Flavourful fast food

I enjoyed my light meal as I waited the traffic out. The service is excellent, food and the ambiance were good and the prices are terrific. Recommended.

PHOTO/FILE

What you need to know:

  • Behind the counter you can see the kitchen, which looked reasonably clean. A slim girl behind the till looked up, smiled and asked how she could help.

  • Above her was a brightly displayed menu. It illustrated the different dishes along with clearly marked prices. 

The other day I had the misfortune of finding myself in central Westlands in the middle of rush hour. After taking 45 minutes to drive 400 metres, I decided to park and wait it out.

Thankfully a petrol station was right in front of me. Beside it, a large billboard advertised some attractive offers from Chicken Inn for the broke and hungry.

At the parking lot a sign advertised free parking for patrons only and for a maximum of 45 minutes. Hip-hop music played from discreet speakers and an eclectic after-work crowd was seated on several outdoor and indoor tables.

The place is divided into sections - Pizza Inn on the extreme left, Creamy Inn, a provision shop with a separate liqueur section and finally Chicken Inn on your right. It is open 24 hours a day.

BRIGHT AMBIENCE

The ambiance is bright, clean and welcoming. It is spacious with high ceilings and the square tables and chairs are small but not uncomfortably so. It seems very popular, and several smartly dressed individuals sipped cups of Chaiwa tea or coffee as they chatted.

Behind the counter you can see the kitchen, which looked reasonably clean. A slim girl behind the till looked up, smiled and asked how she could help.

Above her was a brightly displayed menu. It illustrated the different dishes along with clearly marked prices.  The value meals start at only Sh200 - one piece of breaded chicken with fries. For Sh250 you can get a cheesy beef burger. Combos for Sh300 include a soda, fries and a piece of chicken. I ordered a quarter rotisserie chicken. I could choose between fries, mashed potatoes, coleslaw and a large salad for accompaniments. My preference was the salad.

I gave her my order and she handed me a small square plastic gadget.

It had a number on it and I was instructed to collect my order once it began to vibrate. I sat at a table and within two minutes, the gadget began to buzz and emit a flashing red light.

I collected my order. The rotisserie chicken was done to perfection. It was well seasoned, hot, crispy on the outside and succulently soft on the inside.

The salad was basic – crispy iceberg lettuce, cucumber and chunky tomatoes. But for Sh150 shillings it was good value for money.

I enjoyed my light meal as I waited the traffic out. The service is excellent, food and the ambiance were good and the prices are terrific. Recommended.