CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:
I cannot recall an experience as this in recent memory where I walked out of a health food type place with so much of culinary satisfaction. The health drink (carrot, cucumber and ginger) was enjoyable and tasty and the lasagne was tad better than your best home made ‘aunt’s’ lasagne. The service could be a bit more warm. It was like walking into an old aunt’s place (not your favorite aunt) for a quick meal. Whenever I need a healthy meal fix, this ‘aunt’ can expect a visit. Not a hug, but I wish the ‘aunt’ would give me a smiling welcome the next time around. Other than the welcome aspect, the place had a charming, endearing feel to it. Arividerchi, Zia Suzanne, for now.
PREFACE:
I had passed by The Village Shop on many an occasion; sometimes just passing by and at other times on my way to the coffee shop, next door. Each time, I made a promise to myself that I would check out this place and I kept procrastinating; that is, until now.
AMBIANCE:
The establishment is located in a narrow alleyway alongside the compound wall of St. Peter’s Church in Chimbai. The road that leads to the establishment was being repaired on the day I visited. A bit of an inconvenience; but I trundled along. There are steps and also a special access into the restaurant. In the restaurant there is an alfresco area surrounded by pleasant greenery in the form of potted plants. Inside, past a glass door, there are two small tables with two chairs each just beside and on each side of the dessert counter in an air-conditioned setup. The alfresco area, my preferred spot, was all filled up, so I chose to sit inside in the air-conditioned area on one of the two small tables. As I looked around, I experienced the quaintness of the place and looking out of the French windows into the patio/alfresco area, I could not help noticing how charming the place was. A two thumbs up for ambiance.
ORDERING PROCESS:
A bit after I seated myself, I had to get the waitperson’s attention to get a hold of the menu. Stepping in, I noticed a chalkboard on the steps with the daily specials. The menu is crisp and should be a health food patron’s haven. The menu was laden with a whole bunch of healthy fare. There was a breakfast section (all day breakfast, I assume), then there were Soups, Salads, Sandwiches and Appetizers, Pizzas, a good selection of Entrees and some healthy Beverages – hot teas and coffee included (yes, they also had filter coffee). The final page was a treat for dessert lovers. After much internal deliberation, I went for the Carrot, Cucumber and Ginger drink and the Suzanne’s Lasagne.
FARE VERDICT:
The beverage came in after a wait. The beverage was this expected muddied orange color. There was a scallion stem garnish; all of which had the banner ’healthy’ written all over it. One sip and I ceded what the fuss was all about: the drink was as earthy and refreshing as it looked – and it represented equally the flavors of the carrot, cucumber and ginger; the scallion stem garnish was a bonus. The only word of caution would be: do not let the drink sit around for long. The contents separate and there is a clear lime-colored liquid that settles to the bottom after a while. So, don’t nurse the drink inordinately.
Suzanne’s Lasagne made its debut after a teaser of fifteen minutes; Of course, I was told of the delay since the dish had to be baked. The presentation was picture perfect. The plating was aesthetic: the lasagne was in one quadrant and the other had a bunch of rocket salad leaves, some watercress stems with a sprinkle of pomegranate arils all drizzled with a light oil. The oil was clear so it did not appear to be olive oil. The cheese atop the lasagne appeared brownish (probaby burn marks from the baking), which, on the face of it, is not a bad thing. However, when my knife made contact, there was a bit of a pushback; it appeared that the cheese was twice baked and got crispy on the outside in the process. The stuffing was phenomenal; there were layers of mushroom, bell peppers, zucchini and spinach -mingled with a right proportion of cheese to render a smooth,velvety finish. The layered pasta seemed home-made and they were perfectly al dente. The cheese was good but being twice baked may have gotten somewhat crisp on the outside layer – minor detail.
Overall, food was remarkable and gets a whole-hearted two thumbs up!
SERVICE:
Service was just functional. There was no warm and fuzzy hospitality. The order taking was matter of fact. The response to my lasagne order was a bit weird: a fifteen-minute delay was announced, again, vey matter-of-fact. No sure if it was intended to be that way, but the service was like Ikea furniture – barely functional. There was no inquiry in between my meal – either to ask about the quality of my meal or if I needed anything else. No, there was nothing rude about it – just not warm. For that reason, service gets a bare thumbs up.
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