My dad Marius and I recently went for a meal at Maxi’s, situated at entrance six at the Mall@Carnival.
Upon arrival we didn’t have to wait a second to be helped, because our friendly, soon-to-be-waiter, Mathapelo Claassen, immediately grabbed the menus and led us to a table.
Everything was clean and neat, and the atmosphere immediately made us feel relaxed and welcome.
Claassen, who had overheard us talking in Afrikaans and immediately switched over, took our drinks order and made my mouth water as she informed us about the new gourmet milkshakes on offer.
I noted I would definitely have one for dessert.
After scanning the menu, which is a difficult task for an indecisive person because there’s so much to choose from, I decided to order the 300g ribs with chips and country vegetables (which was the best decision, but we’ll come to that part later).
My dad, who is a curry fan, immediately opted for the beef curry.
When the food arrived, I could still hear my ribs sizzling on the hard rock plate.
I sat there staring at the ribs in disbelief, wondering if I hadn’t ordered the 600g by mistake.
The curry and rice were plated separately, with the aromatic curry being served in its own small potjie.
This is also great for keeping the food at the perfect temperature.
My dad is not really a man of many words, but after his curry was placed in front of him, I immediately knew what his expression meant – “This food looks scrumptious. I can’t wait to dig in,” or something along those lines.
The Maxi’s basting sauce on the ribs ensured they were extra tasty and I couldn’t help sharing a bite or two with my father, so he could experience the taste.
The chips and the country vegetables gave the meal a perfect balance.
My dad pointed out, after seeing the special on the table, that Maxi’s offers ”All you can eat” ribs on Fridays.
He gave me a few bites of his curry, saying that the spicy flavour was just right and the meat was tender.
The curry’s accompaniments – banana slices, tomato and onion Sambal and chutney – were delicious, and the portions were just right.
After our meal, I was looking forward to the berry meringue gourmet shake and my dad and I decided to share (he wasn’t too keen on the berry and meringue combination).
The first spoonful, however, left him pleasantly surprised.
He commented that the tartness of the berry and the sweetness of the meringue made it just perfect.
We left with our tummies full, smiles on our faces and a doggie bag (for the ribs).
When I think about it, I can’t remember ever having a bad experience at Maxi’s.
