Photo: Suesen, CC BY-SA 3.0 Guide
Best Chinese restaurants in Harare
Sichuan, home-style and takeaway Chinese, plus the Thai and Japanese tables worth knowing.
Chinese food in Harare runs from long-established takeaways to restaurants that cook first for a Chinese clientele, and the difference shows on the plate. At one end are the familiar sweet and sour dishes, chow mein and spring rolls that people have ordered on Friday nights for years; at the other are Sichuan kitchens and home-style rooms where the private tables and the round-table service are the whole point. Sushi has crept onto several menus, and a few places stretch to Thai and Malaysian dishes too.
The addresses are spread across the city rather than clustered. Belgravia has The Great Wall on East Road, Milton Park has China Garden in Rowland Square, and Chisipite has Shangri-La on Enterprise Road, built in the style of a Chinese compound. Mount Pleasant's Seasons is reached through the Groombridge entrance off The Chase, and Avondale's Kow Lee has traded from Shamrock House for a long time. Longcheng Plaza in Belvedere has a casual cafe and a second China Garden branch.
Private rooms are the sociable way to eat Chinese here, and most of the restaurants have them. They go on busy evenings, so book if you are eight or more, and at The Great Wall go early even for the main floor. Prices where published sit in the $10 to $20 a head band, with the takeaways cheaper still. Green tea comes free at China Garden, and takeaway or delivery is offered almost everywhere.
The list closes with the city's other East Asian tables, since anyone searching for Chinese food is often looking for a shared, spice-led dinner more generally: three Thai restaurants in the northern suburbs, a Japanese room at Sam Levy's Village and the teppanyaki counter at Rainbow Towers in the city centre, where chefs cook in front of you.
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China Garden
Chinese food and seafood in leafy Rowland Square.
China Garden follows the Sichuan tradition in tree-lined Rowland Square in Milton Park, with seafood alongside the meat dishes and complimentary green tea. Cosy private rooms suit a group, the main room takes walk-ins, and takeaway and home delivery are both offered. Prices sit around $10 to $20 a head, with parking on site.
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Shangri-La Restaurant
Chinese food and sushi in Chisipite.
Shangri-La on Enterprise Road in Chisipite cooks for a Chinese clientele as much as anyone, which keeps the food honest. Sizzling beef, cashew chicken and pineapple chicken get mentioned, portions are generous, and sushi plus a few Thai, Japanese and Malaysian dishes widen the menu. Around $10 to $20 a head; reserve by phone.
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Great Wall
Chinese restaurant in Belgravia.
The Great Wall at 94 East Road in Belgravia keeps a long menu of the dishes people know, from sweet and sour pork and kung pao chicken to dumplings and sizzling duck, at reasonable prices. Private rooms with round tables suit eight or more, but both they and the main floor fill up, so go early or book.
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Seasons (Four Seasons) Restaurant
Chinese home-style cooking with private rooms and a garden, opposite The Hub off The Chase.
Seasons, also called Four Seasons, does Chinese home-style cooking on Wycombe Avenue in Mount Pleasant, opposite The Hub. Homely private rooms are its signature and the garden gives outdoor seating, while steaks, ribs and burgers cover anyone not in a Chinese mood. Attentive staff, fair prices and takeaway; open 8am to 9pm daily.
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Kow Lee Foods
Long-running Chinese restaurant and takeaway in Shamrock House on King George Road.
Kow Lee Foods in Shamrock House on King George Road, Avondale, is one of the area's longer-standing Chinese names. Everything is cooked fresh while you wait, with sweet and sour chicken, chow mein and spring rolls the regular orders. It is a takeaway at heart, so expect takeaway money, though a group can eat in.
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Longcheng Cafe
Chinese food, understood to be at Longcheng Plaza.
Longcheng Cafe sits inside Longcheng Plaza on the Belvedere side of town and is more all-day cafe than formal restaurant, with coffee, salads, baked goods and a bar beside a short list of Chinese mains. It suits a quick lunch on a shopping trip, at $10 to $20 a head, and the plaza has plenty of parking.
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You Real Japanese Food Restaurant
Japanese and Chinese food beside Sam Levy's Village.
You Real is run by Japanese chefs at shops 13 and 14, Sam Levy's Village, with a Tokyo-inspired fit-out and Chinese dishes among the Asian options. Sushi and sashimi lead, backed by ramen, sukiyaki, grilled meats and bubble tea. The calm room suits a couple or a small group; open 10am to 9pm, closed Tuesdays.
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Sabai Thai
Thai restaurant in Ballantyne Park, known for generous portions.
Sabai Thai is a family-owned Thai restaurant at 4 Stokesay Close in Ballantyne Park, known for generous portions of crispy duck, pad Thai, tom yum and green curry, with a sushi section alongside. The main room is small and cosy; a banquet room takes up to 40. $10 to $20 a head, closed Mondays.
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Moo Ka Thai
Thai restaurant a short drive from Sam Levy's Village.
Moo Ka Thai on Glenelg Road in Borrowdale West has Thai chefs and a long menu: more than twenty starters, a dozen stir-fries, six curries, plus noodles and desserts. Crispy duck, papaya salad and mango with sticky rice are the house picks, with mains around $15 to $22. Book online; open daily to 9.30pm.
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Chang Thai Restaurant
Thai restaurant on the Gunhill side of Alexandra Park.
Chang Thai, at 83 Churchill Avenue in Gunhill, is Thai-family-owned and cooks curries, stir-fries and soups the way they are made at home, in portions that go round a table. Off-road parking is safe and takeaways are available. It does not open every day, so ring ahead and book for a bigger group.
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Kombahari at Rainbow Towers
Teppanyaki and pan-Asian cooking inside Rainbow Towers.
Kombahari is the teppanyaki restaurant inside Rainbow Towers in the city centre, where chefs cook at the counter in front of you and the menu runs from Far Eastern dishes to African and halal options. It suits a date, a birthday or a group wanting a show with dinner, at roughly $10 to $20 a head.
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