Category: Restaurant Crush

Lunch at Picazzo

March 21, 2018 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

There are some days I eat way too much and indulge more than usual. The day I went to Picazzo with my sister was one of those days. My morning began with a hearty breakfast of fresh cardamom maandazi my mom had made, eggs and sausages. Since I had promised my youngest sister I would take her out for lunch to Picazzo that day, that also became another opportunity to indulge. Later that evening, I was taking my bestie out for dinner for her birthday celebration at my favorite restaurant in Westlands, that she had never been too. I literally spent the entire day eating. I proudly waddled all over Nairobi with my food baby and truly tried my best to suck in my food pregnancy for the photos. Can you tell? I’m sure you can LOL!

It being my first time at Picazzo, and the restaurant being pretty new, I decided to turn it to a review for you guys. Remember, a review is an opinion, hence is subjective, so remember what one likes may be what you hate or vice versa since we are all different and that’s ok and normal. I encourage you to check it out yourself nonetheless and see how you like it <3.

So here we go!

Brunch at Mercado

January 26, 2018 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

If you frequent Westlands, you have definitely seen a new restaurant at Kenrail towers right from the road. And that new spot is Mercado! I had been planning to visit Mercado with my younger sister last month for some sister time, however the day we chose, they had closed down. We postponed our date not too far off into the future. And when they reached out to me to sample their brunch menu, I was more than happy to go and try it out. My friends had amazing things to say about Mercado, and I was excited to try out the restaurant for myself. Because we missed our chance to dine at Mercado the last time we were there, I took my sister as my plus one, and it also happened to be her birthday, so that was my treat to her!

This review (and this amazing video) also includes some of my readers’ experiences at Mercado as per their Instagram DMs so that you get a balanced idea of the restaurant. These are our opinions, hence are subjective, so remember what one likes may be what you hate or vice versa since we are all different and that’s ok. I encourage you to check it out yourself nonetheless and see how you like Mercado.

Let’s get to it!

The Marula Mercantile

January 12, 2018 / Kaluhi / 8 Comments

Being the last weekend of 2017, my sister and I wanted to have a beautiful lunch to wind down the year. After a horrific experience at a popular seafood franchise, we hoped our experience at Marula Mercanitle would make up for it. Saturday the 30th was stunningly sunny and relaxed and we decided to eat at a place that was open and vibe-y. After our meal and afternoon stay there, I decided to include this as a restaurant review as it was not a planned visit between myself and the staff and I felt I captured them in their true essence. It is something I planned on doing last year, but due ~~being broke af~~ to various factors, I put restaurant reviews on hold. My review of Marula Mercantile will be first of many. I will also be including some of your experiences to my reviews so that you can get the truest, most realistic picture of the restaurant.

Here we go!

3 Restaurants, 3 Faves

October 6, 2017 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

Nothing thrills me more than having the chance to explore other cultures, trying out new things and immersing myself in their way of life and their way of doing things. I have had the privilege traveling to South Africa to attend the DSTv Delicious Food Festival this coming weekend but prior to that, we are experiencing the country and savoring all it has to offer. From our evening game drives, to going on the fastest zip line in Africa, it has been such a ball so far!! It is my second time here (read about my first time here) and I am more than happy to have food tied into the mix. We have visited quite a number of restaurants and today I want to review the first three restaurants we have to been to and the best I had in each one of them .

Here we go!!

Our Super Breakfast Experience

September 12, 2017 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

I always say my forever-friends are the ones I met while I was in high school. These are the girls who have seen me through my best, my absolute worst, who understand how easy it is for me to switch from silly to serious and who love me even when I am difficult to love at any given moment. Life in Precious Blood Riruta was difficult at most times, but the company made it all worth while. As life got busier, we made sure to make time for each other and when we do hang out, we always have a time to remember!! This past Saturday was one of those days! Diane, Joan, Anita and I decide to meet up over breakfast at Radisson Blu’s Larder Restaurant. We spoke about many things, and reminisced about our high school days the most. We laughed at how much Diane and I used to eat back (believe me, we used to eat A.L.O.T) and how at breakfast, we always used to scavenge for an extra slice of loaf because the quarter we were given never seemed to fill our tummies :D. And here we are now! All grown up and all glowed up once again sharing great conversations over breakfast, only difference is this time, we ate until we couldn’t move! And for us, no better time to share some encouragement, hearty laughs and juicy stories than over fantastic food.

And for that the Larder Restaurant’s Super Breakfast was the perfect choice. This was not the ordinary maandazi-egg-sausage breakfast buffet we are used to in Nairobi, but it had a wider variety from cold cuts to pastries and cheeses and everything else! I find breakfast dates so warm and intimate and we had the time of our lives! Breakfast dates should be more mainstream don’t you think? Here is what we ate and what we liked most:

My Sweet Stay At Lazizi Premier Hotel

March 29, 2017 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

I have said this before, and I will say it again: Nairobi traffic can send you to the brink of insanity. Lord forbid it rains or a trailer overturns on Mombasa road. Everything comes to a stand still. Meetings get canceled, dates get postpone and flights get missed. All this can simply be fixed and avoided by being at the right place at the right time. I remember the time my cousin Khetiwe came home for her holiday visit, she nearly missed her flight because of on going construction of the Southern bypass at that time. We all wished we would have left earlier and had lunch at a nearby hotel then see her off at the airport without stress, ~~running people over like mad race horses~~ rushing and anxiety. Next time she is in the country, I will for sure recommend Lazizi Premier Hotel for lunch, which is right inside our airport, and will save us the hustle of crossing the through monstrous Nairobi traffic. Here is a full review of my stay there:

Chop House- Menu Tasting Review

March 25, 2017 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

Nothing excites me more than having fantastic food with great company. My last week Thursday at Radisson Blu, Upper Hill Nairobi, was just that! Several food bloggers including myself and other media journalists had been invited for a media tasting and all I can say is that I was blown away by everything. We were asked to give our opinion about everything and this is what the review is all about. I would like to take you through what we had and I hope you make a visit there and experience everything for yourself. The rating of each dish is out of 5 stars, which i’d like to call K-stars, because this is a rating by me :DD. From all the questions and comments I received from my Instagram story on the afternoon I walked you through the tasting, I am sure this is something you will love <3.

Taste of Kenya at Nyama Mama

May 26, 2016 / Kaluhi / 18 Comments

When my friend and fellow food blogger, Funmi, came over to Nairobi from Nigeria, Wangeci, Lyra and I were obviously so stoked to show her how we Kenyans prepare our food. “I want to experience Kenyan food exactly as it is prepared by the locals and at common eat out spots” Funmi would say. While this was exciting, I have to admit it was also very challenging. This is because you may find some really bomb Kenyan food in a kibanda, but the ambiance is not really one you would like to have a foreign guest to eat at, you get what I mean? You always want to show your country in the best light. We managed to give her a great experience, but if she was to come back today, I know exactly where I would take her: Nyama Mama.

Thank God we now have Nyama Mama! They serve Kenyan food (yeeeiiii) with ingenious twists of their own in a cosy, clean, calm atmosphere that just feels like home! It does not get any better than this!

Here is my review:

The Lamu Moon Houses- Enchanting Kiwandani House

April 22, 2016 / Kaluhi / 22 Comments

If you are like me, a trip is always made 100 times more exciting once you know where you are going to be staying. For Onja Food bloggers and myself, this was exactly the case. Our three day attendance of Lamu food festival was made better by being accommodated at Kiwandani house. Kiwandani house is located at Shella beach in Lamu and it is one of 8 moon houses. The moon houses are given that name due to their white glistening at night, just like the moon. You can check out the other houses here.This post is a full review of our stay at Kiwandani house.

Sunday Brunch at Lord Erroll

February 10, 2016 / Kaluhi / 14 Comments

I had the honor of attending Sunday Jazz Brunch at Lord Erroll this past Sunday. I was so excited to spend a beautiful sunny Sunday mid-morning with amazing company, listening to amazing live jazz while downing some brunch. There is something about brunch that makes it so inviting, so this was a chance I could not turn down. Lord Erroll is situated in the posh neighborhood of Runda. Knowing that alone, set the bar so high. It was known to just a small number of people, but over the past few weeks, it has gained popularity.

Did Lord Erroll live up to our expectations? Read on to find out. Here is a review of my time at Lord Erroll

Larder Restaurant at Radisson Blu

December 13, 2015 / Kaluhi / 31 Comments

Have you ever visited a place so beautiful you don’t know where to look at first? That is exactly how I felt when I first stepped into Radisson Blu Nairobi. It is one of the most breathtaking spaces I have been to all year! Several lifestyle and food bloggers including myself had the privilege of being invited at Radisson Blu UpperHill, Nairobi and the experience was worth every second. If there is a place you MUST visit before the year ends (and every month there after 😉 ) it has to be Radisson Blu Nairobi.

The Ocean Basket Experience

October 27, 2015 / Kaluhi / 16 Comments

When Ocean Basket began their operations in our beautiful country, I was beyond excited to know that sea food has been brought closer to us by a brand that prides itself in quality. Living in an inland city has us deprived from the goodness of seafood so I felt Ocean Basket establishing itself in Nairobi was a gift to us.

I decided to visit Ocean Basket with my man because I knew we would have a good time, satisfy his huge appetite in the process get to sample one of the best eateries in town. The world decided that September is ‘take your man on a date month’. But why limit yourself to just one month when we have the entire year so I treated him to the ocean basket experience. We had a phenomenal time at Ocean Basket, and I highly recommend the same experience for each one of you.

Lunch at Sankara courtesy of Rupu

October 5, 2015 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

If you have read 30 random things about me, I have pointed out that I am a really frugal spender. This means that I do not mind spending on my self, but I especially like to do so when I can save a few coins in the process. Do you ever walk in town and pass outside posh hotels and wonder how it would feel to dine there? I do that all the time! I imagine how the food would taste, how the ambiance would feel and even what I would wear LOL! But thanks to Rupu, all this is possible! You get to dine at the best restaurants in town, walk in as though you run this and save a pretty penny in the process. Win-Win!

Here is my Sankara Experience courtesy of RUPU.

Salt Bar and Grill

July 19, 2015 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

The junction is always a bee hive of activity regardless of which day of the week. People moving through the mall lost in their own business and chatting away. In the midst of all this rests Salt Grill and bar, sitting like and oasis of relaxation in a dessert of bustling activity. My first impression of Salt grill and bar was class, indulgence and quality; both in terms of service and product. I was pleased to discover that they lived up to my expectations. Thank you Eat Out Kenya and Yummy KE for introducing me to this gem!

Salt is a name that mirrors restaurants with the same name in Europe that offer very high service and product. It is an easy name to remember and kinda has a modern feel to it. Formerly known as WWW, this is the ultimate wine bar in Nairobi. Unlike majority of the restaurants that mostly offer french wine, Salt Grill and bar ventures into the unexplored. They have wines form all over the globe but also offer Californian wine from the Napa Valley and Wines from Spain too. These regions are not strongly associated with wine production, but they understand the craft and make really good wine.

Flame Tree Restaurant at Sarova Panafric

July 11, 2015 / Kaluhi / 12 Comments

I had the privilege to attend the unveiling of the new menu for Flame Tree Restaurant at the Sarova Panafric. The Sarova Panafric is the only Pan-African hotel and home to authentic African tastes. To retain their reputation as the preferred hospitality hotel in the region, they constantly seek improvement and exceeding of expectations. This was evident and reflected in their menu. Their “Best of Kenya” concept seeks to offer the best locally produced and sourced foods in three culinary areas which are: traditional Kenyan cuisine; Western cuisine with an African influence and Swahili/Coastal Kenyan cuisine. Their meals have an African touch but with the highest level of eclectic global appeal and prepared with such great skill and execution. It was nothing short of excellence and opulence.

If you are like me, you have a mental list places you wish to visit or dine one day. Not to prove anything, but to simply enjoy the experience that good quality and service brings with it. If you have your list of places you want to dine in the near future, you had better add Flame Tree Restaurant to it.