Spacious, trendy and neat eatery

Shaka Zulu Restaurant in Kiswa, Bugolobi started out in a tiny shop the size of a postage stamp and has morphed into a trendy and spacious establishment that has been around for well-nigh 15 years. During this time, they have succeeded in becoming firmly established as a first class eatery for local food that is affordable and well prepared. Interestingly, the clientele that is attracted to places such as Shaka Zulu are adults who appreciate the sort of local food that their parents used to prepare while the children go gaga over fries, pizzas, burgers and the like and their preference would by choice be Café Javas any day.  The upshot of the matter is that despite the menu being local, even non local food fans will not feel out of place and they can make do with an order of chips and chicken or fried fish and fries. 

The business
The retail food business in the high end local food sector in terms of pricing will always be less expensive than the likes of Cafesserie or Caramel that serve Continental fare, to mention just a couple of well-regarded establishments in and around Kampala. On top of that in order for this genre of business to survive, it is imperative that they cast their net afar and open up outlets in different areas this is notwithstanding the fact that take away service is here to stay and has become an integral part of the business.
A couple of years ago during April 2022, which happened to have been Good Friday, we were invited to the opening of Shaka Zulu, Bwebajja Chapter situated on Entebbe road and on our most recent visit this past Sunday, we are happy to report that they are doing well and during our two-hour visit there was a steady stream of local people who are presumably from the area dining out and making the most of the Sunday afternoon. It goes without saying that despite the new express way from Entebbe to Kampala, Entebbe Road continues to be a reasonably busy thoroughfare which augurs well for businesses in the area and vicinities. In essence, over time we are seeing a migration of urban and peri-urban households that are middle class moving into the surrounding areas and they find it convenient to drive to Shaka Zulu when they have the urge to dine on good local food in a sophisticated environment. 

I acknowledge that there are literally hundreds of places that serve local food all over the place, which while often being very good, is never served in a hospitable environment and to be fair, even price wise they are a lot cheaper than the posher Shaka Zulu. In other words, hardly the place where one would take an uppity date. 

Ambience
The Shaka Zulu Bwebajja Chapter has a nice layout which is mainly alfresco while being trendy, spacious and neat. The menu is simple with an offering of luwombo of chicken, goat or ground nut sauce, pilao with goat or chicken and fried fish or chicken with fries. The prices are in the Shs 30,000 range while breakfast of katogo is Shs 15,000. The waiting staff are smart and well-spoken and the place scores high marks in terms of cleanliness.

The deal… 
The place: Shaka Zulu Foods Bwebajja Chapter
Entebbe Road, next to Café Tenda, Bwebaja 
Our rating: Not to be missed 
The space: A large al fresco area that can seat at least 100 people and another 50 can sit indoors 

The crowd: Ugandans  
The bar: A jug of juice is on the house
The menu: Luwombo of goat, chicken or dry fish in ground nut sauce, chicken or goat pilau accompanied with an assortment of absolutely delicious matooke, yams, sweet potato, cassava, pumpkins etc. and greens and passion or hibiscus juice or water. The katogo with offals has become legendary and costs fifteen thousand bob. They also serve fried fish or fried chicken and chips

Sound level: Comfortable 
The bill: A meal is around the Shs 30,000 mark and includes a jug of juice 
Parking: Available and very secure   
Smoke free zone: Enforced 
What we liked: The service is fast and efficient 
If you go: They serve breakfast and mainly lunch and they are open on a daily basis.

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 with price being factored into consideration. The menu listings and prices are subject to change without notice.