Goodies in The Pantry
Michelle Phetlhe | Tuesday March 15, 2022 06:00
Mornings get super busy and so does knock off time with a lot of corporate foot traffic enjoying the variety of grab and go foods, the Pantry is perfectly located at the Avani Gaborone Resort and Casino; the biggest business hotel in Botswana, very central and accessible from all sides of the city, thus the convenience of the Grab and Go.
From a cultural standpoint, coffeehouses largely serve as a centre of social interaction: a coffeehouse provides patrons with a place to congregate, talk, read, write and interact with one another, or pass time, whether individually or in small groups.
There is a digital menu available, which is well aligned with precautions and protocols for COVID -19. Everything available on the day is put up in the shop for a visual appreciation, which is just the perfect thing because we eat with our eyes first. The Pantry is for the modern man and woman, it has been designed to function as a space for business, casual catch ups or solo dates to clear the mind. The décor is very inviting, airy, meticulous, clean and symmetrical, leaving you feeling very relaxed. One can draw inspiration from spending a little time at the coffee shop.
The Pantry opened its doors in 2017 and Chef Malik has been at the helm since. The young, vibrant, French speaking Motswana is an entirely passionate, well-travelled and seasoned Executive Pastry Chef whose experience and tenacity permeates in his vision for the food industry in Botswana.
As he took us through his menu the glimmer in his eye resonates his commitment to producing some of the finest fresh food daily as well as training his staff to be able to extend a standard of excellence.
Artisanal food encompasses breads, cheeses, fruit preserves, cured meats, beverages, oils, and vinegars that are made by hand using traditional methods by skilled craft workers known as food artisans. This is one of the many things that set The Pantry apart, as they offer some truly unique products. While taking in the space and enjoying a Lavazza Cappacino, I noticed a couple of local products on the shelves, AfriBites, Maungo Jam, local Tea and Honey that one can purchase for home use or as a gift. The Pantry supports the development of the local food market and plays their part in #PushaBw initiative by housing these brands.
The breads on the shelves are very attractive, Sour Dough Bread, Multi Seed Mix, and Ciabatta which in Italian means “Slipper” due to the shape of the bread resembling the house foot wear (I must say, Italians have a sense of humour).
All these breads can be purchased for home use or in bulk and used for the most amazing sandwiches, this is definitely where to go when you are looking for something a little fancier than a standard loaf, this is your plug for fresh bakes. All the breads are made from scratch, formulated and blended to give premium quality.
My guest and I both took some bread home and made sandwiches, nxu stru, you’d think we did a Grab and Go at The Pantry, the bread completely enhances and transforms the look and taste of whatever you put on it. The set menu is precise and versatile, catering to various tastes. A confectionary section with eight flavours of cupcakes on rotation, from safe vanilla to cappuccino as well as cinnamon & apple.
The cake selection makes it difficult to choose, I had to taste the carrot cake and I agree with the list making rounds, it is a comforting sized slice, it has a warm touch of spice and the cream cheese is not too sweet.
You can get fully immersed in this section although the idea is to grab and go...lol. All the food is made with fresh ingredients and this gives it that farm to table nous. The chicken wrap composition is just right, cut into chic bite size pieces, it is succulent with just the right amount of delicious complimentary sauce.
There is an assortment of ciabattinies, the Chicken Mayo and Cheese ciabattini (we had the toasted option) is amazing. It’s all in the bread! And the fillers or toppings combine flavours in an unmistakably contagious love language that your palate immediately becomes fluent in. My favourite dish was the Couscous salad with Salmon. I have heard great things about this Mediterranean super food and this was a pleasant first time experience. The salmon isn’t even the star of the dish and that says a lot about just how well this salad is prepared. Finely diced veggies, well-seasoned and a splash of lemon (which the Chef swears by), in his words; ‘a splash of lemon stimulates all other flavours’. Simply delicious.
In the food section my other guest had the Grilled Chicken and Mushroom Sauce Pasta. It was quite the experience to taste the food whilst the chef sat with us and this provided a platform for on the beat feedback. The mushroom sauce is the highlight of this dish as it is prepared to perfection.
Very subtle use of white pepper and a precise consistency, the sauce almost melts in your mouth and it blends well with the penne pasta. The Chicken is lightly grilled but has such a divine smokiness that just encourages every single bite and draws you back to the pasta to combine the flavours for yourself; it’s a culinary dance that lets you know that you will want the experience again.