Sipping the stories of Tamba

ON THE second floor of a shophouse in the vibrant nightlife hub of Duxton Road, cocktail bar Tamba seeks to capture the spirit of West Africa, beginning from its architectural details.

The narrow stairway leading upstairs has walls of rustic terracotta, carved to mimic the effect of wind on sand. The main space is marked by a thatched ceiling – evoking the thatched roofs of West Africa – and a wooden mural by French sculptor Etienne Moyat, with uneven geometric lines similar to those in traditional African art.

But the bar is not just a tribute to a region. The space features artefacts such as a used drum, chosen to express the personality of its namesake: founder Kurt Wagner’s late adopted brother, Tamba.

The bar is Wagner’s second venture after Kafe Utu in Jiak Chuan Road, which has an East African vibe instead, based on Wagner’s experience growing up in Kenya.

“A lot of people kind of lump Africa into one big thing, but Africa is a huge continent with so many different types of cuisines, music, cultures and aesthetics,” said Wagner. “East and West are very different.”

“You’ll feel the difference between here and (Kafe) Utu. Utu is a very East African coastal experience. This is very old school, West African.”

Before moving to Kenya, Wagner’s family lived in Liberia in West Africa. That was when Tamba, a local boy, became part of the family. He passed away at age 19 due to illness.

The bar’s menu pays tribute to Tamba’s life, with eight cocktails across two sections: Tamba Cocktails and Tamba’s Friends.

Each tipple is served with a story about the guy with a big smile, whose photo sits at the bar.

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“This is a place that’s a tribute to my brother, who has a beautiful soul,” said Wagner.

“So in the section about Tamba are drinks that refer to anecdotes about his life, about his personality, about funny things that he said. If you read the menu, you’ll see the stories. I really enjoyed putting that together.”

Dry Boney, for instance, is a savoury tomato cocktail served in an elegantly tall glass, reflecting Tamba’s own figure.

It combines a tomato vodka base with in-house spiced tomato water, created by blending tomatoes with oranges and habanero.

Another cocktail, The Next Pele, takes its name from how Tamba used to refer to himself, evoking the football legend. The drink has a Brazilian rum base, but incorporates West African ingredients such as tamarind and long pepper.

The restaurant will soon launch a book on Tamba’s life, which includes anecdotes such as his high score in a football match.

Meanwhile, the Tamba’s Friends half of the menu comprises cocktails inspired by those around him.

These include Dad’s Wallet, served in a glass wrapped by leather, which is inspired by the memory of Tamba who would always smell the notes when receiving his allowance from their father. It is a drink trying to convey a smoky leather aroma with a bit of saltiness on a bourbon base. The aroma is enhanced by spraying peated whiskey via an atomiser on top of the drink.

A third section, comprising another four drinks, will soon be added to the menu. These will be designed by partner bartenders in Africa, said Zachary Ibrahim, head bartender of Tamba, adding: “Hopefully, we will be able to fly them over for guest shifts.”

Dry Boney

45ml tomato vodka

60ml spiced tomato water

15ml lemon juice

10ml sugar syrup

Garnished with dehydrated tomato