Japanese indulgence and Sake

 I simply love my friends Masa-San and his place Gochi sake & dinner in Nairobi, its very easy to enjoy and its something between an Izakaya and traditional restaurant but more laid-back but with great food selection and some Kenya's best selection of sake with choice of a proper sake tasting with your food, yummy and I can't wait to go back, was there two times this month and I still want more.

I preferer the small bites and smaller dishes so I can taste more variations -) 

The setting is in a large villa with a large garden area that are transforming in a proper Japanese place with a new outdoor kitchen and very nice settings for both formal and non-formal receptions, lush green and cozy.

Thank you Masa-san for bringing a piece of Japan to Nairobi.

Kanpai and arigatou

Never forget where you come from and childhood memories

 Born in 1963 in a small Serbian town of Pozarevac on Industrijska ulica 76 and left at a very young age with my parents to Sweden, what we left behind is this very small house that my grandfather bought for my parents wedding as a gift fully furnished with everything they needed (they ware poorer than church rats) we kept this house for several years using it as a vacation home every summer, I loved it even the outhouse but scared shitless to fall into the pit as a small and skinny ass boy, I managed to stay surface !!

A few years later my dad sold this house to someone who I believe never utilized properly and now its all a wreck but for me its still great memories and part of my childhood that I cherish very much and feel fortune to have.

The photos is from my computer screen so not elegant but it tells my story.

Ziveli.

Cultiva farm to Table in Nairobi

 Restaurant Cultiva Home - Cultiva Kenya is a great example how a farm to table restaurant works with great success, just a extremely busy place both for lunch and dinner and the food is delicious and very creative without being snobby, great attentive staff (need more wine knowledge) makes the whole experience a worth travel destination when in Nairobi.

The menu is reflected on the owner who is a Latino so many influences are from Mexico, Ecuador and other places with a quirky mix and bold flavors that I enjoy very much, a chefs choice of place for breakfast lunch and dinner. some of the dishes I had on my last visit.

Hasta La Vista baby

Hardest table to get in Nairobi at AN

 The hardest and most secretive table to get in Nairobi is at AN, a private house in the lush greenery of Gigiri where there is no sign, no security just a push-button where the electric remote doors are opened and your waiter for the night meet and greet you on the driveway, classy...

The food is very Japanese in style with twists all over and that makes it more interesting for most people who really don't understand a full Japanese omakase dinner or find some element strange to taste and texture, 

The nine small appetizers were the top this evening and stood out both in taste and presentation, the other dishes was just ok and average considering the menu price that they charge (all beverages sold separately) 

the meat was good and well cooked; the tempura just greasy tuna was ok (local) the crab filled tomato was to big and the broth way to reduced and the Macha cheesecake tasted nothing, so will I go back? for sure when they change the seasonal menus and I do like that the place is small (16 seats only) and a perfect hideout when you cant take locals anymore.

I was also expecting bigger selection of sake.

Plating real dishes compared to fake

 You see al lot of food photography on most social media sites and many look absolutely amazing with great details and immaculate finish  but this is very seldom food that is plated for real live restaurant presentation where time, speed and temperature needs to be controlled, how many time have you had food that are in best case lukewarm and lifeless??  I have many times for sure.

To take accurate pictures that reflect true servings are always a challenge and you need to take out time consuming elements and still meet some kind of standard, not easy but I prefer to stay as close as possible to the reality on the served plate, here are a few pieces just like that.

Gibanica Serbian cheese pie from god sent

 Gibanica is one of my absolute favorite breakfast item and also great for snacks, midnight cravings or to use as small bites topped with some ham and or salami, its a quick fix and rather simple to make but always give a big impact on your guests, here is one recipe that I usually use and I really want you to try make it, your will not regret, the photo is from yesterday

Gibanica is a Serbian pastry that can be described as a filo dough pie most commonly filled with white cheese (sirene) but there are also some sweet variations of the gibanica recipe. Today, this pastry is popular all over the Balkans and similar variations can be found in some other Slavic countries too. Throughout history, Serbia under Ottoman and Habsburg rule and many food connoisseurs refer to gibanica as a mix of Turkish and Austrian influences. At a glance, the pastry looks like a mix of strudel and burek/byrek (from google)

• 500 grams (1.1 lb) Phyllo Dough
• 4 pcs Egg Large
• 150 ml (5.07 floz) Extra Virgin Olive Oil or sunflower oil
• 200 ml (6.76 floz) Yogurt
• 100 ml (3.38 floz) Water
• 5 grams (0.18 oz) Salt
• 500 grams (1.1 lb) Feta cheese

• In a bowl, add eggs and salt and mix well.
• Then add oil (leave a little so you can oil the casserole dish in which you will be making the dish), then add yogurt and water.
• Break the cheese into smaller pieces using your hands and add it to the bowl.
• Mix everything together.
• Oil the dish and put 4 phyllo dough sheets on the bottom.
• Layer your cheese mixture and repeat the process until there is no more dough.
• After you put the last dough sheet, take a fork and poke holes before adding the last layer of your cheese mixture.
• Pre-heat the oven on 200°C/390°F.
• Bake it for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
• Take the pie out and let it cool down.

Midnight friends or so called supper

 To have very very late supper is normal in Asian countries and sometime they even wake up at midnight to go for some food, a lot of places serve around the clock breakfast, lunch and dinner due to that many people work different shifts with diverse lifestyles, I love this and in my opinion, supper is always the tastiest meal. (I am not a breakfast eater) 

Asia's food scene is worth discovering and the best place to go for some authentic family style cooking, no matter if its Thailand, China, Korea, Vietnam or Malaysia you will love whatever is offered to you with a smile and prepare to be hungry, Asians eat all the time but very small portions.

As a chef and nomad, I don't thing that there is no better way to discover history, people and culture than thru food, stay put and follow for more adventures in the heaven god created called gastronomy.