Always something special for Christmas at Alo Alo at Arundel Village

Cheesy mushroom poppers at Alo Alo Restaurant

CHRISTMAS beetles are singing, empty land on urban vleis is being tilled, and the occasional rumble of thunder heralds the coming of the rains, the approach of the festive season and Christmas. Zimbos love Christmas; even now women’s groups are planning their Christmas parties, and CEOs and MDs are checking out restaurants with the best menus and meal deals, where they can reward their staff for their hard work and loyalty throughout 2018.

Did you think you would soon be ‘livin tha life’ after the dramatic political events almost a year ago? Inflation and a failing economy have deemed otherwise, and restaurateurs everywhere are racking their brains and scouring the countryside to find the goods required to make Christmas special. Things may not be easy, but Lesley Orford, co-owner of top-end restaurant Alo Alo in Arundel Village, is up for the challenge. ‘We have to keep going and make it work,’ she answered, when I asked how preparations were going for the festive season. Prawns, kingklip and salmon have always, until now, been available at Alo Alo. But until the situation improves, or Lesley is able to ‘make a plan to make a few USD to buy prawns’, seafood will remain off the menu.Even so, Lesley’s priority is to ‘give people something special at Christmas’.

I wanted my readers to know what Alo Alo’s Chef Chiremba, given the restrictions, could come up with in the way of Christmas fare, and booked a table for lunch. We sat inside, and immediately realised from the red velvet table cloth with antique lace overlay and the pretty table decoration of flowers and Christmas baubles , that this would be a memorable meal.

The wine list, although small, offered enticing options, and we chose a 2018 Bon Courage Sauvignon blanc, from the Robertson wine valley in the Western Cape ($30). Fresh and crisp, with a hint of tropical fruit flavours, this would pair well with our starters.

It was impossible not to fall in love with the cheesy mushroom popper starter, served with a dollop of mayonnaise. Picked at dawn, stuffed with cream cheese and Gouda, coated with golden bread crumbs and crisp fried, and served with lemon wedges and a minimal garnish of water cress, this was a dish I would keep going back for.

Two crumbed prawns (from the last remaining box) were served in a velvety avocado mousse. Fresh and succulent, these tasted delicious down to the final crunch of a crispy tail.
Home made bread rolls, one with butternut and yoghurt, the other with courgette, cheese and sun-dried tomato, kept us going while we waited for the main course.

Festive prosciutto-wrapped chicken breast, filled with sage and onion stuffing, and served with creamy parsley sauce, was a revelation. Tender, juicy and full of flavour, this could rival the most delicious roast, stuffed turkey dish on Christmas day.

Pepper-crusted beef fillet, served with pepper or mushroom sauce, and mashed potatoes (or chips, rice or baked potato) was the other main course choice. Deep-fried golden shoestring chips and a crisp aubergine garnish provided contrasting texture for the creamy potato mash, and the tender, flavoursome beef fillet, perfectly cooked to medium, as requested. Both main courses came with creamed spinach, carrots and a side salad. This two course meal ($35) is available over the Christmas period for single diners, or for groups of up to 30 people. Add on dessert, making three courses, and the price goes up to $40.

Our unmissable dessert and the piece de resistance, was cream caramel ice cream, served in a tall glass, with a scattering of strawberries, a snow white meringue, and topped with a spun sugar heart. Finally, aromatic La Lucie coffee served in large, white, generous cups, accompanied melt-in-the mouth Christmas mince pies.

Service is slick at Alo Alo, and the waiters are obliging. Seating is either inside, surrounded by an eclectic and tasteful collection of china and paintings, or in the pretty garden outside. The sweet strains of Lionel Richie played in the background as sipped our Bon Courage, and toasted all the restaurateurs who will make Christmas 2018 one to remember. –  A Matter of Taste Charlotte Malakoff

Alo Alo Restaurant
Arundel Village Shopping Centre
10 Forest Road
Mount Pleasant
Mondays: 09.00 – 14.30
Tuesday – Friday: 09.00 – 22.00
Saturday and Sunday: 09.00 – 22.00
Tel: 0242 369 198
Comments to: cmalakoff@gmail.com