This archive report was first published on 31 August 2019.
On a Saturday afternoon in August 2019, two sisters, Fatuma and Faiza Hersi, were busy serving up delicious burritos at their restaurant, Mexica, in Nairobi's Westlands.
When they first opened two and a half years ago, Mexican cuisine was a rare find in Nairobi, but the sisters were determined to bring a taste of Mexico to the city.
‘Love of cooking fuelled us to open our restaurant. I was first introduced to Mexican food while studying in the UK,’ Fatuma says.
The sisters chose to focus on burritos because they could be pre-made with ingredients like rice, beans, meat, and toppings, allowing for fast service with short turnaround times.
‘Rice, beans, meat and toppings are all the ingredients that make up a burrito and our concept was pegged on fast service with short turnaround time where people could get their food in three to five minutes, so burritos were perfect,’ says Faiza.
Their menu includes other Mexican foods like fajitas, quesadillas, nachos, loaded fries, salads, and more. They source ingredients locally, except for the wraps.
‘We source the ingredients locally except the wraps,’ Fatuma adds.
After previously operating in Aden Valley, the sisters relocated to the Alchemist in Westlands, which receives more foot traffic.
‘Deliveries are still a big part of our business. About 60 percent of our food is delivered through available platforms,’ she says.
The sisters chose to open a Mexican restaurant in Nairobi after noticing the influx of young expatriates and Kenyans who had studied abroad.
‘The influx of the different cultures in Nairobi and the uptake of social media gave Kenyans familiarity with other cultures and their food,’’ they say.
They also found that ingredients used in Mexican food were common in Kenyan cuisine, making it an easier transition for customers.
When they first opened, the staff had to explain the contents of the burritos to customers, but once they understood, they warmed up to trying the dishes.
‘Once the customers understood the contents were rice, avocado, beans, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, they warmed up to trying the dishes. Younger people, however, were more willing to try and were more curious to see what Mexican food has to offer,’ says Fatuma.
The best-selling burrito is the pulled chicken one, which is cooked in a pressure cooker with spices and slow-cooked for an hour.
Fatuma developed all the recipes for the restaurant, substituting Mexican ingredients with Kenyan ingredients and cooking methods.
Her background in international business and finance has seen her handle the operations and finance of the business, while Faiza, a law graduate, handles public relations and marketing.
I had the opportunity to try the pulled chicken burrito, which was a filling wrap with chicken, Mexican rice, pinto beans, mango sauce, sour cream, salsa, and lettuce. The mango sauce brought a sweet flavour that married perfectly with the mildly spicy chicken.
