My name is Ahmed Obo. I’m the chef and owner of Jumbo Cafe here in Santa Fe. Ahmed is from the Kenyan Island of Lamu. So I’m *** Lamon before moving to the United States. Ahmed learned *** lot about cooking from his mother in law mo there. He took tourist fishing and prepared meals for them. He started as *** prep cook in Santa Fe in 1995 and held other restaurant jobs before opening Jumbo Cafe. You won’t find *** lot of green chili on the menu here. Sorry guys, you will find African Caribbean fusion, you know, like jerk chicken wings. Kenyan style beef kebabs, plantains and this is *** coconut chicken curry. That’s the dish that I brought from Kenya Danielle and Mick are locals who are regulars at Jambo. If the choice is to go out, you go to Jambo. What are some of their favorite things to order? The goat stew has been kind of my goat. My goat too. Hey, hey, hey, hey, I write the jokes around here. Just kidding. Everyone’s jokes are welcome. And my kids really like the lentil stew. And what about dessert? Is the Himalayas of pastries? That’s high praise. Danielle Mick. You’ve been so much fun.
Jambo Café: New Mexico’s African-Caribbean cuisine
Chef Ahmed Obo’s award-winning restaurant has been featured on Food Network. Jambo Café is also a top contender for best restaurants in New Mexico.
Updated: 9:32 AM MST Dec 5, 2023
Jambo Café is an award-winning restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico, owned by Kenyan-born Chef Ahmed Obo. Jambo Café serves a variety of dishes inspired by Obo’s Kenyan roots and African-Caribbean fusion.Obo said the journey was difficult, but well worth it. “It wasn’t an easy life,” he said. From off the coast of Kenya in East Africa, Obo was born and raised into poverty. Obo, the oldest of eleven siblings, said he worked hard to provide for his family. “My dad was the one going to work. It was hard work watching him. So, I pretty much volunteered myself. They didn’t make me. We didn’t have much, you know? So, we were living by renting a house here and there,” Obo said. “My mom would make bread to bring with us to school and little money to spend during break. Whatever I earned, I brought home. Eventually, I quit school, so I can help my family.”“We didn’t grow up with much, but we had each other. It kind of taught me to where I am today to take in on this journey —which is not as easy as it looks like, but my childhood had prepared me for this,” he said. Obo said he would often cook for tourists in Kenya but had no clue where his skills in the kitchen would take him. “After all those years of hard work with my dad, when I got older, I got into the tourism business—taking tourists fishing, snorkeling. Afterwards, I’d have to cook. We had the fish, vegetables, and spices. Whatever we touched, we cooked for the tourists. From there, I would see their response. They were like ‘Wow, this food is so good’ and, I was like—’What?’ Surprised— because I didn’t think I was as good, but again, it was nice.”According to Obo, cooking was never a part of the plan.”I wanted to do something different than cooking, like working on cars or maybe construction,” he said. “I wanted to add on to my list of whatever life would take me, but I fell right into the kitchen when I arrived in the U.S. in 1995.”From New York to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Obo said he visited a friend in Santa Fe and fell in love with the city, which he now calls home. Fourteen years later, he opened his first restaurant—Jambo Café. His award-winning restaurant has been featured on Food Network. It is also a top contender for best restaurants in New Mexico. “When people come here, I know what I’m serving. We have a lot of fusion of cuisine. So, of course, we have Indian, Mediterranean, African, Portuguese – you name it,” Obo said. “I give credit to my mom for the cooking, and I give credit to my dad for the hard work. I saw my dad work really hard. My mom would prepare the meal, so I would always help her. I would grate the coconuts and go to the store to buy the spices.”With the success of Jambo Café, Obo plans to open a second location in Santa Fe – March 2023. “I’m expanding to another location that is going to feature American and African cuisine—some burgers with my twist on it and some of the ‘Jambo’ fix. I’ve noticed this brand has gone far, and I want to use the opportunity to grow with it,” Obo said.Obo said he also pays it forward with his own health care clinic that aids to children in Kenya and enjoys helping the community. “We have the foundation here (New Mexico) and then the project is at home (Kenya)—Jambo Kids Clinic,” he said. “It was worth the risk I took. I’m living the American dream, but again, it is hard work, a lot of work and a lot of commitment. I’m happy and fulfilled, as well as my family and community. So, the trust of God, patience and faith got me to this.”Fun Fact: Jambo means ‘hello’ in Swahili. Visit Jambo Cafe.To learn more about the Jambo Cafe, watch Eat, Play, Stay on Very Local. Very Local is a free streaming app you can download to stream news and weather from KOAT Action 7 News plus new original shows that explore your neighborhood and beyond. Click here to download the free Very Local to your phone.
Jambo Café is an award-winning restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico, owned by Kenyan-born Chef Ahmed Obo. Jambo Café serves a variety of dishes inspired by Obo’s Kenyan roots and African-Caribbean fusion.
Obo said the journey was difficult, but well worth it.
“It wasn’t an easy life,” he said.
From off the coast of Kenya in East Africa, Obo was born and raised into poverty. Obo, the oldest of eleven siblings, said he worked hard to provide for his family.
“My dad was the one going to work. It was hard work watching him. So, I pretty much volunteered myself. They didn’t make me. We didn’t have much, you know? So, we were living by renting a house here and there,” Obo said. “My mom would make bread to bring with us to school and little money to spend during break. Whatever I earned, I brought home. Eventually, I quit school, so I can help my family.”
“We didn’t grow up with much, but we had each other. It kind of taught me to where I am today to take in on this journey —which is not as easy as it looks like, but my childhood had prepared me for this,” he said.
Obo said he would often cook for tourists in Kenya but had no clue where his skills in the kitchen would take him.
“After all those years of hard work with my dad, when I got older, I got into the tourism business—taking tourists fishing, snorkeling. Afterwards, I’d have to cook. We had the fish, vegetables, and spices. Whatever we touched, we cooked for the tourists. From there, I would see their response. They were like ‘Wow, this food is so good’ and, I was like—’What?’ Surprised— because I didn’t think I was as good, but again, it was nice.”
According to Obo, cooking was never a part of the plan.
“I wanted to do something different than cooking, like working on cars or maybe construction,” he said. “I wanted to add on to my list of whatever life would take me, but I fell right into the kitchen when I arrived in the U.S. in 1995.”
From New York to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Obo said he visited a friend in Santa Fe and fell in love with the city, which he now calls home. Fourteen years later, he opened his first restaurant—Jambo Café. His award-winning restaurant has been featured on Food Network. It is also a top contender for best restaurants in New Mexico.
“When people come here, I know what I’m serving. We have a lot of fusion of cuisine. So, of course, we have Indian, Mediterranean, African, Portuguese – you name it,” Obo said. “I give credit to my mom for the cooking, and I give credit to my dad for the hard work. I saw my dad work really hard. My mom would prepare the meal, so I would always help her. I would grate the coconuts and go to the store to buy the spices.”
With the success of Jambo Café, Obo plans to open a second location in Santa Fe – March 2023.
“I’m expanding to another location that is going to feature American and African cuisine—some burgers with my twist on it and some of the ‘Jambo’ fix. I’ve noticed this brand has gone far, and I want to use the opportunity to grow with it,” Obo said.
Obo said he also pays it forward with his own health care clinic that aids to children in Kenya and enjoys helping the community.
“We have the foundation here (New Mexico) and then the project is at home (Kenya)—Jambo Kids Clinic,” he said. “It was worth the risk I took. I’m living the American dream, but again, it is hard work, a lot of work and a lot of commitment. I’m happy and fulfilled, as well as my family and community. So, the trust of God, patience and faith got me to this.”
Fun Fact: Jambo means ‘hello’ in Swahili.
Visit Jambo Cafe.
To learn more about the Jambo Cafe, watch Eat, Play, Stay on Very Local.
Very Local is a free streaming app you can download to stream news and weather from KOAT Action 7 News plus new original shows that explore your neighborhood and beyond. Click here to download the free Very Local to your phone.
