Breakfast is served in the main camp area ,with draped canvas roofing, low drystone walls, leather director chairs and polished concrete floors… looking out over towards the swimming pool and beyond to the Grumeti River.
When we entertain Sheira and I put as much work into the small details as the big picture, so we loved the presentation too. The food comes on little tribal style, 4-legged wooden serving stools; the glasses are blown into irregular shapes… Jugs of fresh orange juice, huge jars of cereal and great cold cuts like smoked salmon and salami, as well as home baked rolls, pastries and every exotic fruit you can imagine: pineapple, passionfruit and kiwi, not easy to source in the Tanzanian bushland! And that’s before you get to the à la carte menu of eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausages, mushroom and coffee. So it is a hearty experience - and an earthy one, with wicker placemats and wooden serving bowls.
HALL OF FAME
Even though lunch is a lighter meal at most safari lodges including Faru Faru, the lunch served here entered our hall of fame right from the word go.
The setting was spectacular. A table had been set-up for Sheira, Zoe and myself near the main swimming pool, overlooking the bush and Grumeti River. We were served the most beautiful chilled cucumber soup and fresh breads to start.
We sat below the multi tiered timber platform – (you can also sit on top) - drinking the Faru Faru fresh lemonade and enjoying the variety on funky, irregular glass platters and glass ware.
There were vegetable shish kebabs, lightly crumbed calamari, mushrooms topped with tomato and cheese, oversized handcut chips, slices of juicy beef, really appetising relishes, chutneys and mint sauce. And a special, cake-like gluten free bread made especially for Sheira (who also raved about the fillet steak she had another day).
We found the food incredible because it really covered the three elements that elevate cuisine to the next level: the food is artistic and creatively presented, delicious in flavor and generous in size - and full of love!
That is all due to the lovely chef, Nadine from Pinetown near Durbin in South Africa came to greet us. Once you meet this warm, quietly spoken but extremely talented woman you can tell, as Sheira puts it, that her voice is represented in her food. We told Nadine that her cuisine is just what we love…fresh, healthy and fabulous, so please keep it up!
Prior to dinner we enjoyed sitting in a small area near the main camp, around a large fireplace. Guests are able to meet each other and share their safari tales of the day. We enjoyed the beautiful South African red wines that were served. After an hour or so, most guests tend to leave and head for dinner. Faru Faru tries to position guests at different intimate positions, for both privacy as well as variety during the stay.
Entrees are light, summer foods, like cold tomato soup and the main courses were cleverly done, but never overworked or pretentious. There are plenty of simple dishes on the menu (which is great for kids) like Moroccan style chicken tagine with cous cous. There is more than enough choice for dinner… from fish to beautifully grilled fillet steak, or grilled chicken.
Nadine’s food was innovative, with tastes like vegetable sushi, homemade pineapple relish, or simply fresh prawns sitting on a little roulade of cucumber and mint. The food is made even more appealing by the very Faru Faru touch of unusual place settings - the coffee coloured china had a bold, flowing graphic and the placemats were a gorgeous palette of olives, silver and bitter chocolate. Design nuts will love it here…
East Africans seem to have a natural warm way in dealing with children.They really looked after Zoe, offering to cut her food-up each meal or bringing her a bowl of chocolate ice cream or just even a chit-chat.
Our last meal we invited the head chef, Nadine to sit with us and share with her our culinary thoughts… that she was the star chef of this whole East African trip! The Singita philosophy is ‘plentiful, done tastefully.’ And just like the aristocrats of the 20s on the hunt (but unlike us), if you like to indulge in decadent after dinner bells and whistles like champagnes, cognacs and cigars, it is all there for you.
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