A wholesome lunch at the Wild Rocket restaurant in Swakopmund

04 April 2013

The Twins were exhausted after their play-date with Jenna and Bella, and promptly fell asleep in the car, as we drove to our next appointment: lunch with Uncle Hermann and Aunty Christa at the Wild Rocket restaurant.

This quaint restaurant was incongruously tucked away into a small arcade right behind a service station and a car dealership on Sam Nujoma Avenue. It seemed to be a fairly new restaurant, having opened only last year (review), but it is already proving highly popular among locals and visitors alike.

Aunty Christa, Richard and I in front of the Wild Rocket restaurant

“You need to be a bit patient,” Aunty Christa cautioned us, “all their dishes are lovingly prepared from scratch here in the little kitchen, with a lot of attention to detail. It’s not a fast food joint. Just kick back and relax.”

She explained that the owner was a local Swakopmund resident, who sourced Namibian produce from farms in the nearby Swakop River and Omaruru River, thus supporting local producers. She also baked her own breads and paninis, and prepared freshly squeezed juices and yoghurt smoothies. And – said Aunty Christa – the coffee came from a local artisanal coffee roaster known as Slowtown.

(We were so taken by the quality of the coffee that, later in the afternoon, we paid a visit to Slowtown Coffee Roasters to buy a couple of packets of deliciously fragrant coffee beans [review] – the car smelt tantalisingly good for the rest of the day!).

Richard and I order a portion of grilled hake with crunchy-and-crispy potato chips

The large windows all the way around made sure that the Wild Rocket restaurant feels very light and airy; the pale-green, almost mint-coloured, walls exuded peacefulness, and the decor was modern. On a large blackboard above the kitchen counter, special items on the menu were handwritten in chalk. Some wooden tables and benches outside, in the shade of large umbrellas, looked very inviting; but as it was a very warm autumn day, we decided to sit indoors, where it was pleasantly cool. We ordered some ice-cold Rock Shandies and Appletisers, and sipped these while waiting for our food to be served.

Richard allowed me to taste his Rock Shandy, as I had not heard of this drink before. It was slightly bitter, but very refreshing. He explained that a Rock Shandy was made up half-half of sparkling water or soda water and lemonade (for a bit of sweetness), and a couple of drops of something called Angostura or ‘bitters’, which accounted for the slightly bitter taste. I liked it!

When our food was served, we tucked in ravenously. What a delicious meal! After tasting the potato chips, which were perfectly crispy and crunchy, the soft and moist fish, and the packed-with-goodness paninis, I could understand why the place has become popular.

I wished we were staying in Swakopmund for longer – there was so much to see and do here!

Reggie also shares some of her roasted vegetable panini with me, while Uncle Hermann enjoys his kapana panini – everyone else has grilled hake and potato chips