What does Shs 37,000 get you for lunch at The Roots restaurant? Half of Lake Victoria’s finest tilapia, in a generous, belly-filling portion.
Yes, it is on the pricey side, but the value becomes evident the moment your plate lands on the table. The portions are hearty enough to make you forget the sting in your wallet. Don’t expect price relief by going vegetarian; here, even humble vegetarian options come at premium prices.
The sauces start at Shs 25,000 for beans, with peas at Shs 28,000 and the decadent mushrooms in groundnut sauce at Shs 30,000. Located along Kafu road in Nakasero, The Roots serves mostly Ugandan traditional cuisines with stews and sauces served with a choice of at least five accompaniments from matooke to rice, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and posho.
It caters to the high-flying, laptop-toting corporate diners and while it is spacious enough between tables, you can eavesdrop on some of the deals that uplift or further drench the country’s economy.
The meals are as ‘Ugandan local’ as they come and if you are unfamiliar with Ugandan stews, they may fail to appeal especially with the miniature flavouring and spices especially in the goat and fish dishes.
The luwombo of course has its own flavour heights. You will definitely love the banana-steamed matooke and millet bread (kalo) prepared between the smooth finish of Tooro-style and the dense texture associated with northern Uganda.
The waiters are very many but sometimes get overwhelmed by the high numbers and sometimes apply the ‘not my client, no service’ policy. But given the high volumes of traffic, maybe it is actually necessary.
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