The Indian culture and cuisine has been intertwined with the Kenyan culture for over a century. A lot of local popular delicacies such as chevda, samosa, chapati and biryani were introduced by the Indian community.
There is a misconception that Indian food can only be prepared with chillis and heavy spices. This can be a challenge for those who aren’t accustomed to this kind of seasoning as well as those who cannot handle too much heat in their food for medical reasons. I fall in the latter category and hence it has been a breath of fresh air to discover Bhandini Restaurant.
Bhandini loosely translated means ‘to bind together’. The restaurant is situated inside the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi and has been in existence for over 10 years. The entrance to the restaurant is cradled between two wine racks. The decor is sophisticated and the ambiance relaxing.
The head chef, Chef J.P., who is one of the best chefs in Nairobi. You can watch him work as the kitchen is glass-enclosed. The menu is extensive with starters, mains and deserts available. Starters include calamari pepper fry and sesame fried prawns as well as delicious soups such as murg jahangiri shorba (spiced chicken broth with chicken dumplings). Chef J.P. also makes some of the best tortillas you will ever have. Main dishes include murg tikka lababdar (chicken tikka), tariwala murg (chicken curry) and macher jhol (fish curry with potatoes, eggplant and mustard) with a choice of biryani, naan, rotu and rice accompaniment. There’s a good number of vegetable dishes as well.
A great menu isn’t complete without a selection of delicious deserts and drinks. Other than a good selection of wines, Bhandini offers Lassi, a traditional yoghurt based drink which originated in Punjab in India. It’s basically a smoothie with a traditional Indian flavour. I enjoyed the mango saffron lassi that is made by blending yoghurt with fresh mango and saffron. It’s both refreshing and insanely delicious. For desert, I would recommend kesar kulfi (frozen icecream made with pistachio, cardamon and saffron) and gulab jamun (dumplings made from milk dowsed in rose scented sugar syrup).
Bhandini is a gem in the heart of Nairobi city. The service and food are exceptional. The prices are affordable with items on the menu ranging between 300 and 1500 shillings. It is popular so do make sure to make your reservations early. The restaurant is open for both lunch (noon to 3pm) and dinner (7pm to 10.30pm) Monday to Friday and only dinner on Saturday and Sunday.
Republished from mwendengao.com
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