Mercury Lounge exudes an aura of elegance and it is an ideal place to kick back and relax in the cozy well-lit bars or chill out in the roomy outside-catering sections at the Mercury ABC Place. Chef David Yida is the man stirring up a culinary storm in the kitchen, where he is a regular “Yoda” on the saucepans. Hailing from Vihiga County, Yida started off as a waiter at Hilton. He ventured into the kitchen to help out and got stuck in there to this date.

What are some of your popular food and drink orders?
We basically do cocktails with Mojitos, Long Island Iced Tea and Raspberry Colada topping the list. Clients then often compliment them with dishes like combo platters, rump steak and triple pork chops. Others ask for cajun potatoes and salad.

How do you prepare a classic Mojito cocktail and a meal to go with it?
The Mojito cocktail is made by combining two teaspoonfuls of brown sugar and mint in a glass. The combination is stirred and ice, lime and Bacardi rum added. This is then topped up with warm soda to make it fizzy. It can be garnished with lime wedge and voila! Insert straws and enjoy. Our combo platters are designed for four people and comprise of honey-greased pork spare ribs, buffalo chicken wings and cubed sirloin. The buffalo chicken wings are legendary here as we marinate them in black pepper, add Worcester sauce and coat in flour. We then fry them until golden…very popular.

What is the strangest meal you ever ate?
A vegetable burger. I went to a certain restaurant and asked for it expecting a taste like the conventional burgers but the one they gave me tasted like chopped raw vegetables! I gave up eating it altogether.

In your opinion who would you rate as the best chef in Kenya?
That would be Richard Haroun Otieno of Hilton, Nairobi. I met him when I was starting out back in 1989. I took the all-rounder factor from him in that I can combine food and drink expertise.

What secrets do chefs keep from their clients?
Well, some customers come with a lot of confidence demanding something on the menu, which they don’t know a lot about. When it is served, they get surprised and make a lot of noise but we keep calm and attend to them. Later on, we recount the event and laugh about it in the safety of the kitchen.

Do you go on holiday? What is your favorite holiday spot?
I am the kind of guy that likes heading to my rural home. Shamakhokho is my preferred place for relaxing due to its quiet environment.If you were on Death Row, what would be your last meal? I would get grilled rump steak, medium rare with pepper sauce; the juicy and tender one that has been properly made.

Contact Mercury Lounge ABC Place(Waiyaki Way, Westlands) via +254(0)723 650 803 or www. mercurylounge.com.