Can san nai mean more than one cut?

Check the confidence note below; low confidence or multi-cut rows are flagged when present.

How do you order steak doneness in Kenya?

In Kenya, medium rare is called "Medium rare". Rare is "Rare" and well done is "Imeiva".

What should I ask for at a butcher in Kenya?

Ask for "Nipe Fillet, nyama laini, kilo moja" when looking for san nai in Kenya.

What is san nai in Kenya?

Q: What is san nai in Kenya?

san nai is the Thailand retail name for the beef tenderloin, which sits on the loin primal. In Kenya, the same cut is most often labeled fillet ke or nyama laini.

Q: What is san nai called in Kenya?

Look for fillet ke, nyama laini—mapped to Tenderloin (beef tenderloin).

Q: What primal is san nai from?

Tenderloin is on the loin primal (psoas major).

Exact match

san nai

is fillet ke in Kenya

Ask for: fillet ke or nyama laini

About this cut

Most tender muscle of the loin; center cuts often sold as filet mignon.

loin primal · psoas major

In Kenya

fillet ke · nyama laini

Say this at the butcher

“Nipe Fillet, nyama laini, kilo moja”

'Soft meat fillet, one kilo' — the only reliably tender Kenyan cut request

What is this cut?·Global guide

How to order steak doneness

Thailand → Kenya

rareRae→Rare48–55°C

medium rareMidiam rae→Medium rare55–60°C

mediumMidiam→Medium60–65°C

well doneSook→Imeiva70–100°C

Kenyan home cooking strongly defaults to well-done (Imeiva) due to the lean grass-fed Zebu profile — rare cooking produces tough results. Nyama Choma is roasted to medium internal but with significant char on exterior. Modern Nairobi steakhouses (Carnivore, Talisman) operate at international standards and serve through the full doneness spectrum, but local home and street food tradition is Imeiva or Karanga (long Wet Fry).

Doneness terminology varies by country and restaurant. When unsure, describe what you want (e.g., “warm red center”).

Detailed explanation

“san nai” in Thailand maps to canonical tenderloin (loin: psoas major). In Kenya, look for labels such as fillet ke · nyama laini. Most tender muscle of the loin; center cuts often sold as filet mignon.

Keep exploring

Compare with similar cuts

Other countries & routes

Same canonical cut, different destination markets (deduped URLs).

Explore more cuts

This information is for educational purposes only and may vary by region or butcher practices.