A safari dining experience you might not have expected.
What’s been happening with our menus?
Canapès
We have introduced a new selection of canapés such as quail’s eggs with a trio of celery salt, paprika, black pepper and sea salt dips, gnocchi with sun dried tomatoes and basil and refreshing water melon wrapped in cucumber and mint to give our guests a perfect taste to complement their evening cocktails.
Photo credit Felix Rome
Main courses
Sitting down to our African Night menu, outside under the stars and with only the soft light of safari lamps, has always been a much loved experience for our guests. With the amazing feedback we receive for this particular evening, we have increased its frequency to three times a week, giving all nationalities the chance to experience some authentic Kenyan food.
Dining outdoors at Governors’ Camp – photo credit Will Fortescue
Our guests can enjoy a traditional Swahili meal of beef and / or chicken fillets sizzling on the barbeque with a delicious variety of accompaniments including ‘ugali’ (a local polenta maize dish), coconut bean casserole, tomato and onion spinach, ‘githeri’ (corn, beans and potato) as well as ‘matoke’, a western Kenyan dish of gently simmered plantain bananas accompanied by tomato and onion salads and chapatis.
African Night in the Masai Mara – photo credit Felix Rome
Salads
Each camp in the Mara has its own elephant and hippo proof vegetable garden. We plant a rotation of many different lettuce varieties from decorative and lacey to peppery, crunchy and colorful along with a wide variety of herbs.
Lilian Locho, head chef at Il Moran – photo credit Nick Penny
Every morning, the chefs and gardeners meet up to discuss together what to pick to compliment that day’s dishes. Depending on the season, we can add a splash of color with nasturtium flowers or the edible white tissue paper flowers that grow on Mara plains after the rains.
Fresh salads are perfect for hot days on safari – photo credit Felix Rome
Desserts
We’ve been having a lot of fun with new sorbets and ice creams! The Governors’ Camp chefs have introduced some new flavors to the menu; pineapple and fresh mint, the most juicy tasting mango, lemon balm (which is handpicked from the camp’s organic garden) and strawberry.
Chef Jeffrey presents an amazing selection of sorbets – photo credit Felix Rome
Our strawberry ice-cream has become incredibly popular and we are proud to support the nearby WE project, which grows the strawberries locally. Some exotic additions to our ice cream choices are, avocado and banana as well as Swahili coffee spiced with cardamom and fresh ginger. We love that the new flavors are evocative of Africa and easily accessible ingredients.
Our famous strawberry ice cream made from only the most perfect strawberries – photo credit Nick Penny
For those who would prefer non-dairy, we have made a pure coconut ice cream that can be made in any of our camp kitchens – please remember to request it in advance.
What’s coming up
We will introduce a shared platter on the menu soon, to give guests a wider choice. Served on locally made and sustainably sourced wooden boards, guests can share amongst their friends and family, the choice of a meat, pescatarian or vegetarian selection of cheeses, salamis, smoked fish, avocados, chick pea, beetroot or cauliflower hummus, cherry tomatoes, salads, breads, chutneys and pickles.
By Elizabeth Glaysher, Food and Beverage Manager for Governors’ Camp Collection
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