Plates of lekker flavour in east

MOZAMBIK EASTGATE: AFFORDABLE CHICKEN, PRAWNS

A restaurant you’ll want to ‘do lunch’ and then return with the family for supper.

Mall restaurants are not always destination eateries. Often it’s a convenience dine, or a fast-food in and out while shopping or taking a break from your desk.

Every now and then, though, a restaurant appears on the radar that’s more than just centre convenience, but rather a spot you would “do lunch” at and return for dinner, this time with the family.

It is that good.

In times like these, it’s safety that counts and while Mozambik in Eastgate Mall follows regulations, added screens set up between tables and walking spaces really go a long way toward a greater level of comfort.

Manager Jayson Naidoo is continually masked up, along with his crew of friendly staff.

It’s not often a manager takes such interest in his customers and visibly visits every table personally.

The Mozambik chain of restaurants offers an extensive menu, mostly Portuguese-ish with a hint of Mozambican flavour.

The main fare is chicken and prawns, but you’ll find some steak, ribs and the odd vegetarian option on the menu, too.

Mozambik has become wellknown for its sauces, from periperi variants and lemon butter through to its signature belene sauce.

One thing is for sure, at Mozambik Eastgate you should arrive hungry.

The portions are generous and surprisingly reasonably priced.

We headed straight for main course and took a vegetarian option for a test drive.

The vegetable curry is probably one of the finest I have tasted.

It is paired with rice, somehow infused with invisible coconut. You cannot see it, but oh, boy, you can taste it.

The curry is distinctly different and reminds of the nuttiness and mild heat of a West-African curry. It’s got a bit of zing, but not really an eina.

Chicken peri-peri is available in mild, medium, or hot and a deboned option is available.

Go for the medium for a more robust taste.

It’s hotish but Mozambik has successfully gone beyond the hairon-the-chest flamethrowing but flavourless sauce and created a moreish rush of palette-pleasing yum. Have it with chips and douse them in even more sauce. The same peri-peri sauce will make your prawns sing, too.

But an absolute piece-de-resistance – well there are two, really – would be Mozambik’s Prawn belene starter.

Naidoo’s passion for his job and the restaurant is infectious.

He says there is not a customer who comes in he does not want to meet.

“Even though we are all masked up and socially distanced, it is immensely pleasing to see a smile behind it all and, more than anything, to see how they enjoy their meals.”

The consequence of the current ban on alcoholic beverages means meal pairing comprises a fruit juice or a soft drink. Look out for the virgin cocktails – who would have thought that juices and syrups mixed without a kick can still be delicious!

And Mozambik Eastgate offers a reasonable kids’ menu.