:: Coffee's new number 1 fan
April 18, 2006

"Coffee and Love"
Mariano Sands,
Paloma's Boss
Cuando Seas Mea (When you were mine)

I was raised in a tea drinking home like every Kenyan. Tea has always been a major part of my breakfast. In the office we get tea at 10am and 4pm . When I go visiting any pal, the first thing they will do is pop a cuppa in the jiko for me to have some tea. Basically, Kenya is Tea country. However circumstances over the last few months have probably ruined me for life and I blame Nescafe and co. I had been going to Java Adams for ages. Whenever I went, I always ordered the usual cold soda. However one time I was with this client who insisted that I take some coffee. We then went on to discuss some weighty matters and I was to get back to him at 8am the next morning. Getting to my bed in the evening however, I found myself unable to sleep. I tossed and turned all night and was amazingly charged and wanted to go change the world. I eventually put two and two together and figured that I had been done in by the caffeine high. I eventually handed in my work to client but I looked kidogo frazzled as lack of sleep was finally catching up with me. I avoided coffee like the plague after this little incident.

What I look like when drinking coffee (I wish)

I recently resolved that I will get rid of this irrational fear of coffee. I started attending various establishments that sold coffee - Dorman's, Java, Cafe Pronto, Lavazza, Pasara and more.

Lavazza on Wabera Street has excellent coffee. However, last year some will recall Somali MP's in an embarrassing brawl in Nairobi 's Grand Regency. On the next day I was in Lavazza when I noted that 90% of the patrons looked like those dudes who were fighting it out on KTN. I figured that for my own safety, I would stay away from this place in case another Grand Regency style brawl broke out.

Cafe Pronto near Lornho House on the other hand has excellent location. I loved this place as one would order for just kidogo stuff and the waiters would leave you alone to your devices. The place has always been a favourite till recently. I ordered fries that came with a side order of human hair. Wow. That was my last day there.

Lornho House's Pasara also has excellent coffee. Looks like things aren't looking up for that coffee house and it looks like it needs an extreme makeover (perhaps by True Love he, he). Seats for instance look a bit worn and need some serious upholstering.

Dorman's has great coffee. However what works for me is that they have this really great milkshake. What I do is ask them to mix a vanilla and Chocolate milkshake. Better than sex (not really).

Pekeshe on Mama Ngina I avoid. Apparently my mum tells me that when she was a young upcoming exec she and her friend would go there for coffee. Unfortunately, that was over 30 years ago. These Pekeshe dudes haven't changed anything since they opened their doors in the 1950's. This means those chairs huko look like giving you tetanus, bird flu, hog flu and more if you make a mistake of seating on them. However, legend goes that they have the best coffee in town.

However, what has really become King of the restaurant coffee for me is Java. These dudes are serious with their coffee and they are selling it as gourmet coffee. If what Diego and his team on Cuando Seas Mea are trying to make is coffee like for Java, the Hacienda and the Cafetalero is headed for prosperous times ahead. The one brand of coffee that has started working my taste buds is one Nescafe. I just had a cuppa the stuff earlier today at a small drinkery (as in eatery for drinking) at the Nakumatt Lifestyle called “Just Desserts”. The coffee they served is instant unlike the stuff the Java's and Dorman's are giving. In spite of this the coffee was still excellent and I bought a tin to stock my larder (always wanted to use this term since reading Beano and Bash Street Boys!).

I have heard that coffee goes well with several alcoholic beverages and perhaps that would be an ideal use for my Nescafe coffee tin. I wonder if Tusker and Nescafe mix?

>> Related Links
:: Nescafe worldwide - We await the Kenyan variant
:: Nairobi Java House
:: C Dormans
:: KTN - Your channel, your choice

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