If you ask a visitor what Kenyans eat, they will probably say nyama choma. They're right — but they're also missing the point. Nyama choma isn't really about the meat. It's about the time.

How it works

You arrive at the joint and go straight to the butchery at the back. You choose your meat — goat for most people, beef for some — and it's weighed in front of you. Then it goes onto the grill, and you go and sit down. And you wait. Sometimes an hour, sometimes more.

That waiting is the whole thing. Drinks arrive. More friends arrive. Someone's cousin you've never met joins the table. Football is on the television. By the time the meat comes out, chopped on a wooden board with a little pile of salt, you have already had the best part of the afternoon.

What goes with it

• Ugali, firm enough to hold its shape.
• Kachumbari, fresh and sharp to cut through the fat.
• Mukimo or sukuma wiki if you want some green on the plate.
• Salt and chilli on the side. Everyone eats with their hands.

Nobody has ever said, "Let's grab a quick nyama choma."

A slower kind of eating

In a city that is always in a hurry, nyama choma refuses to hurry. You can't order ahead and you can't rush the grill. It forces you to sit with people for a whole afternoon — and that, I think, is why we love it.

[Ayeesha — mention your favourite spot here, or keep it a secret.]