Amagara Cafe
Edith Gumizamu is no slouch when it comes to culinary matters having cut her spurs in our very own State House. There she rose to the rank of Executive Chef before. As the in charge in the place, this was of paramount concern to Gumizamu and she is the first to admit that her 17 years at the helm of the State House kitchen was the chance of a lifetime gave her a rare opportunity to refine her culinary skills at the same time exposing her to a variety of cuisine from around the world.
Fast forward to 2011. Edith hankered to have a restaurant that would have its own identity in the form of location and she did not have to look far. She opened up Amagara Café Bistro which is ideally situated in the central business district. It is the perfect rendezvous for that class of Ugandans who appreciate good wholesome food in an attractive and classy environment. The buffet is elegantly displayed in high quality chafing dishes which are fitting for a place
of this stature.
We chose to skip the soup and preferred to begin with a couple of salads while we talked shop and caught up with the latest in town and then onto a wonderful repast.
In Uganda, the mark of any joint that serves local food has to be their matooke. Given the finicky and demanding nature of steamed matooke in terms of preparation and serving. Very few places in town have mastered the art of how to do it whenever and at any time except Gumizamu’s. Even at 2pm the matooke was piping hot, soft and tasty.
The rice was of two types, steamed and fried or pilao. Then there were the exquisitely made sweet potato croquettes filled with corn and the mini Chimichangas.
There was a slew of carbs that are never absent on a local buffet, fresh peas, groundnut sauce and chunks of beef fillet that were drizzled in some form of a wine sauce. The fish fillet was pan fried and as for the chicken, I could not resist going back for seconds.
If you go...
Place: Amagara Café Bistro
Address: Colville Street opposite Statistics House
The space: Large and semi alfresco
The setting: Informal and elegant and can accommodate 90 or so diners
Noise level: Comfortable
The crowd: Businesspeople and government functionaries.
The bar: Beer Shs 6,000 soda Shs 2,500, diet soda Shs 3,500, water Shs 2,500, wine by the glass between Shs 10,000
The type of food: A varied local buffet for lunch and well as a fairly comprehensive and eclectic a la carte menu.
The check: The buffet is Shs 30,000
Parking: Convenient
What we liked: The convivial ambience, cheery service and weekend brunch.
If you go: Daily and
Rating: It is worth a visit
