Zim on a Plate, Zim in a Glass
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111 2nd Street
2 km South of Mutare City Centre
Mutare
023 897 871

Green Coucal - relaxed meeting spot with Wifi facilities 2011
If you happen to be in Mutare and appreciate a casual atmosphere for eating out, the Green Coucal is a good option.  You can choose to sit outside in the dappled shade or under a zimbrella on the paved patio bordered by tall leafy shrubs and enjoy the cool breeze rustling the leaves in the trees, whilst the kids let off some steam in the shady playground behind the shrubbery; or there is the tiled veranda which is light and airy, but has roll-down sides for rainy or chilly days, or, you can sit more intimately inside in the cottage itself.  The décor is a simple African theme with paintings of stylised people in burnt oranges, yellows and reds and framed bandanas in similar colours.  Table setting is simple and appropriately colour coordinated in accordance with the theme.  The entrance boasts a lovely wrought-iron sun and geckos on the wall, but the most interesting work of art is inside; a life-size, rear-view, wooden carving of a naked lady with narrow shoulders and broad hips.  A pair of buttocks at eye-level whilst you drink your coffee – perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea!

The daily menu is simple but effectively written up on a blackboard.  On this occasion, the starter on offer was butternut soup (which could also be chosen as a main course).  It was served with a swirl of cream, a sprig of flat leafed parsley, and healthy slices of fresh, French loaf and margarine. The soup was tasty and thick and nicely presented, but could have been served a little hotter, and I, being a messy type, particularly with soup, could have done with a serviette!

There was a variety of main dishes on offer, providing something for everyone’s taste: curried chicken; piri-piri chicken; pork chops; beef fillet with a creamy mushroom sauce (and baked potato was offered as an option, but not available); and plain, cheese or mushroom burgers. All the main dishes were served with chips or rice and a basic salad.  Nor were the vegetarians forgotten: there was also vegetarian pasta.  Having placed our orders, the cutlery arrived wrapped in a paper serviette.  The beef fillet was succulent and cooked to my specification and was accompanied by a good selection of mixed vegetables: carrots, courgettes, broccoli and baby corn and a helping of cauliflower cheese, cheerfully arranged on the plate together with a large portion of crispy chips. My companion had asked for well done pork chops which looked crispy but a little on the dry side for my taste and were accompanied by the same selection of vegetables.  The food was wholesome and filling, if a little bland and again, not as hot as I like. The basic side salad which came with all the main courses was colourfully presented with slices of red and yellow peppers, tomato and cucumber on a bed of lettuce.

A selection of sauces were available on the table including tomato sauce for the plebs, vinegar, a homemade ‘danha’ made with coriander and carrots which was tasty and a homemade chilli sauce which the ‘hot chick’ complained had no kick!  Not my field of expertise!

For dessert, there was ice-cream and choc sauce or cake of the day, which turned out to be a lime pie, lovely, moist filling reminiscent of pumpkin pie consistency and a crusty pastry.

As it was a hot day, drinks were a high priority.  Green Coucal is not licensed to sell alcohol so sorry, no cold beer to quench your thirst.  There was a small selection of fizzy drinks on offer, including coke lite for the diet or teeth conscious, sparkling lemon, fanta and ordinary coke.  A healthier option was mango or passion fruit juice which was served cold with a good dollop of ice cubes.  Plain water was served with a slice of lemon, which was a nice touch.  The connoisseur in our midst found the milk shakes (available in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavours) rather skimpy on the ice-cream and artificial tasting.

A cup of hot, frothy cappuccino was a fitting finish to a satisfying meal – definitely served at the correct temperature, but filter coffee was also available for those who prefer their coffee black. Green Coucal is a pleasant, relaxing place to meet your friends for coffee and a bite, and it has wireless internet on tap.
Coffee Shop
3 Plates
Expect to pay $15 to $20 per head for 3 course meal with drinks

 

Green Coucal has had facelift, now with wireless internet 2010
The popular Green Coucal has had a face lift and has in the process becoming more up-market.  The renovations include extending the covered veranda to more than double the original size with a tiled floor and roll-down sides to accommodate all weather conditions.  There are also tables with umbrellas available in the paved area under the trees for those who prefer to commune with nature. 

Being a cool winter’s day with a bit of a chilly wind, we chose to dine on the new veranda, which is simply decorated in an African theme.  The tables had grass mats at each place setting on top of the table cloths, but otherwise no cutlery nor any decorations or flowers.  The menu, as before chalked on a blackboard, has also been extended to a choice of seven main courses which catered for most tastes; chicken curry, fillet and T bone steak, pork chops, all served with garlic potatoes, yellow rice and a salad, and a vegetarian pasta served with salad.  As is the usual custom, we placed our order with the receptionist.

My partner chose the beef fillet with mushroom sauce, which was advertised as being served with yellow rice and garlic potatoes, but was actually served with yellow rice and chips.  There was no comment from the waiter to say the garlic potatoes were finished.  Although the chips were well cooked and good, it was a bit of a let-down as my partner had been looking forward to the garlic potatoes.  The mushroom sauce was creamy and made with real mushrooms.  The yellow rice had a small trace of onion and carrot in it and was cooked to perfection.

I chose the vegetarian pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and side salad.  The pasta sported a variety of vegetables: grated carrot, baby onions, baby corn, cauliflower, beans, a couple of olives and the advertised sun-dried tomatoes, which, with the baby onions and olives, tickled the taste buds and were the highlights of the otherwise rather bland meal.  In all fairness to the management, the waiter had brought three sauces to the table with our meals: tomato sauce, a green chilli sauce and another chilli sauce.  I am not into tomato sauce and not great with hot stuff, but I did brave a little of the slightly chilli sauce, which confirmed my suspicions!

My partner chose a chocolate milk shake and I chose a tropical fruit juice, both of which came well chilled and fairly quickly.  As a sweet-toothed diner, not having a choice of desserts was a little disappointing, and the chocolate cake on offer, although a generous portion, was not very inspiring.  The cappuccino coffee that I chose to go with it was hot, frothy and delicious.

Green Coucal has also moved up in the technological world and offers wireless network anywhere on the premises, for those having a business lunch or simply beating the power cuts at home and downloading their emails. There are also a couple of easy chairs and a table with magazines available for those having a quiet, relaxing coffee on their own or waiting for the rest of their party to join them.  A music system was present on the veranda but not operating during our meal. 
Coffee Shop
Expect to pay around $15 a head for a two course meal

 

Green Coucal a good bet for a lunch date 2009
Mutare is hot, dry and dusty at the moment – more like early November than a normal January, and the idea of a light lunch under a shady tree in the garden of the Green Coucal was very appealing.  Not surprisingly, we were not the only ones, and the best and shadiest spots were already taken, but a large garden umbrella was just as good without the inconvenience of wondering how safe we were from the birds!

We had not booked, but the receptionist was able to offer us a table on the verandah or in the garden.  The Coucal has long had a chalkboard menu; good to see that this hasn’t changed and also that management has expanded the menu slightly from previous visits.  We had a choice of beef, chicken, fish, something strictly vegetarian and a lighter salad combination.  The Beef Fillet was obviously a popular choice and had run out, but I was able to get the last of the Bream Fillets, while my companion chose the Roast Beef Salad which we ordered at reception before being shown to our table.

We were offered a choice between mango and passion fruit juices, no other drinks mentioned, which arrived together with the main course, although, given the weather, it would have been good to have seen them earlier.  Although chilled, a cube or two of ice with a sprig of mint would have given them the finesse needed to match the price, perhaps a change issue.  A bottle of iced water would have added a welcome touch as we waited. 

The bream was good, properly cooked and firm without being dry, and served on a bed of sliced boiled potatoes in a lemon butter sauce and with fresh vegetables.  The Roast Beef Salad was strips of cold roast beef over a mixed salad – crisp lettuce, tomato, sliced green olives and cucumber with fried yellow and red peppers and aubergine.  Colourfully and attractively presented, but the beef strips would have been more appetising if a little rarer and moister.  

Dessert was a little disappointing – milk tart was the only option.  A generous portion was provided and the filling, despite being a little solid in my opinion, was certainly good.  I enjoyed it with a milkshake; my companion with a cappuccino.

Green Coucal is a good bet for a lunch date, and the outdoor setting is an attraction, particularly in the warm weather, but management should consider developing this advantage; making the gardens cooler and lusher, introducing a fountain or water feature perhaps, and adjusting the menu to the weather – cold soup or fruit sorbet would be instant winners during summer months.
Coffee Shop
3 Plates
Expect to spend between $15-18 per head

 

Green Coucal in Mutare - good value
2008 Review
As restaurants do, Green Coucal has changed hands since our last review (not, we hope, because of it) and we were curious to see what changes new management has implemented on one of Mutare’s favourite local eateries.

Steph Charters has sensibly retained much of the same art gallery style and mood as her predecessor, although perhaps it was a little naive to look for ambience and atmosphere on a sweltering October afternoon. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch until mid afternoon six days a week and occasionally for private functions on Friday evenings.

We hadn’t booked, not a problem early in the week, and were cheerfully greeted as we entered. We chose to sit outside, hoping to catch a bit of the breeze and betting on the start of the rains and the state of the talks. Encouraging to see that someone has enough faith in the future to invest in renovations and always pleasant to sit in the shade and watch others at work.

Coucal has kept the same 3-choice chalk-board menu, including fish cakes and salad today for vegetarians, but we chose BBQ chicken and rice, and baked pork and roast vegetables. No starters, but our drinks arrived quickly, well chilled and served with lots of ice as the weather demanded.

Perhaps the style of the food has changed a little – slightly less exotic, but good, healthy portions attractively presented. If the chicken was a little overcooked and underspiced, the pork was just about right and the chef had clearly taken care with the baked vegetables and tasty savoury rice. Salads in particular were a pleasant surprise; crisp, colourful and creative at a time when it seems to be impossible to find anything more exotic than a cabbage on Mutare’s shelves. My companion was able to find space (always) for a wedge of home-made chocolate cake at the end of the meal, washed down with iced coffee.

Service was cheerful and friendly throughout, although it would have been good to order a second drink earlier and apart from the main courses, it was a little difficult to discover what exactly was on offer and at what cost. Prices, however, were very reasonable and we both felt that Green Coucal had provided good, even excellent value for our money.

Coffee Shop
3 Plates