There is nothing quite as magical and fulfilling as appreciating and celebrating the various cultures that not only make up this diverse country but our global community. On March 12, 2016, Events for Africa hosted their 3rd edition of their annual “Indian Arabian Night” at Queen of Hearts Cafe in Newlands here in Harare.
With the first 2 editions having been held in the City of Kings, Bulawayo, this year the organisers decided to spice things up and hold the event in Harare, the Sunshine City.
The event offerings included an exciting line up of a three course meal, belly dancing and henna painting. True to Middle Eastern fashion, I adorned myself with my best embroidered Kaftan for a night of Indian and Arabian delights.
As I entered Queen of Hearts Cafe, I was welcomed with a warm smile and a delicious sweet Indian rose mocktail (recommended for those with a sweet tooth). The warm lights immediately caught my attention, the marquee in the cafe garden and seating area transformed into a magical Arabian venue.
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The decor was magical as it successfully fused oriental details from lanterns, fabric draping, fairy lights, and shisha/hookah pipes in a beautifully arranged lounge area with detailed scattered cushions reminiscent of traditional Middle Eastern decor.
The shisha lounge led to the main section which included intimate dinner tables arranged around the iconic Queen of Hearts fountain. The green, blue and red lighting certainly added to the ambiance and created a traditional Arabian palace.
The event was attended by a diverse group of guests that mostly dressed in the theme of the night with looks ranging from Hijabs, Saris and trendy hair accessories.
Upon taking my seat the friendly staff served the starters which included koftas and samoosas served on a platter with a tasty coriander chutney.
The starters were followed by the first dance performance of the night which comprised of two talented belly dancers in costume who articulately moved their bodies to the beat. The vibrant performance set an exciting tone for an evening of entertainment. It was also refreshing to observe belly dancing as this genre is rare on the local entertainment calendar.
After some fascinating abdominal and torso movements, dinner was served. The menu boasted pilau rice, butter chicken, naan bread and a vegetable curry. Now, I do love to try a little of everything and so I did. My favourites were the naan bread and butter chicken. The naan bread was the perfect texture and easy to break. While the Butter chicken was the right level of spicy and not too overpowering with the chilli as some may fear or desire.
The beautiful aroma and flavours associated with Indian cuisine came through the mains. If I was not in a white Kaftan, I would have ditched the fork and knife for my good old hands which is how traditional Indian food is consumed.
The cherry on top would have been one or two chutney variations to go with the mango chutney provided. Nevertheless, the butter chicken and naan bread were fulfilling, simple yet flavourful.
The last half of the night consisted of some henna art also known as Mehndi where female guests were pampered to beautiful henna design painting on their hands and arms. The hookah lounge also came to life, the scent of the flavoured tobacco pipes filled up the lounge as friends chatted away. Oriental and commercial songs kept guests entertained as the DJ blended a diverse range of songs.
Thereafter, dessert was served and what a treat it was! The presentation was creative and appealing as the chefs beautifully placed the chocolate samoosas and rose flavoured phirni (rice based creamy dessert) complimented by a garnish of rose petals and icing sugar.
The chocolate samoosas where a treat and went well with the rose phirini. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the sweet dessert samoosas in comparison to the savoury samoosas that were served as starters. The final dance performance of the night was a number with Bollywood-inspired moves.
The night ended with an intimate and warm vibe in the shisha lounge as guests chatted, sipped their drinks and smoked shisha.
The cultural experience was fulfilling and I look forward to not just more of these nights, but also to experiencing more celebrations of local and international cultural traditions. While we may have different traditions, we all smile in the same language! Thank you to Events for Africa and Queen of Heart for some happy smiles.
