Kungu Maitu: Nyama Choma in Nanyuki

My friend Jackson and I would often go out for nyama choma, and one of our favorite places was a small outdoor restaurant called Kungu Maitu Cafeteria.

You would choose the piece of beef you wanted, and the cook would take it with his bare hands and grill it over a large charcoal-fired grill. When it was ready, the waiter would bring it to the table on a well-used piece of wood, cut the meat into pieces, and pop a piece into his mouth as a tip.

Then we would all dig in, eating the meat straight from the wooden board with our fingers, each piece accompanied by a pinch of kachumbari.

Kungu Maitu was never about fancy surroundings. It was a simple, informal place with good nyama choma and an atmosphere that kept us coming back. The well-used menu was part of its character, and Jackson and I spent many enjoyable evenings there.

Looking back, it is the little details I remember most - the charcoal grill, sharing the meat from the same wooden board, and the simple ritual of sharing nyama choma with friends.