But it isn't just about saying that you have tried it, it's about the experience and the memory when going through the process. For example, August 2008 I went to Kenya on a volunteer trip to work in an HIV/AIDS clinic in a slum outside Nairobi called Dagoretti Corner. Met amazing people while over there, including the volunteers whom I will never forget. But I will never forget eating at this restaurant called Carnivore. I believe Oprah said it was one of the top 10 restaurants to eat at before you die. Anyways, it's a tourist trap needless to say but a good one that I don't even think tourists think to go to. There are a couple of them in Africa and I have eaten at the Langata, Kenya one and the one outside Johannesburg in South Africa; both relatively similar.
First you walk into this really eccentric walkway that takes you through Africa's wildest jungles (the vibe at least). There were some HUGE cats that were roaming about on the premises but they were just the locals trying to catch the BIG one that falls to the floor. As you continue through this tribal path, you enter into the main dining room which, centered, is this HUGE pit emanating massive amounts of heat. This pit was where all of the meats were being cooked.
And by meats, I don't mean your typical summer BBQ, lets-throw-some-burgers-on-the-grill type of meat; I mean MEAT! The name of the restaurant truly lives up to its name. On this menu, although is seasonal, has Kudu, Crocodile (my favorite), Zebra, Impala, Wildebeest, Eland, Blesbuck, Buffalo, Warthog, Ostrich, Sable, Giraffe (yes giraffe), Hippo, and Waterbuck. The highlighted is what I had at the two different restaurant locations. The others weren't on the menu or else I would have tried them.
The restaurant is basically like a Brazilian-style buffet. The waiters walk around with skewers of HUGE hunks of this meat and slice it in front of you. Everything is cooked to perfection (who knows how Crocodile and Zebra are supposed to be cooked?) but it looked amazing. In the center of the table is a rotating culinary delight of sauces like mint jelly and garlic. There are probably about 10 different sauces to choose from all offering different experiences for your taste buds for the different game.
All the while, a waiter walks around who calls himself Dawa, which in Swahili means doctor. He makes this drink called the Dawa (what else) which is just straight Vodka, muddled lime, raw sugar and dressed to look like a mortar and pestle with the pestle having honey coating the bottom of it and then dropped into the glass for your own enjoyment.
Needless to say, the Dawa was very kind to us.
The experience at this place left me in awe because where else in this world would you find a menu as ostentatious as this? My point is, when the opportunity presents itself and veal tongue is on the menu or foie gras; ORDER IT! You don't have to wait for a convenient trip to go to Africa or East Asia to experience the strange and adventurous cuisine the region has to offer. Restaurants in your area probably have some interesting things as well. It will probably be somewhat expensive but order it anyways, because if you are eating at a restaurant that has those kinds of options on its menu, you aren't looking to be cheap. And if you are worried about what the people around you at the table would think of you; who gives a shit? They probably wanted to order it but lack the courage to (this makes for entertaining dates). It is all about the here and now and living in the moment. Try something new, who knows, heaven forbid you end up liking sweetbreads or foie gras (I know I do).
The world is your oyster, now shut up and indulge.
To my friends, Janine, Erica, Lela, and Tom; where ever you are, thank you for sharing this experience with me and to my South African family, Shae and Grant, always missing you guys.
No comments:
Post a Comment