ThaiJazz Beach: Good for Jazz, swim

You mean there is even Thai food in Gisenyi? That is the signature question for everybody visiting the ThaiJazz Beach Restaurant for the first time. That question is valid because, for starters, the name suggests just that. Then again, where in Rwanda do you get Thai food, even in Kigali itself? Answering this question warranted a visit to the facility, located 2-3 plots away from the Tam Tam Beach, in Gisenyi. I know little-to-nothing of Thai food, so it would be prudent to clarify that eating Thai food was not high on the agenda when we visited. Still, we managed to establish that the place does at least a touch of Thai food. Walking into ThaiJazz, it is immediately obvious that its reputation thrives largely on the charisma of the owner, Jamil, a man that has been described by fans as “quite a character”. Aside from being “quite a character”, on first sight, Jamil will strike you as a Jazz enthusiast straight out of a country ranch, perhaps somewhere in Texas, USA. In fact, the Jazz aspect of the name comes from the fact of his self-professed love for that musical genre, and indeed, this is an unapologetically Jazz/country music-ish place. On the three occasions that I visited, it was Jazz all the way, piped delicately from the stereo surround sound, and Jamil singing along to quite a few of the songs. Generally, anyone can haul in their guitar and do a bad rendition of their favorite Jazz song. Yet that is not to say that it is all Jazz, as on the second visit, we were greeted to the sedate, near-lazy rhythms of old Congolese Rumba music. But enough about the music, since this is supposed to be a restaurant. On the walls of the outside dining terrace, one notices an extension of the Congo influence on the prominently displayed menu. There are such dishes as; Spagetti Azadio (Congo-Belge, and that goes for Rwf 3,900); and others whose names I could not readily memorize. In all, it was welcome relief to not encounter the “No swimming” signs that ironically, one is bound to encounter at many beach-side establishments. Swimming is actually big here, especially on weekends, and on days when there is a live performance, and what’s more, one can do it into the small hours of the night.