It is proverbial that if you eat street food in Nairobi, eat it at your kalocal spot.
Just like when taking alcohol, most people go to their kalocal before they head home.
What I mean is you eat or drink at your favourite joint, chuom, base or simply a place you are used to.
For street food like smocha (smokie and chapati), smokie pasua and mutura (boerewors), it is safe to say that you just have your own spot.
For kibandaski (food stall), having a special spot for chapo beans is essential, but moving from one kibandaski to another is worth the risk.
Sometimes it is for the good, maybe you didn’t like your previous joint and you want to try a new place. Other times, you get to experience a new place with good food and worth trying new delicacies.
Other times, it just comes out as betrayal, and maybe the food isn’t as good in the new joint.
Most of my friends, myself included, always have a specific place where we go to eat.
“You can’t just eat these things anywhere,” they say.
I agree with this entirely.
I tried changing my mutura base and I don’t think I will be doing that again.
Recently, there was a TikToker who posted a video that sparked a debate in a setting I was in.
If you are familiar with the famous Klabu joint, the large street food market on Dorobo Road called Club 36, then you know that this place is a haven for kibandaski and street food.
They range from snacks and juices to fast foods and heavy meals.
If you haven’t experienced the Klabu adventure, then you are probably missing out on a lot.
Most of the time, the greatest percentage of the footfall at the place constitutes university students.
The TikToker, kelly_mouse29, made a video of how a waitress at one of the stalls was scratching her behind and it felt like more than a minute while watching the clip.
I promise it was cringey to watch.
She then proceeded to serve chapatis without washing her hands.
One of the comments read, “Ungeenda restaurant kama ungetaka usafi.”
This translates to, “You should have gone to a restaurant if you wanted cleanliness.”
Some people even commented and said it was an aesthetic, a secret ingredient that makes food addictive.
There is a saying that goes, “The dirtier the coat, the sweeter the food.”
Something like that. And it comes accompanied with darkness.
I have heard it a number of times with mutura lovers.
A few people were, however, not impressed with the level of hygiene displayed in the Klabu waitress scene. Others argued that what you do not see will not hurt you.
I don’t know how to feel about the whole situation, but I will agree with my friends on one thing, Klabu has lost its high rating.
Going to Klabu will now be a second-thought thing.
Remember when I said going to a joint might be risky? Yeah, this one is risky.
One is not even sure if this woman will be the one serving them.
Those who have a high sense of paranoia like me know pretty well that it won’t sit well with us.
There are some spots where the kibanda food and street food are well prepared and satisfactory.
Maybe we can overlook this one and just go with fast foods and snacks instead of heavy meals.
I am not sure if we will overlook this or not.
This remains a gamble.
