Mbira Restaurant at Sunbird Nkopola

If you are in Mangochi looking for a fresh and flavourful cuisine, the Mbira Restaurant at Sunbird Nkopola is the place to be.

The restaurant, which overlooks the azure waters of Lake Malawi on one end, exudes fine ambience with good lighting, reed lampshades and chairs as well as  wooden masks lined up against the walls.

Lining one end of the restaurant are large windows, through which one can see craggy rocks on which furry hamsters frolic in the sun. It is from these hamsters, also known here as rock rabbits or Mbira, that the restaurant gets its name.

The eatery, which prides itself as being the first to be opened along the lakeshore, has a variety of cuisine to cater to clientele taste.

One thing you should definitely not miss is the famous chambo, fresh from the lake. Seasoned to perfection, you can have this either open or whole, pan fried, stewed or charcoal grilled.

Alternatively, you could try the mcheni or kampango fish, both of which are also well loved in the lakeshore district.

Also famous on the menu is the traditional dried smoked kampango, stewed in onion and tomato and served with nsima.

If you are feeling like having Chinese, the chicken oriental, cooked in sweet and sour sauce, will tantalise your taste buds. If it is hot Asian curries you are after, then try the fish masala, peas and potato masala or the chicken biryani, all of which are full of flavour and favourites at the restaurant.

At the chef’s recommendation, the chicken makawa was the best. A charcoal grilled boneless chicken marinated in lemon, garlic, ginger and kambuzi chillies.

With the smokiness of the charcoal, the aromatic blend of herbs and the sharpness of the chillies, this is definitely an explosion of fine flavours.