T and I had a lunch date yesterday and this time he took me to one of his usual lunch spots that he's been raving about for weeks. While it's not far from his office, there is no way I could have found this place on my own. Tucked away in the corner, next to a church with which it shares its name, Friends doesn't seem like much at first glance. Aside from an assortment of chairs and tables strewn across a small patio and lawn, I don't remember seeing anything that would lead one to obviously believe that this was an eating establishment. And yet it serves up one of the most solid Kenyan meals I've had to date. Here's what we sampled off the menu yesterday (clockwise from the lower right):
* Njahi - is also the name for the kind of black beans with which this dish is made. Friends serves it up as a kind of stew with onions and other vegetables.
* Sukuma Wiki - practically ubiquitous in Kenya, this dish is made of sauted kale. It's name literally translates to "stretch the week" as it's used to pad or stretch meals till the end of the week.
* Beef Stew - as far as I can tell, beef stews are commonly tomato based here. Friends serves their's with plenty of beef along with carrots, zucchini, and onions.
* Chapatis - sometimes referred to as 'chapo', chapatis are a kind of flat bread that I find to have an amazingly chewy texture
* Rice - longer grained rice, such as basmati, tends to be the norm here in Kenya. Often times the rice is cooked with vegetables or coconut milk as a pilau.
Just when I thought it couldn't get better, we got the bill. Our total came to 450 shillings which is equivalent to a little more than $5!?! Home cooked food, generous portions, and fast service all for an impossibly low price, how the hell could I go anywhere else??
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