Uhuru

We were going to get sushi for lunch today, but then Samuel discovered Uhuru, a Kenyan restaurant, and that plan flew to the wind. You see, Samuel went to boarding school in Kenya until he was 15. His parents lived in Uganda. He hasn't been back since.

This place is down in Kent, so it was a good drive from Shoreline. Today being Sunday, it was a good day for it. If it is light outside, Seattle traffic is generally terrible, with Sundays being the one exception.

It wasn't really easy to find. It is in a big strip mall, and it doesn't have a sign on the main sign out front. Once we turned in, Samuel spotted the Kenyan flag on the sign, so it was easy for him. It would have taken me longer.

The place is really nice. There is a small bar at the back and several booths along the walls with table seating in the middle. Off to the right, they also have a raised dance floor. As Samuel informed me, Kenyans love to dance.

Our server was very nice, but seemed a little like he hadn't served much. That was okay because there were only two other tables in the place- the benefit of going to a late lunch/ early dinner at 4 in the afternoon! Samuel tried to order a Tusker, his favorite African beer, but they hadn't been able to get it in. We've run into that in other restaurants, so it wasn't anything new. We debated getting an appetizer of chips, sausage and egg, but decided just to stick with entrees. To clear up any possible confusion, Kenya was settled by the British, so chips are really french fries. Not that it makes that dish seem any less strange to me! I got a goat entree and Sam got beef stew. He was debating goat tripe, but didn't get it. Strange, because that is right up his alley!

The food was good. It seemed like something my mom might make, oddly enough, minus the ugali. My parents aren't very adventurous eaters, so eating foreign cuisines that they might like always trips my mind a bit. Ugali they might not like!

Ugali is cornmeal that is cooked with water to make an almost dough-like consistency. I've heard Samuel's dad mention that it wasn't very good, and I can see where he is coming from. By itself, it is boring. But it is good to dip into stews and picks up flavors well because it is so bland.

Cool sidenote: It turns out our waiter went to a high school that used to play rugby with Sam's high school! Small world, huh?

Good place. We'll probably go back, even though it is so far away. I'd like to try to get Samuel there for dancing.