A taste of Uganda is now available on Olive Boulevard.
Simba Ugandan Cuisine opened at 8531 Olive on Saturday, February 10. The family owned restaurant is a rebranding of Olive Green International Cuisine, which was open for three years in Jeffrey Plaza in University City.
Owner and chef Christine Mukulu Sseremba—who hails from Uganda's capital Kampala—often appeared with her Ugandan fare at festivals, including Festival of Nations, and it grew increasingly popular.
In a "welcome video" posted on Facebook, her son Majesty says people requested the food outside of the festival circuit and would ask for business cards.
"We decided, 'Why not?'" he says in the video. "My mom wanted to make her dream a reality."
The restaurant will offer such dinner entrees as goat curry, roasted pork, and pan-fried beef—all served with basmati rice or stewed potatoes. Traditional Ugandan fare includes chapati (a flatbread) and matoke (steamed bananas combined with a groundnut paste). Less adventurous diners can also go for Simba's take on fish 'n chips, which come with plantains or fries. Lunch service will be an all-you-can-eat buffet for $12.99 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fare includes sumbusas and a Ugandan fried chicken wrap (pictured below).
Simba chicken wrap
On the beverage side, expect two different smoothies (mango or melon), orange juice, ginger hibiscus tea, and a selection of sodas.
Simba will also roll out a supermarket and convenience store component, which will sell a variety of items, from African spices to teas to dashikis to soccer jerseys. The restaurant will also host its first Ugandan Night, an event it'll put on monthly, on February 24. Patrons can enjoy live music and a buffet.
