NAIROBI RESTAURANT WEEK

It is finally upon us, the much anticipated annual event that runs through the week. NRW started on 27th Jan, and it ends on 4th February. Being an ardent food lover, I was going to try it out. Luckily, the choice of restaurant was picked by my book club members (yes I am in one & yes I can read your thoughts. You are probably thinking “I am not surprised” right? lol). We chose to go to Mercado Mexican Kitchen and Bar on Kenrail towers (just next to 9 west) in Westlands.

I had never been to the restaurant, let alone the building smh (I keep saying I will try the Sushi bar, so if you are out there and want to try the Sushi bar with me, hit me up *wink*). I loved the ambiance, especially in the balcony area. It gives you a view of Westlands, well not all of it but part of it. The seats are comfy, and the place is big enough to accommodate for a large group of people.

The service was also impeccable, a bit slow though but keeping in mind, it was lunch hour, so that was bound to happen. The waiters and waitresses were friendly; nothing beats a smile on your face when talking to someone. & they were patient enough to explain what was on the menu. So for lunch, they are serving a two-course meal where you have the option of having the starter and the main meal or the main meal and dessert for just ksh.1000. For dinner, they are serving a three-course meal for ksh.3000.

I chose to have the main meal and dessert (yes I love sweet things haha). I had the Salmon especial which is Salmon with lentils stew cooked with smoked bacon, tomatoes, and smoked artichokes. I honestly didn’t know what I was picking, I just picked it because it was fish, and the only other option was chicken or vegetarian (& those who know me know fish is always my first option and there is no way I will willingly eat veggies as a main meal). I must say, compared to the chicken enchiladas served with chipotle sauce and gratin with cheddar cheese & sour sauce (again, this is Greek lol) salmon is the recommended option. Most of my friends who ordered for the chicken did not like it. Couscous salad for a starter received equal amounts of love and hate, so that would depend on your taste buds.

I fell in love with their mojitos. I ordered the classic mojito which was good but I will I had ordered for the Jamaican mojito; it had a generous amount of alcohol in it. The drinks are very affordable with a price range of between Ksh.590-ksh.900, depending on what you order.

This is a restaurant to check out even after NRW is over considering their normal menu is affordable. What restaurant are you guys trying out for NRW?

Photo Credits: Collokun

Java Book Lounge.

Him: What are you up to, I am bored.

Me: Just bummed on the couch, bored af too for a Sunday.

Him: Want to hang out?

Me: Sure, what do you have in mind?

Him: Meet me in Westy we will decide where to go. Don’t dress up.

Me: I had no intentions of dressing up, it’s a lazy Sunday. See you in an hour.

Him: Cool (I like how he says cool).

Spent my Sunday afternoon walking in Karura forest. This time we used the Limuru road entrance. The entrance fee to Karura is sh.100 for adults and sh.50 for kids. Car parking is sh. 100. I love Karura because there is an array of activities one can do with their friends and families. There are picnics with charges being sh.100 for kids and sh.150 for adults, bike riding where you can use your own or hire theirs at sh.500 for two hours. I was super impressed with myself for taking 15000 steps and more. It’s been a while since I did anything that involves fitness. After Karura we were to go to the village market, but somewhere along the drive, this conversation happened.

Him: I have a place I want to show you, and I know you will love.

Me: Where?

Him: Wait and see. ( Friends who take you to new places, introduce you to new books and good music are the reason life is beautiful.)

  

We drove to Rosslyn mall just before getting to Two Rivers Mall. Guess where we landed, in a book lounge on the 2nd floor in Java. One of my ultimate goals in life is to own a book lounge with a huge collection of books and an ambiance for one to enjoy a bottle of wine or whiskey as you read (don’t judge me). To access the lounge, you have to place your order first at the counter, and Java is reasonably priced.

The lounge has a few books and journals. I loved the sitting arrangement as it even caters to a book club meeting. There is music playing in the background. After you get served, the waiter will rarely come up the lounge unless on request, and this does give you a chance to concentrate without the interruptions of people walking up and about. I am one who is always looking for a new spot to enjoy my own company and a book, and of all places I have found, the Java book lounge wins.

 (This post was more for people who love reading books and having their mug of coffee, “coffee and books make the perfect blend,” in their own company).

Taking Stock  (Part 2)

Hey guys (waves frantically). It’s been a while, my bad, let’s blame procrastination. Unlike others, quitting procrastinating was clearly not part of my resolutions for 2018. I hope your year has started with a bang (both literally and figuratively *winks*). Mine started on a high note; I went holding snakes for approximately 50 seconds. This has to be the most horrifying thing I have ever done. PS; this post will be different from the rest. It will have a summary of the places I visited but did not make it to the blog.

The Rock House, Karen.

One of my favorite discoveries. It was one of those random plots on a Tuesday afternoon because we were home and bored. Met my friend at Karen and drove to Ndovu Lane. It’s somewhere near Kenya School of Law (google maps helped). I fell in love with The Rock House because of the décor, from the gate to the house and the icing on the cake was the pool. Being a Tuesday, we were only two in the whole premise. It’s serene, relaxing and chilled out. The owner and the waitress are friendly. The food is very affordable (a plate ranges from sh.500-700, and the mixed platter goes for sh.1500) I had the pool to myself; it’s not heated so go when it’s sunny. Swimming is sh.500. You can carry your alcohol, but you would have to pay sh.500 extra per person for that. They, however, do have a bar so don’t fret.

Dari Restaurant, Karen.

( Haha, I know too much Karen, but in my defense, Karen has amazing places)

Dari is perfect for dinner or when one is seeking solitude. You will forget the concept of time while there. Located next to St. Christopher’s just before getting to Karen center. The food is amazing, and the best part is that they have a variety of wine choices. The waiters are fast, and they don’t linger too much around your table. An exciting fact is that if you seat near the garden area at some point in the evening, you might be lucky to see some antelopes or gazelles (I am not sure which of the two). It is also a reasonably affordable place; it might not dent your pockets.

The Stedmark Gardens, Karen.

This was the first place I visited this year, thanks to my friend Macharia. We were to do this visit last year, but none of us was ready to face our phobia of snakes (ophiophobia). I cannot emphasize how much this was the creepiest thing I have ever done yet the bravest thing (this beats a visit to the dentist). Stedmark is just 10 minutes past Galleria mall on your way to Karen. It’s an animal park and an amusement park in one. They have birds, tortoises, peacocks and peahens, lamas, ostriches, porcupines, monitor lizard, chameleons, and waterbucks. To access the animal park will just cost you sh.300. There was a huge heated pool; swimming is sh.1000. Kids get to play on the dragon ride, bouncing castle, swings and slides. It also has the floating restaurants which look cool. The music was more for the older generation, but I loved the live band. It was a bit expensive to my liking, but the food was terrific. This is definitely a place to visit as a family for a chilled out Sunday.