Seaside foodie heaven
Nailantei Norari @ArtNorari
While I am sad to see most of the restaurants I patronise close down, just when I was starting to get into the groove of eating out, I am glad in the knowledge that restaurants outside the five zones; Machakos, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kajiado and Nairobi are operating as usual. As usual being until 9pm right before the 10pm curfew time.
So my detailing of my experiences at Forodhani Seafront Restaurant Mombasa should brighten your spirits and hopefully make you go for a visit if you are outside the five-zones.
If you are within the five zones, you can put it up on the list of places to visit once the country opens up again.
Forodhani restaurant is located in Old Town Mombasa, just a short walk from Fort Jesus. If you like, you can take a stroll around old town and reacquaint yourself with swahili architecture.
The restaurant is behind a simple unpretentious archway framed by beautiful fronds on one side. After a short walk down a paved archway, one can see the beautiful waves of the ocean buffeting the restaurant wall.
To dine next to the waves with a view of the waves and people jet skiing is incredibly humbling.
You know, one of those experiences that make you want to tear up at just how incredibly beautiful nature is?
If you ever go to Forodhani restaurant, in the morning, please have their mahamri and mbaazi. It is so filling, and proof that Nairobi restaurants haven’t been serving you the real thing.
You should also order any seafood, especially if you are a self-proclaimed lover of all seafood like me. I have to take antihistamines after, but the lobster thermidor at Forodhani is totally worth it.
That it is fresh from the ocean and quite affordable, at just Sh1,700 whereas you can fork out upwards of Sh4,000 in Nairobi, is an added boon.
I know the importance of fresh seafood because I almost poisoned myself with frozen lobster that was clearly not fresh some time back in Nairobi.
I insisted on making and eating it since I had to justify the expensive purchase. Not very smart, but it made total monetary sense at the time...story for another day all.
Point is, get the lobster at Forodhani. While I will gladly alight from the Nairobi seafood train anytime, the Nairobi biryani is another story altogether.
There are several restaurants, which make sumptuous biryani dishes that are as good as the real swahili delicacy. But if you ever need to reset your biryani taste gauge, the Forodhani biryani is a great standard to use.
I really love wheat. I have taken to eating it in various forms with buttered naan and cakes being my latest addiction. So ordering the restaurant’s mutton curry with buttered naan came as no surprise to my usual restaurant hunting partner.
The naan was freshly made and soft, just the way I like it. The mutton curry was moderately spiced, they asked for my preference before they made it.
The only drawback is that they do not serve alcoholic drinks. They have smoothies, teas, coffee and fresh juices though.
