. Pretty disappointing.
They keep playing some stupid happy birthday song... it cheapens the vibe and doesn't feel special at all because you hear it so oftehree tmn. There was ONE table that I saw where they brought a cake over... but having to listen to a prerecorded song singing HBD was just cringy. This apparently is a thing because another fancier sit-down restaurant I was at did the same thing. They should do away with this practice as it ruins the atmosphere. Just sing the song in person/concert and be done with it.
I left full, but it made me think of cheap Americanized-Asian food. Was rather disappointed.
I will give this place another shot, maybe... but mostly for the soup, and more hope for something like the duck. But looking at other reviews, I am not going to hold my breath.
It is located INSIDE the Radisson Blu hotel. Makes sense why I never saw it before... I only knew about it via a Google search.
Beautifully decorated, lots of red. It is rather inviting. Inside, it is pretty dim. I came on a slower time and night (after 2200 on a Monday), it seems like... it was fortunately not packed.
Service was immediate, which was great. Staff are super friendly.
The food was okay. Hot and sour was just about perfect... it was hot AND sour with slight subtle sweetness on the tongue, plenty of food in the soup, and very thick. Not a lot though with such a small bowl... but this is the one thing I would come back for. The chicken spring rolls were very crisp but rather flavorless. I really had to lean into the sweet and sour sauce and hot pickled pepper "water" (it was that thin). Even the braised mixed vegetables in oyster was rather lacking... not even the oyster sauce was strong, and oyster sauce is POTENT. Singaporean noodles didn't hold a lot of flavor either... it actually tasted more of egg than anything, and that was because they let me have all the proteins in there: shrimp, chicken, and egg.
It's interesting because most Asian dishes usually scream with flavor, with some exceptions with things like brown sauce, which add a nuanced profile. Aside from the hot and sour soup and the condiments, there was nothing. Pretty disappointing.
They keep playing some stupid happy birthday song... it cheapens the vibe and doesn't feel special at all because you hear it so oftehree tmn. There was ONE table that I saw where they brought a cake over... but having to listen to a prerecorded song singing HBD was just cringy. This apparently is a thing because another fancier sit-down restaurant I was at did the same thing. They should do away with this practice as it ruins the atmosphere. Just sing the song in person/concert and be done with it.
I left full, but it made me think of cheap Americanized-Asian food. Was rather disappointed.
I will give this place another shot, maybe... but mostly for the soup, and more hope for something like the duck. But looking at other reviews, I am not going to hold my breath.
Shanidar Cave
Pretty cool place to visit.
It is VERY far away from Erbil, if that's where you are coming from. However, the journey is quite worth it, as you get away from the riff raff of the city and surround yourself with lush hills and mountains.
If you put this into your GPS and are coming from the south, it will stop a bit early before the actual entrance. Don't fret... keep driving down the road and you'll see that it is a developed attraction with an obvious sign. There is a small parking lot when you make it up... you'll continue on foot up a lot of zig-zag stone stairs. When you make it to the mouth of the cave, it is fenced in but there's an entrance.
The cave itself is relatively-small and still the site of an excavation, so right in the center is another fenced-in area that's locked. The HISTORICAL significance of this cave is pretty nifty, but practically-speaking, it's pretty much a hole in a mountain that you can't really explore.
The view from the cave is pretty nice, though. =)
Unfortunately, there is a lot of graffiti in the cave itself, and people leave their trash here. I still don't understand why there's so much trash in potentially beautiful places like this.
It is VERY far away from Erbil, if that's where you are coming from. However, the journey is quite worth it, as you get away from the riff raff of the city and surround yourself with lush hills and mountains.
If you put this into your GPS and are coming from the south, it will stop a bit early before the actual entrance. Don't fret... keep driving down the road and you'll see that it is a developed attraction with an obvious sign. There is a small parking lot when you make it up... you'll continue on foot up a lot of zig-zag stone stairs. When you make it to the mouth of the cave, it is fenced in but there's an entrance.
The cave itself is relatively-small and still the site of an excavation, so right in the center is another fenced-in area that's locked. The HISTORICAL significance of this cave is pretty nifty, but practically-speaking, it's pretty much a hole in a mountain that you can't really explore.
The view from the cave is pretty nice, though. =)
Unfortunately, there is a lot of graffiti in the cave itself, and people leave their trash here. I still don't understand why there's so much trash in potentially beautiful places like this.
Ruwi Sultan Qaboos Mosque
Beautiful mosque and a must visit.
This place is pretty large so prepare to do a bit of walking to soak it all in. The main building is very large and spacious and pretty cool to dwarf yourself in. Fantastic aesthetics, inside and out.
Bags are not allowed and they usually close at 1100, so time your stop to give you at least an hour to walk around. Plenty of parking. You will need to remove your shoes before going into the buildings.
Please remain respectful!
This place is pretty large so prepare to do a bit of walking to soak it all in. The main building is very large and spacious and pretty cool to dwarf yourself in. Fantastic aesthetics, inside and out.
Bags are not allowed and they usually close at 1100, so time your stop to give you at least an hour to walk around. Plenty of parking. You will need to remove your shoes before going into the buildings.
Please remain respectful!