V B.
Yelp
Had an early dinner at Hakuna Matata before a show at the Atlas. I was excited to try this new place and was curious since there weren't any food reviews or many pictures online. I'm very glad that I chose this restaurant!
First, the food was delicious and flavorful! It also came quickly. The two of us shared the fried whole fish in coconut sauce. The sauce was amazing, as was the pepper sauce that came on the side. For sides we got the sukuma wiki (collard greens) which were fresh and perfectly cooked-- flavorful without being overly spiced. The greens were allowed to be the star. We also shared the mchuzi wadengu (yellow lentil curry) which could have been a star all on its own and went nicely with the white rice that came with it and the fish. We also had a side of fried sweet plantain-- wonderfully sweet, perfectly fried and not oily.
We both got the refreshing hibiscus-ginger drink. Not overly sweet and a perfect blend of the hibiscus and ginger.
For dessert, we shared the custard cream and I got the masala chai. I was surprised when the generous bowl of warm vanilla custard, that tasted like a warm hug on a cold day, came with two yummy slices of pound cake on top. The chai was perfect (for me)-- not overly sweet, and very peppery-- which left a lingering feeling of warmth in my belly. Sorry, I was too distracted with actually eating to get pictures of the custard/cake and chai.
The service was a bit disorganized, which is not unusual in a new restaurant still trying to find its feet. But all the servers were friendly and accommodating. The chef even came out to greet us and ask how everything was! All in all, I will definitely go to Hakuna Matata again. I'm hopeful that they will start to better promote themselves and that the wait staff will settle into their roles.
