Zim on a Plate, Zim in a Glass
Restaurant Reviews
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Cnr Glenara Ave South & Hillside Rd Extention
Harare
Tel 0772 613023Musings and Memories at Mukuvisi Coffee Shop 2012
Recently in SA, I rose at 4 am to travel to Gansbaai near the southern tip of Africa for a Fun Run - only as a supporter, I must stress - as one of the kids who didn’t make it queried, ‘That’s Fun??’ and stayed in bed! The rest of the morning we visited friends, fussed over the dog who did the 5km run, had an al fresco lunch overlooking the sea, went to sea-food shops and harbours, then a long drive home, quick change and on to dinner at a house on the slopes of Helderberg Mountain. Here - and the reason for my digression - I had the most awesome fillet steak I’m ever likely to enjoy! It may perhaps be matched one fine day, but I can’t see how – tender only just begins to describe it! They were cooked on a braai and though I chose from the well-done side of the platter, the steak knife was redundant; you could have slipped through it with the side of your fork! My friend who’s travelled the world said she’d never had better, not in London, New York or anywhere in America or Europe – not anywhere! It puts lie to that oft appended declaration on the bottom of many a steak-house menu – not responsible for well-done steaks – a real cop-out for using just average or poorly matured meat!The closer-to-home wilds are quite different from the silent towering rocky majesty of the Jonkershoek and Groot Drakenstein mountains I hiked near Stellenbosch, and probably under-appreciated! Nestling in the east of Harare, not that far from the city centre, in fact, we have our very own Mukuvisi Woodlands; and tucked in there, is a very pleasant Coffee Shop where you can enjoy light meals or tea or coffee accompanied by a cake or muffin. The light meals include pies, toasted sandwiches, samoosas, burgers, steak rolls and the like. For something more substantial there is the beef or chicken stir-fry with rice, or if you visit at lunch time there is a daily special, which on this day was T-bone and chips. Or you may prefer a tuna or Greek salad. They also have a kids menu with mini pies, chicken nuggets or wings with chips and a small breakfast menu.
My fellow diner was already well ensconced and enjoying a cappuccino when I arrived so I joined her with the home-made and pleasantly tart lemon juice… there was extra sugar on hand if desired. For the main, I gave the T-bone a go, and my companion tried a chicken burger. Our waitress didn’t ask how I liked my steak but it came well-done anyway, tasty, and just a little too cooked, as was the chicken burger, but we had good chips accompanied by a small salad and all was well presented and enjoyable; friends on the next table tucked into a generous stir-fry.
There was a small dessert choice that came from the tea and coffee menu; chocolate cake was on offer plus an assortment of muffins, so we had the cake and my companion complemented hers with a bowl of ice-cream – I was obliged to help polish that off – but what can one do?!
I would have liked to see a slightly larger cake selection for a Coffee Shop but perhaps there is more on the weekends when they are much busier. If you drop in for tea or coffee there are also scones with jam and cream. I would recommend they make the espresso stronger, but fortunately it was a lot better than one I recently had in Louis Trichardt, where supposed espresso was merely edging up to an average filter coffee! At the other end of the scale Doppio Zero in Southdowns, Pretoria, is an excellent example of doing it properly and their Italian style strong cappuccino is what Harare Coffee Shops should aspire to (not to mention the fantastic cakes)!
Mukuvisi Woodlands are well worth a regular visit to commune with nature and bird and game spot or go on a guided walk or horse-back ride; great for family outings, too, and and every last Sunday of the month, they open up areas of the Woodlands normally restricted to the public unless accompanied by a Guide. They have marked several very pretty trails through these places for walkers, runners and amblers, and this is well worth taking full advantage of – and finishing up for breakfast at the Coffee Shop, which has definitely been a fine addition to this wonderful Harare greenbelt area and game park, there for our enjoyment – so go and enjoy, and now you can have a bite, too!
Coffee Shop
4 Plates
Expect to Spend $6 to $ 16 per head
Mukuvisi Woodlands, Corner Glenara Avenue/Hillside Rd, near Msasa.
Mukuvisi Woodlands Coffee Shop 2011
Many years ago, as a diligent and attentive high school student, I went on a school trip to Mukuvisi Woodlands. I have fond recollections of seeing zebra, impala and a baby elephant. With these in mind, I was quite keen to see how the new coffee shop fit into the “wild” environs. We waited for the cold, morning chill to fade away before driving to the woodlands located on the corner of Glenara Avenue South and Hillside Road. We arrived at half past eleven, found a shady parking spot and ventured into the coffee shop.The hostess greeted us at the door and informed us we could sit anywhere we wanted. I was pleasantly surprised by the interior. The décor included potted plants, a mural and metal animal carvings and was altogether very attractive and inviting. We opted to sit outdoors. It was a beautiful day and I was keen to see if there were any fauna nearby. The hostess, also our waitress, brought our menus and we ordered coffee. Sadly, it was a no ZESA day, so we had to forego the filter coffee and settle for Nescafé.
The menu was quite varied and my partner was surprised at some of the meals offered. This is not a coffee shop that inundates you with many varieties of baked goods and light meals. They cater to all appetite sizes. The menu includes pies, salads, samoosas, wraps, stir-fries, burgers, T-bone steak, fish, breakfast, muffins, a special kid’s menu and a variety of hot and cold beverages. The power situation meant that there were menu selections that were not available to us. We settled on eating a robust lunch. I chose the tilapia, chips and salad. My partner ordered the beef stir-fry.
We sipped our coffees and conversed, observing our surroundings. We noted the see-saw for the kids, a pond and various enclosures nearby. I saw a rabbit hopping around in one and my partner pointed out the tortoise ambling around in the other. I was tempted to take a walk and find some wildlife but my partner was wearing inappropriate shoes for walking. This venue is ideal for a children’s outing, especially if they take a tour of the woodlands. The coffee shop is also a tuck shop selling crisps, colas and juices. We finished our coffees and had quite a wait for the meals, presumably, because if the lack of power.
But when our food finally arrived it was worth the wait. My tilapia was well cooked, with crispy breading on the outside and succulent fish on the inside. The salad was a tantalising mix of lettuce, onion, tomato, red peppers, apple slices and a drizzling of dressing. The chips were tasty and well made. My partner’s very generous stir-fry was served on a bed of fried rice. The beef was well stir-fried with baby marrow, carrots, red and green peppers in a sweet and sour sauce. Eating outdoors always gives me a healthy appetite and I cleaned my plate, while my partner was finally defeated by the remainder of her rice, having enjoyed the rest of her meal very much! By now I was pleasantly full and ready for a nap, so we settled our bill and left for home, thinking that we would really like to eat here again, especially on a day with power.
Coffee Shop
Open Daily from 8am – 5pm
3 Plates
Expect to spend $8 to $15
Corner of Glenara Avenue South and Hillside Road Extension, Harare
