The Lack of Flavour’s At Rhapsody’s Lusaka Numbs Senses

the Review By. The Lord Kempson Ari weYulu

@ZambiazHarshTag ● @KempsonAri

T

he only memorable thing about the dinner service was the smile on the waitress’s face, alas I was still constipated at the time of writing this review. When waiting staff are gathered around the till like kids around a campfire and not waiting on patrons, you should be worried about dinner service. As I looked through the menu, the order was one espresso, 2 bottles of water and 2 glasses of dry red. 30 minutes later, the waiter (who cannot be called a sommelier) showed up with two glasses of sweet red and alarm bells went off to the first red flag. We overlooked the wrong beverage order as an honest mistake (Kermit) and waited another 15 minutes for the error to be sorted. 45 minutes later, we were ready to order.

 The order was very specific, 1 Seafood Duo with roasted vegetables, instead of Jasmine rice, 2 Seafood Pasta and 1 peri-peri Grilled Calamari also with roasted vegetables instead of Jasmine rice. The changes   were noted and the variation of Grilled Calamari with lemon butter or peri-peri is actually on the menu. We were in for a long wait, and as we waited the offer from the bread came. Even if the two other customers decline, if the menu is a la carte, the bread or bread rolls should come in a basket. One bread roll was unacceptable and beyond me especially with the prices on the menu. The chagrin of waiting was in vain when lo and behold the wrong order came. Apparently the chef does not know the difference between steamed and roasted vegetables, and lemon butter and peri-peri. The waitress was helpful and apologetic, and made valiant efforts to remedy the situation. However when we were told it would take 5 minute to remedy the situation (Kermit again), I raised an eyebrow. The dish would have required at least 15 to 30 minutes to remake, but was indeed back in 5. When a patron asks for hot sauce/Tabasco, you know the peri-peri has missed the mark. And then there was the sinking Seafood Pasta.

Overcooked and chewy calamari as well as unseasoned prawns (I could count the prawns “calamata” olives), the dish lacked depth and flavour. The spaghetti was not ala dente and the creamy white wine garlic sauce was anything but creamy, very forgettable. I would expect such standards from a mundane buffet but not from Rhapsody’s Lusaka that claims to be a fine dinning establishment. The bland food was the last straw and marked the anticlimax to an appalling dinner service.

I didn’t even bother with the doggy bag. Stingy with bread and breath mints, we got the bill and could not wait to escape the horror our taste buds had endured. 1 Fork out of 5 and only because the coffee just made the grade.