Hashmi’s is a staple in the Kenyan food industry scene having been around since the mid 1990s up until now. Y’all remember they shut down for a while and we thought it was forever and went there in droves only to have it open back up in a different building a few months later? That was smart marketing targeting customer loyalty. Hashmi’s BBQ is now located at Broadwalk Mall in Parklands and this is their biggest branch yet within Nairobi.

Open House is a very traditional family style restaurant. This was my first time visiting even though I know it’s been in existence in Nairobi for ages! I went to the Karen branch which is located at the crossroads shopping centre. I loved the homey ambience you feel when you walk in, it feels like you’ve walked into someone’s (very grand) but very comfortable dining room. The waiter was quick to get us a table and give us a breakdown of the menu since we wanted to try a bit of everything!

First of all, this place is so massive! It feels like a mall that has just one restaurant and it gets crazy packed - so make reservations beforehand if you can. They have an expansive menu filled with traditional Indian dishes, Indian bbq and oriental dishes as well. We had bhajiaz, chicken tikka, some butter naan and garlic naan, and we also tried butter chicken, palak paneer & cheesecake for dessert.

The Laughing Buddha is located in Kenrail towers ground floor and is also at the Sarit Centre - the new wing. It is fully vegetarian - which surprisingly I didn’t mind. I had a cute pink latte called the rose cardamom latte, some peri peri fries and the paneer bao buns. The latte was so cute but a little too sweet for my liking, though the cardamom really hit the spot!