Zimbabwe: Meikles Hotel Gets Ready for Summer

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Financial Gazette (Harare)

7 August 2008
Posted to the web 8 August 2008

Charlotte Malakoff
Harare

JASMINE and sweet peas are in bloom, the first russet leaves of the msasa have appeared, and urban farmers are tying up stooks of last year's maize plants, sure signs that chilly winter nights are numbered, and spring is approaching.

Fashion designers will be presenting sketches of sundresses, shorts and swim wear, while the thoughts of chefs and food fanatics turn to seasonal favourites such as spring lamb, asparagus and corn on the cob.

At Meikles Hotel, uber-chef Chris Gonzo has just launched a creative spring and summer menu offering an exciting range of classic, exotic and elegantly simple dishes.

Chef Gonzo, an avid reader, keeps up to date with the latest trends in food styles and flavours. If there is a quiet moment in the afternoons, he will page through the South African entertaining magazine Food and Home, while the pile of cookery books on his bedside table provides relaxing late-night reading.

Last week an enthusiastic band of food writers and food hounds was invited to the Chef's Table for a tasting menu based on Chef Gonzo's latest creations.

Unlike the fashionable 'molecular gastronomy' popularised by Ferran Adria at El Bulli in Spain, and Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck in England, Gonzo's food is honest and prepared using traditional methods.

Rather than using liquid nitrogen and enzymes to prepare caviar-flavoured ice cream or serving porridge with snails, Gonzo's ingredients are recognisable and his dishes familiar.

One of the cold appetisers on offer, beef carpaccio, was outstandingly delicious. Simplicity in itself, thin slivers of prime Zimbabwean beef dressed with olive oil, black pepper and Parmesan cheese, created the perfect starter. Smoked chicken salad with caramelised pecan nuts on rocket and lettuce with balsamic vinegar and olive oil had the fresh taste of spring.

The fish terrine with prawn and citrus garnish, however, was disappointingly gritty, and lacked the velvety texture usually achieved by Meikles' cooks. Cappuccino of butternut soup, while elegantly presented, had no recognisable flavour, and I abandoned it after the first sip.

Entrees and grills included superb beef fillet steak with pepper sauce. The £14 beef steak I ate in Stoke Newington last month was nowhere near as good as the prime Zimbabwean beef prepared by Chef Gonzo, and its pale, slightly sweetish pepper sauce looked ghostly in comparison with Meikles' rich, full-bodied sauce.

Pork schnitzel topped with home made sauerkraut, apples and raisins, was delicious, as was coriander-crusted chicken breast with a lemon grass and white wine reduction. Vivid green spinach parcels of cauliflower, carrots and Parmesan cheese were tasty.

Restaurateur Ferran Adria likes to compare the artistry of his food to Picasso, which is probably why Chef Gonzo's delicious dessert omelette of fresh fruits served with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce reminded me of a painting by Jackson Pollock.

Served with a flourish, the ice cream skidded artistically through the hot chocolate sauce, replicating the brush strokes of the famous American artist.

Given the current difficulty of sourcing produce in Zimbabwe today, Chef Gonzo's enticing new menu offers many delicious options. Disappointed broad bean, artichoke and asparagus junkies can turn their attention to a variety of many other seasonal vegetables, and a succulent sirloin steak is a very acceptable alternative to a plate of spring lamb chops.

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