Food does not disappoint

A couple of years ago 2K Restaurant moved into their own building on Hoima Road and I must say the move was greatly welcomed by the many patrons who have come to love their food. Late last year Baguma NP and Family decided that they would open up another branch (hitherto the only joint they had was on George Street) and they decided on Rubaga division area. They are within spitting distance from 2K Restaurant on Hoima Road.

The competition
Having said that, the single most salient common denominator between the two is they both serve local food. In many ways, 2K Restaurant is more upmarket while the other, is for want of a better word, midrange. With the advent of Baguma NP and Family next door this can only be a good omen for the business and no doubt many diners who had not heard of the place might be inclined check them out.

Speaking of which, there is another good local food joint on the same drag, Luwombo Restaurant.
Baguma NP and Family has been around for at least two decades and their cooking features mainly boiled food. The food derives its origins from Ankole and Kigezi, where the latter are known for eating offals and goat meat combined. Likewise, all their meats are boiled with nothing more than water, onions, tomatoes and salt.

The service
The service is fast and efficient and the standards never seem to change. One chief difference between 2K and Baguma NP & Family is that the latter serves breakfast whereas 2K does not that is always ready before seven, and even at this ungodly hour believe it or not people do show up in droves. The breakfast offering is nothing that exciting and is really down to earth food such as katogo accompanied by amakamo that is a yoghurt such as substance.
Being relatively new in this area, they are not as busy as the main branch over on George Street. Still, the staff are well groomed and efficient

The deal
Place: Baguma NP & Family Hoima Road. in the Radisson Hotel Kampala, Uganda
Our rating: Worth a visit
The space: Tastefully done and big enough to accommodate a moderate number of diners
The crowd: The devotees of the N P Baguma brand who loathe going into town
The bar: Soda, juice and water

The food: Mainly boiled food from the Ankole, Kigezi, well cooked and priced well. You can eat for Shs15,000 where you choose a couple of items and a sauce. However, the buffet at Shs20,000 is a real bargain.
The bill: Lunch for two including a drink costs between Shs30,000 and Shs40,000
What we liked: The food lives up to the standard of the brand
What we did not like: Parking is limited

If you go: They open for breakfast from 7am and lunch is served every day. Lunch is ready around noon and they are open until late evening.
RATINGS: These ratings are purely the reviewer’s personal reaction to food, ambience and service with price being factored into consideration. The menu listings are subject to change without notice.

Pork Nuggets

Ingredients
1 kg pork fillet cut into 1 in cubes
25g cilantro leaves
3 cloves peeled garlic
1 small knob sliced ginger
1 lemon grass stalk
grated rind of 1 lime
Large bunch of spring onions
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 large fresh red chilies
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
400 ml coconut milk
lime wedges
2 tbsp white wine

Method
1.Place the pork in a shallow pan and set aside. Place the following ingredients in a food pro: - half the cilantro, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, lime rind and the remaining ingredients minus the coconut milk and process finely.
2.Scrape over the pork and mix thoroughly and refrigerate overnight
3.When you are ready to cook the pork thread two cubes of pork on each wooden toothpick and reserve the marinade. Otherwise you may choose to pan fry them or oven fry in a preheated oven of 350˚F until they are done. Being pork fillet they should not take long.
4.In the meantime, scrape the remaining marinade into a skillet and add the coconut milk and some lemon grass and boil briskly until it becomes thick. Add the other half of the cilantro and serve hot accompanied by lime wedges.