Published by the government of Zimbabwe
24 November 2007
opinion
Harare — I work and spend most of my time in the central business district. Not surprisingly, most of my restaurant reviews so far have been confined to the city centre.
And with the price of petrol these days, it takes the rich and famous to enjoy a scrumptious meal away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
This week I decided to move away from the city centre for a change, and settled for the Millers Restaurant at Ballantyne Shopping Centre in the leafy suburb of Borrowdale. Once upon a time, there existed a restaurant by the name Wombles. But over the years, standards fell and with them the patronage. It was time for a complete makeover and a new name - Millers Restaurant.
It reopened its doors recently. And as a budding food connoisseur, I did not want to miss out on this new dining experience. So off I went to get a feel of this new, stylish and laid-back restaurant. On arrival at Millers Restaurant, I was fascinated by the two fountains facing each other at the entrance as well as the neat flowerbeds.
The interior is furnished in deep wood furniture which exudes olde worlde charm. There is something special and inviting about the rustic theme of the restaurant. A smartly dressed waiter ushered me to my table and handed me the menu. Since I have gotten used to the idea that menus are now just a part of the decorin most restaurants I asked him what was on offer. To my surprise, he told to choose whatever I wanted from the menu card in front of me as everything was available. To whet my appetite I chose chicken livers from a wide variety of starters and I had it with a crispy, freshly home-baked roll with butter. The chicken livers were lightly grilled in a garlic and peri-peri sauce and served with melba toast.
Millers Restaurant can serve up to a de luxe five-course meal and has a wide array of all meats and beverages ranging from steaks, chicken, pork, seafood, various whiskies and wines and more. Among the appetisers listed on the menu are Millers Carpaccio, comprising of thinly sliced seared fillet drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar served with shaved parmesan. The favourite, Escargot, is half a dozen snails cooked in garlic and parsley butter or smothered with garlic and blue cheese sauce.
Other appetisers include Kiwi mussels, Inhassora Calamari, Mozambican prawns and soup of the day. Prices range from $4 million to $6 million. Soon after I finished my appetiser I was served the main meal that I had selected from the portion of the menu called Millers Farm -- Chivhu Peri-Peri chicken. This, I must confess, is the best chicken I have eaten in ages. The chicken is flame-grilled after being marinated in the restaurant's famous peri-peri sauce.
When I placed my order, I was under the impression I would be served small chicken pieces. I was mistaken, because I got more than I had bargained for. The Chivhu Peri-Peri chicken is actually a full baby chicken. It was an early Christmas treat for me. Out of curiosity I pored over the menu to find out what else Millers had to offer. There is the Gokwe chicken, which is described as a succulent chicken breast stuffed with bacon, cheese and garlic, crumbled and deep fried; Stapleford spare ribs and Eisbien, a 1,2kg of pork shank cooked in cider and roasted till crisp served with mash, sauerkraut and mustard.
Also on the main course is Ruorka Oxtail, Mamba's lamb curry and vegetable platter comprised of baked potato topped with sautéed mushrooms, smothered in cheese and served with a fresh selection of vegetables of the day. If you love fish, Millers has something for you, too. The wide selection includes calamari steaks, tiger bay prawn curry, prawns, Kanyemba kingklip and sushimi. All these meals are served with either French fries, baked or mashed potato and rice. But for these treats you must be prepared to part with between $5 million and $8 million.
The Millers Grill section offers the discerning diner Espetada dish, comprising 300g of grain-fed mature beef rubbed with coarse salt and char-grilled on a skewer and drizzled with garlic and bay leaf butter. Also on offer is Millers Gourmet burger, made up of a 250g pure burger beef topped with gherkins, two cheeses, bacon, onions and tomatoes. This is served with fries, baked or mashed potatoes or rice.
For salads there is Millers farm fresh salad, Greek salad and Roquefort salad.Children are obviously welcome at Millers Restaurant as evidenced by the Little Farmers' menu, designed specifically for children under 12. The young at heart can enjoy La Fordia spare ribs, crumbed chicken strips and chips, Millers hot dog with chips, mini pure beef burger with chips, Millers home-made ice cream and chocolate sauce and a variety of milkshakes.
Millers also has a safe play area for children that is equipped with almost every imaginable playground facility. The hyperactive little ones can have fun while Mom and Dad enjoy their meal. I finished off my lunch with Millers home-made ice cream - vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce poured on top. Rum and chocolate mousse, Cappucino panacotta, crème Brulee, mini fruit pavlova and chocolate fondat are also part of the wide choice on the dessert menu. The nightcaps menu comprises Irish coffee, Tia Maria coffee, Allesveloren port, Boplaas port, Sandeman, De Krans, Amarula Don Pedro, Irish Don Pedro, De Krans-Cape Tawny Port and many more.
If you want to have either lunch or dinner with your loved ones, friends and family in style then Millers Restaurant is the place to be. I guarantee you will fall in love with it at first sight and the delicious food is worth every cent.
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