Unforgettable evening at The Boma

The rains bucketed down over Christmas and New Year in this North Matabeleland tourist resort, providing a fine seasonal feast for the wild animals of the area.After a quiet Christmas and New Year holiday in Harare, George and I packed three cooler boxes with provisions and set off with family and friends to Lokuthula, a thatched complex of self-catering lodges set on the edge of Miombo woodland, in the beautiful grounds of Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. Because of abundant rains, most elephant remained deep in the bush, munching to their hearts’ content and seldom venturing to the riverbank or drinking holes. Not so the ever present troupes of fearless monkeys, who watched attentively as we grilled our boerewors on the braai outside our lodge, and crunched peanuts on the verandah. Given the slightest opportunity a monkey would seize an apple from the fruit bowl or run off with a packet of cream crackers. A short walk from Lokuthula is The Boma, referred to as The Place of Eating, and acclaimed as one of Zimbabwe’s most popular ethnic restaurants. One evening we followed the insistent drumbeat down the path and were welcomed into The Boma, which was crowded with excited patrons. Draped in Zambias and with faces tastefully painted by a resident artist, diners were helping themselves to a huge and varied buffet, while lithe traditional dancers leaped and gyrated, acting out stories and events. We sat at a table in the section designated Monde Village, and a waitress brought us a taste of home-brewed beer, served in an enamel mug. My starter followed, an elegantly presented plate with a nouvelle cuisine portion of crocodile tail and smoked tilapia. The tomato coulis garnish tasted more of ketchup than carefully simmered tomatoes, but the overall effect was pleasing. Next course was cream of mushroom soup served steaming hot from a huge potje hanging over the fire, into small, individual potjes. It was delicious, tasting of fresh ingredients without a trace of flour to thicken, or artificial ingredients. Vegetarian options at The Boma are numerous, offering many delicious salads, stir fries and a variety of omelettes. For carnivores, however, the sky’s the limit and choices range from kudu steaks, impala and warthog, to sausages and T-bone steaks. Crocodile steaks are probably classified somewhere in between. I found the sautéed warthog steak the most delicious, especially served with a tasty barbecue sauce. The chef carved me a slice of impala as it roasted slowly over the fire, but I found the taste mild and uninteresting. When the drummers took centre stage, we all forgot about eating for at least half an hour. The charismatic lead drummer urged us all to grab a tom tom, grasp it between our knees, and to follow the beat. After a brief lesson on bass notes and general technique we were swept away into a frenzied inter-village drumming contest. While Monde Village may have lost points on technique, we were clear winners for enthusiasm. Drumming later segued into a communal display of dancing skills, but I wandered over to the display of desserts, where an enthusiastic young cook named Valentine urged me to sample chocolate mousse, eclairs, fruit salad and ice cream and filo pastry parcels of spicy fruit mince. Resisting the temptation to consult the resident sangoma, we ordered rooibos tea and filter coffee, and eventually were the last to leave. Intending to stroll home, we instead accepted the offer of a lift in the Boma minibus. Unlikely as an encounter with a denizen of the African bush may have been at that hour, we weren’t taking any chances. Tomorrow was another day, and there were more sights to see and more restaurants to visit. The Boma,Victoria Falls Safari Lodge,Victoria Falls. lCommentsto:cmalakoff@gmail.com