If only the service improved

I remember when Mama Ashanti first opened several years ago when they were located on Bombo Road and no matter how late one arrived, they would warmly welcome you and serve you with such dedication and care. Back in those days, the place was run by Kwame Boateng and his wife and they spared no effort to please their customers.
Today, though Mama Ashanti is alive and well holding forte on Kyadondo Road in Nakasero, Kwame is no longer on the scene and things are not the same. Gone are the days when many a diner would be made to feel truly appreciated and during those days, arriving late on a Sunday night was never an intrusion but more of pleasant welcome.
On a recent Sunday evening, we were a party of a dozen or so and in the mood to enjoy good West African food. It must have been approaching 10pm and they were a few customers and in my imagination our presence should have been greatly appreciated, but sadly the lone waitress who served us seemed harried and dour and matters were not helped by the lacklustre staff in the kitchen.

Our orders
We ordered a variety of dishes including the much fabled and touted Mama Ashanti grilled fish that on this occasion turned out to be indifferent and off, much to our disappointment though I hasten to add that this has never happened on the countless occasions that we have dined there.
Still, the onus of cooking good food lies wholly with the kitchen staff and such issues of the fish being off should never arise. Worse still, no sooner had the food been delivered to our table than kitchen staff were nowhere to be seen.
As for the other food that we ordered such as the Jollof rice, grilled beef kebabs, plantain Kelewele, egusi soup served with meat and other items, they were par for the course. However, it would have been better if they had discouraged us from placing our orders giving us the option of leaving rather than being rushed and served lousy fish.
The choices for dining out in Kampala on a Sunday and more so evening are at best dicey and the rule of thumb would be to go to a decent hotel where they are bound to be staying guests and at least one would be assured of a welcoming attitude since they are used to working late hours.
No doubt had Kwame been around matters would have been entirely different and we may even have stayed past midnight.

If you go…

Place: Mama Ashanti Restaurant
Address: Plot 20 Kyadondo Road, Nakasero Kampala
Smoke-Free Zone: Allowed on veranda
Menu: From the main course: grilled Ashanti fish, grilled quarter chicken, beef stew, Mama Ashanti goat stew, fish stew. Rice dishes: diced chicken rice, Jollof rice, vegetable rice etc. Grilled kebabs: grilled chicken kebab (hot or mild) grilled beef kebab. West Africa: Ground nut sauce with assorted meat, eba or gari, semolina, amala, egusi (grounded pumpkin seeds cooked with spinach), egusi soup served with meat, fresh fish in egusi. Kelewele (diced spiced plantain made hot and the deep fried) Palava sauce/ egusi, apem (green boiled plantain) egg stew, deep fried stew.
Recommended items: Grilled Ashanti fish, Kelewele
Service: Sluggish
Ambience: Lacking
Open: Daily including Sunday
Our rating: Worth a visit
The space: Large and expansive with a great al fresco setting
The crowd: Ugandans, expats and West Africans
The bar: Gin, whisky, rum, vodka, shooters, cocktails, beer soda and juice
The damage: Shs 70,000 for two with a couple of beers each
Sound level: Good
Parking: Limited but available