WanderWhim

Emin Pasha: Fez Brasserie

Kampala, Uganda

Eclectic


Emin Pasha is likely the most recognized boutique hotel in Kampala. Nothing like the enormity and ostentatiousness of the Serena, Emin Pasha is small, but equally stunning. The restaurant, Fez Brasserie, follows the hotel’s lead in surrounding its guests with elegant and high class scenery. Unfortunately, the food lagged behind the décor. 

The Fez Brasserie is an ideal setting for a candlelit dinner. The tables are impeccably set with stark white cloths, scattered flower petals, and intricately folded napkins. Visitors can eat on the lush green lawn, seated in couches on the terrace, or within the restaurant’s tan walls and columns overlooking the terrace and outstretched greenery. While a starry night sky seems to be in collision with Fez Brasserie in creating a posh ambiance, the restaurant also remains visually alluring for breakfast, brunch, or lunch.

Despite Fez Brasserie’s splendid appearance, the dinner menu is an entirely separate story. The food selection vividly reminds me of the types of menus one would see in northern California. Fresh salads, pastas with experimental sauces and fillings, nuts and cheeses, and odes to “buying local” are dispersed throughout the regularly changing menu. As a whole they generally feature dishes with Italian and Indian influences, with curries and chutneys as well as risotto and chicken Florentine. On paper the food sounds fantastic, in person it looks decadent, but resting on your tongue it is left wanting. The panzarotti, a type of dumpling/ravioli pasta, was undercooked and chewy where it should not have been. The mozzarella in the avocado salad, while putting on the façade of being fresh, was bitter and more watery than standard mozzarella. Sides like the polenta fries were bland and so dry that even lathering them in the neighboring plate’s tomato sauce was not enough to flavor them. Fez Brasserie’s food is served in small portions, which adds to the sense of paying more for even less. Overall, the restaurant’s prices are extravagant, and while the food captures the appearance of classy, upscale meals, the taste does not.

Whim Rating:
A5	Q3	V3
AQV = 11	AQV =	AQV =
★ ★ ★ ☆	☆ ☆	#/6 stars

Did you know: Every Friday night Emin Pasha features a live jazz band called Qwela that is absolutely superb.

Hours:	Home Delivery: No
Address: 27 Akii Bua Road, Nakasero	Specials/Discounts:
Contact: 0414 236 977/8/9	Price Range: 20,000-40,000 VAT included
Directions: Fez Brasserie is located in Emin Pasha on Akii Bua Road in Nakasero. Go up Nakasero Hill Road and make a left onto Akii Bua. The hotel is immediately to the left.