Food, Drink & Travel
Monica Cheru-Mpambawashe
A
traditional
Zimbabwean
dish renaissance that started
a few years ago does not
seem about to release its grip on the
average working class Zimbabwean
any time soon.
Ten years ago, smart dining would
have automatically been considered
going to a restaurant that served
continental,
western,
Italian,
Portuguese, French or Mediterranean
cuisine. In fact, it was everything
else except Zimbabwean fare. Thank
goodness, that is not the truth
anymore.
One place that has capitalised
well on this change of perception
is Parkview Restaurant located
right inside the Harare Gardens,
just off Herbert Chitepo Avenue. It
was formerly known as Sherrol’s
In the Park and in the eighties and,
then, was famous for its spaghetti
bolognaise. Although they still serve
many dishes from across the world,
it is the traditional Zimbabwean
cuisine that has seen Parkview come
into its own class.
The Gourmet Diner decided to
sample the offerings on a Friday
afternoon on the recommendation of
a friend and was not disappointed.
The restaurant has the advantage
of being easily accessible from town
and outside and with ample parking,
it makes an ideal venue for a
business of personal lunch. And with
the recent increase in fuel price, who
can afford to drive a long distance
for lunch every day?
It was a Friday so the Gourmet
Diner felt justified in ordering a
Malawi Sandy which came in a
generous beer glass rather than the
stingy cocktail glass. It was perfect
and on another day the Gourmet
Diner will return to fully explore
the attached bar. My guest went for
an orange juice as he still had some
serious office hours to put in after
the luncheon.
The bill of traditional fare listed
three types of pap, variations of rice
and several relishes and vegetable
dishes. One can have maize, millet or
sorghum pap, plain rice or in peanut
butter sauce. There is free range
chicken (road runner), standard
broiler, bone stew (mabhonzo),oxtail,
pork chops, T-bone and standard
stew among others.
It is up to the patron to choose
their own particular favourite mix.
For starters we had fried crumbed
button mushrooms. Crisp on the
outside and moist on the inside, and
dipped into a tangy white sauce, they
were scrumptious and just the thing
to get the digestive juices ready for a
heavy traditional meal.
The Gourmet Diner decided to
have sorghum flour pap, dehydrated
vegetables in peanut butter sauce
and chicken in tomato and onion
sauce. That is, sadza remhunga,
mufushwa une dovi and nyama
yehuku for the uninitiated. At only
US$4 for the plate, this is very good
value and compares very well to
other restaurants in the same class.
The portion was generous and
well-presented. I found the pap
aromatic and smooth, pointing
to well-prepared meal that had
obviously been roasted before
milling, just the way that it should
be. The chicken was flavoured to
the bone. The vegetables were a bit
dry and would have benefitted from
a pre-cooking soak. My mate opted
for almost the same meal but had
knuckle bones instead of chicken.
The bones were huge and dwarfed
the plate with the tendons cooked
to soft submission. I am personally
not a fan of this dish and I passed on
tasting it but my friend enjoyed it
immensely and asked for a doggy bag
as he was not able to do justice to the
portion. Dessert came in the form of
an ice-sundae which we shared due
to the fullness of the main meal.
Under the experienced hand of
executive chef, Abisha Zimonte,
Parkview Restaurant has managed to
successfully adapt traditional cuisine
to modern taste without losing the
essence that marks Zimbabwean
food; simplicity.
The restaurant also offers function
hosting. The kitchen closes at eight
in the evening while the bar remains
open until ten. Expect to spend
between $4 and $20 per person.
The Parade - Zimbabwe’s Most Read Lifestyle Magazine
April 2013
Page 61