Mandazi Cardamom Feast with Flying Fish

Golden-brown mandazi pieces with visible cardamom specks rest on a white linen tablecloth, arranged in a neat square tray. Noon light falls through sheer curtains, casting soft, shifting patterns across the food's porous surface. The restaurant interior features wooden chairs and warm-toned walls, with lamplight beginning to pool in the deep corners. Suspended in the air at head height above the tray, a school of vibrant tropical fish swims through the room, their scales reflecting the overhead glare. Rain streaks the nearby window, blurring the greenery outside. The fish glide past the tray, their fins cutting through the still air, while one drop of condensation hangs from the edge of the linen cloth.