Zuri: A taste of India

I believe that Indians are ever present in almost every country on this planet. They have been part of the fabric of East African society since the 1800’s. It is not uncommon to find Indian restaurants in every major city of East Africa. On a personal level, I simply adore Indian food. I had the opportunity to train in Indian cuisine while still employed at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala which is owned by Karim Hirji, an Indian Ugandan. No surprises that our menu included Indian dishes. Having dispensed of that little introductory information, let me tell you about Zuri, a multi-cuisine restaurant. Located on KG 13 AV, Gishushu, this establishment sells itself as a multiple cuisine restaurant. I do not know if the word multiple applies but the restaurant boasts a menu dominated by Indian, Chinese and African cuisine. A lot of Indian restaurants in the region tend to serve Chinese as well. From a business point of view, Zuri’s menu allows for variety. Not everyone loves just Indian food and Zuri is thus able to find alternatives here. A smart idea on their part. A very spacious and clean restaurant, with ample space for parking and private dining, I found Zuri to be a good restaurant. Even with many tables, there was still ample space for service staff to manoeuvre and carry out their duties. The decor was as simple as you can find. No bright colours but clean table covers and immaculately folded napkins. Tables were adorned with clean and polished cutlery. A look around presented me with a good view of the show kitchen which is predominantly staffed by Indians. Who else would you want to cook you authentic Indian food? Naturally, I went for an Indian choice. Chicken vindaloo to be precise. I have been to multi-cuisine restaurants before. The Chinese selections are usually not as good so I was not taking chances there. For the first time in my Rwanda culinary journey, my food was served in slightly less than 20 minutes! I could not hide my unbridled joy and broke out into a toothy grin. As is standard, the vindaloo was presented in a copper pot atop a candle housed in a copper bottom. This helps to keep your food hot. I asked for rice as a side and it has been a while since I saw perfectly cooked and fluffy long grain basmati rice. The vindaloo was authentic. The herbs and spices were fresh; none of this dried and crushed variety. This was a true taste of India and I was blown away. My waiter too was impressive. Despite a low command of the Queen’s language, he was able to provide me with what I needed and as expertly as possible. This was a very good experience. Zuri is a must visit for the Indian food lover. The menu is a bit of a read, perhaps they could separate the different cuisines and present individual menus depending on what one requires. Easy on the pocket and accessible, Zuri is open daily. Besides the thick menu, a lunch buffet is available from 12:30 pm. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

Lifestyle

Zuri: A taste of India