Only pay for the food, the juice is on us. That is what the waitresses at Shaka Zulu restaurant in Bwebajja along Entebbe road will say.
Nothing overly special since many eateries offer complimentary juice anyway (in the most stingy glasses). Shaka Zulu will serve generously a one-litre jug from the options of mango, orange, cocktail or sugarcane juice.
Now, before you get too excited, the catch is simple; what you save on juice is likely tucked away in the meal prices. But the pricing is not wildly different from other local food spots that don’t throw in the complimentary juice.
Take, for instance, the fish in groundnut sauce luwombo priced at Shs 30,000. That’s only slightly above the average cost elsewhere. But how about the juice itself? It is orange juice, but it does not have that fresh-from-the-orchard zing.
Instead, it feels more like a processed blend with a strong tart, lacking the sweetness and sharpness you would expect from fresh oranges. However, it’s far from unpleasant; the sheer volume of the offer makes up for any lack of authentic flavour.
During our visit, not a single diner seemed to finish their jug. If you are here for the traditional dishes, you are in for a treat. The matooke is almost creamy yellow, smooth and rich, steamed and simmered to perfection, while the luwombo is as authentic as it gets.
The portions are big, too. The service is impressively fast, with meals arriving within less than two minutes of ordering, and the environment is welcoming, pristine and relaxing.
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