I Miss Inga’s Café’s Mixed Fruit Juice

May 29, 2003

Inga’s Café is the sort of place that has never really been a successful venture.

By Kaddumukasa Kironde
Inga’s Café is the sort of place that has never really been a successful venture. The first person to run it had another nearby joint that seems to have been the mainstay of the group.
Another problem that plagued Inga’s were the unrealistic prices that then obtained. Given the prime nature of such a rental property, it was difficult to see how one could make ends meet in such a situation.
Besides, the other place has been around since 1970 and has more or less become a landmark in this town and after all those years has to be a profitable concern. It was only a matter of time, before she called it quits, wisely preferring to stick with the other money making business. A new owner took over.
However, the new owner being a hairdresser, soon discovered the folly of trying to serve two masters at a go.
The cafe did not really take off successfully and in the course of time, she relinquished it and concentrated on what she, hopefully does best –– running a hair salon.
The most salient and noticeable feature of the new Inga’s Café is the introduction of a more workable and sensible menu. Given the size of the place, by any standards it is tiny, it makes a lot of sense in terms of turn around time to have a set menu that gives one a choice of either chicken or beef or fish stew with a dollop of groundnut sauce and beans or peas.
In terms of accompaniment, one has a choice of matooke, (not the best I am afraid) rice, posho, spaghetti, sweet potatoes, vegetables, which comes to an affordable sh3,500.
When it comes to the snack menu this is your standard run of the mill take-away stuff. Egg potato, I am partial to this one and they make a decent one I must say, their chapatti roll goes for sh1,500.
Their plain chicken is sh2,500. Hmm, combine that with chips (a bit on the limp side I am afraid) and you are looking at all of sh4,000.
Their sandwiches are unconvincing and certainly for sh2,000 one would have to look very hard to find any ham much less cheese. I would suggest that they put this item at sh3,000 and give us a more filling and worthwhile sandwich.
The soups are packaged and well, what can one say about that? Add in a few chopped chives, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg and a bit of dry sherry and you will be surprised how these will spruce up your soup.
One of the hallmarks of the original Inga’s Café was their mixed fruit juice.
Actually, it used to be sensational with a melange of pineapples, melon, lemon, orange, lemon, passion fruit and whatever else happens to have been in season in terms of fruits. I tell you, that it was ambrosia fit for the gods! Sadly, the fruit juice they serve has lost its punch.
The service is at best uninspired; all the more so during lunch when the dinners are chock a block.

Ends

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