Yummy Vol 31: Burger Fest 2017 Edition

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FREEYUMMY COPY

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Vol 3.05 | May 2017

BURGER MANIA SIPPING COKE-TAILS Four refreshing Coca-Cola cocktails to try at home

2 FOR 1 BURGERS At over 100 restaurants in Nairobi and Mombasa

I AM GOURMET Find out the secrets behind Mama Rocks 1.

NOW AVAILABLE AT PRESTIGE PLAZA - FOOD COURT

OPEN 11AM - MIDNIGHT OFFER DOES NOT APPLY TO THE BIG HULK & SPECIAL BURGERS | AVAILABLE FOR EAT IN ONLY

89.9

106.3

89.5

Win With East FM & Nairobi Burger Festival Tune in to East FM for a chance to win fabulous Prizes!

EDITORIAL YUMMY

BURGER CRAZY We EatOut folk love nothing more than to bring you the best food experiences in town.

Last year, we hosted several food festivals, but one in particular took the city by storm and we had no choice but to bring it back.

This May, loosen your belts and get ready for the return of the Burger Festival in partnership with Visa. With over 100 participating restaurants from Nairobi to Mombasa and all the way down to Kampala, this year’s festival, starting on May 8th till the 14th, is bigger and better than ever.

The main attraction is, of course, the 2-for-1 deal on an irresistible range of delicious burgers, some of which have been added to restaurant menus just for the festival.

I personally find it hard to imagine life without burgers. As a child, when I was asked what I wanted for dinner, more times than not the answer was a burger (and whatever flimsy free toy came free in the kiddie pack with it)!

I remember watching a movie where some floppy-haired kid was granted

three wishes by a genie and his very first wish was that it rained burgers.

As patties and french fries showered the boy, I sat inches away from the TV, reluctantly poking away at my pilau, thinking “maaaan!” No matter how old you are, nothing hits the spot like a big, juicy burger, which is why this festival is bound to have you going burger crazy.

As always, this edition of Yummy will be your own personal guide bringing you all you need to know about the festival from page 38. To participate, just visit our website, download your free burger pass, circle your go-to spots and embrace the inevitable onset of burger withdrawal once the week is over.

This year, we’ve partnered with Visa and, in honour of all things burgers,

we’ll be giving away lots of goodies and restaurant vouchers, so keep an eye on our social media pages and tune into Kiss FM, XFM and East FM for more. We’re also excited to have the support of Coca-Cola, Golden Fry, Tusker and Fresh Chewing Gum, who will also be showering all you burger lovers with even more goodies.

As always, we bring you our regular features. This month, read about Charity Keita’s surprising struggles to find a decent burger in Italy on page 33. The colourful twosome behind Mama’s Rock take over our Kitchen Confidential column and let us in on a few of their gourmet tips on page 34. And in the spirit of the Burger Festival, Coca-Cola have created four refreshing coke-tails for you to try out at home on page 48.

We can’t wait to hear about your experiences. We’ll be tracking the conversations online, especially your reviews and photos. So as you tuck into your stacked juicy goodness, remember to take a picture, tag @EatOutKenya and use the official hashtag #BurgerFest.

Enjoy!

Michelle Slater General Manager

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MAY 2017

CONTENTS 38 BURGER FESTIVAL GUIDE We’re back with our second edition of Nairobi Burger Festival!

We’ve got everything you need to know about how to participate and where.

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24

DESERT DESSERT

Fearless Chef Kiran Jethwa is on another adventure

in this episode. He travels to Northern Ethiopia and

makes ice cream in an inhospitable climate.

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ROYAL CHEF

We speak to Chef Isaac Arunga of Lord Erroll about

his experience in the industry hosting a TV show and

working abroad.

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COARSELY GROUND

Charity Keita misses home and the sweet taste of

Kenyan beef in delicious burgers.

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I AM GOURMET

This month, Kitchen Confidential is brought to you by

Natalie Mwedekeli of Mama Rocks food truck.

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THE DRIZZLER

Susan Wong heads to The Carnivore’s Simba Saloon to

indulge in their juicy burgers.

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DELICIOUS REACTION

Food Scientist, Loretta Mugo, explains the delicious

chemical reaction that gives meats their flavour.

BURGER RECIPES Get the inside scoop on how these three burger restaurants make their delicious meals.

YUMMY Vol. 3.05 · May 2017 · PUBLISHED BY EATOUT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MANAGING DIRECTOR Mikul Shah GM Michelle Slater EDITOR Soni Adriance DESIGN Rachel Mwangi, Brian Siambi SALES, MARKETING & OPERATIONS Daniel Muthiani, Devna Vadgama, Faiza Hersi, Fred Mwithiga, Gilbert Chege, Haddy Max, Jane Naitore, Joy Wairimu, Ruth Wairimu, Seina Naimasiah, Winnie Wangui CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Katy Fentress CONTRIBUTORS Charity Keita, Chef Kiran Jethwa, Jackson Biko, Natalie Mwedekeli, Loretta Mugo, Susan Wong, Wanjiku Mungai PHOTOGRAPHY Tatiana Karanja IT Kelvin Jayanoris SALES INQUIRIES Call Yummy, 0711 22 22 22 EMAIL info@yummy.co.ke

/eatoutafrica

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@EatOutKenya

@eatoutkenya

WIN WITH YUMMY

WIN WITH #BURGERFEST Throughout Nairobi Burger Festival, EatOut Kenya will be giving a few lucky winners the chance to win restaurant vouchers and exciting hampers courtesy of our sponsors.

Stay tuned to Kiss FM, XFM and East FM or upload your photos using the hashtag #BurgerFest and you could be one of our lucky winners.

/eatoutafrica @EatOutKenya @eatoutkenya

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NEWS & EVENTS

CAN YOU CIDER? Your beloved Tusker Premium Cider now comes in a can Following the success of the Tusker Premium Cider bottle, Kenya Breweries Limited recently launched a canned version of their newest beer. Tusker Cider is a crisp, premium-crafted drink created from fresh apples. This new cider has 4.5% alcohol content and offers a refreshing drinking experience. Don’t drink and drive.

TALISMAN ON THE LAKE The Lakehouse dinner series is back for it’s 3rd edition with Chef Ray!

SPRING INTO STYLE

The Lakehouse Tigoni is proud to invite you to the third edition of their dinner series with Talisman’s Chef Ray on 26th & 27th May from 6PM. Chef Ray will be preparing a custom menu designed for the season and celebrating local ingredients in an Asian style on The Eduardo Barge on the gorgeous private lake. Tickets retail at Ksh 7,000 per person. Please dress warmly, feel free to bring blankets as well, just in case. No high heels.

Put Some Pep in your Step, some Kill in your Heel and Spring into Style Have you been looking for an excuse to wear that gorgeous dress you recently bought? Now’s your chance! On Saturday May 13th, The Lord Erroll hosts Spring into Style, an exclusive dinner, a fantastic runway show and pop up bringing together elegant people in an elegant setting. Head on down for an evening of good company, delicious meals and pizzazz all for a worthy cause with 5% of ticket sales donated to the human needs Project of Kibera.

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NEW RESTAURANTS

THE KIZA EXPERIENCE Fine Dining Finds a New Home at the Kiza Restaurant Kiza offers more than just a great night out. Their new restaurant is an experience – celebrating and showcasing Africa to the world through their 3 touchpoints; sight, sound, and taste. Their pan-African themed menu consists of a selection of popular dishes from across the continent with each dish crafted with care to demonstrate diversity.

BIG HULK Urban Gourmet Burger now open at Prestige Plaza!

If you’re ever around Ngong Road and find yourself craving one of Urban Burger’s delicious meals, you’re in for a treat! Now open at the Prestige Plaza, Urban Gourmet Burger brings their famous flame grilled burgers, meat cuts, cocktails and more closer to Ngong Road. Whether you’re down for game night with the boys or cocktails with the girls, Urban Burger will put some thrill in your meal!

GET LIVE! A New Taste of Life at Live Inn at the new Park Inn by Radisson With an inviting, contemporary atmosphere you’d like to “live in,” the Live Inn Room Restaurant is the perfect place to savour delicious local and international cuisine and a selection of the finest wines. Set at the newly opened Park Inn by Radisson, located along Waiyaki Way a few meters after Viking House, this restaurant also offers a daily breakfast buffet featuring a variety of morning favourites and when the weather allows, a fresh barbecue grilled on the terrace.

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PRESENTS THE

S L E R R A ES & B l

BIT

Festiva

EXPERIENCE

Incredible cocktails.

Whiskey tastings.

Delicious Bites.

THE

SATURDAY

12.00 ALCHEMIST BAR Late ENTRY CHARGES 27 May KSHS1000 2017

pm

TILL

Entry charges are inclusive of two cocktails.

Entertainment by MVROE/UKWELI DJ LASTA BUTCH JACK ROOSTER TAIO DJ KACE

E X C E S S I V E A L C O H O L C O N S U M P T I O N I S H A R M F U L T O Y O U R H E A LT H .

S T R I C T LY N O T F O R S A L E T O P E R S O N S U N D E R T H E A G E O F 1 8 Y E A R S .

SOCIAL SCENE

B&W

The April edition of Blankets & Wine was nothing short of spectacular with a showstopping performance by AKA, the “Supa Mega� hip-hop star from South Africa. The festival also featured the revolutionary soul sounds of Nigerian/German Nneka and other Kenyan acts including Fena and MDQ. The crowds indulged in food and drink from a colourful selection of vendors and enjoyed fashion and crafts stands. Be sure to look out for details of the next edition of Blankets and Wine.

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ADVERTORIAL

THE OHCHA WAY Mention noodles to most people and the mental images conjured are invariably similar. It takes you back to university dorms where the instant variety would provide a quick and cheap meal. It was how one avoided getting dishes dirty and pushed through those long academic sessions.

OhCha Noodle Bar is out to change the way people think about noodles.

Built to reflect the Southeast Asian phenomenon of street food culture, OhCha is an explosion of fun flavours that elevates noodles to an art form.

The result is a great meal for those

who are culinary adventurous.

With 2 outlets in the city (Westgate and Village Market) OhCha Noodle Bar is a breath of fresh air. It provides a quick, fun and exciting way to dine that takes you to the streets of Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and China with every single bite.

The choices are just as exciting: you can pick right off the menu or tailor your meal to fit your needs with a Build It Yourself format. This allows you to pick your noodles (there are at least six options including, eggs, rice, buckwheat and udon noodles) vegetables, main ingredient and

house sauces. It’s a great way to explore the menu and find out what combination will tantalize your taste buds .

Walk into the kitchen and the fire burns brightly; both figuratively and literally. Woks on open flames as the woks toss delicate creations from the chefs. One of the best sellers is the Classic Pad Thai. A delicious mix of rice noodles, peanuts and vegetables in a signature Pad Thai sauce. Enjoy your Pad Thai with vegetables, chicken or prawns. The signature dish list is full of amazing concoctions.

Don’t leave without trying the Cheza

Beef. It’s simply divine.

Catering to different tastes, OhCha’s food is a flavour explosion of hot and spicy soups, stir-fries, salads and noodles. The dessert options are also great if you have a sweet tooth.

Vegetarian options abound and you can decide what level of spicy you can handle. The best part of all is that the delivery service allows you to enjoy your meal at home or at the office all week long. Feeling a little adventurous? OhCha is where you need to be. It promises fast, fresh and delicious meals. A dining revolution in Nairobi based on the humble noodle.

Kiran Jethwa is the Chef & Co-Owner of Nairobi’s award winning Seven Restaurant. His TV show, the Fearless Chef, has aired in over 100 countries on National Geographic & now on Channel 4 in the UK.

FEARLESS CHEF

TEXT KIRAN JETHWA

DESERT DESSERT In this episode of Fearless Chef, Kiran Jethwa faces the inhospitable climate of Northern Ethiopia to visit the giant salt lake Afedra and somehow, make ice cream.

The sun is just starting to rise above the shimmering surface of the lakes.

It’s incredibly beautiful but already the big burning ball of beauty is sucking the life out of me. We pass the remains of a dead camel on the side of the track. Like these hardy beasts, my lifeline, 12 litres of fresh water, is carried in a pouch on my back. It’s so dry here, with the wind and the heat, that you don’t need to wipe sweat from your brow because it’s gone before beads have the time to form. My lips are dry, my throat is dry and I’m struggling to talk. You don’t realise the speed at which water evaporates from the body, in heats like these twenty minutes without rehydrating can be all it takes before you collapse.

We are in Northern Ethiopia, in the Danakil Depression—one of the hottest places on earth—and I am on a mission to make ice cream.

Situated some 800kms north of the capital Addis Ababa, covering an area of over 5,000 square km, the Danakil Depression has an average annual temperature of 50 degrees centigrade. Its inhospitable climate makes for an otherworldly landscape of sand dunes, volcanic rock and fluorescent sulphur pools, where very little survives or grows. It is also home to the nomadic Afar people who for centuries have mined, extracted and shaped salt slabs in order to load them on camel trains for the two day long trip back to the market.

My journey starts at the giant salt

lake Afdera, one of the lowest lakes on the planet. Next to the dormant Afdera volcano, more than 750 salt producers extract 1.2 million tonnes of this precious commodity every year. Spanning over 3 square kms are hundreds of salt fields. One harvest of a field of pure salt has an astonishing net worth of up to $80,000. To say it’s back breaking work is an understatement: I try my hand at it and have only been going for a couple of minutes before the heat begins to feel oppressive.

On my second morning we decide to head to Hamed Ela – a fairly featureless village that is home to the salt cutters and carvers. Here I also meet the camels who are the lifeblood of the Afar people. I am quickly put to work milking one of these prized beasts and find that pulling at their teats to get the milk flowing is a bizarre but oddly soothing experience. The milk, it turns out, is delicious. It tastes ever so slightly salty, is not quite as sweet and heavy as cow’s milk but it’s very rich and I’m told has got at least ten times the vitamin C. From Hamed Ela we embark on our journey to the salt fields before the sun rises; the temperature is a

humid 28 degrees Celsius. I meet Mr. Ali and join the men on the camel train who inform me I’m in charge of leading three camels. After 3 hours of walking through the searing heat, we eventually make it to our designated salt mine where we meet Noor, a salt carver. The tool Noor uses is incredibly sharp and allows him to carve every block exactly the same size. The salt is harder than it looks, by the time I finish chiseling one I am absolutely knackered. I look to Noor who chuckles, “it’s terrible”, before informing me does about 120 bars a day.

The next step is to carefully pack the salt in preparation for its long journey; a broken salt chunk can halve its value. I make an absolute hash of it and by the time I’ve managed to stack four, Ali has bound twenty.

It’s now 3pm and we’ve been at this since half past 5 in the morning.

Next we have to walk the 10km back to Hamed Ela, no easy feat after a day spent working in temperatures of around 48 degrees.

I like to keep myself in relatively good shape but clearly I haven’t done enough desert training. My throat is dry and I’m struggling to talk. Halfway to Hamed Ela and I’m absolutely shattered. Luckily for me the pace

has been slowed down in order, I am told, to give the camels a chance to recuperate. The sun is relentless, you just can’t get away from it and there’s no shade. After 13 long hours, we finally make it back to Hamed Ela. I can’t imagine doing this one extra day much less for my entire life. I’ve drunk twelve litres of water today and only peed once.

After I recover I face a new challenge: making ice cream in the desert. My plan is to extract dry ice from a CO2 fire extinguisher I brought with me. I make a sleeve and secure it onto the end of the extinguisher and blast away leaving dry ice in the sleeve. I mix the dry ice into my ice cream mixture and it freezes instantly.

Success! I have ice cream! Danakil camel’s milk and coffee ice cream with toasted barley covered with brandy snap, to be precise!

Ali and I sit down to try it. After experiencing 3 days of 50 degree heat it feels like an angel has come down and poured a drop of heaven down my throat. To Ali, who has never tried ice cream before, it is a revelation.

Ultimately I manage to succeed in making ice cream in the Danakil Depression with a fire extinguisher. So although I didn’t have much success with the salt, I can leave feeling more than a little accomplished and proud to have made friends amongst the Afar people.

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KAHAWA DIARIES

ARTCAFFE KAHAWA DIARIES THIS MONTH WE SPEAK TO FRANCIS MUGANE, FROM VISA ABOUT HIS MORNING ROUTINE AND HOW HE TAKES HIS COFFEE.

What do you do for a living?

I work at Visa Inc. as a Director, Merchant Sales & Solutions. Basically working to ensure that businesses in Africa are equipped with the tools to accept digital payments rather that than cash.

What’s the best part of your job?

The best part of my job has got to be the interactions with people from all facets of life. From seasoned bankers, to young entrepreneurs..

Every conversation is fresh and always keeps me on my toes, wanting to learn more.

What’s your morning routine?

I love to take some time first thing in the morning to just clear my mind and focus on what I need to get done for the day. From there, catch some news as I get ready, try whip up something to eat (if there’s time) and then head out and start to put my plans into action. I must say though, recently one of my favourite things to do is to pick up something fresh from the bakery...Makes the day THAT much better.

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How do you take your coffee?

Definitely a Cappuccino guy, though I will indulge in the occasional Espresso especially early morning or pre-workout.

What’s your favourite pastry?

That’s a tough one.. Probably Vanilla Eclairs.

Why did Visa choose to come onboard Nairobi Burger Festival?

At Visa, we strongly believe in partnerships and have been very impressed with the organization of the Nairobi Burger Festival from year to year.

So to come on board and try to play our part to add value for the merchants (restaurants) as well as their customers was a no brainer. We are very proud and very excited about Nairobi Burger Festival 2017.

Any exciting new projects coming up?

Lots of exciting projects! Keep your eyes peeled on our social media platforms for more.

CHEF PROFILE

TEXT WANJIKU MUNGAI PHOTOS VI’ENLE PHOTOGRAPHY

The beauty, the old charm, there was just something about it.

ROYAL CHEF

We interview Chef Isaac Arunga of Lord Erroll about his experience in the industry from hosting a TV show to meeting Zinedine Zidane while working in Dubai.

In the learned opinion of Isaac Arunga, one of the chefs at the Lord Erroll in Runda, there are various things that can make or break a burger: the bun could be too dry, the seasoning can be too little or too much. The worst thing in Chef Isaac’s opinion, however, is for a patty to be overcooked or dry.

We are seated at the balcony; the restaurant is quiet, almost eerily so but we’re here early in the morning, so it makes sense. The tables all around us are set for lunch, to our left the bar is dim, shiny bottles of hard liquor standing behind a carved wooden tabletop. To our right, the balcony looks out over a garden where two fat furry cats are scampering delightedly after a waiter carrying a plate of cat food out to the green. Around the other side of the building, in one of the conference rooms, a group sits in a workshop, outside the staff set up the area for their tea break: laying out white saucers and cups around two large silver vats of hot beverages. The ambiance is leafy and airy, enough to make one breathe easier, especially if you are coming straight from the smog and smoke of Nairobi’s busier parts.

Chef Arunga, who has been at Lord Erroll since February of this year, sports a clean-shaven head that leads down to a full beard, a look he says he

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borrowed from his father. Dressed in a crisp white shirt and a black apron, he walks with a confident gait across the restaurant, a checked dishtowel in his back pocket swinging in time with his step. If something seems vaguely familiar about him when you first meet him in person, it might be that you remember him from the three seasons when he was the host on KBC’s cooking show, Chakula Bora.

Yet the camera-shy chef, rapping his knuckles self-consciously on the table as our cameraman snaps photographs of him, is perhaps the last person you would expect to end up on a television show.

“They asked me to do it because I was good-looking,” he jokes wryly of this previous chapter in his 13 year career, speaking in a Kenyan accent coloured with influences from his travels abroad. His career, he tells us, has spanned locations as diverse as the Sarova in Nairobi, the Ritz in London and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Three years ago, he eventually returned to Kenya when he was expecting his first child, a daughter.

You would be hard-pressed to find a chef who does not speak of how the intense hours and travel expected of the job make it difficult to carve out the time to be around family, and Chef Arunga is no exception. Awake and on his feet long before 7AM,

he begins his days early and ends his days late, often at around 10PM but sometimes as late as midnight.

His tasks are a combination of the humdrum tasks of any chef: working on menus, preparing the lunch, afternoon tea and dinner service, and meetings. Arunga checks his email once a day, in the morning when he arrives at the restaurant, and otherwise avoids the distractions of the Internet. When he has a free evening, he will spend time with his family or watch a football game with friends.

The challenge is offset somewhat by the perks of the job - the chance to hone his skills and practice his love for fine dining, as well as the opportunity to meet people. He boasts, for instance, of an encounter with Zinedine Zidane while in Dubai.

An avid fan of Manchester United football club, Chef Arunga dreams of meeting former manager Alex Ferguson. “I would love to make him haggis,” he says, “I don’t know how to make haggis, but I would find a way.”

Last year in December, Chef Isaac visited Lord Erroll for the first time, and was at once struck by the beauty of the place: “The beauty, the old charm, there was just something about it.” It was this beauty, together with the projects that the owners of Lord Erroll had slated for the

coming year that had him hooked.

When pressed for details, he laughs, “We cannot reveal our secrets.” But whatever it was, it excited him enough that he took on the role, “Going forward, the plans we have for the place, it’s a new challenge.”

When he started this job 13 years ago, Chef Arunga was driven by a love for food and a desire to bring something special to those he cooked for, a fine dining experience that would delight the senses: with its colours and presentation, with its flavours and taste, and with its texture.

Having learnt through apprenticeship, he would tell a younger version of himself to “stick to it, be patient, and have a work ethic,” the same principles that he says have been his guiding philosophy.

For this year’s Nairobi Burger Festival, Chef Arunga is looking forward to dazzling visitors to Lord Erroll with a variety of items, including a specialty foie gras patty burger that he remembers as his most delicious burger creation. “Foie gras is very buttery, it’s fatty, you stuff it into a burger patty and then you cook it medium. [When] you take a bite you feel the moistness and the texture…”

He reckons this would be the perfect item for the upcoming festival, in addition to options ranging from salmon to lamb to a vegetarian option.

YUMMY

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THE FOOD LIFE

COARSELY GROUND On why Italians can’t seem to get a burger right and missing the sweet taste of Kenyan beef.

The truth is that once you’ve had a Mango Maasai burger dripping in sumptuously rich grease and tangy sweet mango juices from the Mama Rocks food truck at The Yard, you are going to have a hard time appreciating most other burgers in most countries of the world. Even in, (brace yourself) Italy, where food is king, most establishments can’t seem to pinpoint the exact secret to the perfect burger.

I mean, it’s not rocket science for heaven’s sake! Make sure the beef you buy is fresh, marbled and coarsely ground, add whatever your choice of seasoning is, make the centre of the patty ever so slightly thicker than the edges, cook it but make sure it never ever goes brown right the way through, then slather it with whatever it is you decide. Seems easy, no?

Not only have I had a mind boggling

assortment of mediocre burgers in Italy since living here, I even recently got sick after eating at a place called the Perfect Bun! And by sick I don’t mean feeling a bit iffy the next day, it kept me up half the night in writhing pain. The last time I felt like that, I had stopped for lunch at one of the mabati hotelis on the side of Westlands roundabout and stuffed my face with the delicious bowl of communal kachumbari that was doing the rounds of the the plastic tables which, I could not help but notice, were regularly sponged down with a cloth the colour of a pothole puddle after a rainy day. I suspect they would recycle the kachumbari from the day before, adding freshly chopped veggies and oodles of pili pili and lemon, probably why it tasted so good but possibly from a hygienic point of view not the most recommendable way to feed paying customers.

I think the problem for Italians is meatballs. Not that meatballs are a problem, they can be quite delicious if you ask me—especially when made with mixed poultry, ginger and cashew nuts—but they tend to have a very fine and lean grind which inevitably finds its way into an Italian burger, turning out a patty that is inevitably too homogenous to savour properly as you bite through your soft bun and crunchy lettuce. A course ground burger tends to be a bit less compact which somehow results in the juices being more prominent, forcefully thrusting themselves onto your tastebuds as they mingle with the ketchup and, possibly, the melted cheese. A compact patty made with a fine grind lacks texture and the exciting prospect of watching the meat weep as you bite into its succulent centre, it tends to be more selfish with its flavours with the meat

cooking too fast to hold on to any kind of a complex personality.

To every rule there must be an exception. This particular one is called Open Baladin and I discovered it when out with a friend in central Rome. This dark beer and burger joint has large, ancient brick vaulted ceilings and a vast array of artisanal beers. It is, however, only when you check out the burger menu that you realise how serious these guys are.

With buns that vary from crunchy sourdough to the obscure but quite tasty bitter chocolate, the beef patties that make an appearance are coarse, textured and riveted with fatty flavoured joy. I was proved wrong. But that doesn’t mean I can’t wait to get back to Kenya and have me a burger made from the very best of our free range happy cow meat!

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KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL

TEXT NATALIE MWEDEKELI

I AM GOURMET Natalie Mwedekeli of Mama Rocks Food truck fame, lets our readers in on some of the secrets behind this popular burger joint’s ongoing success At Mama Rocks we often joke and say, “If a plantain could talk it would scream ‘I am not a banana!’” The banana and the plantain are as distant in their relations as the classic burger is to its gourmet brethren. They may look the same but they were in no way created equal.

Here at the Mama Rocks food truck, my sister Samantha and I follow a gourmet philosophy which we exercise down to every last ingredient on our menu. Thus, in order to create a gourmet burger, we believe you must start with the central ingredient - the patty which must be made from fresh ingredients. Try freezing mince and watch how ice crystals begin to form, kickstarting a process that leads both to a loss of flavourful juices and to a reduction in that desired spongy, airy texture that defines the perfect burger. The negatives associated with frozen meat far outweigh the positives so when cooking burgers at home, the next time you see that offer for frozen mince, don’t take it up.

The cut and type of beef that is used for a burger is extremely important. Some fast food joints use a filler most often referred to as ‘pink slime’, which is added to the mince in addition to the beef chuck roll to

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make the burger patty. Not only does it sound unattractive, it looks like something out of Ghostbusters. Truly gourmet burger restaurants use whole cuts of beef such as chuck from the flank, which is leaner, more flavourful and therefore more expensive. At Mama Rocks we use our own blend of rib eye, topside and chuck, from grass-fed, free range, organic Borana cattle. So head down to your butcher and choose the meat you feel fits your burger best and keep in mind that while grinding your own meat is of course the best option, having your butcher do it in front of you will do just fine too.

A telling sign of a gourmet burger is the quality of the secondary ingredients used and the method of preparation. To get the buttery, egg-rich balance of our gorgeouslygolden-brown brioche burger buns exactly right, our bakers spent six months constantly testing and retesting their recipe. Our seasonal honey is harvested by an independent supplier and our thinly sliced, lightly seasoned gherkins are produced locally by another independent artisan. As a result of this non-commercial approach, we feel we have successfully created

On your next visit to your local fresh food market think like a Gastronomer, be lead by passion, not price and follow your inspiration where it takes you. a flavour that is unique, authentic and above all, extremely difficult to replicate.

Here at the food truck we are still high fiving each other on what we know was our best idea: creating our own brand of signature sauces.

The sweet potato sauce, the Only The Brave hot sauce and the Chili Mango sauce were all inspired by the flavours of Africa. Get creative and try your own unconventional condiments, maybe adapting an old family recipe, a traditional spice blend or just a

crazy flavour combination you have been afraid to speak out loud. Don’t hold back, get experimental and see what comes out. That’s where half the fun is.

On your next visit to your local fresh food market think like a Gastronomer, be passion not price lead and follow your inspiration where it takes you. Instead of using plain fresh onions, transform them through pickling, sautéing, caramelising or adding a marinade, rest assured that this will give your entire burger a different dimension and flavour sensation. Your taste buds will thank you for it. On that note, instead of using lettuce try rocket, garlic pan-fried baby spinach or chili, coriander and butter mushrooms.

After that no one can accuse you of lacking imagination!

In sum, it is important to keep in mind that while yes the burger came from humble, fast-food beginnings, the gourmet burger today continues to revolutionize outdated perceptions and there is no reason for you not to get in on the game.

Life just got more colorful with the new Park Inn by Radison Nairobu Westlands.

Enjoy spacious and colorful rooms, smart meetings and events our live-inn restaurant and The Attic Roof Top Bar.

THE DRIZZLER Susan Wong heads to Carnivore, the established meat-lovers restaurant in Langata.

Here, she indulges in juicy burgers and their famous Dawa cocktail ahead of Nairobi Burger Festival.

Carnivore is a shrine to perfectly cooked meat. Located only 4kms from Nairobi’s city center, since 1980 this popular eatery has established itself as a casual lunch spot by day that really comes to life

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after dark. As you pass the massive, manly, unapologetically smoky and round charcoal roast pit, smoke will imminently get soaked up by your clothes, hair and even into your eyes; but it’s the sumptuous rendered meat

– ostrich, beef, lamb, chicken, camel, crocodile and pork - that will make you weep.

This dinner was not about the famous Carnivore eating experience where every type of meat imaginable

is slowly roasted over charcoal and carved table-side. Nor was this about another popular figure that frequented the African-inspired interiors of this Nairobi attraction: Dr. Dawa.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

PHOTOS TATIANA KARANJA

With his portable bar strapped hanging from his neck, Dr. Dawa is always ready to charm you with the house invention: the Dawa. This famous classic Kenyan cocktail is always garnished with a bamboo “Dawa stick” that allows you to pound the concoction of fresh limes, honey, sugar, ice and vodka in your glass as you drink.

“A Dawa, ladies?”

“Definitely.”

We knew this beloved boozy beverage would be perfect to cut through greasy meat, and elevate what was to come: our burgers.

If the burgers at Carnivore were men, they would be men of substance. Simple but efficient.

They would have the basics down, know how to tie a tie and only wear well-fitted clothes that were that accentuated the body in its natural stance. The men would appreciate a subtle pop of colour, a small detail that sets them apart without being obnoxious. Renaissance Men in the classic sense.

Our collection of four burgers all featured the same beef option. If you’re looking for a chunky texture with fat packed away loosely in a

coarse grounded patty, this is not it.

The finer ground is not particularly my favourite as it tends to crumble when cooked beyond medium. Also, it just feels a little like baby food in the mouth to me. There is no distinct texture when chewing. That being said, the burgers had a lovely taste of umami, beefiness and savouriness.

The signature Tamburger is a quarter kilo of pure beef burger topped with some ripe tomatoes and fresh, crisp leaves of lettuce, there to give the impression that this might be a well-balanced meal. Throw in some melted cheese and it morphs into the real cheeseburger classic dubbed the Cheezy Dribbler.

The grilled patties of beef only hold together for half the eating time, but that’s okay. By that point, you’ve already scanned the restaurant to see if anyone was looking at the beef juices dribbling down your forearms, or even your shirt. Chances are, as was in my case, you’ll end-up holding the gaze of another stranger, sheepishly surveying the crowd as they swiftly attempt to wipe off all the juices from their hands. In solidarity, both of you continue to dig into those grilled brioche buns and ponder on

If the burgers at Carnivore were men, they would be men of substance...

They would have the basics down, know how to tie a tie and only wear well-fitted clothes why they’re called “Dribblers.”

As well as the two classic beef options, there are two others that feature strips of bacon. The O.B.C. Dribbler is basically a Tamburger topped with onions, bacon and chillies. Finally, the classic Fully Loaded Tamburger is liken to a male fashion blogger who wears all of the trends at one time - somehow the busyness fashionably works. In this case, caramelised onions, sautéed mixed bell peppers, gherkins, sautéed

mushrooms, grilled strips of bacon, chili and melted cheese, all come together in a very sloppy, delicious and over-achieving way.

The Onion Rings deserve a special mention. Encased in the crispiest batter I’ve had the pleasure of biting into for a long time, these golden brown rings of red onions will surely get you planning your next visit to Carnivore. This may be only an optional extra or side dish, but these thick-cut onion rings deserve the love that they rarely receive. The sweeter the onions, the better!

The humble sandwich, known simply as “Burger,” has developed into various bistro iterations over the years. From collaborating with butchers for a unique beef chuck, to haute toppings such as truffles and foie gras, the global burger game has really been elevated. But for me, I always enjoy the simple classics the most. Nothing too fussy, and nothing too forced. And that’s what you get at Carnivore. Mostly at this proudly Kenyan institution, there is the sense of a committed business trying to make a difference to the city by doing the seemingly simple things, such as a burger, as well as it can be done.

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#BURGERFEST

YUMMY

WHEN? Nairobi Burger Festival is back for a second edition from May 8th to May 14th.

7 days of wonderful burger bliss.

WHERE? Over 100 of the best burger joints are participating in the festival. Flip to the next page to see the full list!

8 - 14 May 2017 #BurgerFest www.nairobiburgerfestival.com You asked, and we listened: the second Nairobi Burger Festival is back with over 100 outlets around the city.

Buy one get one free juicy burgers all week long!

Participating is easy! Simply download your FREE Burger Fest pass, show it to your waiter and get two burgers for the price of one at participating outlets.

Tune in to X FM, East FM and Kiss FM to win restaurant vouchers and to EatOut Kenya on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more giveaways!

HOW? Download your FREE Burger Fest pass on the website and present it on your phone (or in print) to your waiter/ waitress

FAQs Does everyone in my group need their own Burger Fest pass?

No, as long as one person has it downloaded, everyone can enjoy the 2 for 1 deal.

Can I get this offer for delivery?

No. This offer is only for dine-in customers.

If someone in my group wants to order from the regular a la carte menu is that okay?

Of course they can. However they won’t get 2 for 1 on anything else.

If you don’t share your meal on social media, did it really happen?

Tag EatOut and use the hashtags #BurgerFest as you enjoy some of the best burgers Nairobi has to offer.

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#BURGERFEST

About Thyme

Eldama Ravine Road, Westlands Serving dishes from around the world in a beautiful garden setting, About Thyme is proud to be participating in Burger Festival for the very first time. Their menu consists of of prime, gourmet, fully loaded burgers using the very best locally sourced ingredients with a vegetarian option too.

Artcaffe

Caramel Restaurant & Lounge

ABC Place, Waiyaki Way Caramel is a young, sophisticated, contemporary American restaurant. The intimate ambiance and dim lighting is perfect for a date or a fun meal with friends. Try their burger slider with Pomme Frittes and get the second one free.

Cheka Izakaya

All outlets Known for their unique design aesthetic, full cocktail bar and convenient locations, Artcaffes are a great place to catch this burger offer with friends and family. Artcaffe will be offering their full burger menu for you to enjoy.

James Gichuru, Lavington Cheka Izakaya is the only Japanese-owned Japanese restaurant in Nairobi. Cheka will be serving a Japanese rice burger, a variation on a traditional burger, with compressed rice cakes substituted for hamburger buns. Try their BBQ Beef, Teriyaki Chicken or Pork Ginger burger!

After 40

Cloud 9

Biashara Street, CBD The After 40 restaurant has beautiful panoramic views of the city. They are well known for their international cuisine with an emphasis on the use of organic ingredients. Their locally sourced products ensure that every meal prepared is both nutritious and delicious.

Big Elephant Cafe

City Park Drive, off Limuru Road A metropolitan restaurant, with eclectic cuisine in an ambient space. Their menu boasts a wide variety of artisan food that give guests the ultimate dining experience! They welcome you to this year’s edition of the Burger Festival - an opportune moment to sample their gourmet burgers.

Big Square

All outlets Go to Big Square and get square! It doesn’t get any better than their square-made, flame-grilled burgers. This time around come indulge in three juicy and tasty burgers, either beef, chicken or veggie, at any of their branches. You will not get a tastier deal in town.

Bonhomie

Concord Hotel & Suites, Parklands Bonhomie restaurant has a pleasant, friendly atmosphere. From good-natured service professionals to the tantalizing array of contemporary Continental gourmet dishes, all guests are sure to feel at home with family and friends when they dine.

Brew Bistro

All outlets Brew Bistro and Lounge has prepared 10 ultimate gourmet burgers. From traditional to unique burger preparations, the menu features the freshest, quality ingredients. Brew Bistro will offer five unique burgers at each of their locations with homemade sauces and spices.

Burger King

All outlets The BURGER KING® brand has its roots in Florida (USA) ever since it opened the first “BK” restaurant back in 1954. The original HOME OF THE WHOPPER®, their commitment to premium ingredients, signature recipes, and family-friendly dining experiences has defined the brand for more than 60 successful years.

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Clarence House, School Lane, Westlands Enjoy the cool ambience of Cloud Nine restaurant, located on the rooftop of Clarence House Hotel and Apartments Nairobi. Enjoy their tasty Continental cuisine and a burger with the second burger of equal or lesser value free.

Flame Tree

Valley Road, CBD The Flame Tree at Sarova Panafric is no stranger to a great burger meal. Last year, they had a special week of off-the-menu gourmet burgers. This year, enjoy more off-the-menu burgers like their Signature Bacon & Cheese Burger!

Havana

Woodvale Grove, Westlands Havana is a popular weekend nightlife spot that serves an eclectic array of food. With ambient lighting and Cuban-inspired decor, sit back and enjoy delicious burgers from their kitchen with the second burger of equal or lesser value free.

Js Fresh Bar & Kitchen

All Outlets J’s has quickly established itself as the leading venue for Nairobi’s glitterati, offering a diverse culinary experience blended with world class cocktails. Menu highlights include a wide range of sumptuous burgers, from the classic beef to the grilled chicken burgers.

KFC

All outlets With all KFC outlets participating in Nairobi Burger Festival, you can be sure to satisfy your chicken craving with delicious chicken burgers. At KFC, you’re guaranteed only real chicken fillets, the freshest ingredients and speed of service.

Kilele Lounge

Tune Hotel, Rhapta Road, Westlands Kilele Lounge features stylish decor and is an ideal place to relax after a hard day’s work. They are delighted to serve you during the Nairobi Burger Festival where you buy one and get one free on all their mouth-watering burgers.

Lord Erroll

89 Ruaka Road, Gigiri Set in the tranquil Runda suburb is a heavenly haven for relaxation; evergreen gardens, a mouth-

watering selection of gourmet treats and serene environment make this the perfect place to catch up with friends and family as you dig into a burger.

Mama Rocks

The Yard, Westlands This quirky burger truck offers up divine handmade gourmet burgers, each with an African twist. If you’re looking for a lush burger, packed with flavour and made with love then you’re going to want to swing by Mama Rocks!

Moca Loca

Garden City Mall, Thika Road Located within Garden City Mall, Moca Loca is a great spot for fresh coffee, tasty food and a few cheeky cocktails. During Burger Festival they will be serving up a delicious selection of burgers with the second of equal or lesser value free.

Monikos Kitchen

Valley Arcade, Lavington Monikos is a popular spot in Valley Arcade offering beautiful continental meals using ingredients sourced daily from local farmers. Their Burger Fest menu features five delicious burgers including a spicy Aussie chicken burger loaded with crispy bacon & fried onions and their signature 190g Moniko’s beef burger topped with melted cheddar, secret dressing and a side of fries and slaw.

Nyama Mama

Yaya Centre, Village Market & Delta Towers Nyama Mama is locally inspired, serving classic dishes with an eclectic mix. Sip away on refreshing cocktails served in unique crockery. Nyama Mama Xpress branches are located at Village Market and Yaya Centre and their flagship restaurant is located at Delta Towers.

Their juicy burgers are only made with the freshest ingredients and local produce.

News Cafe

All outlets This trendy restaurant serves up delicious hearty meals and has an extensive list of succulent burgers topped with everything from creamy avocado and crispy bacon, to tangy cheese and fiery jalapenos served with a healthy side of french fries.

Olpul

Two Rivers Mall Olpul have combined the best of European and African cuisine for the Burger festival. All recipes are original and made with fresh and quality products. All their products including the fresh homemade bread have been rigorously selected to offer quality original cuisine in a neat setting. Their meats are of Kenyan origin and fries are fresh and homemade.

Pablo’s at Four Points by Sheraton

Argwings Kodhek Road, Hurlingham Pablo’s at the Four Points by Sheraton is a contemporary styled dining area with both indoor and outdoor seating. Their burgers are legendary and include everything from the Smoked Salmon Burger to the Baconator, a chargrilled tenderloin patty with grilled bacon and melted cheese.

Live Inn at Park Inn by Radisson

Westlands The Live Inn Restaurant concept is based on carefully chosen ingredients, for a modern international and Kenyan cuisine with its neighboring influences. The service is quick and easy yet homely enough to make you relax and enjoy the adding color to life experience.

Snack Attack

Purdy Arms

Steers

61 Marula Lane, Karen Purdy Arms is a family friendly Sports bar, restaurant and B&B establishment set on a stunning 23 acre property that beautifully blends quirky with class. The menu features local flavors and exotic dishes mixed with a little nostalgic English pub grub for good measure. They serve a variety of juicy burgers each stacked with flavour.

Larder and The Humidor at Radisson Blu Hotel

Elgon Road, Upper Hill Chic, warm and intimate, The Larder sets the perfect scene for a relaxing meal with friends and loved ones. Sink your teeth into one of two char-grilled burgers including a decadent veggie burger with grilled aubergine and camembert cheese or the Meaty burger topped with mushrooms, cheese and guacamole and get another burger for free.

Pool Terrace, Serena

CBD The Pool Terrace features the stylish semi-circular Pool Bar, which offers its own café-styled seating around the pool. Offering a wide range of wines, beers, cocktails, juices, teas and coffees, the Pool Bar also serves a tempting selection of poolside snacks throughout the day. Don’t miss out on their mouthwatering burgers.

Simba Saloon

Off Langata Rd, Langata The Carnivore is known as a meat joint serving the best cuts of just about every type of meat imaginable. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Simba Saloon is participating with delicious burgers such as The Drizzler during Nairobi Burger Festival.

Slims

Ralph Bunche Road, Hurlingham Slims restaurant has a variety of tasty finger licking flame grill burgers. Enjoy combo meals with the Slims Burger, The Ultimate Slims Burger, Aged Angus Beef Burger or Chicken Burger and get the second burger of equal or lesser value free!

Adams Arcade Buy a Knock Out Crispy Chicken burger and get the second one absolutely free. Go all-out and get a side order of loaded fries from this quick-serve UAE franchise restaurant. Snack Attack is participating with their Adams Arcade branch only.

All outlets Visit Nairobi’s Burger specialists for an all week, ‘wacky’ week and enjoy two Steers burgers for an unbeatable price of Ksh 300 only. Available at all Steers outlets: Steers Muindi Mbingu, South C, Donholm and Ngong Road.

Secret Garden

14 Riverside Secret Garden have combined the best of European and African cuisine for the Burger festival. All recipes are original and made with fresh and quality products. All their products including the fresh homemade bread have been selected to offer quality original cuisine in a relaxing setting. Their meats are of Kenyan origin and fries are fresh and homemade.

The Arbor

James Gichuru Rd, Lavington The Arbor is an eco-friendly garden cafe within a tranquil garden setting. Perfect for a chilled out meal with friends, try out their Arbor burger (beef or chicken) in a freshly baked sesame bun topped with sautéed onions, mushrooms and cheesy sauce.

The Grove Restaurant & Bar

Riverside Drive, Westlands The Grove provides breathtaking views where guests can unwind. The Classic Beef Burger topped off with caramelised onion and matured cheddar cheese is complemented with their freshly ovenbaked sesame bun to give you the ultimate burger experience.

The Tav

The Mirage, Wayaki Way This authentic Irish pub offers a delicious, unique range of burgers as well as drool-worthy drinks and cocktails. Whether you are a sucker for the traditional cheese burger or interested in something different like pulled pork or a veggie delight they’ve got you covered!

The Wine Shop

Piedmont Plaza, Ngong Road Despite contrary belief, wine and burgers are the ultimate food pairing. During the Nairobi Burger

Festival, the Wine Shop has prepared a selection of the finest gourmet burgers to be paired with excellent wines from around the globe.

Thorn Tree Cafe at Sarova Stanley

Kimathi St, CBD This legendary bistro-style pavement cafe will be serving up a selection of 2 for 1 flame grilled burgers in their unique location famous for its large acacia tree which once served as a post box of sorts for travellers.

Tin Roof Cafes

Bogani Road, Karen & langata Tin Roof Cafes are nairobi’s coolest gastrocafes offering an impressive range of salads, toasted sardines and healthy sweets, located away from busy malls in quiet, green spaces.

The burgers are simple but delicious and served with their signature “super food” salads for a healthy lunch that’s hard to find and difficult to beat.

Tribe Hotel

Food Truck, Village Market, Gigiri Try Tribe’s Quirky Food Truck (parked at the Village Market) which will offer succulent gourmet burgers, each perfectly handmade with a Chef Luca twist. Be sure to enjoy one of four mouthwatering burger offers all served with coleslaw and fries.

Tusker Lite Sky Bar

Tune Hotel, Rhapta Road Nothing beats a delicious meal and drinks with your crew at the city’s newest sports bar. Come tuck into not one but two of our juicy burgers this Burger Festival in a relaxed atmosphere with an epic 360 degree view of Nairobi.

Urban Gourmet Burger

All outlets This American style diner serves up delicious gourmet burgers. With a choice of over 12 juicy burgers bursting with a variety of mouth watering toppings, there’s something to suit everyone. Be sure to catch this burger offer with friends and family.

Utamu

Tune Hotel, Rhapta Road Utamu offers a young and vibrant, casual dining experience. Whether stopping by for lunch or settling in for dinner, enjoy 2 burgers for the price of 1 during the Burger Festival.

They also offer a wide selection of continental cuisine and beverages.

#BURGERFEST

presents

MOMBASA BURGER FESTIVAL 8th – 14th May #BurgerFest

Everybody loves burgers...especially by the beach! That’s why we’re launching Mombasa’s very first Burger Festival! From May 8th to May 14th, you can enjoy 2 for 1 deals at participating restaurants. Simply download your FREE Burger Fest pass, show it to your waiter and enjoy this great deal at the restaurants listed below.

Minazi

Sarova Whitesands Minazi is open 24 hours and offers a bistro style restaurant, snack bar and pizzeria with a wood-fired pizza oven. There’s a special menu for children with a buffet for early dinner where specially trained Sarova staff look after the children.

Kaskazi Bar

Blue Room

Haile Selassie Rd, Mombasa Blue Room is Mombasa’s Landmark Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor. Since inception in 1952, we are the meeting place in town providing consistent quality delicious food, drinks and ice creams, Impeccable service, and a homely ambiance to makes you want to come back again and again.

Voyager Beach Resort Kaskazi bar is a beautiful getaway at the Voyager Beach Resort with stunning sunsets that make you easily fall in love with this place and feel the stress of the day just ease away as you sit back and indulge in the widest range of cocktails and bar menu available at the Coast. Don’t miss out on this great offer.

Tapas Cielo

Grill House

Meat N Herb

Ratna Square, Mombasa A boutique-style cozy indoor seating with air conditioning and out-door patio great for both family and friends catching up while enjoying your Grills in between sports and drinks. Grill House is the newest and only barbeque joint with a diverse grill menu and full service bar.

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Nyali Centre, Links Rd, Nyali, Mombasa Tapas Cielo is the place to see and be seen for professionals and tourists in the Nyali area of Mombasa with a chilled and relaxed atmosphere.

Settle into comfortable seating or perch by the bar while you enjoy your Burger with the wide selection of drinks and cocktails.

Ground floor of links plaza in Nyali Meat N’ Herb Restaurant offers guests elegance and a relaxing ambience while enjoying a scrumptious meal. From seafood, burgers, to dessert, everything is delicious. Among the Meat N’ Herb Restaurant’s menu includes the all star lobster salad starter, beef ribs served with mashed potatoes plus more. Their chef’s signature burger is the Western Cheese BBQ burger! You gotta try it to believe it.

Fountain

Serena Beach Hotel Fountain Restaurant has a proud tradition of themed dinners, offering large variety of fine international cuisine of the highest standard. The restaurant has great ambiance with an excellent personalized service. Join them during this burger festival and have a taste of their mouth-watering burgers!

Sokoni

Serena Beach Hotel Sample their burgers as you enjoy the alluring view of the blue sea and white sands. Serving lunch throughout the day, you’ll be spoilt for choice with their extensive menu and wide selection of ice creams, milkshakes surrounded by a sophisticated atmosphere.

TUK A BITE (Food Van)

Off Narok Rd, Mombasa Tuk-A-Bite is the new frontier of Street Food. Trendy and eye catching, the coolest food truck has finally arrived in Kenya. Whether you are vegetarian or not, Tuk-A-Bite caters for all tastes. So get ready for the juiciest burgers in town!

BLOGGERS REVIEW

Clare Karatu clarestake.com

Check out Clare’s video review of KFC on EatOut’s social media pages.

KFC Style Chicken Burger INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more 1 cup buttermilk 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise Vegetable oil (for frying) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature Burger rolls Mayonnaise Rocket/Lettuce METHOD Whisk flour, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoons salt in a shallow bowl. Pour buttermilk into another shallow bowl.

Working with 1 piece at a time, place chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in buttermilk, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Cover in flour mixture again, shaking off excess.

Pour oil into a large frying. Heat over medium heat.Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet; season with salt.

Spread rolls with butter. Heat another large pan and place rolls buttered side down until browned and crisp, about 1 minute. Spread with mayonnaise. Build burger with rolls, chicken, and a handful of rocket.

Want to see more? Check out EatOut’s social media pages for the full video review.

BLOGGERS REVIEW

Stefani Roma pendaroma.com

Watch Stefani tuck into more Urban Burger goodness in her video review on EatOut’s social media pages.

Urban Gourmet Burger Falafel Patty INGREDIENTS 250g chickpeas 1 medium sized onion finely chopped 2 garlic cloves crushed 2 tsp coriander 2 tsp cumin 2 tsp plain flour 2 tsp vegetable oil Parsley 4 burger buns METHOD Drain, rinse and dry chickpeas. Pulse in a processor until broken into crumbs.

Add herbs, flour, spices and seasoning until combined. Gently form mixture into 2 cm thick patties.

Heat the oil and fry the falafels on each side until golden. Toast under the grill.

Spread each side of the burger buns with dip or hummus and pop the remaining bun on top.

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Want to see more? Check out EatOut’s social media pages for the full video review.

BLOGGERS REVIEW

Sheila Rabala sheilarabala.com

See what Sheila thought of the J’s Chicken Burger on EatOut’s social media pages.

J’s Chicken Burger INGREDIENTS 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar lemon, juiced 1 tablespoon garlic and herb seasoning blend 1 teaspoon ground black pepper Pickles, chopped Onion Sliced Sweet chilli Jam 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon salt Burger Bun 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 4 slices tomato 4 lettuce leaves METHOD Prick chicken breasts with a fork.

Place chicken, 1/4 cup olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and herb seasoning, ground black pepper, and chopped fresh dill in a bowl.

Stir to coat chicken. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Remove chicken breasts from marinade and grill for 10 to 15 minutes on each side. Remove and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut chicken breasts in half.

Melt butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Sprinkle garlic powder and salt. Add Burger Bun slices to the pan and toast until golden brown on one side, then remove from pan.

Assemble, using mayonnaise, tomato, pickles ,lettuce and half a grilled chicken breast then enjoy!

Want to see more? Check out EatOut’s social media pages for the full video review.

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ADVERTORIAL

COKE TAILS When it comes to mixed drinks, the first mixer you’re likely to grab is a Coca-Cola.

With that in mind, we’ve shared four refreshing cocktails for you to try at home!

Non-Alcoholic Long Island Iced Tea Ingredients 120ml Coca-Cola, 120ml lemonade, 120ml unsweetened black iced tea, 1 lemon wheel Method Fill a glass half full of ice Combine all ingredients and stir Garnish with a lemon wheel

Cuba Libre Ingredients 60ml rum, 1 lime, Coca-Cola Method Squeeze lime into glass and add 2 or 3 ice cubes Pour your rum of choice into the glass Top up the glass with Coca-Cola Stir and garnish with a lemon wheel

Cherry Cola Ingredients 60ml Cherry Vodka, Coca-Cola, 1 Orange Slice Method Fill tall glass with ice Pour cherry flavoured vodka into the glass Top up the glass with Coca-Cola Stir and garnish with an orange slice

Very Vanilla Ingredients 60ml Vanilla Vodka,¼ tsp Vanilla Extract, Coca-Cola, Cherry to garnish Method Fill tall glass with ice Pour vanilla flavoured vodka into the glass Top up with Coca-Cola Stir and garnish with a cherry

COFFEE CULTURE

TEXT WINNIE WANGUI PHOTOS TATIANA KARANJA

I also don’t like it when I order an espresso at a restaurant or coffee shop and I get a poorly made espresso. Although I don’t blame the baristas when this happens, I try to help them where I can, giving them a quick training on how to make the perfect espresso.

Tell us a bit about the Nairobi School of Coffee

BARISTA TALES We spoke to Edward Njoroge, from The Nairobi School of Coffee (formerly Dormans Training School) about his journey and role in training baristas and the importance of professionalism in making the perfect cup of coffee.

Do you drink coffee? If so, at what age did you start?

I drink a lot of coffee; up to ten cups a day sometimes, due to the nature of my work. I started drinking coffee at the age of 23.

What started your interest in coffee and coffee brewing?

I was employed as a steward at Dormans and one day I passed next to the barista station while the barista was making a Cappuccino. I saw him making the latte art and was amazed at how well he did it and this piqued my interest in not only wanting to learn how to do it, but also to know everything about coffee.

Each day after that, I went to the

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barista station after my shift to watch and learn and after 6 months I was hired as a barista. I later joined the Nairobi School of Coffee for formal training as a barista.

What is your favourite blend of coffee?

I love the Dormans Suprema Blend which epitomizes the fine characteristics of Kenyan coffee. It is complex yet simple with lively acidity and a well-rounded body. I use it mainly at home for my morning brew.

Of course in the office I take lots of espressos.

What’s your favourite coffee drink to make?

I love making Cappuccinos. I find latte

art fun! For a perfect, cappuccino you have to balance all the detail; temperature and amount of froth.

How do you take your coffee?

I can take up to ten espressos in the span of three hours! Of course with no sugar needed.

What is your coffee pet peeve?

I wish we had more Kenyans who appreciate our coffee the way it is appreciated in other countries where Kenya exports to. If we promoted our own products more, there would be more income for coffee farmers and this would then lead to appreciation of baristas and professionally prepared coffee.

We groom student baristas into skilled artisans of coffee brewing and enlightened ambassadors of the coffee drinking culture. The school is known worldwide because of the quality of baristas we produce as we follow a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum that covers the full cycle of coffee processing from bean to cup.

Our trainers are certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) and trainings are conducted in a relaxed atmosphere that helps keep the students engaged.

I have been a trainer since 2014 and I am proud of the role we play to nurture baristas, create coffee awareness and foster a coffee drinking culture in Kenya.

We provide professional barista training and after the students have graduated, we also try to place them in coffee shops and restaurants to enhance their skills and make a living.

Some of the people I have trained include the current Kenya National Barista Competition Winner and African Champion Martin Shabaya.

What do you think of the coffee drinking culture in Kenya?

I think we are gradually getting there. The number of coffee shops have increased over the years, which means there is demand for quality coffee, not just in Nairobi, but in other areas such as Nyeri and Nanyuki.

What’s one thing about coffee you wish Kenyans knew about?

Kenya is traditionally a tea drinking nation and most non-coffee drinkers presume coffee to be bitter or a preserve of the rich. This could either be because they have never tasted coffee made by a professional barista or they have never experienced the different variations of coffee or flavours added to coffee to make it tastier. There are various ways to take espresso and espresso based drinks. (see sidebar). My work, is to change this mentality one espresso at a time.

To learn more about The Nairobi School of Coffee email – training@ dormanscoffee.com

MAN ABOUT YUMMY TOWN

ART MOVIN WERE

BOYS NIGHT Jackson Biko, resident Man About Town, has a Saturday night chill session with some boys and discusses the necessity of these nights out.

The four of us are sharing a bottle of whisky off a balcony bar on Ngong Road, it’s a chill Saturday. We want to watch the sunset. One of the guys picks up a call and says, “Hey babe…

Ngong Road… Yes…. Oh that’s not so cool… And Linda? Kwani what happened to her?” He nods, grunts.

“Yeah, I know…” he listens some more, sips his whisky “Seriously? Aii, that story won’t end well… It’s easy, just the usual gang… Sure…. Haha, I won’t… Sawa, later.” Then he hangs up and someone lights a cigarette and says something about some pal of his who lost a boatful of dough in a cement deal. Thirty minutes later, this guy’s wife walks in. We all scamper to our feet to hug her and say hello.

She’s wearing black tights and yellow ngoma rubber shoes. “This is where you boys hide, ey?” She jokes. We laugh politely. Someone rushes to fetch her a chair. “No, actually this is the first time we are drinking here,” someone says. “Biko, how was Lesotho?” She asks me. I grin and say,

“Small country, hills and shit. Didn’t move my needle.”

The hubby orders her the house red. We squirm in our seats and make small talk. She finishes her wine then orders another one. The sun sets. One of the chaps seated around the table sends me a WhatsApp:“Wah, it’s going to be a long evening with his wifey here.”

I send an emoji of a red-faced mask.

She orders another wine. I go to the washroom and suddenly my pal (the husband) shows up. “Listen, we love your wife, she’s a real doll” I tell him apologetically, “But boss, you know the rules here, no wives or girlfriends or any females!” He sighs. “I know! I know! I know! What was I to do? You can see she keeps ordering wine, man.” The hand dryer isn’t working.

“She was supposed to come and say hello and leave. I can’t chase her out, she has all my clothes!” I laugh.

Eventually, three hours later, she leaves at which point the momentum we had started building for the

We have to be on our best behaviour which is a bit like drinking in the principal’s office. evening has slowed. That’s the thing: sometimes men just want to drink as men. That way we can talk about stuff that we can’t talk about when our women are around. We want to crack jokes we can’t crack in the presence women. Women, we know you want the same thing too. All of those girls’ nights where you get dressed up in heels and that dress that’s been sitting in the back of your closet for months. We don’t know what you get

up to and frankly, I’m not sure we want to.

When a lady is in our presence we can’t crack the same crude jokes we want to be respectful to her as a lady and as one of our friends’ wife and the mother of his children. We have to be on our best behaviour which is a bit like drinking in the principal’s office.

Men drinking in packs is about group psychology, characters emerge that are not usually the true representation of the men. Men in drinking groups feed of each other’s energy. It’s a harmless camaraderie.

It’s an escape but it stops being an escape when Tony’s wife is there, you just can’t let loose in the same way. There is a reason why men say, I’m going to “meet the boys” and not “the men”. So dear beloved wives and girlfriends, stay away from your man’s ‘boy’s drink ups’ and let Pato let loose with the boys once in awhile.

We promise to do the same for you on your girls’ night.

55.

YUMMY HEALTH

DELICIOUS REACTION Loretta Mugo is a Food Scientist by training who is currently obtaining her Masters in Food Safety and Quality. She regularly writes on matters in different aspects of food, nutrition and lifestyle. This month, Loretta let’s us in on one of the secrets of some of our most loved foods.

It makes steak mouthwateringly good, bacon taste like heaven and chocolate one hell of a temptation.

It is one of the most important chemical reactions in the human diet.

Nyama choma, chocolate, cookies, chapati, toasted bread; all the foods we absolutely love come about as a result of this complex chemistry.

This is the “Maillard Reaction” or to you— but not me, as it’s my job to know this stuff— the browning reaction that gives all protein- and carbohydrate-based foods their burst of flavour, aroma and brown colour.

Foods that are fried, grilled or roasted, gain their flavour as a result of a complex chemical process discovered by the French physician and chemist Louis-Camille Maillard in 1912.

The Maillard reaction is essentially the combination of amino acids and sugars in foods, under high

56.

temperature cooking. The reaction occurs in a series of five steps that yield hundreds of chemical compounds. The most important aspect of this reaction is not the colour but the flavour. In fact, colloquially calling it the browning reaction is rather incomplete: it should be known as ‘the flavour reaction’. To really impress during BBQ nights, here are some tips on how to make the Maillard reaction work for you: Optimizing the Maillard reaction in nyama choma To maximise the flavour of grilled steak or ribs, the first thing to consider is the cooking temperature.

Temperatures of between 110 and 170 degrees Celsius are perfect to induce the Maillard reaction. Anything above 180 degrees Celcius will

trigger a different set of reactions called pyrolysis or as it’s better known, burning. Go easy on the charring as pyrolysis lends the meat a bitter flavour and the black compounds formed are potential carcinogens.

Pat dry the surface of your preferred meat before placing it on your sizzling grill. If the meat is wet/damp it will take too long to evaporate the water, which will slow the reaction and essentially boil your meat.

Marinating the meat beforehand not only adds flavour but is another way to enhance the Maillard reaction.

Marinades generally contain acids which partially denature (coagulate) the proteins that would have otherwise been broken down by heat.

The already acid denatured proteins, combine with the sugars faster and this in turn increases the rate of reaction.

When choosing ingredients to marinade with, bear in mind that acids below the pH of 3 such as vinegar or wine minimize the rate of reaction.

On the other hand, higher alkaline pH ingredients such as baking soda and lemons or limes speeds the reaction rate. You’ll find that adding a pinch of baking soda to your marinade puts your meat on the fast lane to flavour town.

The different types of proteins in different foods dictate the taste of the final product which is the reason not all Maillard proteins taste like bacon, much as we may wish they did.

Nevertheless, we owe all the delicious richness and depth of flavour in our sizzling steaks to chemistry. Come to think of it, it could get boring if all our food tasted like bacon...

RESTAURANTS

GIGIRI, MUTHAIGA, UN AVENUE, VILLAGE MARKET YUMMY

Artcaffe

Mediterraneo

Asmara

Bonhomie

The Village Market Cafe 0712143839 An elegant and simple style gives Artcaffe at the Village Market a distinct class. It is the main bakery for all their cafes and serves an extensive menu through- out the day.

UN Avenue, Gigiri Italian, Sea Food 0705 269 841 Evocative of an Italian Villa capturing Italian love for dining from their A la Carte & Chefs Special menu reflecting traditional specialties of Sea food, Pasta, Meat Pizzas.

General Mathenge Lane, Westlands Eritrean 0721 948 020 A modern and friendly dining atmosphere with fresh, authentic Eritrean and Continental cuisine. They also have an extensive alcoholic beverage selection and children’s play area.

The Concord Hotel, Parklands Italian and Continental 0709 466 444 For a tantalizing array of contemporary Continental gourmet dishes paired with a superb range of fine wines and beverages. An italian dining experience like never before.

Cake City

Suite 101

Artcaffe

Brew Bistro

Warwick Centre Bakery & Juice Bar 0715 991 879 This spot uses traditional recipes to make delicious treats that feel home baked. Cake City will always be there to deliver carefully created cakes and pastries exactly as desired.

Tribe Hotel, Gigiri Bakery & Patisserie 020 720 0000 Get all your custom cakes, novelty cakes, freshly baked pastries, gourmet chocolates, authentic Italian homemade gelatos and much more, all at Suite 101 at Tribe.

The Oval Café 0717 193 895 Distinctly chic style with creative décor in cluding the largest balcony space among the Artcaffe outlets. The ArtBakery serves freshly baked homemade breads, pastries and desserts.

Fortis Tower Lounge 0705 466 836 This spot reaches new heights of luxury with an expansive lounge and exquisite outdoor terrace where guests can feast on delectable bites and sip specialty brews and cocktails.

Habesha

Urban Burger

Artcaffe Grand

Cafe Vienna

United Nations Crescent Ethiopian 0725 869 955 Reknowned for its authenticity in Ethiopian cuisine, Habesha offers a wide array of traditional, hearty Ethiopian cuisine served in a rustic and homely atmosphere.

Village Market Café 0205006662 With flavours that pack a punch, Urban Gourmet Burgers bring a whole new level of quality to the humble burger. There’s bound to be something for everyone on our menu!

Westgate Mall Café 0725 202 020 A warm and inviting space filled with freshly baked breads and patisserie, the heartwarming scent of fresh coffee and relaxing music; Artcaffe Grand is a haven from hectic city life.

Nakumatt Ukay Ground Floor Cafe 0708 877 811 Open for 24hrs,we have an authentic,sophisticated and rustic ambience.

Famous for the legendary Dr. Oetker Pizzas,glorious breakfast selection,soups and love-filled desserts.

Jiko

254

Artisan

Brew Bistro

Tribe Hotel International, Formal Dining 020 720 0000 Jiko is glamourous yet sophisticated whilst maintaining the warmth and personality of Kenya. Its contemporary cuisine focuses on fresh ingredients.

Golden Tulip, Muthithi rd Westlands Indian, Chinese 0733 888 068 Nestled at the top of the Hotel the restaurant offers an exotic blend of the best Indian and Chinese Cuisine.

Sankara Hotel, Woodvale Groove International 020 420 8000 Located in Sankara Hotel, from the outdoor terrace to the private dining room, Artisan is designed to reflect a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere.

Perfect for sun-downers!

Fortis Tower Lounge 0705 466 836 This spot reaches new heights of luxury with an expansive lounge and exquisite outdoor terrace where guests can feast on delectable bites and sip specialty brews and cocktails.

La Dolce Vita

88

Artisan Coffee

Cafe VILLA ROSA

Muthaiga Shopping Centre, Limuru Rd Italian ​0722 624 100​ Nairobi’s La Dolce Vita Restaurant has a bright interior filled with artwork, creating a stylish but unpretentious space for lunch or dinner.

Villa Rosa Kempinski Pan Asian 0703 049 000 Let them take you on a culinary journey through Asia. Admire artistry from within the theatre kitchen as you watch the restaurant’s master chef prepare your favorite dishes.

Lower Kabete Road, Spring Valley Petrol Station 020 420 8000 Pick up a bag of beans or ground coffee to carry, or sample the straight from the oven pastries at this newly opened cafe. You’ll definitely be coming back for more!

Villa Rosa Kempinski Cafe 0703 049 000 This spot is an ideal destination for an international dining experience.

Whether it’s a taste of home or something rather different you are after, Cafe Villa Rosa is the place to be.

Lord Erroll

About Thyme

Bamboo

Cake City

Runda Ruaka rd No 89 French, Continental 0721920820 Seeking to create memorable experiences, establish an emotional connection and to develop a lasting relationship with you because you are our raison d’etre.

Eldama Ravine Road Continental 0721 850 026 Offers a well-prepared menu and beautifully presented dishes from around the world. Enjoy an intimate dining experience in a leafy area of Westlands.

Zen Garden, Lower Kabete Rd Pan Asian 0717 542 017 Bamboo is a fine dining restaurant offering the finest fusion cuisine. You can enjoy a combination of Chinese, Thai and Japanese cuisine, set in an elegant atmosphere.

Next to Soin Arcade, Westlands rd Bakery & Juice Bar 0709 729 000 This spot uses traditional recipes to make delicious treats with a homebaked feel. Cake City delivers carefully created cakes and pasteries made as desired.

List your restaurant for only Ksh 5,000 per month. Email sales@eatout.co.ke

LOWER KABETE, PARKLANDS, SPRING VALLEY, WESTLANDS

RESTAURANTS

Cake City

Fogo Gaucho

Havana

Mama Rocks

Sarit Centre Bakery & Juice Bar 0770 808 451 Using traditional recipes to make delicious treats that feel home baked, Cake City will be there to deliver carefully created cakes and pasteries made exactly to your liking.

Viking House, Waiyaki Way Brazilian, Steak House 0729 243 202 Fogo Gaucho Churrascaria will serve you more than a dozen cuts of meat and 20 different salads prepared by Brazilian cuisine experts in an elegant South Brazilian ambience.

Woodvale Grove Continental 0729 864 511 The restaurant at Havana is taking ‘bar food’ to the next level with a latin inspired menu featuring fresh local ingredients with weekly chef’s specials.

Inside the Alchemist Bar Food Truck 0705 801 230 Enjoy African-inspired gourmet burgers and sides. With a range of gourmet burgers, wings, fries, milkshakes and artisan ice creams this fun food truck will satisfy your craving.

Caramel

Garden

Jade Tea House

Mediterraneo

ABC Place Contemporary American 0716 663 463 The warm, inviting ambiance and relaxing atmosphere here is perfect for a quick bite, business lunch or celebrating special occasions with friends.

The service is also really great!

Lotos Suites, Next to Oshwal Centre Chinese 0702 874 571 Enjoy authentic Chinese Cuisine at the roof top in the heart of Westlands with a magnificent view of Nairobi Skyline.

Zen Garden, Lower Kabete Rd Multi Cuisine 0724 288 791 Overlooking the beautiful Zen Garden, Jade is a beautiful venue, situated in the heart of Spring Valley. The food quality and high level of service, attracts customers to this area.

9 West, Westlands Italian, Sea Food 0725 547 800 A new modern drop back to the very best Italian fine dining experience; from their Mosaic Pizza Oven to Mediterranean Seafood dishes and Handmade genuine Italian Ice creams.

Cloud 9

Golden Spur

KFC

Ocean Basket

Clarence House, School Lane Continental 0725 894 477 A hidden Gem, in the heart of leafy Westlands.

Enjoy rooftop experience, with a fusion of cuisines & artistically prepared Mocktails & Cocktails.

Southern Sun Hotel, Parklands Rd Steak House 0724 253 804 Offers delicious specialty steaks, burgers and a wide range of exciting salads. This classic family restaurant also has an activity area for children, with a kiddy menu and playground.

Woodvale Groove Fast Food 0708 515 168 KFC is the largest international chicken franchise serving the world famous Colonel Sanders secret recipe for over 60 years. Enjoy dining-in or order-in through the delivery service.

The Oval, Westlands Seafood Specialist 0770 227 538 Ocean Basket is Kenyas favourite seafood restaurant. We offer friendly people and a welcome atmosphere and great value for your hard earned money.

Curry Flavours

Grab & Go Coffee

KFC

Phoenician

Concord Hotel, Parklands Indian 0709 466 700 The restaurant offers an authentic Indian cuisine with an eclectic mix of rich Indian dishes expertly prepared, plated and presented with the contemporary modern flavors.

Tune Hotels, 155 Raphta Road Cafe 020 5147500 The place to enjoy a unique selection of gourmet coffee, sandwiches, salads, freshly baked pastries and a wide variety of juices, smoothies and milkshakes.

Westgate Mall Fast Food 0722 532 532 KFC will cater to all taste buds, from the little ones to the oldest in the group, there’s something for everyone. Friendly staff will ensure your order is out in a few minutes.

Off School Lane, Westlands Japanese, Lebanese, Sushi 0716 161 011 The Phoenician is a fabulous restaurant which serves sushi, Lebanese and Teppanyaki courses, in an al fresco atmosphere at the Junction.

Debonairs

Graze

KFC

Royal Kitchen

ABC Place Pizza and Subs 708749927 Debonairs is the leading pizza restaurant in Africa. With a wide range of pizzas, sides and hot subs, we’re sure to satisfy any appetite with our value pricing and free delivery

Sankara Hotel, Woodvale Grove Steakhouse 020 420 8000 Enjoy aged beef, succulent seafood, and classic steakhouse dishes exquisitely paired with an eclectic wine and whisky list featuring some of the finest producers in the world.

Limuru Road Fast Food 070 8515 168 Situated on Limuru road, with ample parking and quick service, KFC will cater to all your chicken cravings with a wide range of menu offerings. You can dine-in, take away or get delivery.

Pride Inn Hotel, Westlands Rd Continental 0728 224 595 Lovers of authentic Indian or Chinese cuisines are in for a treat at Royal Kitchen. Customers are guaranteed of genuine and tasty cuisines.

Furusato

Haandi

Lucca

Rendezvous

Ring Road Parklands Japanese 0722 488 706 Furusato specializes in authentic Japanese cuisine and friendly service that will make your dining experience unforgettable. Now with 6 Teppanyaki tables and a Sushi Bar.

The Mall, Westlands Indian 0736 651 933 Haandi - the ultimate name in quality North Indian Cuisine. They offer a bespoke menu and a large selection of wines & beverages that will satisfy any discerning patron

Villa Rosa Kempinski, Westlands Italian 0703 049 000 A popular spot for family brunch on Sundays with a wide range of Italian cuisine, live entertainment, children’s play area and a fantastic mini-buffet.

La Maison Royale, 9 Mogotio Road Continental 0729 769 253 Rendezvous offers an exuberant environment that encapsulates the very essence of French cuisine. Their wide array of delectable dishes will satisfy your food cravings.

Fantastic discounts at your favourite restaurants. eatout.co.ke/yummycard

RESTAURANTS

JUNCTION, HURLINGHAM, KILELESHWA, LAVINGTON YUMMY

Sarabi

Spring Valley Oven

Sky Bar

Ventana

Sankara Hotel, Woodvale Grove International 020 420 8000 Enjoy sweeping views of Nairobi in this exclusive rooftop location as you try expertly made cocktails. Note that the age limit after 6pm is 25 years and above.

Lower Kabete Road, Spring Valley Continental 0711 557 272 Located in the leafy suburbs of Spring Valley, this restaurant serves as a great place to catch your morning coffee or grab lunch with some mates.

Tune Hotels, 155 Raphta Road Bar 020 5147500 A classic sports bar designed for watching the latest game and enjoying sporting events with stunning and unobstructed panoramic views across the Nairobi skyline.

Junction of Karunda Rd Multi Cuisine 0737 555999 From whitewashed mahogany tables and brass candle lanterns, to our signature black-lit stained glass window, Ventana’s ambiance is second to none.

Secret Garden

Tambourin

Urban Burger

Adega

14 Riverside Drive Cafe 0708 800 847 Conveniently located in the new office blocks at 14 Riverside Drive, they strive to keep their food simple, fresh and natural. Secret Garden is one of Nairobi’s must-try healthy restaurants.

Villa Rosa Kempinski Levant Cuisine 0703 049 000 An intimate rooftop lounge, bar and restaurant with a striking decor, exceptional Shisha, authentic levantine cuisine and electrifying performances by belly dancers.

Westgate Café 0205006662 With flavours that pack a punch, Urban Gourmet Burgers bring a whole new level of quality to the humble burger. There’s bound to be something for everyone on our menu!

Lavington Curve Mall, James Gichuru Rd Portuguese 0723 111 999 An upmarket Portuguese restaurant catering to a variety of tastes, including a Halal menu; a combination that will leave you wanting more.

Seven

The Grove

Umami

Artcaffe

ABC Place, Waiyaki Way Seafood 0737 776 677 Offers a sumptuous selection of the finest Indian Ocean seafood. Indulge in one of Seven’s decadent desserts to complete Nairobi’s most unique and sought-after dining experience.

Executive Residency by Best Western Continental 0727 407 167 Our restaurant has something for every occasion be it a social event, client dinner, company gathering, or something specially created to suit your group.

The Concord Hotel, Parklands Pan Asian 0709 466 400 The restaurant's name means 'deliciousness', It signifies an induced meaty and savory taste sensation originating from our delectable Pan Asian inspired fusion restaurant.

The Junction Mall, Ngong Rd Café 0708 906 504 Bright, light- filled café famous for its roasted coffees,hearty dishes and mouth watering deserts. It is the ideal spot for postshopping coffee and cake, breakfasts and leisurely lunches.

Slims

The Node

Upendo Pizza

Artcaffe

Kedong House, Ralph Bunche Rd Continental 0715 053 016 The quintessential jazz experience, Slims Restaurant and Lounge is a winning combination of contemporary style, Great Food and Lively ambiance.

Opposite Jacaranda Hotel, Westlands Continental

The Alchemist Pizza 0728 451 383 Upendo Pizza is where you can enjoy the original oven baked Italian Pizza and a lots more... Make pizza, not war!

Lavington Green Mall Café, Continental 0700 037 059 Artcaffe ensures a warm and welcoming environment. Enjoy freshly brewed coffee, delicious pastries, cocktails and a full menu. Enjoy great happy hour offers and delicious food.

SOI

The Tav

Urban Eatery

Brew Bistro

dusitD2 Hotel, 14 Riverside Drive Thai 020 423 3000 SOI brings world-renowned Thai street food with a modern twist to your plate. SOI also features a communal table and an enclosed space with its own terrace for more privacy.

Sankara Hotel, Woodvale Grove The Mirage, Chiromo Road 0726 848 444 A rustic but modern Pub with an Irish flair offering a vibrant experience with tastefully executed meals and an array of local and international beverages.

PWC Towers, Westlands Multi Cuisine 0709 815 000 Offering an energized atmosphere in the heart of Nairobi,consisting of four different kitchens; a frozen yogurt counter and a signature bar.

Piedmont Plaza, Ngong Rd Bistro 0771 152 359 Fine dining section complimented by a centralised open kitchen which serves Pan-Global cuisine, incorporating a fusion of French, European, Asian and classic Kenyan flavours.

SOKO

Tulip

Utamu

Cheka

dusitD2 Hotel, 14 Riverside Drive International 020 423 3000 Soko offers a private dining roundel and a sublime terrace perfect for an upscale business lunch, a get together or a romantic dinner completed with an international and eclectic menu.

Golden Tulip Hotel Multi Cuisine 020 403 4200 Tulip Restaurant serves multi-cuisine fine dining delicacies. Be it lunch or dinner with family, friends or business colleagues there is a cozy ambience and warm service.

Tune Hotels, 155 Raphta Road Continental 020 514 7500 Utamu provides a young, vibrant and informal setting. They serve a fusion of international cuisines and daily specials at a pocket friendly price with high service levels.

101 Manyani East Road Japanese 0717 700 666 The only Japanese restaurant actually owned by Japanese in kenya. Try authentic meals including sushi, noodles, a variety of seafood specials and imported sake from Japan.

0711 089541 The Node a four in one restaurant that offers a cafe,a garden restaurant, a sports bar ,conference and meeting facilities in westlands-opp jacaranda hotel.

Fantastic discounts at your favourite restaurants. eatout.co.ke/yummycard

KAREN, NGONG ROAD, LANGATA

RESTAURANTS

Debonairs

Mediterraneo

Pizza Mojo

The Arbor

Uchumi Hyper, Ngong Rd Pizza and Subs 0708 749927 Debonairs is the leading pizza restaurant in Africa. With a wide range of pizzas, sides and hot subs, we’re sure to satisfy any appetite with our value pricing and free delivery

The Junction Mall, Ngong Rd Italian, Sea Food 0728 855 100 For an Unforgettable taste of true Italian dining set in its family like atmosphere with a variety of traditional Mediterranean Seafood, Home made Pastas and Sicilian Icecream.

Adlife Plaza, Kilimani Pizza 0729 918 435 This spot has a perfect classic pizzas menu and more available on a ‘Two for One price’ being served in a stylish ambience perfect for creating memories and capturing moments.

House 904, James Gichuru Rd Café 0729 400 291 The Arbor is an eco-friendly garden cafe with an eclectic selection of food and as well as a marketplace in a tranquil garden setting in the heart of Nairobi.

Double Dragon

Mosaic Restaurant

Sierra

The Wine Shop

The Junction Mall, Ngong Rd Chinese 0722 739 143 Double Dragon is a Chinese restaurant located at The Junction Mall.

The location offers great service and authentic Chinese cuisine to its customers.

Royal Tulip Hotel, Tigoni Road International 0709 464000 A contemporary restaurant with a world cuisine setup that provides a personalized service and memorable experience to its esteemed clients.

Hurlingham, Yaya Centre Continental 020 806 8594 Sierra Brasserie is a modern interpretation of a classical French brasserie serving simple yet elegant food using the best ingredients available and with fast and friendly service.

671 Piedmont Plaza, Ngong Rd International 0718 003 302 The Wine Shop encourages you to explore your palate and experiment either by the glass or bottle. They also offer a selection of delicious complimentary dishes for your wines.

Fogo Gaucho

Noah

Steers

Artcaffe

Kilimani, Galana Rd Brazilian, Steak House 0715 414 141 Brazilian Steakhouse with a set price for all you can eat, magnificent buffet professional baristas and specially selected wine list. Beautiful ambience with outside terrace seating.

Eastlands Hotel, Ngong Rd Multi cuisine 020 386 1005 Noah Restaurant offers an array of delicacies with contemporary fusion of the west and orient, Karaoke and hotpot on griddle tables available in private VIP rooms.

Uchumi Hyper, Ngong Rd Pizza and Subs 0708783377 At Steers we pride ourselves on quality, variety and customer service.

We serve the widest range of flame grilled burgers, tasty fried chicken, grilled chicken and hand cut chips.

Karen Crossroads Shopping Centre Café, Continental 0703 216 579 Offers a tranquil setting for work and play, boasting a two-level restaurant space including the famous Art Bakery, a coffee bar, cocktail bar and outdoor seating.

Habesha

Nyama Mama Xpress

The Steak Out

Artcaffe

Argwings Khodek Rd, Hurlingham Ethiopian 0733 730 469 Renown for its authentic Ethiopian cuisine complimented by great hospitality, Habesha has continued to win hearts around Nairobi and is set in a warm homely atmosphere.

Yaya Center, 2nd Floor, Food Court African, Local Fusion 020 7 602 066 An unpretentious, fun, modern day African roadside diner. Locally inspired, some of our skillfully concocted dishes include chapatti wraps to Mama’s stews and flavourful sides.

102 Manyani Rd. Off James Gichuru Multi Cuisine 0726 211 443 The Steak Out is an elegant and urban steakhouse serving creative foods for all palates in a comfortable ambiance ensuring a memorable dining experience.

The Hub, Karen Café, Continental 0790 124 892 Artcaffe ensures a warm and welcoming environment. Enjoy freshly brewed coffee, delicious pastries, cocktails and a full menu. Enjoy great happy hour offers and delicious food.

La Salumeria

Phoenician

The Royal Pot

Artcaffe

Hendred Rd, Behind Valley Arcade Italian 0796088520 La Salumeria is a hidden Italian gem well worth finding. It has a beautiful ambiance and is an ideal setting for a nice, quiet and intimate dinner.

Junction Mall, Ngong Rd Japanese, Lebanese, Sushi 0717 522 374 Come and get our amazing offer, buy 1 sushi roll get half free, Buy 2 glasses of wine and get 1 free. Get the offer when its still happening!

The Monarch Hotel, Continental 0717708050 The home of continental mouth watering cuisines,great ambiance to share with those we love. The place to make culinary memories.

Galleria Mall Cafe 020 233 0772 Their quietly elegant décor and amazing art provides the perfect setting for the intermingled aromas of freshly baked bread, pastries, cakes and specially roasted coffee.

Kengeles

Picazzo

Toranj

Atrium

Lavington Green Centre Continental 0719 142560 We are a Bistro and Bar located on James Gichuru road. Live Music, Live Sports, Open Mic Wednesdays, Networking Evenings , our Yummy BBQ bites & alot more new vibes.

The Hub, Karen Spanish 0714 653355 Specializing in Fine Dining, Gourmet Tapas and Cocktails, we are changing the gastronomy experience in Kenya .

Our passion for great wine is evident from our extensive wine menu.

912, James Gichuru Road Turkish & Persian 0795 800 800 Three worlds in one, Toranj serves Persian, Turkish and Italian dishes.

Toranj offers a relaxing environment suitable for families, friends, meetings and events.

Ngong Lane, off Ngong Rd International 0709 090 000 Spread out over the first floor, Amber Hotel’s all day dining restaurant offers culinary experience at its best with savory international Cuisines. A great dining experience.

List your restaurant for only Ksh 5,000 per month. Email sales@eatout.co.ke

CBD, INDUSTRIAL AREA, MOMBASA ROAD YUMMY

RESTAURANTS

Big Square

Ocean Basket

After 40

Chop House

Karen Square, Ngong Rd Burger, Casual Dining 0714 781 351 Big Square Karen offers some of the best burgers and ribs that your teeth can sink in to. Features play area for children that has iPads and latest gaming consoles.

The Hub Seafood Specialist 0770 227 538 Ocean Basket is Kenyas favourite seafood restaurant. We offer friendly people and a welcome atmosphere and great value for your hard earned money.

Biashara Street, CBD Continental 0710 500 377 Well known for the international cuisine with emphasis on use of organic and locally sourced ingredients; ensures that every meal prepared is both nutritious and healthy.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Upperhill Formal Dining 0704 810 000 Specialising in a holistic dining experience that highlights modern African flare, dining at Chop House is a theatrical event in itself.

Carnivore

Purdy Arms

Argenti

Cin Cin Bar

Carnivore Rd, Langata African, Barbeque, Kenyan 0722 204 647 Considered as ‘Africa’s Greatest Eating Experience’, the Carnivore serves exotic meats roasted over charcoal and carved in front of the guests’ eyes at their table.

61 Marula lane, Karen Continental 0712 007001 Family friendly british inspired sports bar, restaurant bed and breakfast establishment that beautifully blends quirky with classy menu of continental indian and pizza.

Gem Suites, State House Crescent Continental with Italian Fusion 020 263 5556 ‘Argenti”, meaning “silver” in Italian, communicates the fine dining and elegance of the restaurant while retaining an air of exclusivity. They also have very efficient service.

Fairmont The Norfolk, Harry Thuku Rd Bar and Lounge 020 226 5000 A classic yet modern upscale exclusive lounge bar with a garden view, personalized service and an exclusive G.H. Mumm Champagne Bar with tapas, canapes and signature drinks.

Js Fresh Bar

Simba Saloon

Baraka

Debonairs

Karen - Opposite St. Christopher’s Continental - British Inspired 0718 607 197 J’s is East Africa’s Café Del Mar, serving fabulous British inspired cuisine in a sumptuous wooden shack; in an informal and cool atmosphere, always with great music.

Carnivore Rd, Langata African, Barbeque 0722 204 647 A vibrant informal restaurant which fuses a childrens playground and a lively nightclub. You are welcome to for their fine cuisine or a themed night out with your friends.

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Upperhill Continental 020 274 6000 An All-day restaurant on a terrace overlooking the hotel’s main pool.

They serve full english buffet breakfasts, contemporary buffet lunches, and an al a carte or set dinner menu.

Muindi Mbingu Street Pizza and Subs 0708749927 Debonairs is the leading pizza restaurant in Africa. With a wide range of pizzas, sides and hot subs, we’re sure to satisfy any appetite with our value pricing and free delivery.

KFC

Talisman

Bhandini

Flame Tree

The Hub, Karen Fast Food 0708 515 168 KFC is a great place to bring family and friends. From burgers to buckets, KFC will cater to all your needs; be it a meal for one or a group, enjoy Colonel Sanders’ famous recipes.

320 Ngong Road African, Pan-Asian, European 0733 761 449 Talisman serves up a delightful fusion of European, Pan-Asian and African Creations by their creative chefs. Live music and art exhibitions are available at the Veranda.

InterContinental Hotel, CBD Indian 020 320 0322 Bhandini transports you to Northern India in first-class style with fine cuisine and a sophisticated setting.

The Chef works his culinary magic in a glass-enclosed kitchen.

Sarova Panafric, Valley Rd International 0709 111 000 Dine at this restaurant overlooking manicured gardens and prepare your senses for an unmatched culinary journey. Their personalized service will ensure a great experience.

KFC

Tamambo Blixen

Big Five

KFC

Junction Mall, Ngong Rd Fast Food 0722 532 532 One of the first KFC outlets to open in Nairobi, this conveniently situated location is a great place to enjoy some of your favourite Colonel Sanders recipes.

336 Karen Road Continental 0733 603 065 Relax in the cozy indoor restaurant with adjacent outdoor garden, remodeled with a variety of functions areas set in one the largest and oldest formal gardens in Kenya.

Ole Sereni Hotel, Mombasa Rd Multi Cuisine 020 390 1000 Prepared to savor and relish over the finest of five cuisines of the world as you watch their award winning chefs prepare each order before you with a bonus view of Nairobi National Park

Mama Ngina Street Fast Food 0722 532 532 This KFC will cater to a quick lunch.

Freshly made meals, great quality and finger licking good chicken recipes will leave you coming back over and over again.

Tamarind Nairobi

Black Gold Cafe

KFC

Karen Blixen, Karen Seafood 0733 603 065 Tamarind Nairobi offers some of the city’s leading seafood in an ambience of elegance. Enjoy a drink in their bar or a well-prepared meal as a live band entertains you.

The Panari Hotel, Mombasa Rd Cafe 0711 091 000 Black Gold Cafe is known for its well roasted coffees, teas, light meals, smoothies and desserts. Its location gives it the atmosphere of a game lodge as it faces Nairobi National Park.

Kimathi Street Fast Food 0708 515 168 Situated in the CBD, this KFC is a great spot to enjoy a quick lunch or bring your friends and family to treat them to some great offers.

KFC Galleria Shopping Mall, Karen Fast Food 0700 324 945 Walk in and enjoy a meal in minutes freshly prepared to ensure great quality always. The Colonel Sanders secret recipe will always satisfy every chicken craving.

Fantastic discounts at your favourite restaurants. eatout.co.ke/yummycard

THIKA ROAD, TRM MALL, GARDEN CITY

RESTAURANTS

KFC Drive Through

Pango Brasserie

Thai Chi

Cake City

Mombasa Road Fast Food 0705 505 050 Want to grab a quick meal on your way to work or on your road trip? Visit this KFC drive through to enjoy quick service without stepping out of your car.

Fairview Hotel, Upperhill Formal Dining 020 288 1330 With its famous underground wine cellar, romantic ambience, quality service and excellent taste, the Pango Brasserie is indeed in a class of its own.

The Sarova Stanley, Kimathi St,CBD Thai 020 275 7000 One of the city’s most elegant dining establishments, The Thai Chi boasts the finest in authentic Thai cuisine. A small piece of Thailand in Nairobi.

TRM Mall, Thika Rd Cafe 0709 729 000 We use traditional recipes to make delicious treats that feel home baked.

Delivers are available and include personalised cakes and pastries.

Larder

Road House Grill

Lord Delamere

KFC

Radisson Blu Hotel, Upperhill Casual Dining 0704 810 000 Serves local favorites and international dishes with an African twist.

The Larder’s cosy ambiance enclaves create a sense of intimacy. In-door and ourdoor seating.

Menengai rd, Upperhill Continetal 0720 523000 Enjoy ROAD HOUSE GRILL nyama choma, drink specials and DJ. The perfect spot in Upper Hill to unwind, watch the game, catch up with friends or beat the traffic.

Fairmont Norfolk, Harry Thuku Rd Formal Dining 020 226 5000 Classic, charming and modern restaurant ideal for business executives, families and groups of friends. The menu features robust international and authentic Kenyan cuisine.

Garden City Mall, Thika Rd Cafe 0722 532 532 KFC’s secret Colonel Sanders recipe is finger licking good. Located at Garden City Mall, you can now enjoy great meals at a great price.

Mdalasani

Sikia Fine Dining

Steers

Mambo Italia

Heron Portico, Milimani Rd International 020 272 0740 Mdalasini is a bright new concept for Nairobi featuring a serene dining hall, airy balcony and sunny patio.

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Upperhill Formal Dining 020 274 6000 The Sikia Fine Dining room is perfect for lunchtime catch-ups or mid-week dinners with friends and family. The modern menu is delightful and the dining room is comfortably elegant.

Muindi Mbingu Street Pizza and Subs 0708783377 At Steers we pride ourselves on quality, variety and customer service.

We serve the widest range of flame grilled burgers, tasty fried chicken, grilled chicken and hand cut chips.

Garden City Mall, Thika Rd Italian 0703 967 149 Mambo Italia is a casual Italian restaurant and café specializing in gourmet pizzas, pasta, salads and more. Enjoy thin-crust pizzas, home-made gelato or coffee.

Mukutan Garden

Soaring Eagle Spur

Thorn Tree Cafe

Moca Loca

Fairview Hotel, Upperhill Cafe 020 288 1000 The Mukutan Garden Café overlooks a beautiful water feature and is known for coffees and light meals such as gourmet sandwiches and pizzas.

Eka Hotel, Mombasa Rd Steakhouse 0786101102 Our restaurant offers delicious specialty steaks, burgers, chicken, seafood and Tex- Mex dishes. We are very popular for our ribs and buffalo wings.

The Sarova Stanley, Kimathi St, CBD Continental 020 275 7000 This is a legendary open-air, bistro style pavement cafe most famous for its message board located at the centre of the restaurant. The cafe is the perfect meeting place for friends.

Garden City Mall, Thika Rd Cafe & Lounge 0708 084 835 Moca Loca - a cafe, restaurant and lounge serving breakfast, lunch & dinner, as well as coffee and cocktails .

Ambiance is central to this new brand.

Oceanic

Steers

Artcaffe

Sugarcane

Clarion Hotel, Moi avenue Continental 0721 485 024 An all day restaurant with terrace over looking Jeevanje gardens and Murang’a road. We serve full English buffet breakfast,delicacy continental with an option of all ala carts menu.

South C Pizza and Subs 0708783377 At Steers we pride ourselves on quality, variety and customer service.

We serve the widest range of flame grilled burgers, tasty fried chicken, grilled chicken and hand cut chips.

Garden City Mall, Thika Rd Cafe 0707 175 574 A place to rest and relax over great food and drinks made by their passionate team of chefs, baristas and mixologists, to ensure each visit is a memorable experience.

Garden City Mall - 1st Flr, Thika Rd Caribbean 0792 482 042 The recently opened Sugarcane offers Caribbean food in a casual, stylish atmosphere. Favorites like Jerk Chicken, Curry and Roti, tropical desserts and yummy drinks!

Ole Pizza

Tatu

Artcaffe

Urban Burger

Ole Sereni, Mombasa Road Pizza 020 390 1000 Now introducing Ole Pizza, the long awaited Wood Fired Pizzeria. Visit us at Ole Sereni Hotel and experience the only love triangle you will ever want!

Fairmont Norfolk, Harry Thuku Rd Formal Dining 020 226 5000 Get flame-grilled, aged cuts of high quality meat and a fine dining experience comprising an a la carte menu and an international range of wines.

TRM Mall, Thika Rd Cafe

TRM

0708906505 Their quietly elegant décor and amazing art provides the perfect setting for the intermingled aromas of freshly baked bread, pastries, cakes and specially roasted coffee.

Café 0708906505 With flavours that pack a punch, Urban Gourmet Burgers bring a whole new level of quality to the humble burger. There’s bound to be something for everyone on our menu!

List your restaurant for only Ksh 5,000 per month. Email sales@eatout.co.ke