EAST AFRICA IN WEST END
Kenyan cuisine at Jambo
For more than two decades, regulars flocked to the modest stand-alone restaurant at 69 Kempster Ave. in Ottawa’s west end for Hsiao Foo Huang’s laksa. The spicy soup of chicken, shrimp and noodles was a cornerstone on the menu of the Singapore Restaurant, which Huang and her husband, Ah Bah Lim, operated until they retired last August.
The following month, the Singapore, Ottawa’s only Malaysian-Chinese restaurant, became Jambo, Ottawa’s only Kenyan restaurant.
In May, I made three visits to Jambo — which in the Swahili language is used as a greeting — hoping that there would be an item as engrossing as Singapore’s laksa.
The best dish I’ve had at this affordable, no-frills place of about 44 seats was its most expensive item, a platter of grilled goat ($18.49) that teemed with deliciously seasoned, bone-in pieces of tender meat. If there’s a better serving of goat in Ottawa than what I had at that lunch, someone needs to point it out to me.
However, the other dishes I’ve sampled were not as impressive. We tried other grilled items — barbecue chicken ($11.99), whole tilapia ($14.99), bone-in beef ($14.49) and a chicken brochette ($14.99) — and that listing is in descending order of tastiness. None was quite as moist as that goat was, with the beef and the brochette being the least tender. And while the barbecue chicken and the beef in particular satisfied flavour-wise, the brochette was definitely more ho-hum, and too dry to boot.
Jambo also serves some stewed items. There was a beef stew ($12.99) that seemed absolutely standard to me, but which arrived at the table cold and required reheating. I’ve also tried the chicken curry ($11.99), which was more tomato-y and salty than curried, and contained a few well-cooked pieces of bone-in meat. Vegetarians could opt for Jambo’s simple but robust bowls of either corn with beans ($10.99) or lentils or beans ($7.99). But if flavours are the top priority, I’d opt for something grilled and cross my fingers that it’s not overcooked.
While I’ve frequently wished that the stars of Jambo’s plates were better, more generally I’ve liked the range of accompaniments, including chapati (the unleavened flatbreads that Indian migrants brought to Kenya); mounds of ugali (mashed maize flour), whose blandness was mitigated by a dollop of a salsa-like, seemingly store-brought sauce; sukuma wiki (braised, salty kale); and especially kachumbari (an acidic, chili-powered relish of onions and tomatoes). These unpretentious but authentic items made our meals more interesting.
Meanwhile, our visits were more pleasant thanks to the genial hospitality of Jambo’s chef, Pacificah Moginda, who also doubled as our server. During one visit, she treated us to some crisp, un-oily vegetable samosas ($1.99 each), served with Tabasco sauce on the side, that hit the spot. Jambo’s other appetizer, some chicken wings ($9.95 for 10), served at another meal with a sweet, perhaps tamarind-based sauce, were tasty, but alas, too dry.
As for ambience, the restaurant features Kenyan art on the walls, Afro-beat music on the sound system and, during our last two visits, CNN dispensing the latest Trump news on the TV. One aspect of the restaurant’s appearance that needs to be addressed is the garbage storage in the parking lot behind it, which makes a bad first impression.
Dessert options appeared to be limited. In response to our query, Moginda made us a plate of mandazi ($8.99) to order, which were doughnut-like but not sweet. I see on the web that mandazi can be sweetened, sometimes with coconut or coconut milk, and spiced, which would be my preference.
The restaurant is licensed, and among its bar offerings are big bottles of Tusker ($5.99), a malty, easy-drinking Kenyan lager. Spiced teas ($2.99) made with imported Kenyan Ketepa Pride tea are also available, and Kenyan coffee, we were told, should be available this summer.
Jambo has been very quiet during each of my visits, with just a takeout client or one other small table keeping Moginda busy. The restaurant doesn’t have the across-the-board quality or appeal of its predecessor — at least not yet — but for East African expats it does serve a need, and if the grilled fare can become a little more consistent, it could deserve a larger, wider audience, too.