Four decades on, restaurant finds niche in culinary tourism

sample dish of chicken curry with coconut and tamarind and a dish of rice cooked in coconut milk ready on the lunch table Omondi Onyango

Nairobi; Kenya: The dwindling international tourist arrivals in Kenya has forced players to diversify ways of attracting clients to their resorts.

Hotels are embracing culinary tourism or food tourism, which is experiencing the food of the country, region or area. It is now considered a vital component in tourism.

International tourist arrivals to Kenya fell 13.6 percent in the first half of this year, according to official statistics released by Kenya Tourism Board (KTB).

One such establishment that has for long perfected culinary tourism is Porini Restaurant in Kikambala, Kilifi County. Ms Yolanda Firth, director at Porini Restaurant, which specialises in authentic Seychelles and coastal cuisines, located along the Mombasa- Malindi highway, says since they first opened shop in the early 70s they have never looked back in giving the best to clients.

“We have seen and been through turbulent times that have hit tourism. However, our resolve and optimism to remain afloat has seen us attract both the lowly and mighty in the society who come to wine and dine at our restaurant and spend time at our boutique bungalows,’’ Firth, a naturalised Kenyan of Seychellois and Ugandan descent, said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, during a recent working tour of the Coast took time to dine at Porini Restaurant in the company of Kilifi North legislator Gideon Mungaro.

The International Culinary Tourism Association says in a survey that global trends show each year the number of people traveling to new destinations to sample delicacies has been going up. “The growth in popularity of ethnic cuisine throughout industrialised states is attributable to a significant degree to tourism where visitors sample local foods to develop a taste for them,” she said.

Firth, whose business opened in 1975 has perfected the art of Seychellois cuisine that is fusion of favours from Africa, French, Chinese, Indian and English. “We combine species to create a simple flavour with a large selection of tangy, sweet, rich and spicy combination that makes Seychelles cuisine a tourist attraction in itself,’’ she added.

Porini Restaurant, also referred to as Boko Boko is popular for its Porini chicken cooked with tamarind, steamed and served with either ugali or rice. “Culinary tourism is a growth segment and typically gastronomic tours are increasingly being combined with a number of activities on offer here like the nature trail walks around our premises,’’ she said. The Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (Kahc) Coast branch Executive Officer Sam Ikwaye said that in some countries, culinary tourism has led to the rise of local food and drink festivals, as well as increased interest in local markets.

“Culinary tourism has not been fully exploited back here,” Ikwaye noted adding that culinary or cuisine tourism goes hand in hand with entertainment. Ikwaye said that Mombasa used to do well in past owing to a vibrant entertainment industry and variety of culinary dishes in eateries.