THE DISH: Breakfast besties- Part II

The mushroom and basil omelette before I demolished it. PHOTO| ABIGAIL ARUNGA

What you need to know:

  • It's very annoying, by the way, to leave the house with a polo neck, an umbrella and a sundress below.
  • And boots in the back just in case it rains.
  • As I said, there are a number of options, but this particular night, we opted to go for the easiest one – Java.

Have you ever gone to the club one night, innocently leaving your house with a promise to return at a sensible hour of the day, and found yourself still awake and dancing when the sun is rising?

This has happened to me twice this month. I know, I was appalled too.

My excuse at the moment is that it is something in the December air – I swear, I'm usually a lot more responsible as an adult. Mostly.

Anyway, aside from my slight debauched deviations, the best thing to do if you're still awake at sunrise after a night out is, of course, to go have breakfast. But the question is, where?

A NUMBER OF OPTIONS

Depending on where you're watching the sunrise, there are a number of options outside of Sonford in town (I love me some Sonfordsafter the club. There's almost nothing like a lot of grease after a little drinking.).

An engine inside Aero Club. PHOTO| ABIGAIL ARUNGA

Sunrise in Nairobi has become a bit of a rumour lately, because of global warming and various other factors; the weather can't seem to decide whether it wants to engage in proper December heat or not.

And so, we're subjected to cloudy mornings with nary a sunrise and an intermediate undecided day to follow therein.

VERY ANNOYING

It's very annoying, by the way, to leave the house with a polo neck, an umbrella and a sundress below.

And boots in the back just in case it rains.

As I said, there are a number of options, but this particular night, we opted to go for the easiest one – Java.

The French toast at Java. PHOTO| ABIGAIL ARUNGA

Most Javas open at around 6:30 am, and considering that the light checks in a little bit earlier than that, it felt like the logical choice.

But I did want to watch the day open with something a bit more scenic, so we chose to go have breakfast at the Java at Wilson Airport.

The outside sitting area at Java. PHOTO| ABIGAIL ARUNGA

Now, the problem with going into Wilson Airport for breakfast is that of course you have to pay the airport fees to enter, which is 100 shillings.

So add that to your total budget for the day. When you enter Wilson, instead of going straight towards arrivals, turn right as if you're going towards the terminals of the various airlines Wilson holds, and then keep driving.

GOOD OLD JAVA

You'll see a sign that says Java. This particular Java used to be Creative Kitchen's playing ground, but they unfortunately closed down and turned the outfit over to Java.

A picture of the propeller at the outside seating area at Java. PHOTO| ABIGAIL ARUNGA

A pity, because I really loved their menu, particularly their giant tasty burgers. The ambience though is still to die for, even in the cold -there's something uber romantic and whimsical about having a cup of coffee as planes land and leave to unknown exotic (I believe) locations. It feels like the birth of a morning, of a day, of an adventure.

That's why I still go back to Aero Club every so often – even if I'm not a big fan of the actual restaurant.

Speaking of the actual restaurant, I love that Aero Club has all these ancient stories and artefacts plastered on their walls, telling customers about Kenyan aviation history and the like.

Scenes from outside Aero Club. PHOTO| ABIGAIL ARUNGA

So after we finished reading all those things and we sat down, we ordered varied breakfast – the trusty huge Java samosa for one, a French toast ensemble for someone else, and the mushroom basil omelette or me. I'm still looking for the perfect pace to have French toast. Artcaffe changed their French toast recipe to substitute vanilla cream cheese for mascarpone, and it just isn't the same, to be honest.

In case you forgot where you are... PHOTO| ABIGAIL ARUNGA

The French toast at Java was lacking, for me, to be honest, in taste and presentation, but I did enjoy my omelette, particularly the cheesiness of it, and this flavourful home-made tomato sauce accompaniment that they usually serve with breakfast.

The entrance of Aero Club. PHOTO| ABIGAIL ARUNGA

We probably made a lot of noise for the people who were trying to come for a calmer breakfast, but you know how the service industry is. It takes all sorts...

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Wondering where to get the 411 on what's happening in and around Nairobi's foodie scene? There's a lot of places you could go, but here's where we want you to be – getting the dish on the dish. Get it? We knew you would.