I wish I knew Martin Dunford (Tamarind co-founder) and his crew back in the 80s. From what I hear, it was wild times, for sure. He ran with an elite clique of Karenite groupies that included the ill-fated Tonio Trzebinski . Together, they took mischief to new heights and created part of a global fashion statement: cool, carefree and wild. It was clearly a special time for a special group of people, and as a recent source told me, “If I told you all that I know, it would burn off both of your ears”.

Martin and Co’s restaurant empire was born in that fabled time, and I am told it all began with a business around transporting fish to Nairobi from the coast. Somewhere along the line came the Tamarind. For me, because of the time and the setting and the people involved, Tamarind will always have a special mystique about it.

Today, Dunford is a millionaire. The Tamarind Group is an international food and entertainment conglomerate. Hiswife is still hot. His sons are Olympians. Despite this, he is humble and down to earth—a giant teddy bear that I could just squeeze.

It would be easy, with his success, to sit back on his heels and relax. But Dunford is still a hands-on operator, and obviously knows to get the best out of people. This is evidenced by the fact that after some 40 years, the Tamarind Group restaurants are still at the top of their game. I have always been a personal fan of Tamambo and was sad to see them leave The Mall. Instead, we now have a newly -renovated Tamambo at Village Market, with a few enhancements to a menu that I have come to love. We were there recently with a big group, which is always the true test of service and food quality. In my book, serving a big table of 12, and making everyone happy, is a big achievement in the hospitality world.

The starters, of course, were platters and platters full of fresh Kilifi oysters. Right now they are in season and delicious and rich in flavor with a hint of butter in the aftertaste. It’s divine. From there we went onto a smattering of main courses. I ate light with a nice, tangy Salmon Caesar and shared some Fried Prawns with my husband. This was a strategy to get as much from everyone else’s plate as possible. The ribs from the Choma Platter were succulent. The Swahili Fish was perfectly cooked. All in all, the food and service were excellent, and I can safely say Tamambo is on my personal Top Five, consistently keeping to their high standards.

And while I may not get to participate in all the fun and games that give those Karen kids their, uh, “reputation”, and I may not get to party down with Dunford anytime soon, I can briefly savor some of the mystique K.C.s have given to Kenya.

Tamambo, Village Market, Top Floor, 020 7124005, 0722 385089, www.tamarindgroup.co.ke.