KENYA: Culinary Tourism In Kenya

There is a new trend of tourists visiting historic or beach sites but end up engaging in culinary tourism activities.

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) observes that culinary tourism creates strong brand awareness and potential loyalties.

KAHC Coast branch Executive officer, Sam Ikwaye says, for instance, many Kenyans touring the Coast will always want to visit particular restaurants for local dishes like biriani and pilau.

Majority of Kenyans traveling upcountry also make stopovers at Kikopey for the delicious nyama choma, explains Mr Ikwaye. Culinary tourism can also mean specific food rituals and customs.

This can be packaged through cultural tourism, for instance, the Kalenjin mursik and the specific tree from which the charcoal flavour is infused. This can be well packaged for tourists visiting to acquire running tips and link the milk to great performance of our athletes.

In short through culinary tourism, we have a great opportunity to think globally while acting locally, Ikwaye says. Ikwaye observes that almost 100 per cent of tourists dine out when traveling and this is constantly one of the top three fantastic activities that tourists engage in.

Kenyan cuisine, Local cuisine is the priority motivating factor in choosing a destination with a bigger budget going towards food related activities, he said.

This ranges from gastronomic routes where tour operators arrange travel itineraries alongside food experiences, food and drink festivals, gourmet and luxury food travel which is made up of a small but very high spending niche.

Veteran Serena Beach Resort & Spa, Executive Chef Ali Khan Jamal notes that the Coastal Kenya is famous for its signature sea food cuisine owing to its proximity to the Indian Ocean.

At the Serena, we are synonymous with mainly Swahili and Kenyan cuisine and over time have perfected our art of food preparation, presentation to loyal clientele who have been frequenting our resort, Chef Jamal said in an interview.

Kenya Tourism Board has been spearheading the promotion of culinary tourism when it launched the Chefs Delight Award. Kenya’ culinary tourism segment is gaining momentum.

KTB anticipates that the new tourism portfolio is set to put Kenya in a global map and among the countries known for their local cuisine such as India, China and Thailand.

Yes Chefs Delight Awards™ Winners are making the Global Headlines again.

Illustrious Chef Extraordinaire Tim Freeman who was named one of Kenya’s Most Innovative Chefs in the 1st chapter of the Chefs Delight Awards™ Kenya (and also led Brew Bistro and Lounge’s kitchen teams to victory, where the restaurant won *Best Bar Bistro Restaurant* & *Best Individual Fine Dining Restaurant* as voted for by their diners), beat Celebrity Iron Chef & Master Chef Bobby Flay on Food Network!!

This is why the Go Places teams highly-recommends 'wine & dine experiences' at our partners Brew Bistro and Lounge & the newly opened Brew Bistro and Lounge Rooftop in Westlands (Fortis Towers, Woodvale Grove), which quite literally puts great emphasis on creating a deliciously inspired menu that will keep you and your guests asking for more & more.

The announcement came at a viewing party for the TV debut of an episode of ‘Beat Bobby Flay’ the cooking competition show, which featured Tim taking on and defeating the most famous Iron Chef of them all, as well as, former Boston Red Sox Executive Chef Steve Postal.

Our heartiest congratulations goes out to Chef Tim Freeman and his family, on this truly magnificent achievement and wish him success at his new position in Denver, USA.

The Go Places™ & Chefs Delight Awards™ Teams are proud to show you this video which was showcased on Korean TV of our highly-recommended dining partner Haru Japanese Restaurant, Karen, Nairobi and the man behind it all – Culinary Extraordinaire, Chef & Owner J.H. Park….

When international media take notice of our Chefs Delight Awards™ winners you know you are truly dining in one of Kenya’s very best!!!

Haru Japanese Restaurant, Karen, Nairobi was the overall WINNER as voted by their *own diners / paying customers* as the 'Best Individual Restaurant & Chef Team' as well as the 'Best Authentic Japanese Restaurant' in the country, in the highly coveted and internationally recognized Chefs Delight Awards™ (1st Chapter), under the stewardship of the world-renowned Chef J.H. Park.

If you love Sushi, Sashimi and Authentic Japanese Culinary treats (or you don't), Haru is the only restaurant in Kenya famed for taking its diners through a culinary journey in the 'land of the rising sun'; which ultimately leads to ‘every diner’, even the most discerning ones, literally craving, asking and yearning for more.

Keep locked to this page, the next post you will see on Haru Restaurant will be a personal interview with the man behind it all Chef & Owner J.H. Park.