Brunch, a portmanteau of ‘breakfast’ and ‘lunch’, is said to have originated from England, describing the meal taken by those who nursed hangovers on Sunday mornings from the night before. It has increased in popularity in recent times, the world over, but more so locally. It seems that every other joint has a brunch menu on Sundays or Saturdays or both.

Branch into brunch with caution

Faith Kyoumukama and Njeri Maina

I have heard a lot of amazing things about brunch at 360 Degrees Pizza. If that is the only reason you are going there, please do not.

They do brunch differently; with a simple menu, which you can access on either Saturday or Sunday. The selection is great; you can have meals such as eggs benedict, steak and eggs and a pizza that has eggs on it!

You, however, will have to pay for whatever you take, piecemeal. For me, this beats the whole idea of brunch, as I feel that it should be a package whose value I pay as a one-off, and drinks and food flow freely for the next four to six hours. But from a business point of view, I get it.

However, if you are looking for good artisan pizza, delicious pasta, with great Wi-Fi connection and great ambience, then this is the place for you.

I love their pizzas; they are freshly made and are quite affordable, at about Sh1,200 for a huge pizza. I on occasion pass by for their pasta, which is equally good.

After I was lured back to 360 Degrees Pizza at ABC Place, Waiyaki Way for Sunday brunch by my friend, I ended up buying bacon gorgonzola pasta and a Hawaiian pizza. Suffice it to say, the pizza was so huge, it was hard to finish it.

The pasta was equally sumptuous, as the chef did not skimp on the blue cheese (gorgonzola in Italian) and bacon.

The pasta also had blackcurrants, whose sweetness beautifully contrasted the creamy saltiness of the dish.

To accompany it, we had Prosecco sangria, which served quite the punch. The fruits used were also quite fresh, which rarely happens in sangria joints.

After a few litres of sangria, and a sizeable dent into my funds, I was sure that I would still come back. Just not for the brunch, but for the pasta, pizza and sangria. Then, I ordered for some more sangria…

Bottomless mimosa

A dog barks as it is petted by the owner. It looks as if it has a new leash, probably from the pop-up market that happens here at The Arbor. I am seated at a table directly opposite the kitchen.

It is a great vantage point as I can spy on people doing their shopping for local garments or dog collars.

A friendly waiter soon walks up to me, sets a vase with sprigs of lavender on my table, then lights a scented candle. There is soft pop music playing in the background.

As I wait for my plus-one, the waiter narrates the different goodies that this eccentric spot off James Gichuru road has to offer.

As it happens, seems like the champagne gods are in love with me, because it is endless mimosa brunch on this, and every last weekend of the month. Damage, Sh1,500. 

My date arrives. Whoever said there is no peer pressure among grown-ups lied, as I order everything she suggests.

I get the Asian twist burger with the egg being just a bit runny to add flavour and moistness to each savoury bite. The burger is dressed with chillis, shallots and lemongrass.

It is quite delicious that I am afraid I might end up trying just the one burger off their extensive menu on my subsequent visits.

The burger comes with a huge helping of sweet potato fries, which are yummy, but too much for one person to finish in one sitting. This is definitely a good thing as takeaway goody bags are free.

For dessert, I choose coconut and lemongrass panacotta with a mango chilli coulis.

The almost jelly-like cream is sweet and smooth, while the pieces of mango coulis add some much needed acidity and spice to the dish. I then wash it all down with a mimosa. Ok, several mimosas.

I lounge in my seat and engage in frivolous talk, such as whether to buy a dog, so it can accompany me here on my next visit.

With my tribe

Birds chirp and jump from the fountain to the fake grass carpet as Booth the Band entertain us with renditions of popular songs.

Sounds of the trickling water and the harmonious melodies of the band weave the perfect backdrop to our setting. We are on the ground floor at Tribe Hotel on a lazy Sunday afternoon for brunch.

After being given the option of the alcoholic brunch which goes for Sh4,800 and the non-alcoholic one which goes for Sh3,800, Susan, my date for the day, and I opt for the non-alcoholic one.

We both love food too much to experience it inebriated. We move straight to the main meal buffet, mainly because brunch is not the place to eat salads. Their penne pasta is all sorts of creamy sumptuousness.

The chicken wings and pork ribs come a close second. Phillip, the grill master for the day, not only has a smile and various helpful grilling tidbits to offer my nosy self, but does a mean job preparing prawns too. 

After wolfing down our food, we wash it all with passion mint juice. I then go for dessert.

Just as tea is heaven for a lunje, the dessert corner is my special slice of heaven.

I heap my plate with macaroons, chocolate mousse, cookies and no fruits as the tribe of dolls adorning the wall next to the sweets look on disapprovingly.

I am undeterred, as exactly 13 minutes later, I walk in for my second dessert helping.

We try to expend some calories by talking animatedly while trying not to groan.

After all, we cannot possibly leave without sampling the sushi bar. After eating twice my body weight, I wheedle some ice cream from Michael, who does a great job of waiting on us without being intrusive.

At a few minutes to five, Susan and I waddle out of the restaurant with a fervent promise to be back.

To the market

Located in 14 Riverside at Riverside Drive in Nairobi, what draws your attention when you get to Soko restaurant at dusitD2 is the elegant décor especially the lighting.

On an easy Sunday afternoon, I checked out Soko, which is Swahili for ‘market’, for brunch.

The brunch menu is not so wide, but it has the basics. There are different kinds of breakfast cereals and a variety of fruit juices.

The meaty treats include glazed turkey, chicken and pork cooked in different styles. There is also a live cooking station for pasta, a soup area and an array of scrumptious-looking desserts.

For the starter, I had the chicken pepper, and for the main course, I had glazed turkey and fried pork served with a bit of rice and pasta made with cheese, and white sauce.

The turkey was tasty, you could tell it was well seasoned. The pasta also did not disappoint my taste buds, especially since every ingredient seemed to be in moderation, except the cheese, of which I wanted extra add-ons.

The trick with brunch is choosing the right portions, so as to leave some space for dessert. Dusit is also known for their chocolate dessert, but since I am not such a chocolate fan, I opted for the mango mousse instead.

It was too gooey and sugary for me. The all-you-can-eat brunch may be an idea to try next time, which I found fairly priced, at Sh3,600.