Food & Drinks
Nairobi-based Habibi serves Afghanistan cuisine at former embassy
Friday August 04 2023
Biryani. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK
If an embassy vacates a building does it leave its spirit behind in that premises? What happens to all the secrets soaked in the walls?
All the hushed conversations, the diplomatic gossip? Will anybody find the secret rooms?
The vaults that open into secret tunnels that run under roads, leading into other buildings that open behind a fake bookshelf in a room, a store, manned by a moustachioed man who constantly smokes cigars and has no eyebrow over one eye. At least that’s what I think embassies are.
You probably don’t know or care but the Iranian Embassy moved from Dennis Pritt Road to Lower Kabete. In the old embassy building, a massive house with a garden moved into Habibi Restaurant and some sort of a co-working space.
Habibi serves Afghanistan cuisine, which is cool because when you think of Afghanistan you think of Americans making a hasty retreat leaving the Taliban to burn ‘immoral” music instruments like guitars, which, they say, leads the youth astray.
There is so much depressing press coming from Afghanistan that you never stop to think that these people eat.
They sit in a circle on rugs and mats, fathers next to daughters, mothers next to sons and they eat with their hands and laugh at jokes. So Habibi restaurant is a good ambassador on that front.
I was there for dinner recently. Warning, the seating is sparse and most of it is in the verandah on plastic chairs. You can call it modest if you want.
Because nobody cared too much about the decor, they put all their creativity and energy into the food.
There’s Qabli pilau with meats, raisins, naans, chicken and lamb, karai, keema (minced meat), biryani, and kebabs.
We ordered a mixed platter with shami, chapli kebab, bbq chicken, rice, fires, salad and naan. Good food. Came in a large silver tray.
Lots of food for two people. We ate with our hands, skipped dessert and sipped sweet masala tea.
From the kitchen, a hip young boy sang “Sikutambui” by Wakadinali in shrill soprano. We chuckled silently. It was closing time and we were the last guests he seemed happy the day had ended and he would go home and do it all over again the next day. Inshallah.
