The Mexican restaurant in the heart of Kenya

15,000 kilometers away from Mexico , in Kenya , there is a traditional Mexican restaurant owned by a Kenyan woman and an Indian immigrant.

In “ Fonda NBO ”, local and foreigners can enjoy mole, birria , tacos, tlayudas , cochinita pibil , carnitas, barbacoa , among many other dishes.

Salisha Chandra

and Yash Krishna , who opened the restaurant over a year ago, say that Kenyans like tacos, mole, birria , meatballs, and tortillas the most.

Salisha

and Yash used to live in Chicago , where they fell in love with Mexican food . They became interested in the culture and traveled to Mexico , and took over 35 types of seeds from Mexico to Kenya , such as tomato, oregano, epazote , and different types of chilies because it's impossible to find them in Kenya . This is one of the secrets behind their success .

And despite being so far from Mexico , the menu also offers tostadas, sauces, tortilla soup, chilaquiles, eggs, quesadillas, enchiladas, beans, stuffed peppers , and meatballs .

To accompany these delicious dishes, the marriage also added fresh beverages to the menu, such as horchata, tamarind, hibiscus water , as well as beers and margaritas .

The restaurant also offers popsicles , tres leches cake , churros with chocolate or cajeta, flan , and even buñuelos .

Salisha

and Yash explain that they decided to open a Mexican restaurant because they love Mexican food.

“We love Mexican food because it's very tasty and their ingredients are quite similar to those from Kenya , such as a vocado, corn, beans, and rice , but the cooking method is very different. We lived in the United States and that is where we met Mexican food . When we returned to Kenya , we missed Mexican flavors and that's why we opened a restaurant ,” Salisha said.

The secret behind their success

The couple has visited Mexico four times. In 2016, they learned how to cook mole, rice, beans, tortillas , and other dishes. They practiced over 12 hours a day in order to master Mexican cuisine.

Salisha

explained that for them “it is very important to know the technique, the flavor , and the ingredients.”

And although there are other four Mexican restaurants in Kenya , none of them offer traditional Mexican food : “For us, it's important that it is an authentic experience . It is about bringing Mexico to Kenya. ”

Mexico, Latin America's culinary hub

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