Forkfuls, at Kadosh, restaurant review, dinning

The first time you hear the name Kadosh, it is hard not to wonder what it would possibly mean. This is probably one of the ways the owners of this restaurant plans to lure its clients. We were tempted.

Mengo and especially Namirembe Road opposite Namirembe Hospital hardly strikes one as the kind of place where I would venture to open a restaurant or café. Besides, parking being non-existent, the people who frequent the area are transient folks who mainly come to shop along that drag. These are suburbanites who are heading to Busega, Lungujja, and Mutundwe and beyond. There is a decent pharmacy (Numack), several mini supermarkets, butcheries and as a bonus, vendors on the veranda who sell vegetables.

What is in a name is truly the right question to ask regarding Kadosh. I mean, only in Uganda would one conjure a name (Kadosh) that is Hebrew for an eating establishment in Uganda. Admittedly, names are given for various reasons and often times they are acronyms or names after wives, relatives and the like, I find the name Kadosh Café to have no bearing whatsoever to the type of cuisine or ambience.

Kadosh Café has barely been open for a couple of months and while they have done a commendable job in setting up the place, business appears to be somewhat slow. On the few occasions that we have eaten there, diners were conspicuously few and all the more so given that the place is fairly large. On a recent Sunday evening we particularly hankered for local food and were disappointed that the matooke was “over” and they were cooking more. Approaching dusk and matooke is being cooked can only imply boiled matooke minus banana leaves, a matter of great disservice to this national dish.

We settled for whole fish, and while it took a good 30 minutes before being served, it turned out to be thoroughly enjoyable. On the whole, the food is at best plain and ordinary, whilst their katogo at Shs3,000 is pricey. Those who have tried their local food rate it as being below par and this is perfectly understandable since its being on the menu is really more of an afterthought with the place being at best a take away better suited for fast food such as chips and chicken and the like.

The service is friendly and the place is neat and well kept. The proverbial television is noisy and distracting and one wishes that they had piped music in its place. Wishful thinking I am sure. The prices for the food are par for the Mengo though tea at shs5,000 is on the high side.

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