Feel at home with African delicacies

 This hotbed of scholars, activists and researchers is located in the peaceful suburb of Belgravia, within three tastefully restored old Rhodesian houses, surrounded by green lawns and palm trees.
Every fortnight, the Sapes seminar room buzzes with energy as Harare’s policy makers and academics meet to discuss burning issues. Tonight’s topic debates the impact and sustainability of targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe.
 But readers who enjoy eating out, in addition to exercising their intellect, will be interested in visiting PanAfrika, Sapes’ own recently opened restaurant. Specialising in ‘Afrikan food from all over the Afrikan continent’, PanAfrika opens every day of the week and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. A weekly buffet is served every Friday, which would probably be the optimum day to see what the kitchen’s two strikingly tall chefs are capable of.
 The menu changes daily, and last Thursday George and I decided to try both starters on offer, goat pepper soup for me ($5) and green salad, also $5, for George. At least five ladles of steaming hot pepper soup, with some delicious chunks of goat meat, were served in a large soup bowl. The first spoonful was tasty but fiery, and after the second mouthful I realised that this was a pepper soup to make strong men weak at the knees, something that only a pukka sahib weaned chilli peppers might imbibe.
So George and I switched dishes and I continued with the green salad. Deciding to go the whole hog, I ordered goat stew ($10) for the main course. Served with mhunga (sadza made from millet) and pumpkin leaves pureed with peanut butter, this was a delicious meal.
George ordered equally tasty knucklebones served with white sadza, rape and pumpkin leaves une dovi (with peanut butter). Other options were grilled bream served with chips and Jollof rice, also $10.
 There are many versions of Jollof rice, a one-pot dish of rice, onions, chicken, tomato, salt and red pepper, originating in Senegal. Nothing was too much trouble for the PanAfrika chef, who brought us a tasting dish of Jollof rice and explained how he had learned the recipe from a Ghanaian cook.
Traditionally served with fried plantains and salad, it can be made with beef, chicken, fish or vegetables, and flavoured with garlic, African nutmeg, thyme or curry powder.
We declined fruit salad, the only dessert option, and asked for coffee to be served in the sunny garden, at a table overlooking a sparkling swimming pool. George was pleased with his cappuccino, but my cup of filter coffee was thick and strong and undrinkable. Our ever-helpful waiter did his best and tried to water it down and then to add extra milk, but I eventually gave it up. PanAfrika stock good quality Kenya and Bvumba coffee beans, but their coffee brewing techniques need refining.
There is a friendly atmosphere within the restaurant, and glitterstone walls, quarry tiled floors, Kuba cloths and African masks create a pleasing ambience. In addition, eating out at Panafrika affords patrons an opportunity to earn some carbon credits, as all foodstuffs, being traditional, are locally sourced. A stone’s throw away from the CBD, PanAfrika is a great place for a really pleasant lunch.
PanAfrika
4 Deary Avenue/cnr Mazoe St
Belgravia
Open daily: Breakfast: 7-10am, Lunch: 12-3pm, Dinner: 6-9.30pm
Tel: 252 865, Cell: 0912 371 212
– cmalakoff@gmail.com