Dining in Windhoek

Lloyd Zandberg
@1humblepalate



The Market Café

Housed at the Food Lover’s Market in Maerua mall, The Market Café embodies three essential elements to a great dining experience; fresh produce, great food and one of the most sort after aspects of dining out, great service. Store manager Faith says she reiterates the importance of good service with her entire team, as that is the only way customers are guaranteed to return. “Great service is what we want to be known for, and if you have a ‘not so pleasing’ experience, please feel free to get in touch with us. We are here to serve you. That’s where it all begins,” she says.

The café in itself has three essential offerings. A buffet option that allows you to select whatever you want to eat for a sit down or as a takeaway if you’re in a rush, a sushi station sporting the best in seafood and a sit down ‘à la carte’ option.

Choice remains your mortal enemy when you stand face to face with a great buffet. The buffet station stocks a wide variety of meats and salads, accompanied by different starches to give you a complete meal. The preparation of the food is different every other day, ensuring that each time you return, the battle with yourself begins, all over again. The biggest surprise lies in the set menu. With seafood, steaks, poultry and vegetarian options alike, you are guaranteed to find something you will definitely enjoy. For breakfast, order a standard breakfast or get the breakfast tower; a beautiful monstrosity, guaranteed to get your day going. The bacon tramezzini served with fries is a popular day starter or for lunch.

The rump steak with mushroom sauce, served with a fresh Greek salad is a delectable and filling lunch option. The steak is served sizzling, prepared to order and, because the Food Lover’s Market has its own butchery in-store, the meat and veggies are as fresh as can be, and are available at a fraction of the cost. Too afraid to get too full? Pack it up, and steal a bite ever so often at the office, to see you through the afternoon.

Undercover Tip: The buffet station is restocked at around 12 p.m, to allow for the lunch rush. Getting your food then, as this means there is more still available for selection. Ask for an early lunch from work, and bring back a bite for your boss.

Panarotti’s

Set on the upper level, Panarotti’s recently got a facelift and rebrand, in a bid to assert itself as the ultimate Italian pizzeria in Windhoek. The new restaurant is more open, inviting, and has the great aroma of wood-fired pizza, filling the immediate vicinity. Focused on family dining, the menu, which is also currently undergoing a makeover, has options that cater to all members of the family, save the furry bunch.

Panarotti’s new menu will see new additions to the available pizza options, with some of the favorite pasta dishes staying put. A new addition is the biltong pizza, a truly Namibian culinary experience that fuses a few quintessential elements that we enjoy; biltong, chutney and fire. The biltong is shaved thin, to ensure it is not too chewy, and is marinated in a ‘house-made’ chutney sauce, before being prepared in the wood-fired oven. This pizza is guaranteed to be a big hit with the young and the old alike. Another great option to enjoy is the current Panarotti’s special which has pineapple, ham, salami, mushrooms and olives, on a thin crusted base, topped with mozzarella cheese. The jury is still out though, on whether pineapple belongs on a pizza, but with a pizza that has avo, bacon and banana, this is definitely not the wildest pizza option the restaurant has.

Apart from the pizzas, the restaurant is famed for its traditional pastas, and also coming to the new menu is the chicken cob salad, which is a bountiful mix of shredded chicken breast, crispy bacon, mushrooms, rocket, cucumber, carrot, tomatoes and avo, all married together with a tangy vinaigrette. This in itself can be a meal, but works as a great sharing side, as it comes in two sizes: individual and large.

Store head Wynand, stated the restaurant wants to make simple food great. “Our location works great especially with people visiting the cinema. We do have a lot to offer, and as the night progresses, our customers dive into our signature cocktails like the top selling ‘Galaxy’.” The Galaxy of which he speaks of, is a cocktail of vodka, blue curacao, triple sec, and strawberry juice, guaranteed to give your dining experience quite a buzz.

Undercover Tip: Order the Monstrous special and choose any four of your favorite meat toppings from a list of 12 possibilities.

@1humblepalate is a food blog that reviews food, beverage and lifestyle experiences in Namibia. Visit us on Instagram, Facebook and on 1humblepalate.wordpress.com

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Republikein 2024-11-24

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