Ali Barbour's Cave Restaurant

Located in Diani on the beach next to Forty Thieves, Ali Barbour's is a convenient and popular spot to grab a bite while holidaying at the coast. A few weeks ago I took a weekend trip to Diani with a girlfriend, known to many as the Buffet Queen, for a much needed getaway from Nairobi. Some friends, Hot Pastis and the hubby, were also on holiday so we decided to meet up for dinner at "the Cave" one night. 

We headed over to Forty Thieves, the sister bar/restaurant to the Cave, and settled in for some sundowners and requested a reservation next door. For low season, in a bar that was mostly empty, the waiter told us it would be hours before he could get us a table next door. I’m not sure if this was a ploy to get us to stay at his table and have dinner or what but once we said we’d wait we quickly got an earlier reservation.

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Once they “squeezed us in” we headed over and got settled. The ambiance is definitely the selling point here and the bougainvillea on the table was a nice touch along with soothing background music that was noticeable, but not distracting. I think you would be hard pressed to find a restaurant with a more unique ambiance than this place. We were a bit concerned it might start raining as it had many of the previous evenings, but were informed there was a sliding roof overhead, reassuring us that our dinners would not drown. It was also nice that there were mounted fans for those humid Diani evenings to keep us from sweating to death. 

Eagle's The Steakhouse at Ole Sereni with a prelude at Black Gold Cafe at The Panari Hotel

This is the Restaurant Week meal that almost wasn't. Initially, my friend (who I've decided to nickname Hot Pastis for the purpose of this post) and I decided to visit Black Gold Cafe at the Panari hotel off Mombasa Road despite warnings from one Curry Delight that he thought the hotel was worthless and it was a waste of our time to drive all the way out towards the airport just to try out their restaurant.

Never one to take advice without experiencing something for myself, we ventured ahead. After sitting in crazy late evening Nairobi traffic, Hot Pastis and I finally arrived at our destination to discover that the restaurant was little more than a glorified cafeteria cafe with a fancified menu for the event. Strike one came quickly: despite claims that the cafe "will give it the feel of a street café at the same time a comforting atmosphere of a game lodge as it faces the National Park", the ambiance was at best, lacking. The only view we had was of a florescent Korean Air sign and Mombasa Road. As Hot Pastis pointed out, "If I'm spending this much money on a meal, I don't want to stare at an airline sign." Strike two was close to follow and probably should have sent us running, but it was late and we were hungry. The entrance of the cafe featured a glass heater case full of meat pies and pastries that appeared to be "a bit dodgy", but we convinced ourselves that the Restaurant Week menu would be better than what was on display. Undeterred, we allowed ourselves to be seated and attempted to order a drink off the menu only to discover that just because their menu lists wines by the glass, does not mean that they will actually serve you wine by the glass. Looking around we slowly realized that of the handful of patrons in the restaurant, not one was eating. We took this as a sign and quickly skedaddled without committing to an entire bottle of wine. 

Now, I'm not saying never go to Panari. I hear they have an ice skating rink for the kids. And their website shows another restaurant, Red Garnet, that might have more promise. (It does boast a buffet option, if you're into that kind of thing.) Or if you're willing to experiment with day old pies left sitting out, in an albeit warmer case, give it a whirl and let me know how that turns out for you. 

Fortunately for us, we realized that Ole Sereni was just a hop, skip, and a jump across the highway and hightailed it over there before they closed. Located on the fourth floor, Eagle's Steakhouse, was a breath of fresh air compared to the "competition" across the road. With an actual view of the park and a lounge dining room it was noted that "at least it feels like a real restaurant". The ambiance was quite nice and you almost forget that you're in a hotel. Hot Pastis and I settled into our booth and got comfy with a glass of wine we ordered from an iPad wine list. The selection was decent and we settled on the South African Boschendal which was delightfully crisp. 

Nairobi Restaurant Week 2014

Restaurant Week found Nairobi this February.  For foodies residing in Nairobi, the heavens rejoiced.  Numerous eateries participated in the event and, due to overwhelming demand, a number of restaurants extended their special menus an extra week to encourage new patrons to feast at their locale.

While there was quite a selection to choose from, there were many "repeats" included (multiple locations of the same restaurant, e.g. Seven and Mediterraneo), seemingly trying to boost the list's numbers participants.  There was definitely more than few restaurants I was disappointed to see were not participating.  However, I must commend EatOut Kenya for doing a spectacular job organizing big name sponsors and restaurant options for this inaugural event.  The restaurants I visited were well prepared with restaurant week magazines, organized and eager for restaurant week patrons, and their staff was knowledgeable about the  event and menu options.  Furthermore, the #NRW2014 website was well organized and easy to navigate making it simple to choose a dining locale, view the set menu, and make a reservation.

Wagamama: Updated

Updated 20 Jun 2013: Traveling on yet another early morning flight through Heathrow Terminal 5, I bee-lined over to Wagamama. I contemplated trying somewhere new but the booths are comfortable, the servers are friendly and don't hurry you out if you take your time reading and drinking coffee, plus I was in the mood for something more than just eggs and toast.

While the menu does offer more traditional fare, I spiced up my order this time around with a vegetarian Japanese pancake. The wasabi mayonnaise was sublime. I am definitely importing some of that back to Nairobi! After sleeping through two in-flight meals, I wasn't sure if just a pancake would be enough to quench the hunger, but it was plate-size and quite filling.

There's something for everyone here, from the traditional English breakfast to Japanese delights; as long as you can get over the culture shock of paying about 9 quid for a pancake and two cups of coffee then make this a must-eat your next time through Heathrow. 

21 Nov 2012 initial visit: I am currently on a little break from the African diet since I traveled home to the States earlier this week to celebrate Thanksgiving and stuff myself with all the delicious foods that are not readily available in Kenya. On Monday I flew through London's Heathrow airport where I had a layover from about 5am UK time onward. Great. After a 10 hour flight everyone wants to sit in an airport for five hours early in the morning.

Taco Zulu: Updated

Updated 6/2015: According to Google, Simply Fish on Florida Road (see end of review) in Windermere is permanently closed.

Updated 11/2013: On a second work trip to Durban, another group of colleagues and I decided to try Taco Zulu once again. The service was much better this time around, but not remarkable. We noted that they had branched out into sushi. Odd for a Mexican joint, but whatever sells, I suppose. We didn't try any since they were having some sort of special so we all ended up with various burritos. They were great. The best thing about this place, in my opinion.

Original 6/2013: Upon arrival in Durban some restaurants were recommended to me on nearby Florida Road so my Kenyan colleague and I walked over a couple of blocks and immediately saw the Taco Zulu sign and thought we'd check it out.

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Habesha Revisited

Not much has changed at Habesha since I last visited, which was probably at least a year ago since I've been traveling, the service is consistently terrible, and I prefer to eat at restaurants that value their staff and customers. While I hadn't given up patronizing them entirely, I typically chose other Ethiopian restaurants over them.

This evening I made an exception for a friend's return to Nairobi. She loves the cuisine and Habesha is the only Ethiopian restaurant in the immediate neighborhood open in the evenings with any ambiance for a group meal. However, if I had expected, or even dimly hoped for, a change in management style at my old haunt I was sadly disappointed pretty much immediately upon arrival. A chilly night, we requested to sit near the fire pit. The servers refused because the open table sat eight and they claimed it was reserved for larger groups of 10-12. The other empty table was for  management. Because, obviously, non-paying customers should be the most comfortable. To make their argument more ridiculous, after we offered to move tables if a larger party came in and being refused, not one large party arrived during the entire two hours we sat there. It was a Wednesday night after all, it's not like we were asking to prevent a large group from being seated on a busy weekend night. I'm so glad that the 10-12 top of imaginary diners were warm and comfortable during their non-existent dinner while we shivered a table over, just out of the reach of the fiery warmth. For the record, if management thought about the comfort of their actual customers and not those that may or may not appear, they would most likely have made more sales. We would have stayed for at least another round of drinks after dinner, but left quickly, ready to escape the chill. 

Angelo's Restaurant

Billed as an "Afritalian cafe" on the beachfront at Shark Rock Pier there is not much Italian or African about the cuisine. It did have a few pasta dishes, some Thai platters, burgers, and several salads.  However, the ambiance is great with two patios overlooking the Indian Ocean. The restaurant is located on the "boardwalk" next to the KFC and below Barney's (a brewhouse with great live music). The food is very inexpensive, a full plate of pasta or half portion with a garden salad is only 49R. My friend commented that we only spent USD3 more per person than we did for our seafood takeaway at lunch and we had a bottle of wine in addition to our dinner. 

Unfortunately, the food is only mediocre and the service left much to be desired. The best I can say is everything was edible. The waiter swore to my friend (who did not have a lot of vegetarian options to choose from on the menu) that the tuna was fresh and absolutely did not come from a can. Hmmm, how does one flake "fresh" tuna into something that appears to have been scraped out of a can onto a salad? 

Meze Fresh Gourmet Burrito Bar

With only a few hours to kill in Kigali after a two week Byumba-imposed diet of chips and croquettes, my friends and I moto-ed across town in search of the famed "Chipotle-inspired burrito place". It's located between Kimihurura and Kacyiru. Not known to many moto drivers my friend told them to drop us at a well-known Chinese restaurant in the area (Great Wall Chinese) and then we just walked up the hill towards the boulevard. 

Popular among local expats, if you did not know what you were looking for when you stumbled across this restaurant you might be confused by the bright colors and traditional Rwandan art. However as soon as you approached the counter and saw the selection of fresh ingredients and multitude of options you would undoubtedly be filled with joy.

Many Americans will recognize the Chipotle-style layout (Freebirds, if you're from Texas). There's a wide selection to choose from including chicken, beef, pork, or vegetarian burritos, burrito bowls, and salads and prices are reasonable at 2,800-4000 RWF for burritos and 1000 RWF for a beer. 

Trinity Hall

Trinity Hall, bringing people together, one drink at a time. While I am not Irish I can still appreciate a good beer with a hearty shepherd's pie from time to time. And from time to time I mean I used to visit this pub several times a month as it was conveniently located at the corner of Mockingbird and 75, literally a block from my old office. It has a great patio overlooking Mockingbird Station where you can relax during the "patio weather months" and people watch. I have so many fond memories including this place. I celebrated my 29th birthday here:

Mmmmm.  Creme brulee. 

Food Diary of a Tex Mex Addict

Pending my return to the States all I could think about was the TexMex delicacies that awaited me in my hometown of Dallas.  Upon arrival I was hoping for a Taco Bell fix but my health conscious mother instead insisted on making fixins for homemade fajitas instead.  I guess I can't complain.  Chicken grilled in taco seasoning and covered in salsa, sour cream, and cheddar is not a bad way to start a trip home to Texas.