Dinner with Lynda Nyangweso

Lynda Nyangweso at INTI: A Nikkei Experience

Photography by Bill Muganda

By Lucy Munene

An experience. That is how I would describe both the restaurant and this month’s interviewee. The stunning INTI was the setting for the night. The interior is a combination of plush flooring, ebony walls and a stunning centrepiece made up of bamboo and delicate vines of maple leaves frozen in autumn colours.

Lynda showed up, demurely dressed in black trying not to break her neck as she stared at the detailed interior. We then settled in to try the Peruvian and Japanese fusion food known as Nikkei. In all honesty, the conversation did not properly begin until we had devoured a 6-course meal that included a Caribbean mango ceviche that was the highlight of our dinner.

Simple table setting at INTI: A Nikkei Experience

Photography by Bill Muganda

Lynda’s familiarity with some of the dishes took her down memory lane. “You know those days when you’re parents paid for everything? Well, I remember when I first tried sushi, it rocked my world. It was in Downtown Ottowa in this Japanese restaurant. As soon as I had that sushi, everything changed! I started saving up every month to go back. It was worth it.”

Sipping on some after dinner coffee, as a table of creatives we got what into creativity means. “To me, creativity means having the freedom to create what you feel reflects who you are,” Lynda explained. “I think it’s a dynamic thing as well because just the way who you are changes is the same way your creative process changes as well. The better word would evolve. I really envy people who are able to find the space to do that then have it reflected in their work then from their work and creativity you can tell where they were in their lives.”

Arroz Con pato Nikkei; a coriander duck, red pepper, beer in huancaina sauce

Photography by Bill Muganda

This led us into a passionate discussion about being in a rut and trying new things. “Sometimes you stick to your comfort zone and then you realise that you’re stagnating and that you’re in a rut. The worst part is that you never realise that you’re in a rut until you’re out of it. I feel like I just got out of one but that’s a great realisation to come to now that I’m 30.”

This is where I presented the cliche “age is just a number” phrase. “For me personally, I had all these goals I wanted to obtain by a certain age then 30 came and nowI’m just looking for affordable rent. I still feel like a kid though and my daughter likes to remind me that I’m her mother and then I remind her that my mother is our mother because I don’t feel like a complete grown-up.”

Lynda enjoys a Caribbean mango ceviche at INTI: A Nikkei Experience

Photography by Bill Muganda

By the time we were finishing our coffees, we had discussed Lynda’s travel plans, her ideas for her YouTube channel and different ways to cook tofu. You can read the rest of the interview on www.yummy.co.ke