Boutique Hotel Matlai's kitchen runs on a daily-changing three-course menu alongside curated specialities and a wider à la carte selection for lunch and dinner, plus a dedicated vegetarian menu. Behind it is a small team blending Zanzibari tradition with wider culinary influences — here they are, in their own words.
Head Chef Saleh
Chef Saleh joined Matlai in February 2012, when the hotel first opened, and has led the kitchen ever since. Born on Pemba Island and raised on Ugunja Island, where dance and Taryn songs shaped his upbringing, he trained at Serena Hotel Zanzibar before joining Matlai. He finds the hardest part of the job the sheer range of dishes a head chef needs to know and keeping the department organised — his own strengths are the hot kitchen and pastry.
Chef Ibrahim
Chef Ibrahim has been part of the Matlai kitchen since 2013. Born and raised in Zanzibar, he values the tradition of Mwaka Kogwa, a well-known Swahili festival, and trained for two years at Maruhubi College with a field placement at Living Stone Restaurant. For him, the hardest part of the job is mastering the details — deep food knowledge and enough creativity to exceed what guests expect. His main strength is the hot kitchen.
Chef Herson
Chef Herson joined in 2018, from Kaminufa village on mainland Tanzania. He studied hotel management at Machui Community College from 2012 to 2013 before starting his culinary career. He finds the breadth of knowledge a kitchen demands the hardest part of the role, and works mainly in pastry and the hot kitchen — he says what he values most about Matlai is a team he can keep learning alongside.
Breakfast Chef Zuhura
Zuhura joined Matlai in February 2021 as a trainee and became the hotel's dedicated Breakfast Chef six months later. She trained on a three-month course at Awana Vijano Centre before joining the kitchen. Her hardest challenge is constantly creating new dishes and combinations while keeping her technique sharp — she works mainly in the hot kitchen and pastry.
Junior Chef Yussuph
Yussuph joined as a trainee in October 2022, completed six months of training, and is now Matlai's Junior Chef. He trained at Bitech College in Mwanza before a field placement in Zanzibar. He says the hardest part of the job is keeping focus and attention on the smallest details — his own interest is the hot kitchen.
Together, this team runs a kitchen built around local ingredients and a menu that changes daily rather than a fixed rotation of set dishes — the same daily approach that shapes the tasting-menu-style dinners served each evening.