Coastal Kenyan cooking leans on a handful of ingredients that show up again and again — coconut milk, tamarind, lime, and a generous hand with chili — built to let good fresh seafood shine. Here are five dishes worth trying with your next order.

1. Samaki wa Kupaka (Coconut-Grilled Fish)

A whole fish like Changu (emperor fish) is marinated in a spiced coconut sauce, grilled until it starts to char at the edges, then basted with more of that same coconut sauce as it cooks. Rich, smoky, and a little sweet from the coconut.

2. Mnazi Prawns

Prawns simmered briefly in coconut milk with garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Keep the cooking time short — prawns turn rubbery fast — and serve over rice with the sauce spooned generously on top.

3. Grilled Changu with Pilipili

A simpler preparation: whole Changu rubbed with garlic, lime, and a chili-and-herb pilipili paste, then grilled over charcoal. Coastal cooking at its most straightforward, and one of the best ways to taste the fish itself.

4. Pweza (Octopus) Curry

Octopus wants long, slow cooking to turn tender — simmer it in a tomato and coconut curry base with ginger and garlic until it's fork-soft, usually 45 minutes to an hour depending on size. Worth the wait.

5. Tuna Steaks, Swahili Spice Rub

Jodari (tuna) steaks seared hot and fast with a rub of cumin, coriander, garlic, and chili — keep the center rare to medium-rare so the steak stays tender rather than drying out.

These are starting points, not rules — coastal cooking is forgiving, so adjust spice and coconut to your own taste. Browse the fish and seafood for your next dish in our catalog.