Manuel Ntoyai @PeopleDailyKe
I grew up in a rural village in Kajiado county. One of the few habits I am yet to shed from my upbringing is eating a heavy breakfast.
You see, if you are not going to school early or during weekends when I had to assist my older cousins in their daily task of grazing livestock, I was entitled to a heavy meal before taking the cattle out.
It was probably the only meal one might have during the entire day. And since old habits die hard, I value a hearty breakfast.
I camped in Narok recently to cover the Madaraka Day celebrations taking place in the town. Thousands of people had descended on the town in South Rift Valley and getting a good hotel or restaurants was tricky.
On a fateful Sunday morning, I found myself hungry. I was angry with myself for having missed the juicy mbuzi choma (roast goat meat) at Double M, a restaurant in town.
I was also disappointed that staff at the hotel where I had spent the night had also forgotten about my breakfast orders. I was not keen on just tea and bread; I wanted a proper meal.
With a friend, Kimintah, in tow, we went to the only place we had been told was open at 9am and where we could eat good food: Supreme Lounge. Located along the Narok Bomet highway, the place was hard to miss, we had been told.
Hangover woes
With an ample parking space and pleasant ambience, the eatery welcomed us with the sweet aroma of succulent ribs roasting. We ignored chairs placed outside, opting to sit inside the restaurant, as the morning chilly.
Apart from restaurant, the joint has a bar and coffee shop, offering awesome services, to tourists to and from Mara, travellers and even walk-ins. Given the large windows, enough natural light gets through as waiters stood next to tables covered with white linen.
From some earlier safety trainings, I knew that sitting with my back to the wall, but facing the entrance is recommended in case of an emergency. So we chose a booth at the corner, near the grill, with an excellent view of the room and a chance to slip out quickly.
“Habari ya asubuhi, karibu,” said a smiling waitress, ready to take our orders. Having had some ‘hot’ drinks the previous night, I was dehydrated as much as I was hungry.
Despite being an early morning, I wanted a cold soda on learning that food orders take 30 minutes to prepare. I ordered sliced beef liver served with chapatti while my colleague ordered liver served with a side of French fries. He also asked for some cold water.
About half an hour later, breakfast was served. The liver was marinated in some African spices of cumin and something that tasted like paprika, then sautéed with a generous quantity of fried onions, bell pepper, a few coriander leaves and tomatoes. I added some hot sauce and dug in, shutting off the world. The battle of cutlery was on.
I gobbled the meal in less than 20 minutes, clearing the plate and the hunger that had put me in such a sorry state. As I waited for my friend to finish his meal, I ordered a large espresso, to wash down my troubles and took time to watch people.
I considered ordering a shot of Dawa, but then I remembered a colleague at the office mentioning that dawa and heavy meals do not go down well.
High-speed WiFi
I excused myself to use the bathroom, and then casually explored the facility. The bar had a lounge, a VIP Lounge and plenty of sitting space.
The Led screens mounted on the walls and great sound system promised fun, especially for lovers of the English Premier League. I spied on the chefs busy making steaks, nyama choma, chicken and burgers.
With an unlimited high-speed WiFi, I found myself back to my social media addiction. Of course, how could I end without updating the world that I am a now a happy man, having savoured a hearty meal at the Supreme Lounge?
