Ended the year the right way with a visit to Mai Shayi Coffee yesterday! I didn’t get to visit while I was in Lagos, so I got excited again when I remembered they’d just opened a new branch here in Abuja and so I weeennnttttt!
AMBIENCE:
First and foremost, I live for coffee. So walking into the space was like a giant coffee bean hugging me. It smelled so good and felt really warm.
Interior decor was stunning. Clean vertical lines with a beautiful contrast between black and the brown of the wooden furniture. I’d have loved to see more green, although I saw a few pots here and there.
The art pieces were also something you couldn’t miss. I felt it added character to the space. The one with the lady with the scarf was my favorite.
There was also a room where I assumed demonstrations on coffee would be made.
FOOD:
I particularly went for the coffee, but I knew the restaurant offered nothern delicacies like tuwon shinkafa da miyan kuka (rice swallow x baobab soup), masa da miyan taushe (rice cake x pumpkin soup) and the signature ‘masa sandwich’.
Because I wasn’t feeling quite adventurous, I went for a breakfast option. I had been eating stuff like tuwo, pasta, rice (a lot of rice) and I really just wanted a change.
Caramel Macchiato – N2500
I rarely have coffee in the city cause it’s hardly ever done right. But you see this beautiful cup of coffee? Amazing!
Orange Juice – N1000
Your regular orange juice!
Coconut Crusted Cookies – N1800
With these, I was expecting a soft buttery cookie, but they were harder than I imagined. Tasted great, although I’ll imagine some more emphasis on the coconut.
Spicy Chicken Wrap – N2800
This was served with a few potato wedges. Quite spicy. It reminded me of a shawarma, just without the usual cabbage and sauces.
Golden Mai Shayi Crepe – N3500
The winner for me! I usually like my crepes a bit thicker than the usual so I was glad when I cut into them. I felt it was a good portion size and the sausages definitely added some oomph to it.
Sausages – N3000
The sausages were paired with the Crepe. Over priced if you ask me.
Masa – N1000
I didn’t want to leave without trying the masa! Best believe the next time I visit, I’m definitely having a masa dish.
It was beautifully soft, hot and didn’t have onions in it (really dk why that’s done). Drizzled some left over syrup on it and whew did it take it to a new level!
SERVICE:
Right from the door, the staff were spot on. Meals took longer than expected and I had to keep keeping tabs on the order. So besides food prep time, they were generally good.
SALMAH’S SIDENOTE:
When they say ‘your meal can come with so so and so’ , know that it’s a separate thing and it’s not inclusive in the meal.
SPEND SUMMARY:
Caramel Macchiato – N2500
Orange Juice – N1000
Coconut Crusted Cookies – N1800
Spicy Chicken Wrap – N2800
Golden Mai Shayi Crepe – N3500
Sausages – N3000
Masa – N1000
Water – N500
N18,000 (VAT incl.)
SalmahXO 