Often times when one wants somewhere quiet with respect to space and the number of patrons passing through, it is not easy to find such in the heart of the city.
This is when people are forced to look ‘out of town’ to escape the city buzz. Moko Café is located at Riverwalk Mall and is strategically not in the food court. The one aspect that sets them apart from other restaurants, based on review from clients and also one they actively set out to achieve, is the adult friendly environment.
There’s plenty of privacy and it’s not rowdy compared to other restaurants. We got a chance to sit with the manager of the establishment. A young motivated, visionary who took us through a journey of how the establishment came about in 2019 and only opened its doors officially in February of 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As it stands, the restaurant is open six days a week and not on Sundays. He went on to explain that their target market is the elite of society, (ministers and the likes), bankers and corporate people and university students by virtue of proximity and accessibility. Moko Café does outside catering for ministries and private functions and this makes up a big part of the business.
The catering can include set up if client requests for it. This includes stylish tables and chairs. Their grand vision includes the opening of more stores country wide so that those who wish to dine with them get the opportunity to do so.
They have customers who are located in Palapye who when visiting Gaborone, always comment on how they wish there was a Moko Café operating in Palapye because that’s how much they love the food.
They speak fondly of their clientele and build strong relationships with them. This includes knowing what regulars want before they place their order, making follow up calls to those they do not see in a long time and offering complementary meals to valued clients. Personally, I best enjoy my coffee in the mornings as I have grown to be rather sensitive to caffeine.
However, when I noticed that the coffee they brew is from Rwanda, I was quick to consider a cup. I opted for a Latte as it has a larger milk quantity. I am not a coffee connoisseur but I enjoyed the tall cup of coffee.
I can best describe the cup I indulged as fragrant, toasty and smooth. Some favoured dishes at the establishment include their Spicy Fillet Pasta, Cajun Chicken Alfredo and the Mini Platter. My guest, who was dining there for the second time, shared with me that on one fine morning she had the Breakfast Roll of which she quite enjoyed as someone who tries to eat healthy.
Great ingredients and a perfect portion. Seeing as we were on a late lunch dinner, we ordered the Spicy Fillet Pasta, Cajun Chicken Alfredo. The presentation, the plate you eat from, the knife, fork and spoon used to eat, scream fine dining and are unique. The plating had thought put into it, presentation is important because you taste with your eyes before your taste buds dance with the dish.
They style food so that it’s eye catching and mouth-watering and have definitely nailed that aspect, I could not wait to sink my teeth into my dish. My Cajun Chicken Alfredo, pasta was Al Dante, the dish fragrant and absolutely delicious! It’s not many times you get Cajun flavoured dishes, so it was a refreshing flavour. My guest found her Fillet Pasta to precise satisfaction, with the meat perfectly done.
I wished that they had dessert but they explained that they do not always have cake in store as much as they send it out for catering. Pay this little hole in the wall a visit because it is dynamite in a small package!
