He describes The Foodies as a micro pop-up restaurant, an intimate place where you feel at home.
He started with roasted tomato soup which was paired with Matua Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and followed by tuna tartare as the appetiser.
All he wants is to introduce guests to a world of culinary wonder, a flavourful place of pleasure and discovery.
After studying at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Paris, Aman Chotai was eager to work at a restaurant known for its unconventional cooking styles.
While he was settling down, the unthinkable happened. Restaurants were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a chef, there was not much he could do in Paris, so he packed his belonging and returned home.
“After the restaurants were closed, I came back to Kenya and went back to work for my dad who owns The Daily Cafe & Bistro which is an all-day dining restaurant in Nairobi,” he says.
Two years down the line, the 24-year-old chef says that it took him time to translate what he had learned at the Le Cordon Bleu, which is an international network of hospitality and culinary school that teaches French haute cuisine. Now he has come up with The Foodies.
“When I started The Foodies, it was to create a place I would want to go to myself and, more importantly, go back to again and again,” he says.
He describes The Foodies as a micro pop-up restaurant, an intimate place where you feel at home. “Here, the ingredient has carte blanche — no limits or restrictions. The products we use are what determines the menu.”
It is a menu set by the seasons, the dishes are based on French fundamentals, energised by inspirations from international cuisines. He adds that every ingredient, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, "is selected from trusted suppliers and then transformed in the Foodies kitchens through impeccable preparation, balanced textures, and perfect seasoning.”
All he wants is to introduce guests to a world of culinary wonder, a flavourful place of pleasure and discovery.
“We are the product of what we choose to bring into our existence. We are shaped by what we love. My story with food starts here,” he says. I recently had a taste of Chef Aman's dishes. It was a five-course dinner that was paired with different types of wines, courtesy of Viva Global. Meera Karia from Viva was the sommelier.
He started with roasted tomato soup which was paired with Matua Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and followed by tuna tartare as the appetiser. He combined a French classic with Japanese influences.
It was paired with Franschhoek Cellar Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa. For Entrée, the chef paired Matua Pinot Noir from New Zealand with poached pear, where he turned a classic French dessert into a light and refreshing salad.
There was also smoked eggplant ravioli which is an Italian-Thai fusion. A very unique, complex, and exciting dish full of flavour.
Malindi ‘Mirin’ Sole, a French and Japanese meal is a match made in heaven — both extremely delicate cuisines.
This is exactly how a Sole from the waters of Malindi should be treated and pair it with Noaschendal 1685 Chardonnay from South Africa. An extra risotto porcini is a classic Italian favourite. Creamy, earthy, and creamy for vegetarians.
The night would not have been complete without dessert. Chef Aman served strawberry caviar cheesecake, a simple yet rich dessert. So many elements come together to bring a dish that keeps you asking for more and drowned it with a Franschhoek Cellar Brut Royale Rose from South Africa.
All Chef Amam wants is to do intimate dinners for groups of people at different hotels but not homes, as the majority of the homes might not have the equipment that is needed to cook.
