Blowing the horn of Africa

But then again, why not? Somalian cuisine seems almost defined by its long history of fusion; a combination of Somali trading and the odd occupation.

Kismayo restaurant in Mayfair even calls its food “international”. The flavours, ingredients and cooking techniques include Italian, Indian, Persian and more besides.

But back to the biryani: the basmati rice is undoubtedly of royal descent – freakishly long and perfectly textured, and the spices have the sort of balance a perfumier would kill to achieve. I couldn’t stop eating it, even after I was full. And, unbelievably, it costs next to nothing.

We arrived there late morning, when breakfast dishes were still on offer: soured flatbread similar to Ethiopian injera and beef in a sort of soup that tastes surprisingly like my German granny’s stews – traditional Somali breakfast fare – and a sort of crumpet-drop-scone hybrid called maafa which feels distinctly British, the only difference being that it’s better. As we wolfed these down with a most excellent espresso, lunch dishes started to appear in the canteen style heater-server.

There was spaghetti, as is traditional since the Italian occupation – both plain and in a distinctly Sardinian style, with tuna. Three rice dishes came out, our “best biryani” among them.

More meat stew appeared, but this time with spinach in stock. We ended with a light cardamom-scented Madeira cake. It was obviously on its second or third day; not bad but it must have been glorious on its birthday.

You must not mind dives or leaving your comfort zone to eat here. Decor is the plastic garden chair and oil-cloth variety, and plating is slightly prison-style. It’s a male-only environment, but we – two women in frocks, with a child dressed as a Ninja Turtle in tow – were warmly welcomed and looked after. You can find Kismayo in the northeast corner of the Amal Centre, corner Albertina Sisulu and Somerset roads, Mayfair.

At home

If you’re interested in trying Somali recipes at home, Xawaash is a really great Somalian food blog with a host of recipes. It’s the blog of an expat Somali couple living in Canada. This blog is their way of dealing with homesickness.

Few of the ingredients are rare, pricey or unknown. Dishes range from breakfast pancakes and banana halwa to a stuffed egg not unlike Scotch Eggs and plantain stew. I can absolutely vouch for the potato and cumin rice, which only – I like to think – fell short of the heights of Kismayo’s biryani because my basmati was not of patrician descent.

Go to www.xawaash.com