Dining · The second kitchen
Duyên: Vietnamese Home Cooking in Zanzibar
Quick answer
What is Duyên?
Duyên is the Vietnamese kitchen of Zatiny, the beach restaurant of Boutique Hotel Matlai at Michamvi Pingwe: Kim’s Northern Vietnamese home cooking, served at the same tables as Zatiny’s seafood. Kim ran Duyên in Jambiani before she moved it here. Dinner is from 18:30, last orders 21:30; Google 4.8 from 199 Google reviews.
| The cook | Kim, with Jovita and Bertha |
| Where | Zatiny, Boutique Hotel Matlai, Michamvi Pingwe |
| Lunch | From 12:00 |
| Dinner | From 18:30, last orders 21:30 |
| Open to | Hotel guests and visitors, walk-ins welcome |
| 4.8 (199 Google reviews) | |
| Last verified | 2 October 2026 |
What is Duyên, and how is it part of Zatiny?
Duyên is Zatiny’s second kitchen, not a separate restaurant. Kim cooked Duyên Home Cooking in Jambiani first; then she moved the kitchen to Zatiny at Matlai, where it has cooked beside the hotel’s own kitchen ever since.
One room, two menus: every table can order from the Vietnamese menu and from Zatiny’s at the same time, and hotel guests on half board order from both. Duyên keeps its own TripAdvisor listing, separate from the hotel’s.
Who cooks?
Kim cooks the recipes of Northern Vietnam she grew up with. Jovita has worked with her since Duyên’s first days. Bertha trained in the Zatiny kitchen first and now cooks Vietnamese food full time, pho included.
Kim trains the cooks herself. The dishes on the menu are her family’s, and a new cook learns them at her side until they taste the way they did at home; then they cook them every evening for guests from the hotel and from the coast.
What is on the menu?
Northern Vietnamese family cooking: soups such as pho, wok dishes such as shaking beef, bao buns and dumplings. The full à la carte menu of both kitchens is a document in English with its current prices: Zatiny & Duyên à la carte menu (PDF). We link it rather than copy prices onto this page.
Tell us about allergies or a strict vegetarian or vegan diet when you book, and the kitchen says what it can cook for you that evening.
How do you get there from Paje or Jambiani?
Duyên is at Zatiny, on the beach of Boutique Hotel Matlai in Michamvi Pingwe, on the peninsula north of Paje and Jambiani. Come by taxi; the restaurant is at the end of the hotel’s garden, by the sea.
Do non-guests need to reserve?
No, you can just pass by. For bigger groups we recommend reserving to ensure smooth service, on the reservation page. Hotel guests tell the butler. Questions? Call or WhatsApp the restaurant: +255 778 513 498.
What makes Northern Vietnamese cooking different?
Pho comes from the north of Vietnam, and northern home cooking is the cooking of clear broths, fresh herbs and less sugar than the dishes of the south. Kim cooks it the way her family does: broths that take their time, herbs as an ingredient rather than a garnish, and dishes made to order.
Tell the kitchen how much chilli you want; northern cooking is not hot by default.
How does an evening at Duyên work?
Dinner starts at 18:30. You sit at Zatiny’s tables, on the beach or in the restaurant, and order from the Vietnamese menu, from Zatiny’s and from the chef’s menu of the day, in any mix. Drinks come from the same bar: Julius and his team make the cocktails with spirits they infuse themselves, and the smoothies and fresh juices are on the same list.
People drive up from Bwejuu and Paje for dinner here. If you are staying at the hotel, dinner from both menus is part of half board; dishes such as lobster cost extra. Prices for the rooms, with half board, are on rooms and rates.
Lunch or dinner: when should you come?
Both kitchens cook in the same hours: lunch from 12:00, dinner from 18:30, last orders at 21:30, and the kitchen closes at 22:00. Lunch is quieter and the light on the water is bright; dinner is when the beach tables fill and most visitors come. Lunch is charged for everyone, also for hotel guests on half board, whose dinner is included.
Walk-ins are welcome at lunch and dinner; for bigger groups we recommend reserving.
Kim’s other restaurants
Kim, who cooks Duyên’s Vietnamese home cooking at Matlai, also runs Basil in Paje, a modern Asian kitchen and bar, and Hanoi House Cafe in Stone Town and in Nungwi. If you are exploring the island and want more of her cooking, they are good stops. Opening hours and menus are on Kim Dining Concept, her own website.
Questions? Call or WhatsApp the restaurant: +255 778 513 498
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
A Vietnamese family kitchen on a Swahili beach needs some explaining. These are the questions first-time tables ask.
Can hotel guests have Duyên dishes on their terrace?
Yes. The butler serves meals wherever you like on the property: on your terrace or balcony, in the garden or at a table on the beach, with dishes from both kitchens.
Does Duyên have its own TripAdvisor listing?
Yes. Duyên is listed on TripAdvisor separately from the hotel and from Zatiny, and it has its own Google profile with its own reviews.
Is Duyên a separate restaurant from Zatiny?
No. It is Zatiny’s second kitchen: same restaurant, same tables, same booking. You can order from both menus in one meal.
Can outside guests come for dinner?
Yes, just pass by. Dinner starts at 18:30; last orders are at 21:30. For bigger groups we recommend reserving.
Can half-board guests order from Duyên?
Yes. Hotel guests on half board order from both menus; dishes such as lobster cost extra.
How do I reach Duyên?
Duyên is part of Zatiny: reserve on the reservation page, which books the same tables and informs the whole team. Questions? Call or WhatsApp the restaurant: +255 778 513 498.
When does Duyên cook?
In the restaurant’s hours: lunch from 12:00, dinner from 18:30 with last orders at 21:30. The kitchen closes at 22:00.