The Jungle Junction restaurant is set on the grounds of the magnificent Victoria Falls Hotel and the path leading to it is magical with lights illuminating the trees — a romantic start to a memorable evening.
By Le Connoisseur
We were greeted warmly and offered the drinks list, while the buffet table was being prepared. We were in no rush and feasted our eyes on the surroundings, listening to the gentle splash of the fountain. The waiter offered us a choice of still or sparkling water while we studied the beautifully presented wine and cocktail list. As it got darker, however, the “small print” descriptions of the various drinks, not in a black font, were a little hard to decipher.
We decided to start the evening with some long cool cocktails. I chose the house speciality, the “I Presume”, with “peach, orange and citrus sugar, vodka, Archers peach schnapps, homemade lemonade, blue citrus liqueur and a dash of grenadine”, while my companion went for “The Zambezi Sparkles”, with “fresh strawberries muddled with elderflower syrup, cranberry juice and gin, topped with ginger beer and dry sparkling wine”. They were both wonderful and raised exclamations from us on arrival — they looked so eye-catching, though my companion was slightly disappointed by the absence of the promised fresh strawberries in his.
The setting of Jungle Junction is spectacular. Diners can choose to eat out under the stars or under the thatched lapa. The attentive staff are smartly dressed in white smocks, with burnt orange sashes and brown trousers. Diners were mostly tourists from overseas, casually dressed, though there was a smattering of Zimbabweans present. The restaurant is a good place to take children with a wide choice of food from the buffet and reduced rates for youngsters. The theme is African, with gentle Zimbabwean music in the background.
The décor has innovative touches with table oil burners housed in miniature wire baobab trees and chandeliers made of ostrich eggs. We were not sure what to expect of the “Africa Spectacular” entertainment, comprising music and dance from across the Zambezi river area. We were pleasantly surprised that it featured dances from cultures with which we were not familiar, including Mkishi, Nhau and Shangaan and found it very enjoyable, and just long enough, at around 30 minutes. It was helpful to have the significance of the dances explained by the troupe leader. The entertainment made the evening memorable and I think it would be enjoyed by both tourists and locals alike.
The wine list is extensive, with the price of a bottle going up from US$26 into the hundreds for those with a fatter wallet, while the price of a glass ranged from US$4 to US$8. Unsure of what we would be eating from the buffet, we decided on a US$35 Jordan Unoaked Chardonnay 2012.
For the main course I chose a selection of lamb and chicken kebabs, with rice and vegetables, while my companion opted for the crocodile kebabs and beef knuckle. The lamb was spicy and perfectly cooked, though the mushrooms on the kebab didn’t seem to work well, being a little greasy. The chicken was not as succulent as I had hoped, but the rice and vegetables were beautifully cooked. My companion found the beef knuckle to be flavourful, but very tough, so he managed to eat little of it.
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A buffet often isn’t the best choice for vegetarians but there was a good variety on display at Jungle Junction — fresh salads and vegetables were plentiful. There was a good selection of desserts, and as usual at buffets, we couldn’t resist sampling several, encouraged by the very helpful staff. We both really enjoyed the grilled pineapple and the white and dark chocolate mousse, the lemon cheesecake was pleasant, but the pecan tart was very dry. We didn’t sample the cheeses, but the cheese board looked somewhat limited. We ordered Tanganda tea to finish the meal; it arrived promptly and gave us another reason to delay our departure from the idyllic setting!
Deluxe Family Restaurant 4 Plates Expect to spend US$50 – US$70 Victoria Falls Hotel
