Their food is wanting

Until my recent visit to Hotel Africana, it had been ages since my last visit. The place has transformed into a huge enterprise that can hold several events, big and small concurrently. One must give credit to the powers that be who happen to be Ugandans for having succeeded in elevating the place to such sterling heights.
Sadly, while they get full marks for these accomplishments, the food remains a festering sore and a huge and disappointing let down. Last Friday we were invited to a wedding of a close relative whose daughter, my niece, was getting married. I had the privilege of sitting next to her father and when time to serve food came, we were in pole position and were among the first to be served.

Menu
The first item was brown rice, albeit not the traditional whole grain rice with the inedible outer hull removed. Actually, it was white rice that had been fried. Next, white rice followed by some awful looking chapattis and plantain and yams that were far from appetising but it was the matooke that took the cake. Cooking matooke requires painstaking time and labour, and even with the best preparation all this comes to naught if the serving is badly planned and not well thought out.

Place
Matooke needs constant heat and the shape of the ordinary chafing dish is better suited for sauces, rice and vegetables whereas the matooke will rapidly lose heat and one ends up serving hard and unappetising food. The secret here lies in having a deep cylindrical steamer that can keep the matooke piping hot at all times regardless of how long one waits to be served. For that matter, one need only look at the outdoor catering facilities of Spectrum La Bonita Restaurant owned by Margaret Katende who in the span of less than a decade has made a formidable name for herself in this field. I hasten to add that in the restaurant business as opposed to the hotel genere, she is unrivaled when it comes to outside catering.

Our low
Having said that, it is a shame that the food at Hotel Africana persists in being indifferent and mediocre. A wedding should be a once in a lifetime event and above all the repast should be memorable and a pride to both the host and the service provider. Considering what they charge for food and I doubt whether it is less than Shs50,000, the choice of menu on offer was decidedly pedestrian. There is no doubt in my mind that the Hotel Africana has the capacity to do a lot better and step up the game so that it becomes a win win situation all round.
On the plus side, the hotel amenities are first rate and things such as parking, service, security, air conditioning no complaints whatsoever.

The deal
Place: Hotel Africana
Address: Wampewo Avenue,
Our rating: Food is lousy and do not waste your time, but the setting is worth a visit
The space: The Nile Ballroom is superb, large and comfortable and can easily accommodate 10,000 revellers and many more in air conditioned comfort.

The crowd: Ugandans
The bar: Wines such as Four Cousins, Amarula cream liqueur seemed to be in abundance, beer and soda.
The menu: Brown rice, white rice, Irish potatoes, matooke, yams, boiled plantain, fresh peas in sauce, grilled goat, beef in sauce, fried chicken, vegetables and some semblance of a salad.
Sound level: Noisy
The check: For weddings they give you a free venue and you pay for the food.
Parking: Loads of safe parking
Smoke free zone: Not allowed in the ball room and public areas
What we liked: The air conditioning works well and the service is good

RATINGS: Don’t waste your time.

These views are the reviewer’s personal reaction with price being factored into consideration. The menu listings are subject to change without notice.