Sharing a name and retail space with the popular supermarket franchise, this coffee shop is the low to middle income earners delight.

A walkable distance from commercial centres and offices in the Kimihurura area, Simba Coffee Shop offers quick and affordable meal options for the busy working class who wish not to spend too much time eating. Eat in or take away options are available and I for one would opt for the latter as Simba does not have a large seating area and does get quite busy at lunch time.

The regular shopper can catch a break and sit inside or on the patio and gaze at passersby or the vehicular traffic a few minutes before taking their groceries to their intended and final destination.

As a coffee shop, Simba offers the typical coffee and bites menu. Snacks include pizza slices, lasagna, assorted sandwiches, cake slices as well as a selection of fast food options such as grilled chicken and fries. The service is quite fast despite the café being full to the brim. The floor manager appears to have a good handle on things and the staff is very helpful, multi-lingual and courteous. There is a feel good factor about this joint even though time itself seems to be in a hurry here.

My lunch option was lasagna which is premade and reheated when ordered for. I’ve seen, tasted and felt let down by several restaurants’ attempts at making this delectable Italian pasta dish. I feel like lasagna is a typical of restaurant menu items and is best presented as home-made. The irony is it is simple to prepare but easy to muck up. The Simba version is not bad at all and I actually did enjoy it quite a bit. Unlike most attempts, the lasagna did not have crusty upward curving edges, was savory all round and the pasta cooked through. I do hope that they are consistent in its preparation, a fact I will check the next time I visit. Yes, there is a next time!

It appears that Simba Café has forayed into the unknown by setting themselves up as a casual coffee shop fast food combo. I do not know how this formula will pan out over time, I have never been a fan of fusion, but they seem to be doing okay. In some way, this is innovative and may have been as a result of the different demands of the public that work in this area and shop at the supermarket.

Located on KN5, Simba is easily accessible by car, moto or for those that prefer to walk and is open daily. Note: We apologise for uploading the incorrect version of the column earlier.