Want to relive the ‘box’ sauce experience?
As if to emphasise the freshness of their juice, your glass of passion fruit juice from Sanyu restaurant arrives with a slice of the actual fruit perched on top.
Tucked quietly on the left side of the Ggaba–Munyonyo junction, Sanyu restaurant is the kind of place you could easily miss, since marketing experts say businesses on the right side of the road tend to attract more attention. What stands out immediately is the fresh juice bar – everything is made fresh and a la carte; so, patience is a must.
The juices are deliciously thick that you might find yourself diluting them with water or ordering a separate bottle of water afterwards. But don’t walk in hoping for strawberry or guava juice; your choice will be limited to the usual blends of passion fruit, mango or a combination of those two.
Nevertheless, Sanyu is a popular hangout for both Ugandan locals and members of the Somali community nearby. True to its “24/7” tagline, the restaurant stays open round the clock.
The local food offerings are cooked two ways: in traditional banana-leaf luwombo or in what they call “box” style, where food is sealed in a smaller saucepan, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed inside a larger pot. When done right, especially with meats, it produces incredibly rich, smoky aromas.
But if rushed or poorly executed, the flavour can fall disappointingly flat. When done right, especially with meat, the result is a rich, smoky aroma that evokes memories of grandma’s kitchen.
Despite its sleek ambience and setup, you don’t have to rob a bar to eat or drink here; the prices range from Shs 10,000 to 20,000, while the juices are between Shs 5,000 and Shs 8,000 depending on quantity.
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