The restaurant itself is very different in layout from most “normal” restaurants. The extractor fans are disguised as large copper “chimneys” which dominate the décor. Large, high seating areas form a rectangle around the chimneys and patrons are seated on the outside so that they can watch their food being prepared by their own personal chef, within the rectangle, at specially constructed mini-kitchens. The idea, presumably, is to have your food cooked to your own particular requirements.
The menu is interesting and varied, but a word of warning here. After our meal we decided that at Komba Hari, you need to choose from the main courses which are prepared right in front of you. The starters and some main courses are “traditionally” prepared behind those “closed doors” and this makes the synchronisation of the arrival of all the main courses a tricky business. One of our group was left waiting for a considerable length of time, forlornly watching the rest of us devour our meals. We did offer her little titbits, but it was small compensation for what should have been.
We enjoyed our starters, but, once again, felt that you need to be very selective. The crumbed mushrooms were stuffed with bacon and cream cheese and were delicious, but we did feel they were over-priced at US$11 for three medium-sized mushrooms. The chicken livers (US$8) were tasty, but a little over-cooked and on the tough side. The chicken trichado (US$9) was beautifully served; tender chicken strips on a bed of egg noodles. However, the mushroom soup (US$4) (Soup of the Day) was boring and lacking in flavour.
Our choices for main course included fillet (US$22), rump (US$18) and delicious sounding Tapanyaki (US$20). Our chef trotted off to the kitchen and returned with the meat he had selected for us. Watching him cook the meals was the best part of the evening. He started off by cooking a small omelette on the stainless steel hob, cutting it into small pieces to be incorporated into our rice. He added spices and sauces, and the rice looked mouth-watering. He then prepared my Tapanyaki — a trio of beef and chicken strips and a small fillet of fish, delicately flavoured with garlic, ginger and special sauces. As soon as he completed my dish, he started on the fillet and rump, and stir-fried mixed vegetables as well. Our meals were plated-up and served with aplomb.
The Tapanyaki was a lovely meal — the tender combination of meats together with the special rice and veggies was excellent. Despite our chef taking specific orders for the rump and fillet, we felt that both were not cooked to our specification.
Family Restaurant3 PlatesExpect to spend US$30 to US$40Rainbow Towers Hotel, Harare.
Billed for the wrong wine at Komba hariThere appeared to be no wine list at Komba Hari, but our drinks waiter assured us that the Zonnebloem Shiraz and Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon were available, but he came back a while later with a Robertson’s Shiraz, the more modest cousin to the aforementioned wines. We had no problem with the Robertson’s wine, but were shocked at the price tag — US$30. We were even more shocked when we checked our bill after we got, only to find that we had, indeed, been charged for the Zonnebloem wine. This sort of mistake is hard on the pocket and totally unnecessary. The same waiter seemed very confused when I asked for an Espresso at the end of the meal. Maybe regular clientèle of the restaurant don’t drink coffee? Or maybe Komba Hari needs to have some training sessions with their staff?
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Dessert at Komba Hari comes from the adjacent Harvest Garden restaurant, and we felt that this detracted from the overall dining experience. The buffet of desserts (US$4) is nice enough, but not striking and the sweet treats looked a whole lot more exciting than they tasted. So, to end on a positive note: if you want an unusual and distinctly different dining experience, try Komba Hari. Just stick to the main courses and enjoy watching the experts in action.
