Sampling the Buffet Lunch at Intercontinental Nairobi

Since Intercontinental Nairobi’s buffet special had become a hit among many people, we decided to go and try it with some friends. There are many restaurants offering an all-you-can eat special for affordable prices but we chose Intercontinental Nairobi after a strong recommendation from a friend. This Saturday, I discovered why it was all the rage. The terrace has a warm friendly atmosphere overlooking the pool, helpful waiting staff and award winning cuisine. The weather was chilly so there was nobody at the pool that day.

There are polished floors and wall panelling in delicate earthly shades. It’s a statement of the obvious to say that the terrace environment suits the buffet idea very well because it is spacious and you could picture yourself making endless trips from the food to your table. We got to our table, and had some refreshments before we were told that the buffet ends at 3pm and we had better get started. One of my friends had mango juice while the other ordered passion juice which she claimed tasted ‘as fresh as the morning dew’. I felt the compulsion to ask her how morning dew tastes like but I smiled to myself and asked for still water. 🙂

The buffet had a variety of food and we wanted to try everything. While the menu flirted with a little Indian adventurism, mostly it leaned towards the African and continental foods as refracted through a kitchen trained in all these menus. There were succulent cuts of lamb, beef, pork, fish and poultry. There was also a vast selection of hot Indian dishes, salads and breads, all freshly made in house to traditional recipes. Did I tell you our plates were so full I even feared for my wrists? 🙂

One of my friends had been here before and she knew exactly what she wanted. She even insisted that we try the terere (traditional Kenyan vegetables that sometimes grow in gardens as weeds). On the Indian side was some spicy rice and soups. I put some on the side of my plate and headed to the continental side. I was surprised to see diced sweet potatoes. There were many African dishes including matoke and roasted pumpkin. After putting some grilled snapper on my plate, I saw one of my friends going for the lamb chops. The cherry on top was a stir fry that the chef was preparing for us. We waited as we nibbled on the sweet potatoes which were crusty on top. I’m used to eating boiled sweet potatoes but these were different, and so delicious. We brimmed our plates with the stir-fry.

My plate was a mess 🙂

After taking our food to the table, we got garden salads and sat down to eat. Between talking, crunching, nibbling and savoring,, I really took time to enjoy the food and taste the different food flavors. My favorite was the grilled snapper and the stir fry. The fish was so soft and tasty and it worked well with the soup. I also loved the stir fry because of the little shrimps and the crunchy green peppers. Chef Simon Wanjau (the head chef, Intercontinental Nairobi), joined us as he told us more about the menu.

He said that he is health conscious and he incorporated healthy foods to the menu. After a healthy meal like that, I did not feel so guilty about the fries I had eaten the previous night. I appreciate restaurants that serve healthy meals. Even their fruit juices, fruit cuts and garden salads were fresh and tasty. We all chose the same things for desserts. I love berries and raisins and they were in plenty. There was a serving with raisins soaked in rum. There were different types of cake and fruit. We were all pretty full by that time and we ate dessert slowly as we talked.

It was now 5pm and we decided to pass by the revamped Safari Bar for some cocktails before we call it a day. I would recommend this experience to people who want to have a fun day out with friends. Pricing for the buffet is Kshs 2,900 for lunch and Kshs 3,000 for dinner exclusive of drinks.

Nov 21/14