The Thatched House located at St. Mary’s Lane, Upminister London, England
If you want a place which will leave you smelling like a chain-smoker, then ‘The Thatched House’ is the place to be. It’s dark and smoky and crowded. It’s the kind of place you’d find a Kenyan looking for a taste of home away from home.
Even though I had been told about the good food, no one had prepared me for the journey I would have to make to get to the East London restaurant. It took three bus rides and two train commutes to get to the restaurant that has been in existence since 2005.
Even though the entry is free, the food isn’t! “I’d like some nyama choma, matumbo and a soda please,” I told the waitress.
(Top and bottom pictures:‘Nyama Choma’ served in trays with salads and soft drinks)
Nyama Choma is the Kenyan-version of roasted goat meat. It’s seldom eaten without some ugali, which is a baked mixture of corn flour and hot water. In Kenya, nyama choma goes for about £3 (Kshs. 400) but here the price has terribly been hiked to £6 (Kshs. 900) per plate. Matumbo, which is boiled intestines from either a goat or sheep, is less pricey. It goes for £1.70 (Kshs. 255); nearly the same amount for a similar meal sold in Nairobi.
Visit ‘The Thatched House’ only, and only, if you have no hurry. It took 35 minutes for our meals to be served.
My first bite was the matumbo; which I have to say was better cooked than the numerous ones I’ve had in Nairobi. A hot plate of ugali is offered free. A mixture of both matumbo and ugali makes the long wait truly worth it.
A plate of ‘Matumbo’ stew
The restaurant serves a variety of Kenyan dishes including matoke, sagaa, mrenda, terere, chapati and githeri which range from £3 to £23 depending on the quantity as well as British delicacies including black pudding, cheese crostini, gammon steak and brussel sprouts which go for between £6 to £35.
‘Chapati’ served up with the ’Matumbo’
The restaurant’s setting is, however, a bit depressing. The lighting is poor and the number of tables are few. I noticed several customers standing alongside the dim-lit corridors waiting for a table to get free.
A friend and I enjoying our meal at the Kenyan restaurant 'The Thatched House'
The quality of the meal, for me, was worth every penny I paid. But I went back home smelling like a fish monger because the smoke from the restaurant’s kitchen was billowing through to our table.
Clip of the visit to 'The Thatched House' Kenyan restaurant in East London, England
(All images featured in this article were taken by: Timothy Otieno)
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