• Chophouse, which is located on the ground floor of Radisson Blu Upper Hill, has outdone itself and its competitors
Image: COURTESY
There is a new culinary game-changer in town. Chophouse, which is located on the ground floor of Radisson Blu Upper Hill, has outdone itself and its competitors by putting their best foot forward in executing experiential fine dining.
The recently rebranded restaurant offers a touch of fusion of local and modern. Jeff Gitonga, a chef at Chophouse, said, "Every dish has a story and a background. Presentation matters to us, and that's why we're a unique restaurant in Kenya."
Walking into Chophouse, the smooth music hits your ears, wafting into your soul. It is complemented by the great ambience.
Once you are seated, the unique cutlery that the food is served on is a conversation starter. Dinning at Chophouse is such a gastronomical journey with every bite you take of their food.
The starter was a Mombasa crab marinated with lime, ginger, green onion and cilantro. It was served on a cushion-shaped plate. This was followed by the volcano sea scallops were accompanied by flames, served in a glass pot with sprinkled black salt on the side.
On the side was a serving that looked like a flower pot complete with a colourful flower. The soil was made up of dried black olives, with an edible flower, for esthetic reasons.
The 21-day-old aged steak was served on a salt block, which is heated, and the steak is seasoned by the heated salt block.
The beef is aged in a meat ager fridge. The Dry Ager fridge is the first and only one in East and Central Africa. Beef can be preserved in the ager for up to 72 days.
It is located just outside the Chophouse, where a client can select their prefered choice based on the ageing of the meat.
The Dry Ager, which was imported from Germany, is installed with an ultraviolet device that kills the germs and bacteria. The meat looks white ivory, pink at the centre, and dark on the outside. The beef dries up the longer it stays in the ager but Chophouse has a substandard rate for the beef no matter how long it has been in the ager.
The dessert left many perplexed and took as many photos and videos of what looked like the show stopper of the four-course meal.
The chocolate tart ring cake was placed on a glass box with dry ice under it. It diffuses as time goes, emitting what looked like a white fog that covered the entire table.
The cake was made up of three layers, sable Breton base, milk chocolate crème and flourless biscuit.