Pairing food, wine at Tinkabell
IThe Epicurean T’s a well-known fact that wine is a great accompaniment to food. Many wine drinkers believe no meal is complete without t he combination of the two, while a great many diners take a glass or two of wine only when pairing it with a meal.
So it was great to have a food and wine pairing event last weekend for enthusiasts of cuisine and of the fruit of the grape, all hosted with style and much hospitality at Tinkabell restaurant in Ardbennie, in Harare’s southern suburbs. It was organised by the Grapevine wine group, but in common with many of the group’s events, it was open to the public at large. A great gathering of charming people was assembled to enjoy a Portuguese- themed meal and pair it with wines from the Iberian peninsula, set against the backdrop of a huge afternoon storm, bringing in some very welcome rain.
I have reported before in this column about Tinkabell, which is far from Harare’s northern suburbs and is all too often dismissed by diners from t hese areas as being ‘ too far away.’ I have always maintained that anyone doing so is missing out on one of the great culinary delights of Harare and I hope that folks in the southern suburbs realise they have culinary gem on their doorstep. Jasmine Fonseca, who owns t he restaurant with her husband, Rui, is an excellent chef and host, and events t here are a mix of excellence all round, from welcome and ambience, to food and entertainment.
The menu for t he day was an abridged a la carte one, with choices for all three courses. Starters were either chicken giblets in a spicy house sauce or Mozambican- style peri-peri chicken livers.
Both were superb and provided a suitable introduction to t he meal. Mains offered two very eye- pleasing choices: a combo of chicken and prawns, or a combo of chicken and t- bone steak.
I chose the former and was hugely impressed with the tastiness of the meats and accompanying Portuguese rice, and I was especially please to f ind the prawns delightfully fresh, almost as if we were dining at t he seaside.
Desserts are a must at Tinkabell, and I f i rmly believe t hat Jasmine is one of Harare’s most expert dessert-makers; everything she produces is just so superbly presented and tasty to the point of perfection.
The three choices that day were a Portuguese biscuit and cream dish called Maira’s Pudding, created uniquely by Jasmine, or crème caramel (always expected at Portuguese meals) or chocolate mousse. I chose the latter and was rewarded with a rich and f lavoursome creation that was an excellent topping to the meal.
Just before t he meal, t he guests enjoyed a tasting of four wines available in Harare; two were Portuguese and two were Spanish. The first was a Spanish cava, a sparkling wine that is the equivalent from Spain of French champagne, produced in exactly the same method, but in my books a far superior product.
This was a Brut (very dry) Clasico from Cordoniu, the world’s oldest and largest producer of bottle- fermented sparkling wine made in the champagne method, and tracing its roots to Barcelona in 1551. This was followed by one of the world’s most favoured Portuguese wines, a Mateus Rose.
Since f irst being produced back i n t he 1940s, t his has become less sweet a nd i s now described as medium- sweet, ref lecting changing tastes among consumers across the world. Fun fact about this wine: when Saddam Hussein’s palaces were opened up after his fall, it turned out the Iraqi dictator had a taste for it in a huge way and large quantities of Mateus Rose were found in every one of his palaces.
Then followed a Portuguese red: a JP Azeitao blend of syrah (or shiraz), castelao and Aragonez, three exceptional Portuguese grape varieties. Final tasting was of a Spanish red, a Torres Coronas tempranillo, featuring a slight infusion of cabernet sauvignon.
Of all the wines the latter was my favourite, a 2012 vintage that allowed this wine to give of its best. As I said, these are all available locally, the JP Azeitao coming from Paula’s Place in Highlands and the other three from Elixir, which now has two outlets – one each in Chisipite and Borrowdale. We had started with a welcome JC le Rouz sparkling red, and ended with a superb 1995 Overgaauw port- style Cape Vintage, both complimentary treats from Jasmine and Rui.
The luncheon once again highl ighted t he real marriage of taste between food and wine, and I know that more and more people are combing the two to gain enhanced satisfaction from each.
If any readers wish to get closer to the Grapevine wine group, see the contact details at the foot of this story and ask to know of upcoming events. Knowing more about wine and how to enjoy it best are key to this food and beverage synergy, as well as to responsible drinking when all too many over-indulge in all manner of strong beverages.
The afternoon at Tinkabell was a charming affair and it was great to enjoy our meal with such great company as Tariro Ndebele and Gertie Banda from the travel and tourism world, Lillian Mugwagwa, Jiten Shah and Tim Garrard from the food and beverage i ndustry, businessman Harry Tselentis and his group, as well as Claire Temporal- Reit from the Swiss embassy. Soul Train pro- vided a selection of popular and well- presented jazz and pop classics and managed to overcome the storm’s thunderous noise with their stylish performance.
Tinkabell is one of Zimbabwe’s most enjoyable and welcoming restaurants, with good cuisine at very reasonable prices; our spectacular meal and tasting was $ 40 per person, which is value for money by any standard.
It is open Monday to Saturday all day, with a lovely coffee shop offeri ng, and lunches l isted on a daily board through the afternoon, as well as a deli with food items and drinks to take home.
I t hink it is always best to book a table i n advance. It’s situated at 4 Upton Road i n Ardbennie, and directions can be given if you call. Telephone (024) 2 661697 or 2664547, or cell numbers 0774 532184 and 0772 735177.
Feedback is welcome and all you need do is e- mail comments and queries and ideas, or just plain feedback and even complaints, to aquarius@ iwayafrica. co. zw