Sizzling African cuisine

 Surely people didn’t always drive through red traffic lights without stopping.  What happened to the idea of ‘lanes’. Nowadays it seems you turn left from a right hand lane, right from a left hand lane or come to a dead stop in the centre of a road regardless of other traffic. One afternoon, rush-hour crawling along Samora Machel near the Jameson, the source of the blockage turned out to be a twin cab – abandoned in the right hand lane with its hazard lights on. There seems to be a perception that operating the hazards is a protective force shield. Close your eyes and proceed and as long as the hazards are flashing somehow everyone else will avoid you! Once you pushed your car off the road if you got stuck. Now other road users are completely ignored. Also in the middle of Samora Machel I encountered a high end BMW getting cleaned 50 metres from the traffic light – oblivious to the tailback behind him. 
Non-working traffic lights bring out the worst in drivers and cars simply proceed into the middle of the intersection until there is total grid lock and no-one can go anywhere. But the ultimate was a convoy of 4x4s driving the wrong way down Samora Machel. There was no accident to block the slip road that they were on – but they drove over the cement barrier, over the grass verge and proceeded on the wrong side of the dual carriageway in the face of traffic to do Uturns and head eastward out of the city.  Hello!
Plenty of 4 x 4s at Garwe restaurant in Eastlea, which judging by lunch time custom needs no advertising.
“Come for lunch or dinner with diplomats, executives, celebrities and loved ones and enjoy mouth watering African dishes served at our refreshing outdoor environment . . .” reads the blurb on Eatout.  My friend told me this was indeed the case. Previously she had sat down with the SA Ambassador to an all-you-can-eat African Feast and visiting superstars like Akon have been spotted there.
Met a friend and her 12 year old son there for a mid week late lunch. The place was packed. It started off as a small suburban house but the vegetation has flourished and gazebos have proliferated amongst the trees and lianas so now it can cater for probably more than a 100 diners.
Service is very fast. No menus but the waitress reeled off what was on that day – knuckle bones, brisket, bream, road runner chicken, mazondo with a choice of sadza or rice ne dovi. I ordered juice and got the whole carton (US$5) – the leftovers are still in my fridge.
Food came very quickly, sizzling on heavy cast iron servers. We had  chicken and the brisket served with sadza and separate side of green veg. No cutlery – the waitresses bring round homestyle pitcher of water and basin for hand washing.
Portions were large and two would easily have served three of us. Food was very good, sizzling hot and plenty. Maybe a bit too oily for health conscious figure watchers but clearly popular with the local business community. 
We were asked if we wanted our leftovers packed for dogs or people – and got plastic shopping doggie bag rather than the polystyrene people food box. My dogs enjoyed the bones and sadza the next day.
It’s not a cheap place with road runner at US$12 and the brisket US$10 – but you can certainly be in and out in under an hour and be guaranteed consistent good food.
-g.jeke@yahoo.com