BON VIVANT: Real good seafood

We visited Ocean Basket for the Nairobi Restaurant Week (NRW) which started on 28th January. I have been to Ocean Basket in Cape Town so I was eager to try this one out and compare the experience.

There is ample parking at its swanky location – The Oval, an office complex in Westlands, Nairobi. You do have to pay for parking, but it is quite secure with thorough security checks at the

entrance. The ambiance is refreshing: the restaurant has an attractive outdoor patio seating area with lots of greenery. It can get quite breezy so we found the indoor seating to be ideal. Michael, our waiter, was friendly and prompt in taking our order.

GOOD BUT LIMITED OFFERINGS

Although it contained some good offerings like glazed salmon with a dessert for Sh2,500, the Restaurant Week menu was rather limited. If you don’t have a huge appetite, you can order a main

course from the regular menu.

We ended up doing this at several NRW outlets this week, including The Talisman in Karen, Nairobi.

This was a business lunch so we appreciated how quickly they brought our food and just as their name suggests, they do seafood really well. The catch is fresh and they offer a good variety for seafood lovers.

The battered tilapia was superbly executed. The fish was moist and firm but flaky, encased in a golden brown crispy coating. A generous dash of lemon garlic butter sauce gave it a rich creamy tangy taste, creating a symphony of flavours for the palette.

Their presentation is excellent, and the side salad made a great accompaniment.

We also ordered a halloumi salad. They serve it in a giant bowl and it has a medley of greens, spring onions, mushrooms, grilled butternut, with slices of seared halloumi cheese. Note that this generous salad comes with only 40 grammes of halloumi, so if

you are a die-hard halloumi fan, you should probably ask for a different dish where it plays a starring role. However, even though it was blended with so many different veggies, the halloumi deserved a ‘best supporting actor’ accolade.

We also enjoyed their seafood platter, and grilled red snapper, though the red snapper would have benefited from a bit more of a marinade to bring out the flavours. The platter had rice and fries, but neither the rice nor the fries stole the show. The buttered prawns and mussels were excellent. For dessert I recommend the decadent molten chocolate cake and salted caramel ice cream. Ocean Basket serves alcohol, so you can indulge in a mid-afternoon cocktail or have some boozy coffee. 

Overall the service was good. The manager Francis deserves a special mention for being extra attentive to our group and expediting our requests, and even providing substitutions for those among our party who had special dietary needs. Our crew had

several requests and he ensured that all our needs were accommodated. He did this with seamless professionalism and a smile.

If you love fresh seafood, sushi and vegetables, visit Ocean Basket.  We paid about Sh1,500 per person for a main course and dessert.

RATINGS

Food: 4/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Service: 4.5/5

Hygiene: 4/5

Value: 3.5/5

Child-friendliness: N/A