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TUESDAY’S now restaurant recce night, as Zesa is — to be the least critical — unpredictable then. We’ve sometimes been off 18 hours. Thursday’s not much better, either.
I reluctantly live with those two powerless days, especially as we “make a plan” over eating out but lack of Zesa on Sundays — every monotonous Sunday — drives me potty.
It’s the day my flat should, get a thorough scrub. But for four successive Sundays, since my return from leave, we’ve been Zesa-less.
That means no water, as the borehole pump stops; then no hot water; vacuum, floor polisher and other appliances are useless.
On a dull day there’s no light to read by. I don’t have TV, but there’s no shortwave BBC or VoA, CDs can’t be played on the music centre and batteries don’t last for ever on the laptop, with thousands of downloaded audio tracks and a few DVDs.
Neighbours who spent Sundays roasting for that day’s festive board, making meals to be deep-frozen for the coming, week moan they can’t even boil or fry an egg, brew coffee once vacuum flasks are empty, or have a cold beer on a hot day. Air-conditioning and fans don’t work.
Is it right the same areas are turned off the same day each week for a similar period? Surely there’s a case for Zesa to also “make a plan” spreading the inconvenience more fairly?
Bonus is local restaurants pump when Zesa hits..
Don’t believe I’ve ever seen the Blue Banana/Baobab Grill as full as it was on Tuesday; Mama Mia’s next door was also bursting at the seams.
There was an grand buzz; determination to enjoy oneself and forget about the Indigenisation Bill — yet another nail in Zim’s economic coffin — depressing almost constant rain, pot-holed roads, inflation returning…and a lack of electricity.
We certainly enjoyed ourselves!
The bill reflects nine delightfully chilled refreshing articles of a moderately intoxicating nature served between two.
They were Italian Peroni lagers; fairly strong and deliciously thirst quenching. But in tiny bottles which, at Blue Banana are $2 each.
For obscure reasons, they don’t sell local beer.
As my previous grazing foray was to L’Escargot, where local Pilsener, in 750mls, was also $2, we stoically shrugged and supped. Nothing else we could do!
The Blue Banana bit serves scrumptious, Asian fusion (not confusion) food, using fine ingredients and great knowledge of flavourings.
Items like curry leaf, coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, red and black pepper; cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and channa dal bring the best out of what could maybe otherwise hum-drum ingredients.
Thai cooking relies heavily on chilies — most types grow locally (I don’t recall ever seeing tiny, incandescent prik-kee-nuu {‘mouse-dropping chilies’}) cultivated here.
Exotic items such as coconut milk, galangal, tamarind, lemon grass; nam pla fish sauce and shrimp paste are dear to import.
Which may partially explain, if not convincingly justify, why this outlet is relatively expensive!
After all, my tom kha gai (spicily understated, gorgeously tasty Thai chicken soup — granted — solid with shredded huku) was $5 on its own, whereas equally good soups at Adrienne’s and L’Escargot recently (with toast, bread, rolls or bread sticks and butter) were $1 and $2 respectively.
My impromptu guest is a professional hunter and one time overland Africa safari operator guiding and guarding clients from the Horn of Africa to Cape Town, often via hairy bits of this troubled continent.
He’s a big man, with big appetites. He enjoyed a starter chicken satay (barbecued, marinated huku, skewered, served with special peanut butter sauce dip), but complained the $5 dish was gone in two bites.
Comparisons are said to be odious, but at many outlets, a good-sized quarter (or larger) chicken with chips and maybe a salad garnish is the same price.
Neither of us complained about mains. My subtle mild-to-medium Indian lamb curry was really lamb (not mutton, nor goat) and a young tender one at that, with plenty of nyama and no bone, gristle or fat in a pungently mouthwatering presentation. My dining companion went for a more digestively challenging red Thai chicken curry he oohed and ahhed over.
One dish was $13, the other $12; there was an extra $2 for fried rice. To put it in perspective, Sitar, now at 2, Cecil Rhodes Ave (just round the corner) on Saturday lunch has a help-yourself three-course curry buffet at $15.
Ice-cream and chocolate sauce was excellent but, at $4, about twice the price of most pud in town.
But the pudding’s proof is in the eating and all around us beaming faces chomped away at Oriental scoff or steaks, chops, fish etc, from Baobab Grill’s menu.
Paradoxically, a big table of mainly Asians next to us nearly all had fish and chips or fish and rice. Annoyingly, one chain-smoked smelly cheroots and a light, drizzly breeze on the verandah blew his putrid smoke towards us.
Two starters, two curries, two puds and …hmm...nine imported lagers totalled $72 before a tip: about 50% more than we usually pay for similar outings.
Blue Banana/Baobab Grill, Newlands Shopping Centre. Tel 25269/25275 0912 357434. Shut Sunday all day and Saturday lunch.
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BY DUSTY MILLER
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