Sumptuous eats at Lakes Restaurant

The Lakes menu at the Serena Kampala Hotel reads like poetry: ‘barbecued butterfly leg of lamb,’ which is to say ‘this is the rib end of the saddle or double loin with each having about six chops. The melodious words set the right sort of expectation for the dish that is served in the rather poetic restaurant in the Kampala Serena Hotel on Ternan Avenue. Not sure that I know any place in town that serves goose or duck and yes, if you are lucky you will find casseroled rabbit and sausage.

Under the experienced eye of chef maestro Cosmas Kituku, Lakes is a good example of the latter-day eclectic and global cuisine urge to transform nearly everything we see, touch, and taste into new shapes and combinations while still revering quality of materials and workmanship. When The Lakes first opened a few years back it was considered just another restaurant situated in a hotel boasting of good food though without great distinction. It remained the fanciest of the Serena Kampala Hotel restaurant brands and remains amongst the nation’s best establishment at the same time being classy without being haughty.It is tucked discreetly adjacent to the lobby and anteroom of the hotel and if for all intent and purposes you would never know that you were actually in a hotel. I recall when the Serena first opened many took it for the Kampala elite. Over time, this notion has proven to be untrue. Whether by design or otherwise, this place one never feels out of place. This matter is greatly mitigated by the lay of the land which is awfully conducive to privacy and allows one to be whomever one chooses to be without fear of being ostracized in any way. The waiting staff are courteous and as professional as you will ever wish and will dote over you to tirelessly ensure that you are satisfied and will return sooner than later; happy. You see, the Kampala Serena Hotel eating scene is wholly accommodating (read none discriminating) and a virtual guarantee that everyone feels at home. Who would wish to have soup at lunch time?

After the soup there is a plethora of little items from which to choose or what the Italian fondly refer to as antipasti. These have been described as the rouges of the Italian table. Unlike a well-known hotel in town that chooses to buy their bread from Brood bakery, the folks here do it the old fashioned way and bake their own. The different breads to be found range from hard to find Swedish rye bread, brown, or even French baguette. Over to the salad side, pickle and relish bar and this is just the place to come for that rare magnificent Caesar salad, or the classic French salad Nicoise. Rarely found (in Uganda) herring salad or Russian salad is sometimes offered on the menu. Who would have ever thought of the brilliance of creating pickle out of garden eggs commonly known as entula in the vernacular? Many a diner enjoy them. I mentioned pickles and relishes and indeed I have not forgotten. These can take the form of pickled gherkins or cornichons, sweet and sour spiced pickled cucumber pickles, tart corn relish, and others.

Seeing that we are based in Uganda, local food is de rigueur and they rank with the best of the famous establishments whose stock in trade is this fare exclusively. Chicken luwombo, ground nut sauce, prime roast beef, chicken wings in oyster sauce, baked stuffed fish, steamed matooke, naan, sliced posho (why not the West Africans serve a similar variant in the form of balls), fried rice, Maxine potatoes, aubergine, fried beans, et al. Surely given this sort of variety everyone is bound to be happy. Mind you, we have not even touched the dessert section neither the cheeses. Over to the former and how does a pineapple sponge custard grab you or would you prefer a pineapple, chocolate or lemon soufflé? Ugandan fresh fruits are never in short supply. Cantaloupe, pineapples, watermelon are just some of the delights that regularly appear at the Serena repast.

If you go
Name: Serena Kampala Hotel, Lake Restaurant,

Location: Kampala

The space: Spacious and abundant with a great al fresco setting

The crowd: Just about tote le monde with the bucks

The bar: Whatever beverage you crave you can be assured it is available

The type of food: The menu is really eclectic, enticing and five star

What we really liked: The ambience, service and attention to detail and of course the food

The check: Lunch for two and you are looking at Shs 120,000

Parking: Available and very secure

If you go: Daily

Ratings: Not to be missed

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.

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