The peak of meat perfection

The first thing one notices about the Kilele Nyama assorted platter is how tantalising it looks.

The colours and aroma totally draw you in. Looking at the platter, you can tell a lot of thought has been put into its presentation.

The meal is a beautiful palette of shades and textures. The brown tones from the meat, sweet potato fries and plantain contrast with the eye-catching masala orange and bright hues of the coleslaw, allowing the dish to stand out even further.

Dripping in African flavours, the mix grill platter goes for Sh5,900, and it is worth every penny and more. It consists of smoked mbuzi ribs, charcoal-grilled chicken, barbecued chicken wings, braised barbecue beef chops topped with stir-fried capsicums.

It comes with three different accompaniments, each with a salad. The platter serves five to eight people, depending on your stomach's capabilities.

For a starter, I had an espresso milkshake. The shake is well blended, nicely thick, chilled and sweet. Also, the espresso is not strong enough that it overpowers the vanilla flavour, everything is in perfect harmony. It also has no added sugar, which is a great plus.

Some people believe that lamb ribs contain too much fatty meat and are hard to get off the bones. But the ones I was presented with did not live up to that misconception. I instead got tender, succulent flesh that almost melts off the bone. Every bite had me wanting more.

To say the lamb ribs were amazing would be underselling them. As a matter of fact, there’s no need to be sheepish when extolling the virtues of this wholesome meat. These ribs are the kind of meat that don’t require fork and knife, regardless of the classiness of the establishment.

The beef chops were extremely soft and juicy, the meat was so easy to cut into. The barbecue sauce used is sweet and savoury, leaning more to sweet, though.

At first, I was under the impression that they were marinated with honey. Turns out it is chef Ian’s special sauce. The beef chops are braised in their own stock for four hours with spices. Then slow-grilled, which nicely accentuate the meat’s flavour, then sauteed in the pan with sliced capsicums.

The char-grilled chicken has perfectly crispy skin with smoky undertones and soft, well-cooked meat. It is not oily which is a big plus.

The chicken wings are generous in size and portion and don't miss a beat when it comes to flavour. Like all their meats they are soft and juicy, you might bite off your fingers munching on them.

The platter is accompanied by three sides: the vibrantly coloured masala fries and shallow-fried sweet potatoes with their skin and fried plantains. Each one of these has a dipping sauce of its own and brightly coloured fresh coleslaw on the side.

It was my first time trying plantains and I was really impressed, which is hard to admit, considering I have a bad attitude towards bananas at large.

The masala fries are everything you’d want them to be and more. Well spiced, balanced earthy taste with a bit of sweetness and a peppery aromatic flavour. I also loved the fact that they are not too oily and had a thick paste.

Sweet potato fries were a nice surprise and their sweetness added a nice contrast to the salty spicy taste of the meats. They were also very soft, almost fluffy, giving the impression they are oven-baked, which isn't the case.

I conclude my set with a freshly prepared blend of mango, kiwi and pineapple slushy. It is blended with ice cubes and soda for an extra kick in the flavour and a fizzy taste.

It is so refreshing to note that they do not use additives or added sugar but rather freshly squeezed fresh fruits to make their juices. The slushy is nicely thick with fresh pulps and the colours look amazing.

However, these are not the only options from their magnificent kitchen. Just like their name suggests, they are all about meat.

They have different options, prepared in a variety of ways with an array of accompaniments as well. Though they are most famous for their mixed sharing platters, like the one I had, they also have burgers, fish, dessert options and soups.

If you’re a meat lover, enjoy beautiful views and excellent customer service, then dining at Kilele Nyama is an experience worth having.

Do let me know of your experience once you visit the establishment.