Tamarai Restaurant and Tea bar: The Sunday roast

A Sunday roast is a traditional British and Irish meal that is typically served on Sunday, consisting of roasted meat, roast potatoes and accompaniments such as Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, gravy, and condiments such as apple sauce, mint sauce, or red currant jelly.

A wide range of vegetables can be served as part of a roast dinner, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, parsnips etc. and while I am the first to admit that The Sunday Roast held every first Sunday of the month at Tamari, they have taken it a notch higher by adapting it to the Ugandan food culture.

In one fell swoop Tamari has modified the Sunday Roast and added such items as the much loved muchomo; read pork, chicken and goat as well as a plethora of other food items that would normally not be featured in the traditional British and Irish meal. 

Bully to Tamari and frankly I commend them for this innovation that I applaud and find it to be an astute and worthy angle. If numbers are anything to go by, judging by the SRO crowd that we saw on Sunday 3rd October being the first Sunday of the month, it was an enormous success. One of the most popular attractions was the Mongolian Grill which allowed one a variety of meats and fish to be stir fried with a choice of vegetables from which to choose.

This type of format is very popular though one should be judicious in choosing the accompaniments and not get carried away with a whole lot of items. 

For those not familiar with Sushi, a traditional Japanese dish that is prepared using vinegared rice this too was part of the spread. In essence sushi is cold cooked rice that is dressed with vinegar that is shaped into pieces and topped with raw or cooked fish formed into a roll with fish, egg, or vegetables and wrapped in seaweed. Sushi is certainly not for the squeamish and to be appreciated one needs to have an acquired taste. 

Naturally grilled meat such as pork, goat and chicken were in plenty and one could eat as much as one’s heart desired with accompaniments such as coconut rice, pilao, French fries, home fries, stir fried noodles and pasta. The salad bar was well stocked with a wide variety of vegetables, from which to choose and mix with different choices of salad dressings. Fish lovers had sweet and sour fish, and there was also a couple of curries. In the end there was something for everyone. 

FILLET OF BEEF COOKED IN HERB WITH MADERIA SAUCE

Be sure to have a very sharp carving knife ready for the beef. The crust is extremely rich and delicate and simply a triumph when done well. This dish is best served with mixed green vegetables.
Serves 4
* 500 g well trimmed beef filet, choose the center piece 
* Oil for frying 
* Dijon mustard
* 300 ml heavy cream  
* 4 eggs
* 4 tablespoons chopped green herbs
* 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
* 6 slices of medium sliced whole wheat salted bread, with the crust removed
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Madeira sauce:
* 50 g shallots, sliced
* 75 g shitake mushrooms
* 4 tablespoons Madeira (or pork or even V & A wine will suffice) 
* 300 ml chicken stock
* 4 tablespoons heavy cream
* 200 g butter, diced 

1. Season the beef fillets with salt and pepper and pour just enough oil in a frying pan to cover the base and place over fairly high heat. When it is hot, add the beef fillet and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Brush liberally all over with Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper again.
2. Generously oil a sheet of baking parchment paper large enough to wrap round the beef and lightly whisk the cream and eggs together, then add the chopped herbs and crushed garlic. Soak the bread in the cream and egg mixture until it absorbs some of the liquid (not too much) and be sure to drain off any excess liquid and lay 4 slices of the bread on the piece of baking parchment to form a square. Place the beef fillets on top and encase it in the bread, using the remaining 2 slices to form a crust around it. Roll up the meat in the parchment and tie the parcel with string, retaining the shape of the beef fillet. Bake for 30 minutes in a pre heated oven to 200d C/400d F/Gas Mark 6. In the meantime, make the sauce. Put the shallots and mushrooms in a pan and add the Madeira and bring to the boil before adding the chicken stock and simmer until reduced to a tenth of its original volume. Add the cream, bring back to the boil and simmer gently until reduced by half. Over a low heat, gradually whisk in the butter, and then season to taste.
3. When the beef is done, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes before removing the baking parchment and slice the beef into 4 pieces on 4 serving plates. Pour over the sauce and serve with mixed green vegetables.

Rating
Place: Tamari Restaurant and Tea Bar
Address: Plot 14, Lower Kololo Terrace
Our Rating: Not to be missed
The Space: Spacious 
The Great Sunday Roast held every first Sunday of the month.
The Crowd: Ugandans and non Ugandans 
The Bar: A wide offer of teas and smoothies, juice and soda as well as a host of other alcoholic drinks 
The Tamari menu: The classics such as dim sum, Peking duck, Vegetarian; fresh Vietnamese spring rolls, salt and pepper vegetables, vegetarian platter, Kung Pao potatoes, Non vegetarian, seafood: seafood platter, soups: Hot and sour soup, Tom yum, Salads: Tofu salad with apple dressing; Curries and stir fries and fusion 
Sound level: Okay 
The check: Shs 150’000 for two 
Parking: Available and safe 
Smoke free zone: Not allowed 
What we liked: The incredible variety 
If you go: The next Great Sunday Roast shall be on Sunday 7th November 2021

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.