Chef Isaac Nzomo bringing hotel back to life
Jasmine Atieno @sparkleMine
A good chef is the heart of every hotel. At the Safari Beach Hotel, Diani, Chef Isaac Nzomo is busy reviving the restaurant with his signature grilled fish fillet steak served with Sake, a Japanese alcoholic drink.
Nzomo believes he is one of the top fish chefs at the Coast and that few can prepare his special salmon dish. “My secret is fusing ingredients to bring out the best taste in each dish.
The secret about preparing fish is adding very little spices so as not to change the taste. Also use little salt and pepper,” he says.
“I have learnt a lot on how best to fuse ingredients and the end target is to give the guest a ‘wow’ factor by mixing the right ingredients.
Apart from my own research, I also learn and borrow ideas from other chefs,” says Nzomo.
The steak is made by first grilling the skin of the fish with a knob of liquid oil at 180 degrees centigrade.
After it gets crispy, it is put in the oven for one minute before turning it over for another minute.
This process ensures the side of the fillet steak becomes crispy while the shape is maintained. It also allows heat to penetrate properly and within a short time.
Own recipe
Then this is followed by preparation of a special sauce, which is prepared using a fusion of duck bones, fennel bulb five stars, aniseeds, cinnamon sticks, green pepper, garlic and carrots.
All these are added together and boiled for two hours in a simmering mode before sieving and allowing to rest.
“You’ve got to cut the garlic into big chunks to maintail a mild aroma. If you dice them into small pieces the aroma spreads, but in this case we want it mild,” says Chef Isaac as he went through the process to prepare the dish.
After this, you put the stock, organic miso and sake (Japanese wine) and bring it to the same boiling point.
Add some brown sugar and leave to evaporate and thicken. Check the seasoning then put the grilled salmon fillet steak to absorb.
The dish can be served with colcannon mashed potatoes or saute potatoes.
And my, does it taste nice! We are guests at the hotel, courtesy of operations manager, Bosco Kimani.
“Bringing Nzomo to the hotel has brought remarkable change to the facility that had earlier been closed down,” he says.
The closure was due to legal issues in the courts. “It has been a struggle trying to make a comeback, but this chef is helping turn things around. We are getting crowds over lunch and local visitation.
It is usually the white settlers and repeat guests who make yearly visitation,” says Kimani.
A guest at the hotel, Charles Bruno, says what draws him to eat at the hotel are the prices, which top at Sh1,500.
“The food is good and, especially at that price. Plus I am used to the full package because I am a member of their fitness club and the hotel beach. There are no beach boys to disturb you and the beach is clean.
I can leave my phone and personal items on the coach and go for a swim and no one will touch them,” he says.
Thatched village
During our lunch, we also meet Ashley Trimble from Europe, who is in his 40 trip to Kenya. So far, his favourite destination remains Diani. “The atmosphere, the ambience, the clean beach… I like it.
I have been to Madagascar, but I like it better here. The culture and the people, everything is just amazing.
I would definitely recommend Diani for any tourist and the food is delicious,” he says.
The four-star hotel resort is located about 32km south of Mombasa, with a brilliant view of the Indian Ocean along the Diani Beach.
Although the rooms at the resort are thatch-roofed “villages”, there is no accommodation being offered at the hotel yet as the rooms are being refurbished.
“Only the restaurant, pool and bar are open. We will be serving a special surprise dish courtesy of Chef Nzomo on Valentine Day— a special offer of three course meal and wine for two at Sh6,000,” said the operations manager, Bosco Kimani.
