Exclusive: Afghani Couple Bake Their Way To The Top From Humble Kitchen in Nairobi West

Correct me if i’m wrong but Bar.B.Q Tonight at the mall is currently the only restaurant in Nairobi doing authentic Afghani cuisine. Although the Afghani community in town is considerably large, there is still a huge void when it comes to the restaurants offering the cuisine.

So to my delight, i happened to come across a page on my Facebook timeline of an Afghani couple advertising some authentic cuisine they call the ‘baklava’ which as we speak,is quite a huge sell out. It looked divine, and clicking to view more at their page, i found out they were also offering some authentic Afghani cuisine, but from the comfort of their home kitchen in Nairobi West.

We are here now, and i was privileged to squeeze out a few Q & A from the busy couple. The husband, Mr. Habib Rahman is the Chief Chef and creator of most of the dishes, and here is what he had to say.

What is your main speciality dish at Afghan House?

The speciality dish is the Turkish Baklava.

 

What is a Turkish Baklava and what makes it unique?

Turkish Baklava is a popular desert made and loved all around the world. Its made out of Phyllo pastry , nuts, and topped with sugar syrup or honey . Most Arabs/Turks have it with unsweetened tea which cuts off the sweetness.

 

Where do you source your ingredients from?

All our ingredients are currently bought locally although we might have to import our nuts soon as they cost too much here which reflects on our prices.

 

Does the dish require skills? If so how did you acquire them?

Yes it requires a lot of skills mainly to roll out the pastry so paper thin that you can see your nails through it! My family owns and runs a bakery back in Afghanistan and Ive worked in it since a young age, we made the baklava in our shop so thats where I got my skills from.

 

Turkish Baklava is a dessert made out of Phyllo pastry , nuts, and topped with sugar syrup or honey. Looks divine!

 

Who are your main buyers and how do they respond to your products?

Our main buyers are the expats , Asian community or the well traveled Kenyans as they have tasted baklava before and so far the response has been amazing, we recently had a Turkish customer and he said it was the best he had ever tasted!

 

Judging from the market, why do you think your Baklava dish is a hit?

The reason it is a hit is because the product is not readily available here in Nairobi , and we put a lot of love and attention into our product and we make it fresh when it is ordered, so I am sure it reflects in the taste and quality of the product. Most people import it from abroad when relatives come or when they go abroad so having it readily available makes it easier to have when you want.

 

Why did you decide to run a home business rather than open own your own restaurant?

We are starting off with a home business because we did not have the capital to start a restaurant and also this gives us a chance to see the response and test the waters of this market. We hope to open a restaurant in the near future.

 

What is the price range of the Baklava?

Our price range varies from 750/= – 4000 /= depending on the weight and also on the type of nuts that we use.

 

Well you heard it first on Yummy! Get more info from their Facebook Page HERE or just check out the poster below.