Steph the Chef gives idyllic Tigoni a global flavour

“I studied abroad and worked in countries such as Spain, Switzerland and Dubai. I even worked in a restaurant with three Michelin stars and another with one, both in San Francisco in the US. After gaining all this experience, I wanted to bring it back home. When I came back, I worked as the head chef at the US Embassy. Then I moved to Hemingways Nairobi where I was the executive sous chef. Then I moved to Hemingways Watamu,” she says.

“When I started my little family, I decided to go the consultancy route because chef hours can be crazy. I helped open up some restaurants such as Peppertree and watched them grow. Last year, I decided to have a go at it and open my own restaurant.”

Steph’s dream came to life.

In the lavish green hills of Tigoni stands her creation, Como. She explains that the origin of the name stems from three different meanings that resonated with her. The first is the Lake Como in Italy, known for sticking to traditional northern Italian dishes such as pizzocherri, where Steph once visited. The second meaning stems from her culinary background where como means ‘I eat’ in Spanish. The last meaning comes from her roots in Kikuyu where como translates into people coming together.

Como, which sits on three-quarters of an acre, is truly a hidden gem. One of Steph’s unique selling points is the tranquillity the location offers, far from the city rush and noise. The one-hour drive from Nairobi to the restaurant is a therapeutic one through lush tea farms and fresh air.

“I have known Tigoni for many years. My parents live there. For a long time. there were no restaurants. People had to go to Village Market to eat out yet Tigoni has a large community as more people continue to move out of Nairobi. Before I settled on Tigoni, I thought of Ridgeways as I was looking for places that were not saturated with restaurants. Between Westlands and Village Market, there are 145 restaurants. In Tigoni, there are only four. Even though I knew I would have a very good product wherever I went, I thought why not take it somewhere where it is unique in that area?” She explains.

The restaurant has a casual set-up with several seating areas that can hold up to 95 guests. The set-up is made up of the main restaurant, two private gazebos near the bar for those who would prefer seclusion, the fireplace in the middle for the extra cold nights and the garden where children can play.

The theme is jungle-inspired where tall trees, bushes and grass are spread out on the grounds. The only sounds you can hear are the conversational tones, soft music and one of two birds chirping away in their nests.

Steph says that the set-up was intentional to make it comfortable for everyone - from parents who bring their families for Sunday lunch to couples discovering a new date spot. What helped market her new restaurant was social media.

However, she noticed that Kenyans have a habit that may be detrimental to many restaurant owners. She says Kenyans follow the ‘hype’, especially in the age of food bloggers boosted by the consumption of content on TikTok and Instagram.

To her surprise, most of her guests have been flooding in from Nairobi and making a road trip out of the experience. Some travelling clubs such as Let’s Drift ride their bicycles through Tigoni as they pass by the restaurant as well for rest breaks.

“Ever since we opened in December 2023, we prefer reservations, especially on weekends when it gets packed. In the first week we opened, we had to place a signboard on the road to say that we were fully booked. With time, we will add a few more outdoor tables but having opened a couple of restaurants for others, I noticed that Kenyans are really into trends. In the first six months, it would be flooded then after that you would hear that it closed down,” she says.

At the begining, her biggest fear was the distance most people had to travel to get to the restaurant but that was quickly resolved when she realised people tend to stay past 9 pm, the closing time.

“Since most of our guests are coming from the city, we have very few people coming to dine with us on Mondays and Tuesdays,” she says.

She jokes about Kenyans’ obsession with nyama choma since her menu is very experimental and unique which is aimed at elevating the Kenyan palate. For those who wish to stay on the ‘safe side’, she recommends the aged beef and potatoes which is a grilled rib-eye steak with truffle mushrooms and Cafe De Paris butter.

Unique creations

“There are very few restaurants that pay tribute to what we have as Kenyans. Most are not even Kenyan-owned. I wanted to create something Kenyan that can be celebrated internationally. That is why you find unique creations on our menu such as omena tacos and our bestselling cocktail which is the Muratina Dawa. I was going for something homely where guests can come and feel like meals were made with a lot of love,” she adds.

One of the major benefits of having her restaurant in Tigoni is that she gets all of her produce fresh from her neighbours’ farms.

“You will not find meat such as salmon on our menu because I try to use local products. In the four months since I opened, I have realised how hard it is to impress the Kenyan market. Despite this, I am glad that we are starting to appreciate the work of culinary artists. It is a platform for education. I take my time to explain to those who are shy to try new meals,” she says.

Surrounded by tea farms, Steph pays an ode to Kenyans' love for chai by making a tea version of tiramisu which is usually made with coffee.

→ [email protected]