Upon arriving to the grounds of Zen Garden, I was amazed this beautifully landscaped complex was hidden in busy Nairobi.  The grounds offer a conference center, Zen Square; a coffee and tea house, Jade; and a restaurant, Bamboo.

Bamboo was nicely decorated with red, black and ivory furniture and nice touches of bamboo, lanterns, and floral arrangements, giving it a modern Asian feel.

The menu, which is the same for both lunch and dinner, features a wide variety of Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes. For lunch, I ordered the Thai chicken rolls as an appetizer, the crispy pork and the chilli chicken rice as my main course. I also had the opportunity to taste the Szechwan chicken. When the dishes arrived, I was impressed by their presentation — the Thai chicken rolls and chilli chicken rice arrived in tall bamboo cylinders. All of the dishes were well-seasoned and full of flavor, so it would be hard for me to choose a favorite. Everything I tasted was delicious; I only wish I had the opportunity to return soon to try their dim sum, sushi and other signature dishes.

I can’t forget the cocktails!  In addition to a full bar, Bamboo boasts a menu of contemporary cocktails that would make any mixologist envious. I ordered both the Jaded Lady and the Monkey Sour, but must say the creativity behind the Jaded Lady makes it my top choice. The blend of vodka, triple sec, ginger beer, watermelon and cinnamon was a combination that I would never imagine, but was so glad I experienced.

The service was also superb. I arrived at the very end of lunch service, but the staff welcomed me with open arms. The welcome message in the menu, stating the Bamboo staff’s goal is to create an enjoyable dining experience, definitely set the tone – and my waiter did his best to fulfill this goal.

I would highly recommend this restaurant for a fancy business meeting, or a romantic evening date.