text
susan wong
Calling anyone’s
food ‘rancid,’
‘mediocre’ or
‘uninspiring’ is
never enjoyable.
food-loving individuals. There
were however moments where I
battled with my conscience – if
my experience is bad, do I write
the truth and potentially harm
someone’s business?
Calling anyone’s food ‘rancid,’
‘mediocre’ or ‘uninspiring’ is never
enjoyable. As the youngest daughter
to a former restaurateur in Canada,
I would never wish to be on the
receiving end of such criticism.
My father was the chef-owner of
a successful neighbourhood bistro
in Toronto. Though he sold it soon
after I was born thirty years ago,
there was never a single day that I
wasn’t reminded of his dedication
and passion for his restaurant.
From handcrafted stained glass
chandeliers that lit the restaurant
with ambience repurposed in my
childhood home, to the dusty
signage sitting in the back of the
garage – I knew my father would
never let go because he had poured
a tremendous amount of himself into
the business and undoubtedly, the
restaurant was a reflection of him as
an individual.
Understandably, when a restaurant
is an extension of you, receiving
tough constructive criticism will
naturally be met with defensive
mechanisms and perhaps spur
motivation to do better, or not.
Likewise, receiving praise is like
a pat on the back, a gesture of
appreciation. What I’ve learned
during my culinary journey in
Kenya is that it’s important to be as
objective, vivid, real and mercilessly
honest in food media – that’s the
only way to help shape Nairobi into
one of the world’s great international
culinary destinations with
competitive offerings to boot.
The notoriously cutthroat Nairobi
restaurant scene became even more
competitive in 2014, when a slew of
international chefs and homegrown
talent joined the fight for a slice
of the lucrative pie. International
brands like Caramel, Ocean Basket,
Domino’s Pizza, Snack Attack and Soi
joined in the knife sharpening, whilst
fearless new entrants like Mambo
Italia, Churrasco Gaucho, Dari,
Adega and Four Café added to the
diversity. Yet despite the plethora of
restaurants and a greater choice than
possibly anywhere else in the region,
you still have to do your homework
to find a good meal in Nairobi. But
when you do though, it’s likely to be
magnificent.
In the exuberant and fickle
restaurant scene in Nairobi, new
restaurants continue to open and
culinary trends from all over the
world are quickly adopted. Kenya’s
capital is certainly growing into its
food-loving reputation. With about
fifty restaurants participating in
Nairobi Restaurant Week 2015 just
around the corner, Nairobi continues
to surprise me with its determination
to thrive in its journey in becoming
an internationally recognised foodie
hotspot.
So as we settle into 2015, will you
join me on this culinary journey in
Nairobi? Will you help me celebrate
the heroes of this industry? If your
answer is yes, then start making your
reservations. Happy eating.
17.