Do you really even live in Nairobi if you've never been to Hashmi and raved about its food to all you know? Yes, I'm being (mostly) serious.
I can't remember the first time I went to Hashmi - only that I've been a regular customer for more than half of my life. Nowadays, we order in more than we actually visit, just because they're always so busy.
However, I took some days off earlier this month, and decided to take my mum on a mummy-daughter lunch date to the restaurant - I knew the food is amazing, but I wanted to see if the rest of the place lived up to the hype.
Location wise, Hashmi is in the Nakumatt Ukay complex - convenient, but depending on the time you go, potentially tricky to get parking.
Side note: If you're reading this, I REALLY hope you're not one of those people who parks ON THE ROAD instead of the designated parking that's just a short walk away.
Anyway, back to Hashmi. Ambience wise - including interior and music, unfortunately, the place isn't great - but the food does MORE THAN make up for it.
This particular Tuesday, Mum and I headed there a little early to beat the lunch rush, which turned out to be a great decision! By the time we were leaving, there was near-to-full occupancy.
The waiter came to take our order pretty quickly, but I was a little confused as to why he hovered around at our table as he waited for our orders. Perhaps he's used to people who know what they want right away? I asked him to give us two minutes, which is when he stepped away. For those of you wondering - yes, I do know the Hashmi menu pretty well, and yes, I did order one of the two things that I usually do, but still, I always like reading the menu!
Mum ordered the pili pili fish, I got the poussin chicken, we got a butter naan to share, and we both ordered cokes (which were, unfortunately, nowhere near cold enough).
When the waiter brought the cutlery, he unfortunately placed them face down on the table - not the most hygienic, so we asked for a fresh set, and luckily, this time they were brought in a plate.
Now for the food...
The fish was fresh - could've been crispier, but the flavour was perfect. I remember a time about 12-13 years ago (yikes I feel old) where this dish would be ALL I'd ever order at Hashmi. One of the things I like best about Hashmi is their consistency. Eating their food is like a trip down a comfortable memory lane, because it's been there as I grew up.
The chicken, as usual, was great. I absolutely LOVE their poussin sauce - it goes on everything, including my chips and my naan (sometimes I like just the naan and the sauce), and I have NO clue what they put in it. The chicken was soft and cooked well, but perhaps could have had a tad bit more flavour permeation. If you haven't yet tried their poussin sauce, please do! It's a perfect explosion of flavour in your mouth, and you'll be left wanting more.
Now, as everyone knows, Hashmi makes the best naans in Nairobi, hands down. Just LOOK at all that soft, buttery goodness! Literally yummy enough to eat on it's own, its melt-in-your-mouth goodness should be proclaimed one of the wonders of the world.
Hashmi is one of the only places we've found that also delivers naans in great condition - more often than I'd like, I've had naans delivered that seem to want to give chewing gum companies a run for their money. It's so good - as I write this, I've just eaten lunch, and I'm pretty full, but I'm still craving their naan...
Hashmi is one of the only places we've found that also delivers naans in great condition - more often than I'd like, I've had naans delivered that seem to want to give chewing gum companies a run for their money. It's so good - as I write this, I've just eaten lunch, and I'm pretty full, but I'm still craving their naan...
Overall? Their food is fantastic, and you absolutely NEED to try it out! However, if you were to order in as opposed to actually going to the venue, you may not miss out on too much - and then you can pop open a bottle of something good and not have to worry about driving/parking!
