There are 2 things I believe really give you a taste and sense of a foreign country i’ve discovered and consequently swear by through all the countries I’ve lived in and visited. Those two things are watching/listening to local television/radio and eating from roadside or informal establishments. Although the term “authentic” sometimes makes me cringe as it purports expertise determined outside of the context of what it describes, doing that ensures experiencing a country’s authenticity and pulse. Yes state/national television and radio sometimes have very strong agenda’d biases and can be used to generate propaganda, but for the most part they provide a window into what shapes and informs the citizens' sense of statehood and nationality. I won’t focus on that too much and get to the meat of the matter or at least this post. Neither will I get into how Zimbabwe isn't really a "foreign country [to me]" - Diaspora identity conflict things....
Coming into or driving out of Bulawayo in a neighborhood called Kingdale there is a very short strip mall comprised of about 2 or 3 establishments. One is a bar, the other is a club attached to the bar and the last is a [makeshift] butchery. Beside the building is a huge shed where most of the cars are parked and emanating from this structurally basic “shelter” is the aroma of fresh grilling beef and sadza! This whole place is called 747! On the day I went there, cars were parked around it and blasting varieties of music despite the near sub-zero temperatures that are a Zimbabwean winter night. People were drinking and dancing outside like it wasn’t a thing but a chicken wing!
The place has a very DIY feel to it! There is a barrier and a gateman upon entry who checked to make sure people weren’t committing BYOB and threatening the bottom line of the bottle/liquor store on the premises. We got in there and parked our car where we saw fit. Switching it and the sound system off was optional, but at our own risk of course. From there we went to the butchery and took our pick of meats - ours was steak (3kg) and about half a meter of boerewors. We were then asked if we had our own plates or if we needed some. Since we didn't, we had to put down a deposit of 3 Rands (yes things in Zim are bought in either US dollars or South African rands mostly) or something and we would get that back upon returning them. Pam and I knew we wanted the meat and sadza we were ordering para GO so we paid the deposit knowing we were not getting it back...gangstas we are!
(trick to season and get the flames excited is to fefeza [=sprinkle] the meat with some Stoney Ginger Beer and there sits the pot of sadza cooking right there]
(turning the meat around is our informal chef in all her majesty as cold as it was outside)
One thing I greatly appreciate about going to joints like this is that the food is guaranteed fresh! Bulawayo is a very small city with an equally small population. Going to a fine stand alone restaurant or one in a hotel or something might/could mean eating food that was pre-prepared earlier in the day and simply reheated. Either that or, if it's cooked fresh, waiting an unbearably long time and not even seeing what the standards are behind the scenes. Here, as simple as the set up was, what you get is what you see - fire, food and fun!
It was scrumptious and I sure will be going back as long as that place stands every single time i'm in the City of Kings! You should too and you can't miss it if you are headed into or out of the city via the airport.
*@afropolitaine*
Coming into or driving out of Bulawayo in a neighborhood called Kingdale there is a very short strip mall comprised of about 2 or 3 establishments. One is a bar, the other is a club attached to the bar and the last is a [makeshift] butchery. Beside the building is a huge shed where most of the cars are parked and emanating from this structurally basic “shelter” is the aroma of fresh grilling beef and sadza! This whole place is called 747! On the day I went there, cars were parked around it and blasting varieties of music despite the near sub-zero temperatures that are a Zimbabwean winter night. People were drinking and dancing outside like it wasn’t a thing but a chicken wing! The place has a very DIY feel to it! There is a barrier and a gateman upon entry who checked to make sure people weren’t committing BYOB and threatening the bottom line of the bottle/liquor store on the premises. We got in there and parked our car where we saw fit. Switching it and the sound system off was optional, but at our own risk of course. From there we went to the butchery and took our pick of meats - ours was steak (3kg) and about half a meter of boerewors. We were then asked if we had our own plates or if we needed some. Since we didn't, we had to put down a deposit of 3 Rands (yes things in Zim are bought in either US dollars or South African rands mostly) or something and we would get that back upon returning them. Pam and I knew we wanted the meat and sadza we were ordering para GO so we paid the deposit knowing we were not getting it back...gangstas we are!
(trick to season and get the flames excited is to fefeza [=sprinkle] the meat with some Stoney Ginger Beer and there sits the pot of sadza cooking right there]
(turning the meat around is our informal chef in all her majesty as cold as it was outside)
One thing I greatly appreciate about going to joints like this is that the food is guaranteed fresh! Bulawayo is a very small city with an equally small population. Going to a fine stand alone restaurant or one in a hotel or something might/could mean eating food that was pre-prepared earlier in the day and simply reheated. Either that or, if it's cooked fresh, waiting an unbearably long time and not even seeing what the standards are behind the scenes. Here, as simple as the set up was, what you get is what you see - fire, food and fun!
It was scrumptious and I sure will be going back as long as that place stands every single time i'm in the City of Kings! You should too and you can't miss it if you are headed into or out of the city via the airport.
*@afropolitaine*
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