Fine dining for the whole family

Definitely a healthy and filling meal. I have had Thai-style coconut soup before but this one was thick and had several layers of flavour. PHOTO| BON VIVANT

What you need to know:

  • I was nursing a cold so I ordered some Thai soup, thom kha, which has a clear broth base infused with herbs such as galangal and coriander, and topped with coconut milk.

  • You can choose to have yours with vegetables, chicken or prawns. I ordered the chicken, and it had broccoli and asparagus.

  • Definitely a healthy and filling meal. I have had Thai-style coconut soup before but this one was thick and had several layers of flavour.

Zen Garden is situated inside picturesque grounds with fountains and a playground and hosts two restaurants: Bamboo and Jade.

It is a great place to bring children, judging by the vast lawn, bouncing castles, face painting and other activities.

Apparently, on the first Sunday of every month there are even freebies for kids on the kids menu. This venue remains popular for weddings or just for a quick lunch or coffee on this side of town. It is about a 10-minute drive from the Sarit Centre and there is plenty of parking available.

Bamboo is the Oriental wing of Zen Garden – here you can order Pan-Asian dishes from around the continent.

This means patrons can order Chinese, Thai and Japanese dishes. One of Bamboo’s main attractions is their sushi bar, where chefs entertain guests while they serve the sushi.

The menu has a large selection clearly organised in different categories. My partner ordered some rice with a vegetarian accompaniment. Our waiter was knowledgeable and he brought the food within good time.

The presentation was impeccable, using signature East Asian crockery and flatware.

I was nursing a cold so I ordered some Thai soup, thom kha, which has a clear broth base infused with herbs such as galangal and coriander, and topped with coconut milk.

You can choose to have yours with vegetables, chicken or prawns. I ordered the chicken, and it had broccoli and asparagus.

Definitely a healthy and filling meal. I have had Thai-style coconut soup before but this one was thick and had several layers of flavour.

Sweet, tart, umami and chilli all blended. The soup was tasty but I found it a little too fancy for my palate. I actually preferred the plain Thai street-food combination of broth, vegetables, chilli and coconut cream.

 For dessert at Zen Garden, there is a little patisserie in one section of the garden. A variety of pastries and puddings are arranged behind a glass window. You have a look at the selection of the day and then you either order it there or pay for it take-away, or you return to your seat and have a waiter bring it for you. If you don’t feel like walking to the patisserie, you can simply choose from the menu. I settled on a passion fruit cheesecake. It was creamy, crunchy and the sweetness of the cheese and tartness of the passion balanced each other perfectly. The portion size was just enough and their desserts are priced affordably – ranging from 350 to about 650 shillings.

Bamboo is considered a fine dining venue so they do have a high price-point. For two courses and a drink, you would expect to pay about Sh3, 000 per person. For my soup and dessert, my bill came to about Sh1, 500. Recommended.