Mombasa eats Swahili. Coconut, tamarind, chillies, cardamom, and seafood are the building blocks, and the Indian, Arab, and Portuguese influences of the Indian Ocean trade are layered on top. Coastal classics to seek out include biryani (long-cooked spiced rice with meat), pilau, samaki wa kupaka (fish in coconut sauce), grilled prawns, fresh-pressed tamarind juice, and mahamri (cardamom doughnuts) for breakfast. Old Town has the densest concentration of cheap, excellent Swahili food; Nyali and the North Coast hotels do the special-occasion seafood.