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Captain Morgan Meets Kenyan Soul Food: A Culinary Fusion Masterclass

Author

Gerald Kombo
December 11, 2025

Chef Robert Aluda and mixologist Chris Kantai reimagine local classics with a spiced twist

Holiday Inn Nairobi Two Rivers Mall became the epicenter of culinary innovation as Executive Chef Robert Aluda partnered with mixologist Chris "Captain ma-vibes" Kantai to deliver an exclusive Captain Morgan tasting experience that proved one thing: Kenyan cuisine doesn't need to shrink itself to impress, it just needs the right pairing.

The Chef's Philosophy: Texture First, Flavor Always

Chef Robert Aluda's approach to designing the Captain Morgan-inspired menu wasn't about drowning food in alcohol. It was about respect for the ingredients, the cooking process, and the spirit itself.

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"You go first with the texture and the way of cooking. For starters you go with the savory. For desserts you go for the sweets. So for the desserts I went to the spiced rum because it's sweet, but for the golden rum you just go with a savory taste of it and you mix it."

For starters, he leaned into savory profiles with golden rum. For desserts, the sweeter spiced rum took center stage. But the real magic? Slow cooking. Five hours for the braised oxtail. Three hours for the ox tongue with mushrooms. Time became the secret ingredient that allowed rum to infuse every fiber without overpowering the dish.

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"I'll go for the oxtail, braised oxtail, because it's a slow way of cooking and you get all the ingredients and the flavour through the slow cooking. The cartilage, yes sir, then the artificial part of it just comes out naturally."

The Menu: Kenyan Classics, Elevated

Forget fusion confusion. This was about enhancement. The dishes featured were unapologetically local.

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"For today, I made it local. We started with the kachumbari, which is easily available, the ingredients, pairing it with beef broth. And then I did pineapple rice infused with spiced rum, just to give that sweetness when you bite it, it bursts in your mouth."

The full menu included:

  • Kachumbari paired with Captain Morgan-infused beef broth, easily available ingredients, locally sourced

  • Spiced Mutura flambéed with rum, served alongside ugali and kachumbari (street food reimagined)

  • Braised Oxtail slow-cooked with Captain Morgan for five hours until the cartilage surrendered

  • Pineapple Rice infused with spiced rum for a subtle sweetness that bursts in your mouth

  • Mukimo and Ugali paired with rum-infused stews

  • Ox Tongue with Mushrooms cooked low and slow with spiced rum for three hours

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"Then we had mokimo, which is local, and ugali, which goes well with our stews here in Kenya. So the oxtail, braised oxtail, we did with the rum, we cooked it for almost five hours, just slow cooking, infusing all the ingredients to make it blend with the rum."

The Drinks: Sheng Names, Global Techniques

Mixologist Chris Kantai brought his signature flair to the bar, crafting four serves that married Captain Morgan's versatility with Kenyan street vernacular. Each cocktail was designed to complement Chef Aluda's dishes while standing on its own as a complete sensory experience.

Captain Morgan Spiced Gold Serves

Sherehe Katambe (Sweet)
50ml Captain Morgan Gold, 30ml pineapple juice, 20ml fresh lime, 10ml vanilla syrup. Shaken and served in a highball with a pineapple leaf garnish. This is the drink you order when the vibe is right and the oxtail is on the way.

Naenda Ivi Nakam! (Sour)
50ml Captain Morgan Gold, 25ml cinnamon syrup, 30ml lime juice, club soda top-up. Built, not shaken. Served with a lime wedge and cinnamon stick. The name alone tells you it's not for the timid.

Captain Morgan Sliced Apple Serves

Tamu Kama Kanairo (Sweet)
50ml Captain Morgan Sliced Apple, 30ml fresh passion fruit pulp, 10 fresh mint leaves, 10ml Kenyan organic honey. Shaken and served in a highball with passion fruit garnish. A love letter to local ingredients and local pride.

Tulia Nikupange (Sour)
50ml Captain Morgan Sliced Apple, 50ml sweet & sour mix, 2 dashes spiced bitters, Stoney Tangawizi top-up. Built in a rocks glass with a lemon wedge. Yes, Stoney. Because this is Kenya, and Chris knows his audience.

The Technique: Deglazing for Safety, Stewing for Flavor

When asked about responsible alcohol use in cooking, Chef Aluda didn't preach, he taught technique.

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"Since it's alcohol, it's better you deglaze it when maybe you're cooking the mutura. So by deglazing, you make it burn, the alcohol to burn first and evaporate. Then you add the other ingredients to your food."

For home cooks? Keep it simple.

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"Normally at home we don't have this sophisticated kind of equipment so you just stew your food. With rum it goes well when you stew. When you infuse your food you stew it just slowly cooking. That's when you get all the flavor from rum. Or sometimes you can flambe if you wish. But at home you just do it."

What's Next: Caribbean Meets Kenyan

Looking ahead, Chef Aluda is eyeing desserts with rum-infused puddings featuring pineapple and banana.

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"For the market, I'll go with the desserts. Infusing with pineapple desserts like puddings, and puddings that have also maybe banana. More of a Caribbean style of cooking. Pineapple, banana, yeah, that's the way to go."

The goal? Make rum pairing as accessible as it is aspirational.

Meet the Duo Behind the Experience

Chef Robert Aluda | Executive Chef, Holiday Inn Nairobi Two Rivers Mall

Chef Robert Aluda is on a mission to elevate Kenyan cuisine without compromising its soul. Since taking the helm at Holiday Inn Nairobi Two Rivers Mall in January 2024, he's introduced street food favorites like smocha, rolex, and mutura to the hotel menu, not as novelty items, but as signature dishes. Previously Executive Sous Chef at Radisson Hotel Group, Chef Aluda believes in "grafting and coming up with new ideas while trying to infuse, level up, and bring local cuisine to the next level." His approach is simple: texture first, slow cooking always, and ingredients that tell a story.

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"You just go simple. You just do it."

Chris Kantai | Mixologist & Brand Ambassador, Captain Morgan

Chris "Captain ma-vibes" Kantai started his hospitality journey in 2012, not behind a bar, but in a scullery, washing dishes. Today, he's Kenya's most celebrated mixologist, a Captain Morgan brand ambassador, and the man behind some of Nairobi's boldest cocktails. His philosophy? "A good cocktail will catch all of your senses," taste, aroma, visual appeal, even the sound of ice clinking. As a beverage consultant, trainer, and event organizer, Chris has trained bartenders through Diageo Bar Academy, managed three restaurants, and pioneered Kenya's contemporary cocktail movement. His signature approach blends global techniques with local ingredients, creating drinks that reflect Kenya's unique culture and palate.

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"For me, a good cocktail is an experience. It's not just about the taste."

The Takeaway

This wasn't about fancy food for fancy people. It was about showing that Kenyan street food (mutura, ugali, kachumbari) can hold its own in a hotel setting when treated with creativity and care. Chef Aluda's message to other chefs? "You just go simple." Whether you're at Holiday Inn or cooking at home, the principle remains: slow cooking, bold flavors, and ingredients that tell a story.

Captain Morgan brought the spirit. Chef Robert Aluda brought the soul. Chris Kantai brought the vibes. And Nairobi? Nairobi showed up ready to taste the future of Kenyan cuisine, one rum-braised bite and one perfectly shaken cocktail at a time.

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"Just take the content to make you feel good, but not get drunk and disorderly." – Chef Robert Aluda, on responsible drinking

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