Commonly known as a roaming chef, Dennis Ombachi is known for cooking delicious meals on his balcony and captioning the videos he shares on social media with the word ‘done!’
Chef Roaming wasn’t always a chef, in his youth he was better known for his athleticism on the rugby field.
During his time as a rugby player for the Kenyan national rugby team, Ombachi scored against Zimbabwe which qualified Kenya for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Kenya Rugby Union terminated his contract, sending him down the rabbit hole of mental health issues after he lost his means of income.
His former captain and mentor Humphrey Kayange later gifted him a camera, which he set up on his balcony and began documenting his food preparations and cooking.
Dennis Ombachi culinary champion
This earned him millions of followers on social media and accolades including a Tik Tok award.
In 2023, he was crowned overall winner at the inaugural TikTok Best Creator Awards for Sub-Saharan Africa.
In an interview with CNN Sport, Ombachi revealed that his passion for cooking blossomed after the rugby sevens circuit was canceled and his contract was terminated by the Kenya Rugby Union.
In the face of this setback, he turned to cooking as a means of maintaining his sanity, finding solace in diverse flavors and culinary creations.
Dennis Ombachi cites famous TV chef Gordon Ramsay as one of his main inspirations in the culinary world.
“My culinary journey started a long time ago when I was playing rugby for Kenya and I was constantly traveling to different countries and seeing different cuisines and different recipes,” he stated.
“I started watching new YouTube videos from British chef Gordon Ramsey. He unknowingly taught me how to cook,” Ombachi noted.
Ombachi, who cooks daily for his family, started sharing his recipes online in 2021.
His creations quickly gained popularity, spreading across various social media platforms, and his signature catchphrase “Done” developed into its own meme.
