Get your mojo back

 But teenage boys were in short supply so we hoped two women would do justice to a mountain of different meats. (Was just finishing up this column on Sunday when I realised I shouldn’t have hesitated so long – Dusty Miller got there before me!)
Traffic felt like Johannesburg and traversing the city took me nearly 40 minutes so I arrived late, grumpy and hot to find my friend already waiting for me. Mojo’s occupies a spacious property on East Road in Avondale and it was cool, green and welcoming after the cross town traffic. Restaurant theme is smart black and white with a touch of bull flag red and spacious green lawns out back provide a venue for outside functions.
The scent of braai smoke and barbecuing greeted me as I stepped out of the car and we chose a verandah table. An extensive cocktail menu includes Brazilian caiparhinas and Cuban mojitos among others  but I didn’t feel brave enough at lunchtime to sample them but have been told that that they pack a punch not only with alcohol but also the price tag.
Mojo’s calls itself a Churrascaria, which is a Brazilian steakhouse specialising in barbecued meats cooked over coals and owes its orgins to the fireside roasts of old time gauchos from southern Brazil.
There are two eating options –  either the standard US$20 full rodizio which offers a plate of varied tapas to share, followed by different meats served with chips, rice and salad. These are brought to your table on long skewers and apparently when you are replete you can hold up your red card to say enough! We were offered in turn fresh off the fire – pork belly, beef sausage, fillet steak, chicken breasts wrapped in bacon, chicken drumsticks, lamb and pork ribs.  Wow!
The executive lunch is US$13 and involves a starter plus a couple of selected skewers served with chips and rice. Quite a few tables were occupied in the restaurant and it looked like everyone was going for the full house option, including ourselves.
Tapas selection included a nice spicy bean stew, bizarre chicken pizza – but then I am not a fan of pizza piled with toppings preferring a plain standard margarita with good cheese and tomato – creamy shrimp toasts with only the faintest shrimp flavour, slices of cucumber with a tasty spicy paste, battered bream and a ratatouille.
After the tapas a plate of salad was brought to the table (along with good chips and yellow rice) and the skewers started arriving. The meat was all nicely cooked though the fillet was a little overdone to our taste and I could have done with more flavour on the lamb. The bacon wrapped chicken was very good.
Dusty Miller reports an array of sauces with his meal and this is what we missed – especially a good fresh chillie. There was a salad dressing and a creamy pepper sauce but I would have loved a wider variety to spice up the meat and add flavour and moisture. The pork belly in particular was quite dry.
Desserts are extra and we couldn’t resist a sweet spring roll to share – stuffed with chopped dark chocolate and pecans and served with a scoop of ice cream. (US$7) Other desserts that day were pannacotta and chocolate cheesecake – all sounding deliciously decadent.
Lunch for two including one dessert to share and a couple of soft drinks each was US$55 – and very satisfying. 

– g.jeke@yahoo.com