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I’D heard people in the know say that — when it finally opened –– 360º would be totally stunning.
But the last time I bumped into one of the owners: Charlotte Eckard –– having lunch at Olive with her dad, Dave Benning, the formerly Zimbabwe-based pan-African hospitality consultant, now working from Mauritius –– she thought the new Borrowdale bar and grill would “be lucky” to be open by the Christmas rush.
I left it at that until, at Lorrie Enders’ of the US Embassy’s Christmas lunch at Groombridge, I heard the attractive wife of Lieutenant-Colonel Ron Miller (no relation), American military attaché, say that the previous night she’d eaten (at 360˚) the absolute finest steak of her life.
Now that’s some recommendation, coming from a gal who’s presumably had a fair share of corn-fed Nebraskan beef.
The reason 360˚s steaks are remarkably good is that each beast is selected by their tame butcher: Matabeleland grass-fed prime animals of export quality, slaughtered in prime condition; dry-aged for up to 28 days: hanging on the bone in humidity-controlled cold rooms on-site.
It’s a dear process: capital tied up three or four weeks at a time until the beef reaches perfection and during the process, in which the nyama reaches optimum juicy tenderness with intensified flavours, loses 30%-35% of original weight.
Pure perfection
As I’ve been off steaks for months I must take Memsahib Miller’s word that the 300g rib-eye steak she relished at US$24 was pure perfection on a plate.
Rump steaks are US$18 and US$20 for 200g and 300g respectively, as are sirloins (the butcher’s best kept secret). Nyama comes with thin-cut French fries, sautéed garlic courgettes and crispy onion rings.
There’s a wide range of sides, sauces and salsas at US$2 a pop, including Café de Paris butter with its 29 ingredients, Argentinean chimichurri (fresh parsley, coriander, garlic and olive oil); Italian salsa verde (parsley, capers, anchovy, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil); Sicilian salmoriglio, with fresh oregano, parsley, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil.
Bad news for soupaholics like me, is they don’t do one! I’d have loved to have tried virtually all starters, especially air-cured Spanish Serrano ham with glazed figs, Assiago cheese, fresh rocket, toasted bruschetta and olive oil at US$10 or duo of springbok and kudu carpaccio, smoked, with Parmesan cheese, fresh rocket and olive oil at US$8, same price as cured duck breast en croúte with French loaf, home-made orange marmalade and micro-greens.
I opted for salmon ceviché: thinly sliced lime-cured Scottish salmon, light soya sauce, fresh chili, pickled cucumber ribbons with lime and coriander dressing, which was like having the ocean on the table at US$10. Appetiser menu peaks at US$12 for seared calamari and prawns: flash-fried in salt and pepper with garlic butter, fresh chilli, ginger, Sicilian salmoriglio on a crusty baguette.
By the way, all breads are home-baked and a rounded cottage-style crusty loaf is delivered to the table (a la the much missed DV8) with fearsome bread knife, cutting board, olive oil and “dukkah”, an Egyptian speciality featuring crushed toasted, seasoned, pistachios and almonds.
Very moreish: slice –– or tear off a lump — of the lovely, still slightly warm, moist, loose-crumbed, crispy crusted bread, dip in oil, swirl round the aromatic dukkah and the Arab Spring’s in Borrowdale in Central Africa’s high summer!
No steaks for me, neither beef nor venison (kudu on Tuesday lunch) at US$24 for 250g; or racks of pork ribs with smoky barbecue sauce and chips (US$16 and US$20).
Rabbit samoosas
I chose pan-seared kingklip with vanilla prawn butter, mixed green salad and delicious halved baby new spuds at US$16. It was either that or salmon fettuccine (US$12)…or meze platter of grilled chorizo, salami, Serrano ham, shaved Parmesan, glazed figs, rabbit samoosas, marinated roasted peppers and crusty baguette(US$16); or Moroccan salad, at US$12.
Eating is indoors in spectacular surroundings, with well designed acoustics allowing private conversations to remain so. I enjoyed music of the 60s-90s played at a discreet level on a sophisticated sound system, but background music isn’t every punter’s cup of tea. Or eat outdoors (it was cooler in) against a stunning backdrop of dramatic waterfalls in a painstakingly manicured garden.
The amazing interior was designed by a specialist from Cape Town. Executive chef Thomas Grove (34), on his way back from Kariba as I ate, was head-hunted from award winning five-star fine dining establishment Auberge, Sandton City.
New to Zimbabwe: most wines are available by bottle or glass. Karl Eckard told me he’s imported the latest wine preserver unit from London and even sparkling wines and pukkah French champagnes will keep bubbles and zing for several days after opening.
Moet et Chandon Imperial Brut is US$100 a bottle and US$20 a glass; chardonnays and sauv-blancs from US$4 a glass US15/US$16 a bottle; rosés US$5/US$18; reds are US$5 to US$18 a glass, US$16-US$70 a bottle.
Puddings are US8-US$10 and from the upper end of that, I chose a flavoursome caramelised apple tart with cinnamon crème Anglais which simply melted in the mouth.
360º opened on December 17, just as most of their major opposition outlets had –– for reasons best known to themselves –– shut for up to a month for Christmas. It’s been pumping since.
Currently they serve lunch (12-3) Tuesday to Sunday; supper (6-10) Monday to Saturday.
360º Bar and Grill is at 17-20, New Block (behind Spar) Borrowdale Village. (There was still no signage on Tuesday.) Reservations 853314/5 landline or 0772334960 (bubbly Nikki Cornish who meets, greets and seats very proficiently.)
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