26 August 2012

Taste of China

While attending security training at the gym at Prime Apartments on Rhapta Road I discovered a hidden taste of China. After a particularly hard workout of assaulting colleagues and resisting assault, a workmate and I decided to indulge. While I haven't found the most impressive selection of Chinese food in Nairobi I thought, why not give it a shot? 

I will say Taste of China surprised me. We pre-ordered our lunch so it would be ready by the end of training and the waiters were prompt in their service and food delivery, ensuring that we could make it back to the office on time. We sat poolside, a highly recommended option over the dark interior of the restaurant. We ordered a tofu entree with vegetable fried rice to share between the two of us. The portion was so large not only did it feed us for lunch that day but we took the leftovers back to the office and split them again the next day.

Mandhari Restaurant

Yesterday evening I sat on the Mandhari Terrace in the Serena Hotel just outside of City Center and was wined and dined by my favorite Curry Delight. The restaurant was quiet, a relief from the other restaurants we had considered dining that night. The table overlooked the pool and CBD and was punctuated with the musical musings of a bevy of frogs and crickets with only an occasional burst of laughter wafting up from the pool bar below.

The waitstaff was attentive, if a bit hovering, but very professional. All I needed to do was to turn my head in their direction before someone scurried over to assist us, and they never let our drinks empty without requesting if we needed another.

The head chef is French and apparently visits the restaurant several times a year but the menu provides an array of choices ranging from set multi-course menus to continental a la carte or even a surprise five course menu specially designed by the chef. The cocktail selection was nothing exciting, just the typical drinks you expect to see in Kenya- Pimms, Dawa, Bloody Mary, with a couple of others thrown in to round off the menu. Their wine menu was extensive, but as the sole consumer of wine my choices were a bit limited to those they sold by the glass as I did not want to attempt to drink an entire bottle by myself.