A Miller Miscellany!

Wining & Dining
This week’s column is a bit of a Miller’s Miscellany as I’ve been here, there and everywhere in a week or so when under tremendous pressure.

This week’s column is a bit of a Miller’s Miscellany as I’ve been here, there and everywhere in a week or so when under tremendous pressure.

Report by Dusty Miller

There are a number of regular food fares and farmers’ markets flourishing around Harare currently. Behind most of them is Peter Rosenfels, an amiable dispossessed Matabeleland South farmer from a prominent family, who recently returned from the Cape.

I caught up with him manning a stall flogging his perfectly delightful range of Peter Piper’s Pickles at Doon Estate Food and Book Fare, Msasa, held on the last Saturday of the month and reportedly well-supported.

Crowds at the November edition looked scanty as I wandered around perusing, poking and picking pickles and organic potatoes, peaches, pears, pottery, preserves and pulpy paperbacks!

I heard it clashed with a fun day at Hellenics School, many school swimming galas and was the morning after late night Shopping Under the Stars at Borrowdale racecourse. Many of these good causes clash: There’s only so much money and so many punters to go around!

From historic Doon Estate, for generations HQ in this country of Wenela (the Witwatersrand Native Labour Organisation) — recruits for the Jo’burg gold mines walked and cycled there from all over the Federation and northern Mozambique — it’s only a few steps to Shop Café, a delightfully chintzy coffee shop/ eatery, run by Kerry Wallace and family. (They also have Gallery Café at the National Gallery.)

I didn’t think I was hungry. It was about 11 and I’d breakfasted at 8, but a piece of one of the nicest looking and tasting fruit slabs I’ve sampled in ages, washed down with a pot of refreshingly fragrant rooibos lemon tea failed to fill the inner man, so I followed with a slice of equally superb cardamom iced-cake and a chat about the catering scene with Kerry, who said this was his busiest Saturday for yonks, despite the relatively poor turnout at the market.

Shop Café specialises in vegetarian and salad dishes, but do full-on bacon and eggs breakfasts and lunch each day, except Sunday, includes at least one tilapia fish dish and a meat main course.

Between Doon Estate and Flat Dog Diner, I saw a new Thai restaurant which I’ll check out soon for you.

Mulling Christmas travel, word arrived of an introductory special from KLM to fly Harare-London, via Schiphol at an ostensibly mouthwatering price of “US$250 plus taxes”.

However, when taxes are added to this (or a similar BA special via OR Tambo) the fare is higher than Ethiopian charged for a non-“special” flight in July!

So I’m off to see my son and daughter-in-law in Adelaide, Australia, via Dubai, on Emirates for the festive season.

Toyed with the idea of a stopover in Bangkok, Hong Kong or somewhere interesting in the Far East, but it was just too dear.

Don’t forget, if you have an extended lay-over in Dubai, Emirates provide you with a free hotel room and transport. My delay there’s an incredible 19 hours 10 minutes. (If you fly from here to Dublin it’s 23 hours, 50 minutes!) I’ve much to do in Dubai, but it will be nice to have a swim, shower and nap before continuing a long, tiring journey.

I reviewed the new Arnaldo’s second branch at Kensington in our sister paper Zimbabwe Independent a week ago, having lunched there on what proved to be Day One. Impressed, I took Greendale Good Food & Wine Appreciation Society there on November 2.

Unbelievably, there wasn’t a spare seat in the house from 12:30 until after 3pm. A few tweaks were still needed. Three members who ordered prawn curry were taken aback by minuscule portions at US$20 a pop. When this was pointed out to chef-proprietrix Keitha Taylor, proper helpings replaced the original tiny ones. My guys, therefore had one-and-a-quarter lunches each…and the curries were knocked off the bill! Great PR!

Everyone who had steak raved about it. My half piri-piri chicken was exemplary, but at least one member shared my reservations about Arnaldo’s chips. Either they’re not buying the right spuds, or they’re not being cooked/drained properly. Others enjoyed them!

I glanced in at the brand new eatery The Circle attached to TM at Borrowdale, which is being run by Harare’s extremely talented young chef, Shane Ellis. He looks like a young Gordon Ramsay, but apparently doesn’t swear like him!

It’s still a work in progress and despite being — reportedly — financed by Muslim money, there’s a bar going in upstairs. Cakes, gateaux, pies and pastries in a display case looked to die for and friends who went on the opening day last Saturday said meals were wonderful.

I thought Shane looked flustered and said I’d return in a fortnight or … so when the dust had settled … which he looked relieved at.

I strolled up to O’Hagan’s in blistering heat. It was too hot and glaringly bright to sit outdoors, so I grabbed a high table and stool in the comparatively gloomy (but blessedly cool) bar under an efficient air-conditioning unit.

The beef-and-Guinness pie I ordered (US$10) took ages to come. On asking why, a waiter said: “I’m sure they’re making it really perfect for you, Mr Dust!”

That’s one of the bug-bears of this restaurant reviewing lark. If the chef clocks me walking in, there’s sometimes panic in the kitchen!

Honestly, it took so long to arrive that the conventional lunch hour was almost over. Hungry, I wolfed with gusto. That caused instant indigestion and heartburn!

At home, many hours later, it warmed up superbly. The light-as-air puff-pastry crust lid remained intact over generous amounts of chunky tender beef, slowly and loving braised in the rich stout, which formed beautiful gravy. Mashed spuds were creamy and herby and al dente vegetables included broccoli, cauliflower and julienne carrots.

I’m sure we’ll return for St Patrick’s Day on March 17!

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