It is not every day that one attends a function at the exclusive Capital club located in Imperial Bank, Westlands. I was looking forward to a dinner we were having there for our Rotary Club on Saturday. I have been there before for the release of the financial results of a company and the snacks were good so I was expecting a great dinner.
Let me set the mood, the tables were looking fabulous with their crisp white tablecloths. The waiters were all ready to serve. We got a welcome non alcoholic cocktail to start us off. It’s a beautiful room with pictures of some of the capital club members in one corner. The washrooms are nice and clean with jazz music playing in the background so that we are relaxed.
We had Achieng Abura entertain us with some beautiful numbers. Since the menu is a la carte the waiters come to take our orders so that once we are through with the formal part of the program we can eat. The menu looks good. To start I order the Prawns, Zucchini and Saffron Risotto. I have this image in my mind of the starter. I knew it would look like this
Or this.
For the main course I order chicken breast, capers, black olives, tomatoes, and mash potatoes. I was expecting something like this.
To finish there is a trio of desserts. Those who know me know I have a sweet tooth, I love my sugary desserts.
So we wait for the formal part of the dinner to end and the waiters come around with our starter. You have seen at the top what I was expecting.
Well this is what we get.
My first thought is that this is mathogothanio (Kikuyu for mixed up things – the way I use it). It looks unappetizing. I can’t even take an instagram picture (the heartbreak). It is not so bad but it is not hot. Actually the theme of the evening is that we did not get hot food. It was warm not hot. I was disappointed. The starter didn’t taste as bad as it looked; it looked like rice porridge, it had too much soup.
Then the main course came, they of course disappointed me again. The food was warm, and then when the menu says chicken breast it is supposed to be one piece or so I thought. What the heck was this? The chicken was bland; it tasted like it was boiled, and then added the sauce on top. It had no flavor whatsoever. The mash potatoes were just there. I was like what happened to presentation. Do they not do that at the capital club? A main course should also have some vegetables or something, even if it is just for garnishing. Nothing. Most guys at our table didn’t even finish the main course.
By the time I got to dessert, I was already bored and that’s hard when you love food. I just wanted to get the meal over with. You know the way you eat a dessert and the sugar rush immediately goes to your brain. Nothing. The dessert was ordinary, although it had an excellent presentation.
Have you ever eaten a meal and felt like you need to go and eat another meal elsewhere to compensate? Like when you go to a wedding and are served those small, bland portions of food? That’s how I felt. It was a disappointment. I felt like my money was thrown down a well. To be honest I have eaten better at some vibandas.
I know this review might be biased based on that one experience but if you were me would you go there to pay and eat their food again? I know people who have eaten there before and the food was excellent. Maybe this was a bad day. It could be. But this bad day was also a bad day for me because I paid for that food and it was horrible.
I give the place a 5 for the room and the décor, a 4 for service and a 2 for the food. So I would give it a 3 score out of 5.
