Location: Thorn Tree Cafe Sarova Stanley
Time: Friday . 7.15 pm
I love Fridays evenings, especially when I have to go to a restaurant or event to do a blog review. Last Friday, I wanted to check out Sarova Stanley’s Mongolian Theme Night that my friend Hilda had mentioned a few days ago. I also had a photographer accompanying me, so I knew that I would have time to get the full experience, and not be worried too much about taking blog photos. I had an assignment earlier that day and I did not have time to change out of my jeans after work. I had crossed my fingers that my colleagues wouldn’t be all dolled up.
In attendance, were Janet & Hilda (from Sarova), Sylar (Friend & photographer for the day), Zach, Sandra and Mr.T. I had not met Sandra, Zach or Mr.T before, so it was amazing to network & talk to new people. The night started off on a high note with people laughing and talking as we ‘downed’ the St. Germaine soup. Most people were not so keen on this soup . It was a garden peas’ soup with a smooth consistency.
It is so strange that the Thorn Tree Cafe is nested in the heart of C.B.D. and I had never been here before. I had a great time reviewing this restaurant for the first time. The establishment was relatively empty at 7.20 pm but diners kept came in after some time . Walking in, we were greeted by smiling hostesses and then, we were ushered to our table. I loved the theme of the restaurants and the arrangement. There were paintings and embellishments on the wall. The cafe was also well spaced out. Our table sat smack in the center of the room and we had a great view of the chefs and the display tables.
There was some music in the background. This music reminded me of Sarova Panafric. The room was well lit and I could smell the different foods that the chefs were preparing. Before people settled in, we went to the display table and it was evident the oriental influence in the ingredients that subtly brought out the Mongolian theme. Examples of raw ingredients were vegetables including carrots, bean sprouts, mushrooms , onions, green peppers etc. There were meats including chicken, beef, seafood among others. There was food spices like red pepper and coriander. The idea was to grab a plate and select the raw foods that the chef would prepare for you as you watched from the table.
The focus of the Mongolian Theme is the self selection and live cooking. The food is cooked on an iron pan/plate and you cant help but notice the drama as the chef skillfully adds the ingredients and magic sauces. There is a sizzle, clanking and splashing of sauces. There is also a cloud of smoke that stems from that mixture and you cant help but imagine how good the food will taste. The food smells amazing!
People selected all types of ingredients and everyone had their own unique dish. As we waited for our food to cook we also made a selection of salads at the salad table mixed it in a bowl and added individual dressings. I was excited to see artichokes on the menu because I love how they taste. I just love salty & sour tasting things like artichokes and olives.
The food arrived after everyone was done with their unique salads. I was so eager to see how my dish would turn out. I picked out snapper and prawn for my meat and onions, peppers, and mushroom. The Kikuyu in me was happy when the food came with an accompaniment of potatoes. I cant get enough of roast potatoes. The meat was surprisingly tender and it was soaked in an amazing sauce. I wish that the prawn would have been a bit crunchier though. There was a moment of silence as people ate their food. We were so full by the end of the dinner and some people did not even eat dessert. I did some fruit cuts for my dessert. We then talked and drank some refreshments before we decided to call it a night.
The Mongolian Theme Night happens every Friday at Thorn Tree cafe in Sarova Stanley. It is a wonderful experience to complete a loooong work week. Make sure you call up a few friends. I say the more, the merrier.
Photos by Sylar.