I’ll admit, arriving at the hotel’s location, my first impression of the place was not 10/10. Simply because of this misconstrued idea, we have that fine dining is all about an elegant ambiance and fancy seating. However, it didn’t take more than 5 minutes before Kwa Bhupe charmed its way into my heart and stomach.
Never have I been to a restaurant with such a rich culinary culture. According to the owner, you can have different meals a day for the whole year if you wanted to. They have over 30 ways of cooking rice alone. Just imagine what an experience it is to dine in a restaurant owned by someone with such expertise.
Kwa Bhupe’s Atmosphere
Sprawled in Elgon View off Ramogi Drive, by Boma Inn’s fence is one of Eldoret’s hidden culinary gems; Kwa Bhupe. A family-run restaurant headed by Bhupe that offered us the most delectable of dishes. We arrived at around 3 pm and were met by Bhupe and Dhruvi, his daughter who took up marketing the place during her break from uni. Quite fetching and commendable.
The ambiance is cozy and charming in an old-school kind of way. Lots of artwork featured all over the restaurant.
The seating is simple. Very minimalistic.
Plenty of trees and greenery, ample parking space, fresh air.
You can sit in the main dining area,
the sports bar,
the bandas, or the open-air space garden.
Sampling The Menu
The Well’s and Zaika’s wings are amazing, but Kwa Bhupe’s are out of this world! Tender, rich in flavor, coated in a thick sweet sauce with plenty of onions. I doubt there is a feeling that could match the one I had after each bite. So good I wanted to lick my fingers.
Unfortunately, I had to be professional and on my best behavior, but chile the things I would have to those wings were I in the comfort of my house…🤭
Next up, we had pizza. As far as Hawaiian pizzas go, this one was quite delightful. Flavorful, a generous amount of toppings, juicy, thin-crusted, cheesy. Urgh😚. After this, we washed our palettes down with cocktails by Mixologist Tony.
Peep how unique their cocktail glasses are.
Oh, and if you buy two, you get one free. The same goes for pizza on Tuesday.
Lastly, we had kienyeji chicken paired with naan and roti. The latter are types of Indian bread. Kind of like our chapos but different in taste. Now, I am not a fan of kienyeji chicken. It’s usually hard and chewy and doesn’t take up the flavor.
Kwa Bhupe’s chicken was, however, particularly exquisite. The meat easily tearing off the bone, flavors melting in the mouth, a thick yummy stew… It was magical. Understandable why it is one of his best sellers.
The food was more than we could handle, and we were more than happy to take some of it home; double treat🤩.
The Cuisine Exploits Of Bhupe
Bhupe’s culinary exploits started way back when he was just a boy, helping his father cook together with his brothers during koroga. For the unfamiliar, koroga is an outdoor dining function where family or friends get together and cook as they catch up.
Little did the father know the skills he was imparting on his boys would see them be some of the most outstanding chefs Eldoret would see.
His first restaurant business was set up at the Sikh Union Club in 1988 opposite Paul’s Bakery. From here he moved to run The Lantern in Kitale, The Elcove, Soy Club, Rosewood, and many other restaurants before buying out Mama Mias and turning it into Kwa Bhupe. He has a mastery only true love for a craft and years of experience can offer and together with his brothers, he has been known to invent brilliant dishes like the fish naga naga.
They do free deliveries and outside catering if you can’t make it to the place. The number to dial for the above is 0722350343. You can also order via their social media handle @kwabhupe.
We’ll talk more about the koroga culture and how you can get in on it in another article, so stay tuned for that. For now, though, give Kwa Bhupe a shot the next time you are going out to eat. Guaranteed you’ll go back for more as we surely will.
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