Couple set to open intimate East African-inspired restaurant

A tantalising combination of Somali, Ethiopian and Kenyan cuisines will soon be ready to sample from a brand new restaurant.

Jikoni’s food is already popular from its two years of pop-ups and mobile catering at sites in and around Bristol and Bath.

Now the couple behind the business, Iman Salat and James Hillier, have secured a bricks and mortar premises.

Nestled in the courtyard of the Coach House on Upper York Street in St Paul’s, Jikoni will seat around 20 people and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, drawing inspiration from the countries Iman grew up in.

The couple have held successful pop-ups on Chandos Road, St Nick’s Market, the Nectar House, Bath Christmas Market and more – photo: Jikoni

“I’ve always been obsessed with food as long as I could remember,” Iman told Bristol24/7.

“I was born in Somalia and grew up in Kenya and I was lucky enough to be around East African food.”

The new restaurant sits in what was for many years Pear Cafe within a cobbled cluster of buildings, a location Iman describes as ‘perfect’.

“I couldn’t think of a better spot to set up, with so many independent businesses close by,” she said.

Iman and James have run Jikoni as a mobile food business for the last two years, with pop-ups on Chandos Road, St Nick’s Market, the Nectar House and Bath Christmas Market filling a gap in the market for East African food.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4hjPfsTFA/

But the couple are thrilled to now have permanent restaurant to call Jikoni’s home.

“It’s incredible, especially when you worked in some spots where you’re getting rained on as you set up,” James laughed.

Describing their food, James said: “We are taking traditional elements of East African food and making it a little more contemporary.”

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In the morning, Jikoni will be serving ‘breakfast mandazi’ – savoury doughnuts stuffed with breakfast ingredients like spiced scrambled egg and goat sausages.

For lunch and dinner, diners can choose from open sabayad filled wraps, alternating specials such as Somalian-spiced curries, East African inspired salads and small plates, including traditional Somalian fishcakes and smoked milked béchamel awaze chicken croquets.

Food, half of which will be meat-free, will be washed down by locally-roasted coffee and thick, layered fruit smoothies.

The couple hope to support young people from diverse communities through the opening of their restaurant, with 80 per cent of the team when the restaurant opens later this month from the BAME community.

Jikoni East Africa can be found at 2 Upper York Street in St Paul’s – photo: Betty Woolerton

Main photo: Betty Woolerton

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