Everything traditional at Nature Wood

By Harold Ayodo

Traditional millet porridge served in a calabash is the main attraction in an exclusive African restaurant opened recently in Kisumu. Walking into Nature Wood restaurant behind the prestigious Imperial Hotel shortly after mid morning, the first thing you see is over three quarters of clients busy with a calabash of sour millet porridge.

A small calabash of the delicacy goes for Sh30 while a bigger one costs Sh50 compared to a teapot that costs Sh70.

The management says the tasty traditional porridge sells far much more than tea and coffee put together. Cooks at the joint — Hesbon Omondi and John Oring’oli — say they brew the drink themselves.

"We let the water boil before adding a concoction of fermented millet flour and stirring it together," Omondi says.

Most of the dishes in the menu are traditional cuisines like githeri, fish, gizzards, local chicken and liver with millet ugali. Vegetarians adore the outlet for the ugali and mboga kienyeji (traditional vegetables) meal that costs Sh100.

The githeri here is a combination of maize, beans and cow peas while the chicken on the menu is strictly traditional.

"Clients here insist on food that has minimal artificial spices," Omamba says.

24-hour eating

Nyama and kuku choma (roasted meat and chicken) are prepared at an open area where the customer can see. The natural structure of the eatery extends to the chimneys that are made of traditional earthen pots to reduce the amount of smoke released to the atmosphere.

The restaurant is environmentally friendly and strives to offer clients an alternative to eating fresh fish at the shores of Lake Victoria over lunch hour.

Indigenous plants are planted in ancient earthen pots while the ceiling is made of well-fitted mats. Seats are made of the noxious water hyacinth weed that cost the Government billions of shillings to eradicate from Lake Victoria a decade ago.

Unlike most modern eating places, the restaurant has neither music nor television which, the proprietor, Dr Felix Omamba, explains maintains a natural atmosphere.

He says the management of the 24-hour eating joint resolved to domesticate birds to promote conservation of the environment.

However, the restaurant management needs to consider introducing a traditional uniform for the staff so they can enhance the traditional feel