You can rarely turn down an invite-only menu tasting, especially when it comes from a gourmet cloud kitchen.
So when Duck House invited me to its Chef’s Table, my appetite was already whetted.
For the uninitiated, a cloud kitchen is a delivery-only restaurant without a conventional dining space. But Duck House, founded by Switzerland-trained Kenyan chef and entrepreneur Anjili Shah, occasionally opens its Runda kitchen for intimate culinary experiences.
This edition honoured New Zealand-based comedy hypnotist Haiming Jiang, who was in Nairobi performing at Nairobi Street and the National Theatre.
His blend of hypnosis and comedy had already wowed audiences, and his Chinese heritage made the evening’s Oriental-inspired menu particularly fitting.
Under a fairy-light canopy beside a roaring campfire, cocktails and fried sacred lotus bites set the mood. Then came the amuse-bouche — the ‘Ring of Fire’, a crispy semolina ball filled with pork belly and spicy papaya salad, finished with tamarind and lemongrass and paired with Prosecco.
The Chef’s Special Sichuan Beef Tartare followed, its bold flavours beautifully matched with a 2021 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend from Boschendal Estate. A Fungal Salad came with Lumina Pinot Grigio, carrying bright pineapple, citrus and pear aromas.
Then came the star: Classic Peking Duck, paired with ‘The Guvnor’, a full-bodied Tempranillo and Syrah/Grenache blend.
Peking duck is central to Duck House’s identity. Shah’s version undergoes a painstaking preparation involving a special oven, sauces, rubs, scalding water and vinegar before being served with thin Mandarin pancakes, scallions, cucumber and hoisin sauce.
The ritual is simple: wrap the crisp skin and tender meat with the vegetables and sauces inside the pancake and take a generous bite. It is easy to understand why the dish has earned royal status in Chinese cuisine.
The culinary journey then took a distinctly Kenyan turn with Muratina, the traditional Kikuyu brew made from Kigelia africana, or sausage tree. Served as a spritz-style palate cleanser, it proved surprisingly approachable, with actress Sarah Hassan among those enjoying the presentation.
Next was Roujiamo, a Shaanxi street food known as the “Chinese hamburger”. Shah’s version substituted slow-cooked pulled beef for the traditional pork belly and came with Trumpeter Pinot Noir.
The final flourish was Ayam Cemani, the rare Indonesian chicken breed dubbed the “Lamborghini of poultry” because of its striking jet-black appearance and high value. Paired with CH Valac Cuvée Spéciale Rouge Sec, it brought an exotic finale to an already adventurous meal.
Haiming later captured the experience perfectly on social media: “Lunch started at 1:30 pm and lasted until 8:30 pm, with eight courses served in total. Seven hours — lunch turned into dinner!”
And that, perhaps, is the essence of the Duck House Chef’s Table. It is not simply a meal but an experience that demands time — to eat, talk, taste, experiment and savour.
The next Chef’s Table is planned for the end of October, with the location revealed only about 24 hours before the event. For those who cannot wait, Duck House also offers gourmet deliveries for a special night in.
For Shah, each table is another step towards her ambition of becoming a Michelin-starred chef.