Legendary bites to relish

Client serves the buffet at Legends. Photo by Rachel Mabala

What you need to know:

RESTAURANT REVIEW> Your right mix of local and continental dishes.

Legends, though a bit off the beaten path, has the rare advantage of being part of the well-known Kyadondo Rugby Grounds situated at Lugogo, while at the same time being within easy reach for would-be diners and rugby fans.

The ambience and setting is refreshing and offers welcome respite away from hurly burly Kampala eating joints, and presents the perfect challenge for one to create great food that is different from what is on offer in the area. The closest place I can think of serving a buffet in the area, would be Little Ritz, at the UMA show grounds, but apart from sharing the distinction of serving food, the two have nothing else in common.

The menu
For starters, the Legends has a daily buffet, Monday through Saturday which is way above the norm, and at Shs 15,000 including a soda. That is a great bargain.
When we were there for lunch, we had an avocado salad along with coleslaw, steamed matooke done to perfection I might add, pumpkin, sweet potato, vegetable Biryani rice as well as brown rice, chapatti, sukumawiki and potato Lyonnaise.

The sauces were not disappointing with a choice of fried bean stew, Goan chicken curry, malakwang and stir fried beef.

The buffet selection offered at similar Kampala eateries tend to be skewered towards quasi traditional local fare viz. loads of carbs indigenous to Uganda, unappetising beef stew and chicken generally being unashamedly rationed irrespective of how high they charge.

Yummy
Legends has the right mix in terms of balancing local and continental fare and the answer lies in the sauces. Besides Goan chicken curry, one may find chicken cacciatore or the very tantalising and inspired chicken and plantain Moqueca from Brazil and then at times don’t be surprised if there is a chicken luwombo. Sweet and sour beef is also another possibility as well as Jamaican goat curry.

Over to the a la carte menu, and here for Shs12,000 a great steak and chips while their famous roast pork skewers are only Shs2,500 each.

All in all the food is of a very high standard with the impression that those in the kitchen really enjoy what they are doing and cook with care. If more eateries followed the same example, dining out would be more pleasurable.

If you go…
Our rating: Worth a visit
The place: Legends Sports Bar and Restaurant, Plot 1-3 Sports Lane, Naguru Rugby ground
The space: Spacious and mainly semi alfresco
The crowd: Rugby players and the young crowd as well as the business class
The menu: Ecliptic buffet and classics such as fish and chips, roast pork skewers goat muchomo et al
Beverages: Coffee including iced coffee, iced latte, iced cappuccino, frappes, milk shakes and the like.
Recommended dishes: Pork is legendary
The damage: Shs 30,000 for two with a drink for the buffet
Sound level: Good
Parking: Ample

NOTE
RATINGS: Not to be missed, worth a visit, OK/so so, don’t waste your time.
These ratings are purely the reviewer’s personal reaction to food, ambience and service factoring in the price. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.