In the leafy, quiet suburbs of Runda, a culinary revolution is simmering behind closed doors. There is no neon sign, no street-facing facade, and no walk-in traffic. Yet, Anjili Shah’s "The Duck House" has become the worst-kept secret among Nairobi’s food elite, proving that in 2026, the best tables are the ones you set yourself at home.

Anjili Shah is not your typical chef. A graduate of the prestigious Swiss Hotel Management School, she combines Swiss precision with a fiery passion for Oriental flavors. Her cloud kitchen has carved a unique niche by serving two dishes that most Nairobi restaurateurs are too terrified to touch: the labor-intensive Peking Duck and the mystical Ayam Cemani—the all-black chicken.

Breaking the Poultry Glass Ceiling

"People told me Kenyans only eat kuku kienyeji or broilers," Anjili told our food desk. "I wanted to challenge that palate." And challenge it she has. The Ayam Cemani, a bird with black feathers, black skin, black meat, and even black bones, is revered in Indonesia for its mystical properties. In Nairobi, under Anjili’s knife, it has become a status symbol, a dish that says you are adventurous, sophisticated, and in the know.

But it is the Peking Duck that is her magnum opus. Authentic preparation is a grueling marathon involving pumping air under the skin to separate it from the fat, drying the bird for days, and roasting it until it achieves a glass-like crispness. Most restaurants take shortcuts. Anjili does not.

• The Process: Anjili’s kitchen mimics the humidity and temperature controls of Beijing’s finest duck houses. It is a 48-hour labor of love for a 20-minute meal.
• The Market: Her clientele ranges from curious expatriates to local tycoons who developed a taste for authentic Chinese cuisine during business trips and can no longer settle for the "Kenyan-Chinese" hybrid found in malls.

The Cloud Kitchen Triumph

The Duck House’s success validates the "cloud kitchen" model that exploded during the pandemic and has now matured into a permanent fixture of Nairobi’s dining scene. By eliminating the crushing overheads of a physical dining hall, Anjili invests every shilling back into the ingredients. It is a model of efficiency that delivers five-star plating in a cardboard box.

As Nairobi’s culinary scene becomes increasingly crowded with burger joints and pizza chains, Anjili Shah stands out by looking East. She has not just carved a niche; she has carved a duck, and the city is lining up for a slice.