Festive season kicks off at Gava’s in Belgravia

Muyera Shumba at Gava’s Restaurant

AT Gava’s Restaurant in Belgravia, Allen Gava is keeping his head, while all about are losing theirs. Avoiding extravagant price hikes to ensure that loyal customers can continue to enjoy their ‘sadza with soul’ and a variety of traditional dishes second to none, Gava has pledged to keep going, despite the economic uncertainty bedevilling the country. The cost of meat has doubled, but Gava and his team have no plans to close, even if it means running at a loss.

While a number of top-end restaurants have priced themselves out of consideration in my search for ideal venues to celebrate the festive season, Gava’s Restaurant, adjacent to the bowling green at Belgravia Sports Club, offers great food, live music, and the most congenial of atmospheres, all at an affordable price. Judging by the stream of patrons arriving for lunch at Gava’s last Sunday, the festive season has already kicked off in style.

The sweet sounds of Afro-fusion musician Alexio Kawara and the Shades of Black filled the air, as personable wait staff, dressed in red and black, welcomed us and escorted us to our table in the shaded outdoors dining area. Small kids leaped about happily on the bouncing castle, while parents relaxed and socialised. Most soft drinks are available, unless you want a Stoney ginger beer or a sparkling water, and the shelves in the busy bar are well-stocked with wine and spirits.

Just about everything on the menu sounded delicious, and in order to cover all bases I ordered Muyera Shumba, ‘a meal fit for a king’ ($25), consisting of any three items. The unusual combination of maguru (tripe), goat stew and grilled chicken was served with peanut butter rice, greens and sugar beans. Often an acquired taste, the maguru was tender and flavoursome, and served in a rich tomato sauce.

More and more Zimbabweans are going in for goat farming; goat meat tastes good and has a high iron and protein content, making it popular for local consumption and for export. Gava’s goat stew is delicious and deserves to be eaten as a main course. The crispy grilled chicken, cooked over a wood fire, was done to a turn, the slightly smoky flavour reminiscent of meals cooked over the braai in bush camps and at lodges in the National Parks.

George’s combination of beef bone stew, chicken (roadrunner) stew and hanga (guinea fowl) was a similar success.

Allen Gava obtains his meat and vegetables from the most reliable sources. Tasty free range guinea fowl come in from Mt Darwin. Raised organically, they grow up foraging for insects and seeds, coming home in the evening for mixed grains and protein feeds. This gives them their unique flavour. Local farmers from Domboshawa and Murewa provide covo, rape, pumpkin leaves and onions; smallholder farmers from Mutoko provide sugar beans, and millet is bussed in from Buhera.

A well known tilapia operation in Kariba provides Gava’s with whole fresh bream, always consistent on taste and quality. Basted with lemon juice and garlic before char-grilling, this is another popular item on the menu.

Plans are afoot for Christmas packages, catering for private parties and corporate groups numbering anything from one to one thousand revellers. There’s likely to be a six meat buffet, in addition to grilled pork and beef boerewors, T bone steaks, and chicken salad garnished with cheese and olives. Lovers of Afro-fusion can look forward to live music sessions from amazing groups and singers such as Jabavu Drive, Soul Train, Transit Crew, Those Guys vacho and Victor Kunonga.

Home thoughts from abroad are what keep diasporans going, as they tick off the days before coming home for Christmas. Allen and his team have promised that nothing will change at Gava’s, so travel well, diasporans, and count on things being just as good this year. Up until Christmas Eve, it’ll be celebration time with all your favourite foods at Gava’s.

Gava’s will be closed on Christmas Day, so take a break and drive out to visit the extended family. Enjoy a meal of chicken and rice and catch up on local news before returning to the city.

Gava’s reopens on Boxing Day, so let your hair down as the party continues into the New Year. –  A Matter of Taste with Charlotte Malakoff

Gava’s Restaurant
Belgravia Sports Club
2nd Street Ext. (entrance on East Road)
Harare
Mobile: 263 772 381 683
Open daily: 11 am – 10 pm
Comments to: cmalakoff@gmail.com