Fragrant flavours of the east at Shop Cafe and iconic roast pork at Garfunkels.

WHILE the coronavirus crisis rages unabated in the UK, and social lockdown in London and other parts of the country seems inevitable, Zimbabwe shows signs of coming to terms with the pandemic.

Delicious vegetarian buffet at The Shop Cafe@Amanzi

Although we’re still dealing with the first wave of the virus, returning residents are now allowed to self-quarantine at home, domestic and international flights have resumed, schools are re-opening, and bottle stores are now able to sell alcohol to their thirsty clients.Restaurants are permitted to stay open longer, making it possible for patrons to eat an early supper and be home before the 8 pm curfew.

A number of restaurants were unable to ride out the loss of business during lockdown, and closed. Where landlords were sympathetic and provided rent relief, others survived. Another important factor is location – if a restaurant in your hood is easily accessible, has safe parking, is in attractive surroundings, and has outdoor dining, the choice to eat out or not, is easily made.

Last week on Friday I met up with friends for lunch at The Shop Cafe at Amanzi. Here, seating is either on an airy verandah, or in a sub-tropical garden of palm trees, ferns and bromeliads. If you forgot to apply hand sanitiser before leaving home, the gate keeper here will spray your hands, enquire after your health, and take your temperature with a thermometer gun.

At Shop Cafe, Leeroy Wallace and his sous-chef Tafi offer a $10 lunchtime buffet from Tuesday to Saturday, between 12.30 and 3 pm. A mouth-watering selection of vegetarian salads made from seasonal produce is on offer, and for carnivores, side dishes such as chicken schnitzel or slow-cooked glazed ham are available. Before approaching the buffet, we sipped a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc house wine ($3) and munched crispy tortilla chips with a creamy dip of hummus, one of Leeroy’s many specialities.

Iconic Sunday roast at Garfunkels.

Later, I filled a large dinner plate with a colourful combination of salads. Tomato towers composed of layers of roasted tomato, feta cheese, grilled aubergine and creme fraiche with a balsamic vinegar glaze, sat alongside a giant spicy onion bhaji, served with its own dipping sauce. On one side of a slice of quiche was a fragrant cold lentil salad garnished with quartered hard boiled eggs and finely-sliced red onion; on the other, flavours of the east in a combination of fresh peas and crisp green beans, dressed with roasted coriander and nigella seeds, olive oil and garlic. Other dishes were unidentifiable, but quite delicious.

Be sure to book a table in advance, especially on a Friday, as this coincides with the Farmers Market at Amanzi.

The following Sunday, I booked a table for two for lunch at Garfunkels in Borrowdale. Open seven days a week, you can be sure of a welcome here, whether for breakfast, lunch or supper. Occupying an enviable position in Sam Levy’s Village, you’re likely to meet up with friends not seen in a while, whether strolling past, or having a meal in the restaurant. There’s plenty of seating outside under shady umbrellas, or on the verandah. Some intrepid patrons choose to sit inside.

George and I arrived wearing masks, and were greeted at the entrance by leading restaurateur Llew Hughes, who was armed with a sanitiser spray. All the waiters were wearing masks, some at half mast. Before long we unhooked our own masks, and scanned the wide menu, that offered seafood, chicken, beef and pork dishes.

Bearing in mind that Garfunkels has its own pig farm, whose herd ‘enjoys superior genetics’ it would make sense to order a pork dish. George was happy with a bacon steak and chips ($10), and said he would order it again. An iconic roast lunch will always be my choice on a Sunday, and pork roast with tasty gravy, apple sauce, rice, roast potatoes , creamed spinach and butternut puree ($6), fit the bill. If you consider pork an unsafe choice during hot summer months, go for a smoked chicken salad, fish and chips or a Margarita pizza.

Most restaurants seem to be taking reasonable precautions to keep their clientele safe. As a food writer I want to help the industry, and will continue to eat out. Some of my acquaintances still feel safer eating at home, but on the other side of the spectrum, many individuals are letting down their guard, and casting their masks and fate to the wind. The general consensus is that the virus is here to stay, and we must all find ways to live with it, whether staying in or eating out.

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