EATING&OUTING: Expensive – but well worth it

Reinvention and reimagining are, in my eyes, important agents for the success of any brand, especially in the food service industry. My respect for commercial establishments where management has the good sense to tap into emerging trends and shifting consumer patterns is and always has been immense. I was therefore incredibly excited to learn that the menu and a lot of other components had been given an overhaul since the last time I was at Jiko Restaurant – which, quite honestly, is so long ago that it proved impossible to remember. While most of the items on the old menus were consistently of great quality, the offerings were uninspired and suffered a general lack of panache so I banished it to the place in my mind where boring things go to be forgotten.

On my recent visit to the chic boutique hotel along Nairobi’s Limuru Road a few days ago, my friends and I chose to rendezvous at the intimate Moroccan themed rooftop bar, (also served by Jiko) rather than the poolside space that’s the site of the main restaurant. The cocktails at The Nest are something of a legend and the eclectic DJ mixes help create the perfect ambience for an after work watering hole; just enough beat to get you moving in your seat without having to be in a night club.

I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed to find an extensive international menu with a good number of items spanning everything from seafood and sushi to grilled meats, salads, pasta dishes and more. Having just returned from the coast and suffering a frenetic bout of nostalgia, the marinated prawns were an easy choice although I did wince ever so slightly when I saw the price. Our orders were taken, drinks served and before we knew it, our meals were placed before of us, which was somewhat surprising.

The positive changes were very welcome, among which the most notable was the increased attentiveness, eloquence and mastery of the menu shown by the staffers. Plating and presentation at Jiko has always been a production and this time was no different except that the new plates are some of the most obnoxious, mammoth eating plates that I ever saw.

My jumbo prawns, served with baby potatoes and vegetable confit, were cooked au jus so a creamy gravy was made from their expelled juices and they were absolutely banging. I could definitely have used more vegetable but the half-shelled prawns were just right. My friends mostly went with some of the burger choices and all of them had very nice things to say about their food. The salted matchstick chips, which are a lot more fun than the steakhouse variety, were also delicious and it was all I could do to not stuff my face with them off other peoples’ plates.

The much-needed changes at Jiko are obviously paying off and I am now a lot more likely to keep returning! Even when the prices at Jiko lean heavily towards the obscenely exorbitant, I felt I was getting my money’s worth.