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158 Enterprise Road
Highlands
Harare
497768, 480883

Amanzi – great food, needs attention to some details 2012
As one of Harare’s top notch restaurants, and having visited it a couple of times over the ‘troubled decade’ and been suitably impressed with how standards had been maintained, I was thoroughly looking forward to an evening of dining pleasure. We arrived safely – I’m always unsure of the drivers behind me on Enterprise Road being aware that the car in front of them is really turning – and pulled into the spacious parking area.  A guard made himself known and we could now relax. A short walk up the bricked pathway, although a couple more lights would be beneficial, brought us to the entrance of the restaurant and bar area.  We were cordially greeted and asked if we would care to partake of drinks first or be shown to our booked table.  We preferred to go to our table and so were led through to the main dining area.  Amanzi is a converted old house and boasts a wonderful wrap-round open veranda, which is delightful to dine on during hot, sultry evenings.  However, as this was not one of those nights, we chose to sit indoors but still got the ambience of the outside through the large open doorways.  A waiter came very promptly to ask if we would like to order some pre dinner drinks, which we did. Whilst waiting for these to arrive, I took in the atmosphere and décor.  The colour theme is soft green with white. The walls were painted in two tones of this very gentle colour, the wooden floor is washed in white and the tables have white overlays.  The lighting however, was almost too bright, reflecting off the floor and tables. The eclectic collection of artefacts from all over Africa is very eye-catching as are the enormous wine glasses, which at first I thought were part of the table décor but realised this was not the case when later on our waiter poured the wine into one!

Our drinks arrived quickly and were wonderfully chilled and fresh. Then, the menus were presented and we started the complicated process of trying to make a choice of which dishes to tantalise our taste buds with.  Amanzi prides itself in growing its own herbs and vegetables, so freshness and full-bodied flavour is guaranteed when these are used in a dish.  Starters take the diner on a gastronomic gallop around the world, from sushi to bone marrow, snails (or more correctly escargots) to samoosas. There were also soups and salads, just in case the starters could not temp you. In the end, we chose sticky spare ribs and spinach samoosas.  The main course was even more challenging – would it be the West African dish with peanut sauce, Scottish salmon or the vegetable crêpes?  I tried hard to find the wonderful lentil dish that I so enjoyed on a previous visit and was disappointed to find that this was no longer on an option.  I will always choose an exciting vegetarian dish over anything else, if the chance arises.  Finally, the sirloin and Malay fish curry won the contest.  To accompany this, a bottle of 2010 Dutoiskloof Pinotage, which took some time to choose as there is a fine array of wines in Amanzi’s cellars, even champagne for that very special occasion!
The starters set the mouth watering as soon as they were set on the table.  The samoosas were served with a light plum sauce which complemented the spinach and feta filling.  However, I needed a knife to cut through the spinach as it was a little undercooked. The sticky soy spare ribs were thoroughly enjoyed by my partner and proved very sticky, much to his delight. After a short wait, during which our waiter came back to refill our gigantic wine goblets, our main course arrived.  The sirloin was cooked exactly to order and proved juicy and tasty and caused my companion to state a number of times ‘very good’.  This was served with rice and a small selection of beautifully cooked vegetables. The Malaysian green fish curry was the finest fish I have had in many a year, be it a curry, grilled or baked.  Bite size pieces of fish floated in a wonderfully aromatic green sauce and they just melted in the mouth with a sudden explosion of spiciness. To accompany this, were two sauces of which I preferred the sweet one as the other was very red and full of little white pips!  Steamed rice and the same lovely vegetables completed this divine dish.
Before we could contemplate the desserts, we relaxed with our wine for a short while and listened to some very pleasant instrumental music which had been changed for the rather jarring and loud jazz that had been playing earlier on.  Our waiter then came with the menu and my sweet tooth was tempted by an array of decadence, from melted Mars Bar to fruit kebabs.  Knowing that my eyes would be bigger than my stomach, I opted for a concoction of crushed meringues and fresh fruit with a generous drizzle of fruit coulis and a wonderful name - Eton Mess!  My partner was sorely tempted by the cheese platter but again felt justice would not be done to it, so instead had a filter coffee, but this proved a poor choice as it was almost tasteless and not that hot.
Amanzi’s food that night was just as I had remembered – an inspiration to one’s taste buds and hard to emulate.  However, there were a number of small indications that this restaurant has been sitting on its laurels and relies on its long-standing customers who come for the outdoor ambience just as much as the food.  The prices can be a bit steep, reserving Amanzi for that very special occasion or if someone else is paying!  We plan to visit again, but it will be once the wallet has recovered a bit.
Deluxe Restaurant
4 Plates
Expect to spend $45 - 55 per head
158 Enterprise Road, Highlands, Harare

 

Decadent Dining at Amanzi 2011
It was a sunny afternoon during a hectic and stress inducing week. I usually prefer to wine and dine at night, but this particular week inspired me to “do” lunch.  I was looking forward to a long, leisurely lunch that would help me unwind, relax and enjoy good food. I was not disappointed.

We arrived at the restaurant at approximately one o’clock.  We found a shady parking spot and followed a meandering, brick path toward the restaurant. We were met at the front desk by a casually dressed hostess who checked our booking and then led us to a table on the veranda. The verdant gardens and burbling rivulets of water were beautiful. It was a perfect get away from the rat-race.

Our waiter promptly appeared with the menus.  A quick flick through showed no drinks list.  I requested one and it was not available.  However, there was a splendid wine menu.  I was pleased to see that they catered to all pocket depths with prices for a bottle ranging from $12 to $155!  I decided to drink the House wine at $3/glass.  I chose a Sauvignon Blanc which I found very refreshing as it was perfectly chilled when served. My partner ordered a Rock Shandy.

We turned our focus back to perusing the menu.  There was a selection of tapas, soups, salads, main courses and desserts.  We opted for tapas, followed by a main course.  I ordered the Calamari and Cured Beef Brochettes and Chicken Breast stuffed with Spinach and Feta.  My partner ordered 3 Dip Crudités with Guacamole, Baba Ganoush and Hummus followed by Caramelized Prawns in Sweet Ginger Sauce.

With our order in, we were able to really look around and study our surroundings. I noticed that there were 3 other adults already seated. They were obviously waiting on others to arrive. There were comfortable looking couches at the end of the veranda. On the wall were several framed paintings that were vibrant and eye-catching. I saw that the light fixtures were made of wooden fish carvings wired together to form a cylinder.

Our starters appeared in less than 10 minutes.  I was a tad miffed by my portion size.  The menu made no reference to how small it would be.  I had three skewers with grilled halloumi wrapped in thin slivers of cured beef, followed by baby calamari and repeated.  It was sautéed in sweet chilli sauce and served with a side helping of sweet chilli.  The combination of flavours was exquisite and totally made up for the portion size. My partner was served a platter with pita bread; sliced carrots, green peppers, cucumbers, gherkins and three dips. We recognised the guacamole but asked our waiter about the others. One was liquidised aubergines with a touch of garlic, and the other was hummus made from liquidised chickpeas.  These dips were delicious.  I enjoyed the starters immensely.  The place filled up quite quickly with an adult clientele. There was only one child on the premises and I was pleased to see the staff being very accommodating to him.

Our main courses arrived and you could feel the heat waves emanating off my plate.  My partner’s plate had a liberal helping of prawns in a sticky, brown sauce; white rice with red and green peppers and mixed vegetables – baby marrows and mushrooms.  The prawns were firm and nicely cooked and the sauce was sweet with a tang of ginger.  My plate had cheesy, baked potatoes; stuffed chicken breasts and mixed vegetables – carrots, green beans and baby marrows.  My plate was covered with an ambrosial, creamy, white wine sauce. I savoured every mouthful, reluctant to let it end.  The portions were just right and we cleaned up our plates.

We decided we had room for dessert and asked for the menus.  My partner opted for Eton Mess and I went for the Sticky Toffee Pudding.  The Eton Mess was served in a tall, dessert glass with a layer of strawberries and sauce at the bottom, and topped off with a mixture of broken meringue, kiwi fruit, mango and cream. My pudding was filled with raisins and served with melted toffee and a dollop of fresh cream. We thoroughly enjoyed our desserts.

We were offered cappuccinos to round off our meals, and we happily accepted.  The combination of food was quite filling and we had spent a decadent two hours dining.  We decided it was time to pay the bill and go home for some well deserved naps! 
Deluxe Restaurant
5 Plates
Expect to spend $40 to $50 per head
158 Enterprise Road Highlands

Satisfying dining at Amanzi (2010 review)

Evening dining on the veranda of Amanzi Restaurant is something everyone should experience at least once a year if they have the opportunity.  This trendy African fusion restaurant with its distinct, but not clearly definable atmosphere, manages to blend a mixture of elements from across the entire continent.  Looking out onto the gardens, the extensive waterfall providing a soothing white noise which completely covers the Enterprise Road traffic and the rest of the outside world, you could be dining in one of the trendy, smart exclusive areas of a city that is more like Jo’burg or Cape Town rather than dirty, dilapidated Harare.

We were unexpectedly delayed over an hour but were assured of our booking, welcomed warmly and taken straight to our table.  The interior dining rooms – better lit for business dinners, maybe lacked the secluded intimate atmosphere of the veranda.  For a Monday evening the restaurant was three quarters full, fellow diners ranging across a variety of ethnic groups with the usual smattering of ex-pats and more well heeled locals.  In both gardens and restaurant, there is evidence of a creative, original touch and the attractively lit trees at night, combined with the soft lighting on the wrap-around veranda, add to the mood of secluded intimacy. 

Once seated we perused the wine menu which offered a comprehensive choice of imported wines, with a few local favourites, prices ranging from $10 and up.  Having just sampled Du Toits Kloof Sauvignon Blanc at a wedding the day before I was delighted to see it on the menu and ordered a suitably chilled bottle to share.

The choice of starter was daunting as there were 16 different dishes and 5 different soups, all sounding deliciously tempting, ranging from sushi, Thai, crispy prawns to 2 spring rolls.  While pondering the impossible task of settling on just 1 dish the manager arrived at our table to inform us of the speciality dishes for the evening – scallops, salmon, flown in from Scotland and a lamb curry with basmati rice.  There was salmon and lamb on the main menu but I decided to opt for the specials - scallops as a starter followed by the seared salmon with béarnaise sauce as my main dish.  My companion, tormented by indecision, widened his range of choice by ordering crispy fried prawns and sun-dried tomato soup followed by medium rare fillet steak.

My scallops arrived – 3 large plump succulent scallops each nestling in its own shell. They were absolutely delicious. My companion crunched his way through deep-fried crumbed prawns with mayonnaise (a poor 2nd to my scallops I felt but he was very happy). This he followed with sun-dried tomato soup - a really intense flavour experience.

Sipping on du Toits Kloofs’ Sauvignon Blanc I was beginning to wonder if our main course was going to arrive but it proved worth the wait, reminding me that good food should always be savoured, discussed and reflected upon and never rushed.  2 generous pieces of seared salmon drizzled with béarnaise sauce and a 2cm thick fillet steak.  My only complaint was that the accompanying potatoes were fried as were the mixture of vegetables – onion, carrot and peppers.  This, along with the béarnaise sauce meant there was a little too much butter and oil on my plate and I would have welcomed the choice of a salad or steamed vegetables. There was only 1 choice of dish for vegetarians and certainly the vegetables accompanying the meal indicated the chef had a definite carnivorous bent. But this was a small niggle as the salmon pieces were moist and tasty, the large flakes of fish falling easily apart - a real treat and the steak was succulent and tender and cooked to perfection.

Agonising over whether to choose Strawberry and Granadilla Cheesecake or Melting Chocolate and Orange and risking serious rises in his levels of cholesterol, my companion could not pass up the chance to sample Mars Bar Mousse – a decadent rich flavour with a light, melt on your tongue texture. Comfortably full I decided to end my meal with a coffee but the waiter informed me the machine was broken.  Denied the satisfying, dark, end of a meal taste of coffee I could have the choice of Tanganda or Rooibos. The waiter then upped the selection with Earl Grey or Four Berries tea.

If you dislike dining off starched white linen tables cloths with phalanxes of crystal and silver and prefer a more relaxed, atmosphere but with a full choice of dishes, cooked to perfection with excellent service, then Amanzi is a good choice.  This meal certainly engendered a comfortable feeling of well being and we decided that dining at Amanzi would have to be a once a month treat so we could sample more of the menu.  The management is making special efforts to secure speciality, luxury dishes with the scallops and smoked salmon and a good selection of imported cheeses.

So, compliments to Amanzi for providing a truly satisfying dining experience!

Deluxe Restaurant
5 Plates
Expect to spend $40 to $50 per head
158 Enterprise Road Highlands

Amanzi very good, with room for tweaks 2009

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?  Once again, the annual gourmet battle of the deluxe restaurants around Zimbabwe is in full swing. For many years Harare dominated this exclusive and expensive area of fine dining, but in recent years other areas of Zimbabwe have risen to the challenge with venues in Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and Nyanga achieving the coveted 5 Plate Rating and scooping major awards.

Whilst it is easy for Harare’s restaurateurs to see what their local competition is offering, I wonder if they have visited and analysed what they offer compared to the new Matabeleland maestros for example.  Do they have what I call the “wow factor”, which elevates a 4 Plate Rating to a 5 Plate?

Amanzi will celebrate its 10th birthday this year.  It is still one of Harare’s icons, well supported by both foreign and local diners.  Nearly every table was occupied when we visited, which says a lot given the competition for our hard earned dollars.  Since this beautiful restaurant first opened, Harare diners have had a high-class restaurant with innovative, imaginative, and delicious food.  The ambience has always been a strength – from the stunning gardens and exceptional water features on arrival, through to the veranda dining areas (on warm days and evenings) and continuing into the main indoor areas.  The whole place “flows” and the décor is very attractive. 

The brightly painted bar area and eye-catching pictures continue to give a modern and funky feel. Lots of mirrors in the main dining area are a new feature since our last visit, and a welcome addition if you need to check your appearance regularly or hail from the Far East and believe in the concept of feng shui.  We, however, felt they somehow made the room less colourful than before, when compared with other parts of the restaurant.  If the weather is right, or if you are a non-smoker, then dining on the open veranda is always a lovely experience.

Table settings are so visually important when you arrive and sit down, setting the scene for the whole experience, and deluxe restaurants therefore usually get this right.  But there was no “wow factor” to the Amanzi tables.  The tablecloths were of different ethnic patterns, subdued in colour, and the glassware and cutlery were average.  Different colour under-lays peeked out obtrusively here and there, and gave a generally haphazard and messy appearance. 

The wine list is well-structured, with a very good choice to suit all palates and pockets.  Mainly South African, but with a smattering of Australian and local.  Don’t overlook the House red and white wines, which are very quaffable and good value, although the house white required ice cubes to chill it to the correct temperature. Surprisingly, Amanzi has no dedicated Wine Waiter to assist if required.

Food, food, glorious food.  In the past, evening dining at Amanzi was a fixed price, four course, feast.  Not a venue for those with lesser appetites or thinner wallets.  In tune with our economic times, earlier this year the restaurant changed to a la carte only.  Which I’m sure is attracting a wider range of customers, as you can now order as much or a little as you wish.

There is an extensive and tempting array of fusion tapas-style starters, enough to please even the trickiest of gourmands, and old favourites have been retained in the soup section.  The main courses are innovative, varied and enticing.  Amanzi has always had a flair for turning the basics – meat, chicken and fish – into something really special.  On the day, we found our main courses somewhat unbalanced, with too much sautéed potato and rice and too few vegetables.

Which left little room for the delicious-sounding desserts on offer.  My partner was looking forward to some nice cheeses, so was disappointed that no cheese board was available, particularly now that French, South African and local cheeses are now freely available here.

The waiting staff at Amanzi were friendly and efficient and at ease with a busy restaurant.  Do take care if arriving after dark as the entrance and exit are both on the very busy Enterprise Road, and the entrance is poorly lit.  And for the first time visitor, after dark it would be helpful if there was someone to show you where to park, particularly if the main parking area is full, and also to direct you up the correct garden path to reach the restaurant.                                                           
Amanzi continues to be a good deluxe restaurant experience.  With some small tweaks here and there, I’m sure it could achieve its undoubted potential to equal the very best in Zimbabwe.  However, with a very good 86% score, sadly Amanzi has not quite made it back into the five plate realm.  Were there a 4½ plate rating available to grant, and in the deluxe category methinks there is a good argument for such fine tuning on the rating side, Amanzi would have it.  Until that time, this deluxe restaurant falls gets the (very good) four plate rating.
Deluxe restaurant
4 Plates
Expect to spend  $45 to $50 per head

Amazing ambience at Amanzi
We were fortunate enough to be given the chance to kick start the “Cheeseman Restaurant Reviews” for the remainder of 2008, which due to the exceedingly interesting times in which we currently live, had to be suspended for a short while.  However as reviewers, we are all back with a vengeance – ready, waiting and of course willing.  As luck had it I was given Amanzi to review, one of our local De Luxe Restaurants along the Enterprise Road in Highlands. A very convenient location with secure parking facilities.

We arrived to the throbbing sounds of a generator and plenty of lights amidst an otherwise blanket of darkness surrounding Amanzi. Fortunately for us they have an alternative source to ZESA. Amanzi must have one of the most beautiful gardens in Harare with lush green grass, prolific plants and of course an amazing waterfall that tinkles away in the darkness. The outside verandah area is well lit with beautifully laid tables and lights – so attractive and very romantic. I did book a table for two outside, however our weather has been a bit erratic over the last couple of days and the nights have turned chilly. We opted for a table inside. Our hostess was very welcoming and quite willing to change our booking. Amanzi’s décor is very warm and welcoming with lovely rustic and terracotta colours. The first small room of the Restaurant has been given over to paintings by what I assume to be local artists – all very good I might add. The bar was quiet that night and we chose to go straight to our table, which again carried the same warms colours as the walls. The tables are nicely laid and of course they have these wonderful wine glasses which can hold anything up to a half bottle of wine! 

We ordered a couple of drinks from our waiter and requested the wine list. The drinks and the wine list arrived promptly. The wine list was very good with a vast selection – A House Wine, followed by a choice Cullemborg, Rooiberg, Excelsior, Viljoendrift, Du Toitskloof, Meerlust, Bullers, Hollicks, Morgenhof - a great selection of whites 2007/2008, reds 2005/2006 as well as some sparkling wines were available.  We opted for the Joostenberg Shiraz/Merlot 2006. Our eager waiter brought our welcome Extravaganza Platter before we had opened our wine or the menu.  As I most certainly didn’t want rushed the meal, I explained that the remainder should be conducted at a more leisurely pace. Our waiter took this slightly to the other extreme when we waited nearly thirty minutes for our main course….

The menu consists of a welcoming Platter – The Extravaganza Platter – King Prawn, Pineapple and Haloumi Kebabs, Beef Kebabs, King Prawn Toasts, 5 Spice Bream (this is a Chinese spice), Duck Spring Rolls, Caramelized Sweet Potato Teriyaki Sauce, Sweet Chilli Sauce and Hummus. My apologies if I do not get the descriptions quite right – it is very difficult to write anything down when doing these reviews without being spotted, and therefore I have to rely on my failing memory as well as my husband’s! The platter is very attractive, however we both found the sauces to be a bit lacking in taste – not quite enough oomph I would say. The chilli could have been sweeter with a bigger bite and the hummus a little bit more garlicky.  The teriyaki was the better of the three. The “King” Prawn – definitely lacking in stature.

The next course is a choice of Six Soups – all sounding delicious – Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach,  Chicken and Sweetcorn, etc. I choose the Laksa (and here I have failed to remember the rest) - a Noodle, Chicken and Seafood Soup topped with Coriander and my husband choose the Chicken Pepper (a fiery soup). Both soups proved to be very tasty, but again lacking in just that little bit extra – the Laksa came without the Seafood and Coriander and when I pointed this out to our waiter he spoke to the Chef and I was immediately given a few prawns to add to my soup – still minus the coriander however.

For our main courses – I chose to keep things simple – actually, I believe the simpler the food, often the harder to please the customer!  I opted for the Medium/Rare Char-Grilled Sirloin with Béarnaise Sauce.  I have yet to come across a Béarnaise that is made correctly in Harare. Again to my dismay I was proved right – I had a dollop of butter and apparently egg yolks according to our waiter on the side of my plate.  This sauce has caused me some serious stress in the past, it is the most delightful of sauces to serve with a steak if done correctly – I have researched this sauce, going from Woolworth’s cookbooks to Escoffier’s Guide to Modern Cookery and the recipe is as follows for those who are interested:

BEARNAISE SAUCE
80mls white wine vinegar, 2 chopped spring onions and 2 tsps of chopped tarragon (use dried if necessary). Put these into a pan and boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture has reduced by a third. Cool and then strain the liquid into a double boiler or place in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Add 2 egg yolks and whisk until mixture is thick and pale and then add 125g of cubed butter, cube by cube to the eggs and vinegar still whisking all of the time until the mixture is thick and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.…..and there you have it!  

The Sirloin however was indeed medium/rare, and tender, and served with Sauté Potatoes and Crunchy Stir-Fried Veg.  My husband chose to go for the Oxtail with 5 Spice, Ginger and Garlic. This was delicious. Tender and full of flavour and served with Creamed Potatoes and some crunchy stir-fried vegetables.

The main courses cater to all needs from Vegetarian Dishes – a Coconut and Butternut Curry,  Fish – both trout and bream, to Meat – pork, lamb and beef – a good selection with the added addition of tasty fusion ingredients.

Desserts were kept simple and to the point – I had the Fruit Sundae and my husband had the Honeycomb Ice Cream served with a Brandy Snap – his was the nicer of the two. The Honeycomb Ice Cream was delicious – now this was full of flavour and oh so creamy, very morish. The Fruit Sundae was a bit predictable and could definitely have been done with a bit of a twist on the norm I think.

My overall opinion of Amanzi was a little mixed – it is without a doubt a lovely restaurant, very pleasing on the eye, a great location, and with a wonderful ambience. The food is good with generally some lovely twists on the mixing of flavours and produce, however there was a certain something I found to be missing in some of the dishes – the sort of perfectionism and really serious flare that one expects in a restaurant of this calibre, perhaps.  Is Amanzi passionate about food – or not?
De Luxe Restaurant
4 Plates