Zen Garden Bamboo Oriental Restaurant Review

Happy Saturday! 😀 Are you looking for a unique dining experience in Nairobi? Look no further! At Zen Garden, a warm ambiance meets a refreshingly Oriental menu, in an invigorating yet relaxing fusion…

 

About a month ago, in the spirit of discovering our city’s lovely offerings, Wanjiku Thuo and I went to check out Zen Garden.

Zen Garden had been on my list, for a while now, especially with its promising name… Surely, this must be the place where you zen out and all your problems dissolve, no? Needless to say, our spirits were on a high! 😀

 

How To Get To Zen Garden

From the Nairobi CBD, Pick a Matatu 118 or 119 at the Koja Stage, and alight at Zen Garden.

If you are driving, go past Westlands towards Spring Valley and you’ll see a ‘distinct’ Zen Garden sign, on your right.

 

Zen Garden Bamboo Oriental Restaurant…

Located at the edge of Spring Valley, Nairobi, Zen Garden is a haven of warm inviting colors and well-manicured gardens with plenty of space for children to wander about…

 

When we arrived, we were greeted by a smiling hostess and the sound of cool, calming music floating through the restaurant…

Our hearts were immediately drawn to the Desserts display, where the Chef was busy making his specials for the day. With a bright smile, he gave us a go ahead to photograph his masterpieces…

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: WANJIKU THUO

 

I was particularly drawn to this dessert that looks like a couple of bamboo sticks strung together, with chocolate and vanilla goodness smoked all over it.. YUM!

 

As it turns out, we had wandered to Jade Coffee & Tea House, one of the 2 restaurants at Zen Garden.

After a short chat with the Pastry Chef, we went over to have lunch at the Bamboo Oriental Restaurant.

Fun Fact: Zen Garden has been in Kenya for 10 years… They run two restaurants at Zen Garden: Jade Coffee & Tea House, and the Bamboo Oriental Restaurant.

 

Lunching At Bamboo Oriental Restaurant

Confession: These days, whenever I go to Review a Hotel or Restaurant, I usually have a mental test prepared for them… It can be anything from their service, to the food.

For instance, on this occasion, we’d requested them to surprise us, with something we’d enjoy eating. This was my unspoken test for the Chef…

Plus, it worked great for me, because choosing what to eat off the menu is usually the toughest part… 😉

As our kind servers brought out our meal, Chef Den came out to say hello.

She then explained in detail what she’d prepared for the day:  Heavenly Beef, with Chicken Lettuce wraps, Zen Roll Sushi and Bamboo Noodles. 🙂

 

It was nice to learn that they grow their own herbs in the garden, and this marks the quality of her special recipes.

 

The Ultimate Test: Trying Out New Things!

You might recall, earlier this year I’d shared with you guys that one of my goals is to challenge myself to try new things… Yes? Well, it seems the nice people at Zen Garden received the memo! 😀

 

I was especially nervous at first to try the Zen Roll Sushi… Sushi is a Japanese dish that’s specially prepared with rice and seafood…

 

But, I gave it a big bite, without holding back! Surprisingly, it was actually really nice. You feel the distinct taste of rice amidst the other ingredients dancing around in your mouth… It’s quite interesting!

Wanjiku was a little more hesitant to taste it, but we got through it. 😀

The next test was the chopsticks! Have you tried eating with them before? Haha, it is like a battle of wills! I promise.

 

My hand struggled to hold the two sticks together, and picking up the food was a whole other level of struggle!

 

When I eventually managed to pick something off my plate, I felt like a champion! Though honestly, from there on, I was more than happy to eat with my fork! 😀

 

The heavenly beef is exactly that- heavenly! Its crunchy feel with a sweet, honey taste melts on your tongue ever so gloriously!

The Chicken Lettuce wraps salad was amazing, which was a surprise! I liked the freshness of the vegetables and fused dressing within! I would definitely recommend for you to try it!

 

With our bellies happily full, we spent the rest of our afternoon chatting and enjoying our lovely surroundings.

 

>>Zen Garden Bamboo Restaurant is ideal for family lunches, couples or even business meetings.

>>You’ll love it if you are looking to experience an Asian fusion menu of Chinese, Thai and Japanese influence.

 

My sincere thanks to Zen Garden for their kind hospitality! I am happy to report they passed my unspoken test… I’d certainly return to try their delightful desserts! 🙂

 

Helpful Travel Tips:

• The Bamboo Oriental restaurant opens from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. to 10 pm daily.
• They accept walk-ins on weekdays, however it gets quite busy over weekends so you’re recommended to make a reservation
• The Jade Coffee & Tea House at Zen Garden is open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. Here, you can enjoy brunch or a light lunch and their array of exotic teas and coffees.
• They have 2 private dining rooms, the Bamboo Room and the Jade room that can accommodate 20 and 30 people respectively for your parties or business meetings.
• The meals cost in the range of Kes. 950 to 1,500 and Kes. 3,500 for mixed platters.

 

 

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Thank you for reading my dear friends! Did you enjoy this post? I would love to hear your feedback!

Drop a comment down below, with your questions/input or even to say hello! 😀

 

 

<<Stay. Inspired. Always>>