Vumba — home to gourmet delights

THIS year is very wet.  Inside the thick forests, paths squelch underfoot, undergrowth is lush with hundreds of types of ferns, rampant wild ginger, huge mottled leaves, lichen, bright green moss and golden fungi sprouting on giant fallen trees rotting in the deep silence of the forest.

As you step off the road there is a palpable hush broken only by birds and simango monkeys.  We had a weekend of fairytale mist shadowing the bright pink and purple tibouchinas and suddenly on the last evening an open sky, wide views and the full moon rising. It’s been years since our last trip to these misty mountains.

The road from Mutare is very potholed — and with its steep turns and dense mist quite dangerous. Clearly no chefs hang out here.  At least we were arriving in daylight.  Seldom seen on the edges of the beautiful Bunga forest is a private nature reserve specialising in birdwatching.

With several self-catering cottages each tucked away in a private garden bordering dense forests and rushing streams it’s a tranquil getaway. Simango monkeys swing through the trees morning and evening,  teasing and chattering but they are not the same pest that vervet monkeys have become at other holiday resorts (and even in Doon estate in town!) Vumba is home to a couple of gourmet delights.

White Horse Inn — just 10km from Mutare has kept its reputation for consistent good dining for decades.  And then there is Tony’s famous, fabulous coffee shop where somehow it’s totally okay to pay as much for a slice of decadent cake as you would for a full meal in some restaurants.

Last time we were here — he was tucked away next to the botanical gardens in a dinky thatched house set in a protea filled garden. Various adventures and relocations have happened in between but now he is settled in an old fashioned, red-cement-floored cottage on the main road about 23km from Mutare.

Expansive lawns edged with huge ancient gums give way to a view of the mountains to the north. Tables are layered with heavy linen — gold and cream on the day we visited — giving a luxurious feel even in the simple space.

Tony is your ever welcoming host — emerging to greet you with a smile, brandishing  his giant hand written menu — with a variety of coffees, hot chocolates and cakes on one long page and about 100 different teas and infusions on the other. Tony’s cakes are truly spectacular and his hot chocolates contain half a bar of chocolate.

He issues a warning not to eat the chocolate cake along with a hot chocolate but we saw at least one couple prepared to take the consequences.  Apparently all his delicious secrets are soon to be revealed in a cookbook that he is working on  — charting his journey and revealing his recipes.

Cakes on the day we visited were brandied fruit cake, orange coconut drizzled in citrus syrup, the signature killer chocolate cake (no flour!), chocolate gateau, baked cheesecake and Austrian coffee cake — a light as air confection soaked in coffee and brandy and topped with Chantilly cream with broken meringue. It was divine.

My husband had an espresso fortified with a shot of vodka but I opted for what I hoped would be the perfect iced tea thinking that Tony’s might just be the place to get this elusive beverage.

I was right — rooibos based with a chillie flavour it was refreshing, not too sweet and with a nice spicy bite. Price somehow doesn’t matter though, be prepared to spend at least $9 on cake and $6 on tea or coffee. (more with a shot).  Its worth it.

g.jeke@yahoo.com