Aloo gobi hits the spot at The Spice Lounge.

SEVERAL countries to the north are under lockdown and people confined to their homes, as the deadly Covid-19 snakes its way across the world. While bars and restaurants in Spain, Italy and France are closed, with the population under virtual house arrest, it was business as usual last Sunday in New York City and in Harare, where restaurants were crowded with the usual fun-loving clientele, eating and drinking as if there were no tomorrow.

At the time of writing, New York’s mayor and governor were calling for a city lockdown that would close bars and restaurants and shut down businesses. In Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Health and Child Care encourages us to ‘exercise good personal hygiene’ and to ‘avoid unnecessary travel’, while details of how coronavirus will be contained, once it arrives, are as yet unknown.

Attractive garden setting at The Spice Lounge.

Steadfastly in denial about the dangers of eating out, George and I arranged to meet some fellow foodies for Sunday lunch at The Spice Lounge’s tasteful new premises on Churchill Avenue in Alexandra Park. Ignoring advice to avoid physical contact in the time of coronavirus, we embraced each other warmly and sat down on comfortable chairs at a table on the verandah, surrounded by cool green lawns and shady trees.

This time next week we might be self-isolating, and the words of the Rolling Stones ‘This Could be the Last Time’ were ringing in my ears as the server took orders for drinks and showed us the menu. Would I be eating out again for A Matter of Taste, or would I be stocking a lockdown larder in preparation for self-isolation?

Aloo gobi at The Spice Lounge.

After a complimentary bowl of tempura fried vegetables served with mango pickle, coriander chutney and chilli mayo, a starter of attractively served prawn pakora ($11 for four pieces) arrived. Headless and without shells, the prawns were coated in chickpea flour and deep fried. The strong flavour of the chickpea flour almost overpowered the delicate prawn taste, but with the addition of red chilli salsa and extra mayo, the pakora transformed into a tasty snack.

Aloo Gobi, a vegetarian dish made from potatoes, cauliflower, tomato and spices ($7), was delicious, and hit the spot. The practiced hand of the Delhi-trained chef from India blended spices to create flavours on many levels, never over-powering, and totally satisfying. Served with a complimentary puffy and slightly charred naan bread, this meal proved how appealing vegetarian food can be.

Chicken Vindaloo ($12.00), also presented with complimentary basmati rice, was another winner. This popular dish originated in Goa, once a Portuguese colony. Influenced by Portuguese dishes using wine and garlic, with the addition of spices such as cloves, cardamoms, peppercorns, turmeric and mustard seeds, not forgetting ginger and chillis, the vindaloo evolved into a fragrant, sometimes fiery Indian curry popular all over the world. The addition of a few green curry leaves by the Spice Lounge cooks created yet another level of flavour, and I dish I look forward to eating again on my next visit.

Lamb Rogan Josh, said by our server to be the restaurant’s flagship dish, was served without any garnish, and tasted bland. Originating in the North Indian region of Kashmir, rogan josh is made with mild Kashmiri chillis, and uses fewer spices than are common in the hotter curries of the south. Another lamb dish, bhuna ghosht, although lacking in flavour, was attractively served in a stainless steel and copper serving bowl, and was garnished with chopped coriander.

Prawn pakoras at Spice Lounge.

A refreshing but pale slice of mango-flavoured kulfi (Indian ice cream) was presented in a white bowl, and was therefore almost invisible. We also tried a vanilla-flavoured kulfi (very sweet) and a small bowl of gulab jamuns in syrup, said by the dessert queen at our table to be lacking in cardamom flavour.

There was much to enjoy about our meal at The Spice Lounge. Our server was attentive and efficient, the table settings were attractive, and the flatware and glasses spotless. A small packet of paan (mouth freshener made from betel leaf, anise seed, lime and cardamom) ensured that after our feast of spices we would leave the restaurant content, and with sweet smelling breath.

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