Hanging Out in Nyali but the Trinidad Way

At Punta Cana restaurant in Nyali, Mombasa, everything feels like you are in Caribbean. The food is Caribbean, the wall art is quirky-cool and if feels as if you should start shaking your dreads as you wait for your meal, listening to the Reggae music gently crooning in the background.

But it is the ‘‘liming’’ concept borrowed from carefree Caribbean that makes the hotel that was opened six months ago stand out.

Tomas Kral, a director at the restaurant heartily says this is a spot to indulge in ‘‘liming.’’

“I knew you are going to ask... Liming is just doing nothing and having fun at the same time. What’s interesting is that while many other cultures consider lounging around doing nothing as shameful or lazy, the activity is actually something locals take pride in Trinidad,” he says.

While diners on one table can be having lattes and on another table curries, he says, there are those who are just ‘‘liming’’.

 In the relax house, as Tomas calls it, you can come and chill out, browse Internet on free Wi-Fi, watch a football match or just simply enjoy a smoothie. In Trinidad and Tobago, ‘‘liming’’ is an important part of the country’s island culture.

At Punta Cana, they have brought the outdoor feel indoors. Punta Cana, a town in Dominican Republic is the very picture of leisure and that is the feeling Tomas and his partners want to bring to Mombasa.

The restaurant is colourful with Caribbean themes with a modern twist, which Tomas says gives the guests a relaxing feel.

“It evokes the urban neighbourhoods and restaurants of Puerto Rico or Cuba,” he says.

The ceiling is only just a maze of suspended barrels. In place of the ordinary sinks are barrels, even in the bathrooms.

“These are the same as the barrel outside that we use for the barbecue. The barrels are big part of Caribbean culture and create nice rustic look. It is authentic,” says Tomas. 

The upper lounge is pasted with pictures of famous Jamaicans, Bob Marley and Usain Bolt.

There is also a portrait of Barbara, a woman who Tomas says owned a little shack on the beach in the Caribbean Island, the inspiration behind the restaurant.

The owners, Khalid Al-Ahbabi, Hamad Al-Mansoori and Tomas, were on holiday and borrowed the concept from the islands.

“For the two weeks that we were on holiday, we went to that beach shack every day. That is when we knew we wanted to bring this concept with us for Kenyans to experience this great food and relax,” he says, adding that they also serve food with Jamaica and Trinidad flavours.

At the hotel, waiters serve food without trays.

“We want to be natural, providing great service in friendly relaxed way,” says Tomas. The menu ranges from T-bone steak, fillet and sirloin cut on the bone, steak sandwiches, curries, barbecue meat, fresh seafood and burger with pulled beef or curries.

Every day at 5pm, they grill meat on the smoking barrel.

“The smoke and charcoal gives the meat unique flavour. We smoke our burgers, chicken and lamb chops,’’ he says.

At Punta Cana, there are lots of smoothies but the main attraction is the famed jerk spice seasoned delicacies. The taste can be merely hot to fiery from a blend of 14 different spices (pemento berries from Jamaica) and herbs in the marinade.

Tomas loves how Chef Jeremis Kamau cooks the signature jerk chicken. He pokes the meat with holes so that the flavour can easily be absorbed.

He then marinades the meat for at least 24 hours to give it a distinctive taste.

Jerk spice can also be done through a spice rub, wet marinade, and a particular Jamaican cooking technique.

I tried their beef platter with calamari curry, rice and paquitas. The new dining concept is a more casual, accessible by also Muslims. All their food is halal and no alcohol or pork is served.

The three partners also own restaurant chains in England and the Middle East and they hope to open branches in Nairobi.

[email protected]