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GOOD
HELPINGS OF FILLETED FISH,
PRAWNS, LOBSTER AND CALAMARI
The
Jahazi Grill
Mombasa Serena Beach Hotel
Coastweek
- - Like many Mombasa dwellers, we seldom get as far as
Shanzu for a night out given the usually deplorable standard of
driving on the Bamburi road as far as Mtwapa.
However a birthday
called for a treat and we decided on the Jahazi Grill at the Serena
Beach Hotel.
It was a balmy evening
and the upstairs restaurant afforded a steady cooling breeze, writes NOSHER.
Indeed with a small
stretch of the imagination (and sufficient alcohol) you could almost
imagine yourself to be on the bridge of an old galleon.
After a restorative dawa
we were served with what was said to be garlic bread, but which seemed
to be the "Garlic Lite" variety.
However not at all put
off we soon attacked our appetisers.
Putting aside the vast
environmental damage caused by harvesting them Madame chose the 'palm
hearts' and professed them to be very good indeed.
I went for the smoked
sailfish with capers and shaved boiled eggs which was both generous
and tasty.
The wine list was
expensive whilst not very extensive.
For a hotel of the
Serena's reputation it seems unnecessary to have 'boxed' wines as
house wine.
We went for the 'fizzy
stuff' and there was a slight hiatus getting the cork out of the
bottle of Swartland Brut; in fact the whole operation took
about five minutes by which time the frosted champagne flutes were no
longer frosted, but were swiftly replaced by our attentive waiter.
Just a quiet word about
our waiter; each time he placed or removed anything on the table,
refilled a glass or indeed was even remotely in the vicinity of our
table he said, "Pole pole, hakuna matata".
Perhaps I am becoming a
grumpy old sod but I found this to be insanely annoying.
Management might want to
consider the fact that not all of their patrons are necessarily
tourists ... in fact even the most besotted tourist might also find
this tedious repetition bewildering.
One other small grouse.
Diners are serenaded by
a group of three wandering minstrels who make a very pleasing sound.
So far so good.
However their wanderings
mean that they arrive at each table at a frequency of approximately
every 13.5 minutes and stand there singing at you.
This gives diners a
dilemma: do you stop eating and listen with rapt attention ?
Do you smile the first
time then get back to the food ?
Or do you try to ignore
the whole thing and hope they don't come back ?
Anyway we moved on to
the main event.
My host went for the
lobster with coriander and ginger and found the overall flavour quite
powerful and pili pili, slightly masking the distinctive taste
of the lobster.
I chose the melange of
Indian Ocean seafood.
A good helping of
prawns, lobster, calamari and filleted fish but some of which was
slightly charred from the grill.
The main courses were
accompanied by a rather unimaginative mixed salad.
All of which was rather
a shame.
We decided against pud
or coffee and meekly paid a bill a little shy of K. Shs. 7,500/=.
Pole.
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