Meet a grocer who cooks you dinner

Faith Kyoumukama @hmartkinel

When I think grocery shopping, it’s a whole day gone for me, especially if it’s for the whole month.

But lately, it’s therapeutic. I heard that’s what happens when you grow older, you find bliss in such.

A few years back, it was the main market or nothing. Very few would shop for vegetables from supermarkets, but the modern-day has come with new trends. 

Speaking of grocery shops, a week ago, I visited Zucchini Greengrocers on General Mathenge road.

I wanted to try the meals they serve at their jikoni, which serves as a kitchen for their sit down customers.

This particular Zucchini branch sits on a stand-alone structure with ample parking.

I want to shop, but I’m hungry, so I would rather eat first then shop later. 

Basically what they have in store (pun intended) is what is in the menu. The likes of wraps, pizzas, pancakes, sandwiches salads and fits are what is available.

They have a bakery as well, so available on the menu are croissants,  waffles and the likes. 

I hadn’t had breakfast, so I considered my order a brunch, also, considering that I don’t like to eat past 7pm, this seemed might also serve as dinner.

A wrap would do! I told myself. And to enjoy both worlds, I choose a meaty one also referred to as a hearty wrap on their menu and a vegetarian option. The chicken tikka wrap and the falafel classic respectively.  

While waiting for my order, which took about 15 minutes, I sipped on my salted caramel and peanut butter milkshake.

I know it’s a heavy combo, considering what’s coming, but there are times the cravings won’t stop.

The taste of nuts is more pronounced, but the sweetness of the caramel can still be tasted, though subtly. 

I started with the vegetarian combo, which consists of Falafel balls (made from chicken peas) hummus (made from mashed chickpeas) baba ganoush (a dip made from eggplant ), red cabbage grilled pepper and homemade tahini sauce.

Quite a surfing delicious combo I must say. I love falafel and I feel like it brought a different texture to the wrap.

Also, it’s great how they combined both hummus and baba ganoush together while usually, they are alternatives to each other.

I then had the chicken tikka wrap, which is grilled tikka tossed in a tikka sauce, oscillator and topped with garlic mint sauce.

It’s a meaty affair with generous savings of the cubbed, chicken pieces. 

Despite being a meat lover, I enjoyed the vegetarian option more as compared to the chicken wrap, probably because it had more flavours to it. 

Crispy brown pizza

We also had the chicken barbeque pizza, which  has  Grilled chicken tossed in homemade BBQ sauce served with onions , bell peppers, cheddar.

The toppings come in a thin crust, with average amount of sauce oozing with cheese.

The pizza sauce is not too much and this doesn’t overpower the other toppings, while other people prefer extra sauce, I prefer extra cheese. 

They prepare the pizzas in an open glass kitchen, so you are able to see through the preparation process.

They use the brick stone oven to make their pizzas, which I’m told creates a super hot cooking surface, which makes the bottom crust of your pizza crispy and brown instead of soggy and pale.

Some science and chemistry applied too, but in general, the pizza is tastier, compared to others I have had before. 

Many would shy away from Zucchini because of the aesthetics and clean looking vegetable, but even the food menu is affordable. 

Wraps range from Sh680 to Sh880 while their pizza go for as high as 800 to as low as Sh600.

And if you want fresh salad they have a salad bar with up to eight options. Caesar, tuna and Mediterranean salads are among the list to choose from.