Search for The One ends at Alechi Cafe on Golden Stairs Road.

Portuguese chicken at Alechi Cafe

 A Matter of Taste with Charlotte Malakoff 

People are talking about Alechi Cafe, a newish restaurant on the Golden Stairs Road. An elegant, vaguely Continental-sounding name, I thought, until I realised that Alechi was an acronym for A Lekker Chicken! Operating from an unpretentious container conversion, built on a sliver of land between the busy Golden Stairs Road and sleepy Woodholme Road in Emerald Hill, Alechi serves a simple menu of delectable chicken and beef dishes.

 Listed under The Main Event menu is a half chicken done four different ways – Alechi peri-peri, Portuguese, tandoori and BBQ. Advised by Sika, our helpful waiter, I chose Portuguese style, said to be the most popular. Depending where you eat out, a half chicken can be small, medium or large. At Alechi, the half chicken is so large that I was able to take half away for lunch the next day. Size matters, but everything comes down to taste. Perfectly flavoured with chilli, garlic, butter and lemon and grilled to perfection, in my search for the best Portuguese chicken, Alechi has to be The One. Served with chips or sweet potato wedges, grilled vegetables and salad, and costing $9, this is great value.

 Moderately priced light meals such as chicken skewers and chicken salad are also available, and Alechi’s classic beef burger served on a freshly baked roll, with crispy chips and a fresh salad, is a steal at $6.

 We shared some starters among six of us, and all agreed that chicken livers, ‘done on the grill’ ($5) were delicious. Patrons at the next table were wolfing down crispy feta and spinach balls ($4), something I’ll try on my next visit.

 We ordered both desserts available on the day – cheesecake and ice cream. Although cheesecake comes low on my list of favourite puddings, Alechi’s cheesecake looked beautiful and tasted even better.

 Alechi Cafe is proud of its coffee, ‘brewed in true barista style’, from La Lucie coffee beans, grown in the Eastern Highlands. Delicious cappuccinos are $2, cafe lattes $3. The coffee is so good, it is worth stopping by at Alechi for an obligatory caffeine fix in between appointments.

 The structure and surroundings of Alechi are far from elegant. There is a car wash on one side of the cafe, and what looks like a builders’ dumping site on the other. Since Alechi is a work in progress, things should soon look ship shape. A children’s play area with sea sand, a slide and jungle gym, keeps the kids happy, while parents eat their way through the menu and chat to friends.

 There’s no liquor licence as yet at Alechi, so BYO, whatever you think pairs best with chicken or burgers.

 Owner Hadi Bagheri is originally from Iran, and he has plans to introduce an Iranian buffet. Lovers of Persian style cuisine can look forward to a wide range of kebabs and specialist rice dishes, and to flavourings such as saffron, lime, cinnamon, turmeric and parsley. Mrs Bagheri makes the desserts and cakes; different ones are available daily.

 Alechi is a place to meet friends and family, kick back and relax, savour good food, and exchange plans for what we’ll do when the economy comes right.

Alechi Cafe

Cnr Golden Stairs Road/Woodholme Road

Harare

Open: Tuesday-Friday 11.30 am to 8 pm

Saturday and Sunday 10.30 am – 9 pm

Closed Monday

Mobile: 0779 364 640

Comments to: cmalakoff@gmail.com