Booking a table was easy. On arrival at the lovely old converted home in the corner of Newlands with ample parking, we were shown to the bar for our pre-dinner drinks. After a typical busy “nothing-really-works-in-Harare” day, a beer shandy, a Malawi shandy, a glass of red wine were very welcome re-hydrators for us.
Unfortunately the wine list was quite limited, with a selection of just a handful of stables from South Africa, lacking in variety, span and depth.We were shown to our table by a youthful waiter by the name of Heaven. Sadly the table was not set with crispy white table cloths and napkins from the Indian colonial traditions, but instead was not ironed and slightly wrinkled, giving an impression that the table layout had not been given particular attention. The ambience was just averagely Indian and on the cold side as a result of the large premises with ceramic floors. Together with a lack of music that would then sometimes reappear only to then go quiet again, there was some disappointment that not more attention was given to the furnishing and decoration to thoroughly enhance the ambience, so as to give it a warm, homely Indian traditional feel synonymous with the theme of the restaurant.
Another disappointment was that our drinks were often served after a long wait. Having different waiters serving us made it difficult to follow up on our orders, this underlined when there was actual confusion on one of the dishes ordered. We however received an immediate apology and were not charged for the wrong order received.
We started our meal with a complimentary and generous plate of pompadoms. This was complimented with scrumptious pakoras — spiced potato fritters deep fried in a special butter, and chicken tikka — chicken breast pieces marinated in spices and spinach. The starters did not disappoint as they excited the taste buds with their complex zesty flavours and set the tone for what was to come.
The main course was very impressive too. Not able to eat curry too spicy hot, we ordered a mild mutton curry and a fish curry with pilao and basmati rice on the side. Goon Dhal — green lentils in spices, onions and tomatoes was absolutely delicious as a vegetable alongside the meat dishes. To compliment the main course and to soak up all the juices left in our plates, we ordered garlic naan prepared in the traditional tandoori oven.
Unfortunately the butternut chutney was awful alongside the yoghurt and tomato condiment bowls as this was fermenting. The front desk manager put this down to the heat in the kitchen, an answer obviously not satisfactory. Otherwise the food was presented simply without any elaborate garnishing, perhaps a reminder that food can be enjoyed in its simplest form.
For dessert, I ordered kulfi, a special type of ice-cream from thickened milk, crushed nuts and rose water, and my partner ordered gulab jamun — fried balls of semolina enriched in syrup, both heavenly sweet to round off the rich, spicy flavours of the main course. As coffee is not really synonymous to Indian eating, we settled for delicious Indian tea with spices.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
One of our accompanying guests described dining at The Sitar as “an interesting experience of what happens with one’s taste buds…” Indeed the strength of the Sitar is in their secret of preparing the food with Indian herbs and spices. (We later learnt from the two young members of The Sitar Family that the restaurant is now under the hands of its Third Generation! Now we know, grandma’s secrets are paying off!)
Speciality Restaurant3 PlatesExpect to spend US$20 to US$30 per head2 Cecil Rhodes Avenue, Newlands, Harare.
