Where Best to Eat in Nairobi

This is part of a weekly (semi-weekly) guide about where best to eat in some of the various humanitarian crises and catastrophes around the world.

Granted, Nairobi is far from a hardship post, but it does serve as a hub for east Africa - even though the South Sudan folks have long since migrated to Juba, much of the Somalia work is still done from Kenya.

It's also the city I know best, having spent two years based there.  Long enough to develop strong feelings about Nairobi's various restaurants - and the one restaurant I loved above all others.

Habesha - on Argwings Kodhek Road, not far from the Yaya Center - offers the best Ethiopian food in town.  At least in my humble opinion.  I arrived in Nairobi fairly ambivalent about Ethiopian; I left addicted, in no small part due to Habesha.

Following Mae West's dictum that too much of a good thing is wonderful, I would order the combination plate, which includeds a collection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.  I wish I could I list them by name; instead, I was too busy devouring whatever was put in front of me to pay much attention to the details.  The tibs, however, are also excellent, as is the tej - which to my rather undiscerning palate always tastes like wonderfully alcoholic orangina.

Not to mention that you can have a full meal, with alcohol to spare, for under ten dollars. Heaven indeed.

As for Nairobi's other culinary offerings - I loved the Lebanese at Cedars, especially a slow weekend lunch in the garden.  I prefered Misono to Furusato when I felt the need for Japanese, though that had as much to do with proximity to my apartment as with the quality of the sushi.  I never much liked Osteria; the pizza and pasta at Mediterraneo are far better.

I thought nyama choma - Kenyan barbeque - was fine, but never found a favorite restaurant.  And, as for ugali, well, to each their own, but if I never saw ugali again I wouldn't shed many tears.

For those interested in learning more, Chowhound has an excellent overview of Nairobi restaurants.

[The garden outside at Habesha - Photo from panoramio.com]