THE DISH: Delectable Sunday brunch at Pallet Café

My wonderful breakfast at Pallet Cafe. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

What you need to know:

  • There’s something distinctly beautiful about empathy, and people who try and make others aware that there are more people that don’t look like them in the world
  • When you walk into Pallet, you will notice a stand on the side that indicates the sign language alphabet
  • The wait staff is very attentive, including the supervisor

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.

I have a new favourite cute little café. It’s called the Pallet Café, and it is on James Gichuru Road. My favourite thing about it is that it is disability friendly – and by that I mean, all the servers are deaf.

There’s something distinctly beautiful about empathy, and people who try and make others aware that there are more people that don’t look like them in the world.

It’s a factor of privilege, I suppose – you grow up a certain way, around the same people, and you start assuming that everyone looks just like you and is just like you. That is quite obviously not always the case.

HANDY
When you walk into Pallet, you will notice a stand on the side that indicates the sign language alphabet. This will be handy for you while ordering, even though you can do the boring thing and point at the menu – which is also fine.

The menu at Pallet Cafe. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

But it is infinitely more fun to learn something outside your scope of comfort, and learn the two letters that you need to to indicate that you want a Café Mocca (C, and M).

They also list the handles of a sign language school that you can continue your education with, if you so wish.

The CM. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

DELIGHTFUL

Pallet Café is very child friendly, and has little rabbits on its expansive lawn that kids can play around. The lawn itself leaves a lot of room for general fun time frolicking, as it is outside of the shade that covers the main eating area.

Speaking of the eating area. Simple wooden furniture made more for function than for comfort are encompassed by a shade that hold about 12 – 15 tables.

The seating at Pallet Cafe. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

The wait staff is very attentive, including the supervisor. And the food? I keep going back for the same breakfast, but it is a delightful one: some guacamole, bread, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, scrambled eggs (of your choice), home fries and two different sauces.

It’s not what they make, it’s how they’re making it, by the way.

All in all, Pallet Café is perfect for a lazy Sunday spent forgetting that the next day is Monday.

Yes, they do very much make plantains. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA