Sunday lunch at Organniks Restaurant in Borrowdale.

When was the last time you ate a proper Sunday roast lunch in Harare? Quite a number of restaurants open on a Sunday, but I’ve yet to discover one that offers a traditional feast of prime rib roast, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, honey-roasted carrots and parsnips, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower cheese and a rich brown gravy.

There’s no shortage of restaurants serving chicken and chips, sticky spare ribs, wraps and burgers, all of which provide ample weekday sustenance. But when Sunday comes around, nothing on the menu resembles the Great British Sunday roast, popular since the rule of King Henry V11 in 1485, when the king’s personal guards, known as the Beefeaters, were allowed as much beef from the king’s table as they could eat, in return for providing 24 hour security at the Tower of London.

Karoo lamb chops at Organniks Restaurant.

The absence of a nearby carvery, however, shouldn’t prevent you from having a slap up Sunday lunch, and there are many alternatives to consuming lashings of rare roast beef and horse radish sauce. A Sunday drive down Simon Mazorodze Road, past the Mbudzi Roundabout, will take you towards My Heritage Restaurant, where the sadza remhunga nemazondo are second to none. Should a drive through town seem tedious, opt instead for a good local restaurant in your hood.

SaManyika oxtail at Organniks Restaurant.

Not far from my house is Organniks Restaurant at Masawara Retreat in Borrowdale, with its classy vibe and welcoming waitstaff. A pathway winding through flowering aloes and succulents leads to green lawns and comfortable chairs and tables for al fresco dining. Josephine, our helpful waitress, showed us how to access a touch free menu, by scanning a QR code with a smart phone. What a great way to choose a meal without handling a menu fingered by numerous other patrons.

The menu that popped up on my phone caters for every taste, ranging from sushi platters to Thai curries, pasta dishes to seafood, and grills to traditional stews and ribs. Braised oxtail SaManyika ($25), listed under ‘something different’, was elegantly presented on a platter with white sadza and perfectly seasoned muriwo. George was unable to identify the delicious SaManyika flavours of the oxtail, but said it was the best he had eaten.

Karoo lamb loin chops ($35) were attractively served on a large white plate, with chips and salad. Although I requested the chops to be cooked to medium rare, they were served medium, and therefore slightly overcooked. Luckily, this didn’t detract too much from the delicious flavour of the lamb.

Green lawns and aloes at Organniks in Borrowdale.

There’s something special about sheep farmed in the semi-desert area of South Africa known as the Karoo, or ‘place of thirst’ in the Khoisan language. Here, sheep feed on small shrubs and bushes known as fynbos. The aroma of these plants varies from thyme, sage, eucalyptus and rosemary, giving the meat of the sheep a delicious flavour. Sometimes called skaapbossies, these plants impart the distinctive Karoo meat flavour that the sheep acquire while grazing.

Luscious chocolate cake and cappuccino at Organniks in Borrowdale.

Slightly limp and oily, the chips on my plate would not have scored well in a power-ranking competition. The mint sauce, however, was well made, and the mixed garden salad of iceberg lettuce, lollo rosso red lettuce, avocado, cucumber, carrot, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and micro greens was remarkably good.

Aromatic cappuccinos ($2) were served in double wall insulated glass cups, keeping the coffee hot for longer than it took to devour a large shared slice of luscious chocolate cake ($5). Minute paper napkins were a disappointment, blowing away at the slightest hint of a breeze. At an elegant restaurant like Organniks, cloth napkins should be provided.

We were by no means the only guests at Organniks last Sunday, and family groups and couples continued to drift in for late lunches or teas throughout the afternoon. I suffered a mild case of order envy when I saw a vegetarian family at a nearby table enjoying sushi starters, followed by a Thai green vegetable curry, fried rice, and a deluxe vegetarian pizza. And I made a mental note to order grilled king prawns on my next visit, after casting envious glances at the seafood platters being eaten with gusto elsewhere.

Until such time as management at Organniks considers introducing a Sunday roast lunch, there is a fine variety of delectable dishes to enjoy, as you kick back in stylish surroundings, relax, and prepare yourself for the week ahead.

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