Anyone who has ever arranged a staff function or end-of-year office party knows, it is impossible to please everyone. No, that does not quite capture it – it is impossible to even please the majority! By time the party comes around, the co-ordinator’s sanity has been severely tested. If the party organiser goes missing you often eventually find them curled up in an office storeroom rocking back and forth, sucking their thumb and mumbling incoherently.
I was not going to let this happen to me. Well not again anyway!
This year I found it particularly difficult since I had already used all the venues in the area that met the criteria set by usual moaners: close to the office; sufficient safe parking (in Johannesburg – I ask you!); a varied menu, large enough for 80 people.
Save the date
Since I was battling to find this perfect venue I sent out a ‘save the date’ to at least book out the time in everyone’s diary in the meantime. I also asked staff to confirm if they could make it so we knew what numbers we were dealing with.
I genuinely had a few staff members respond that they “would only confirm their attendance once they knew where we were going”. By that time I was not quite my usual polite and demure self, reacting with “Either you can make it or not – you decide NOW!”
Menu selection
In order make sure the food could be brought out reasonable quickly I limited the menu to five options and asked staff to indicate what they wanted to eat in advance. Once again I received really intelligent responses like “I’ll have option 1 or 4”. What the hell?
In the end I do think everyone had a good time and enjoyed their meal. I also managed to get sufficiently inebriated to forget the idiotic comments and requests from the staff.
I have, however, realised a fatal mistake. Overall I did a great job in organising the party, so you can be sure they will ask me to do it again next year. Lucky me!
Review of the restaurant
Click here for a quick review of the restaurant we went to, who did a great job in accommodating our every impractical request.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Review: Bambanani Restaurant
Location: 85, 4th Ave, Melville, Johannesburg, South Africa
Date visited: 3 December 2010
Website: not yet operational
Rating: 7/10
Bambanani’s menu has something for everyone with their tapas being a great way to get the meal started. The Haloumi and Falafel were especially good.
For mains I had the Moroccan Lamb with couscous. The slow cooked lamb fell off the bone and melted in my mouth. My colleagues all also had positive things to say about their meals which included the Argentinean Steak and Teriyaki Salmon.
I did not have any space left for dessert but Bambanai had a variety of cakes to select from and I noticed that the desserts were served in perfectly sized bowls that were just enough to feed the ‘sweets monster’ within.
The restaurant does have a secure kiddies area with child minders. This is not really a draw card for me but I hardly noticed any children, so the babysitters must be doing their job well. The one thing I did notice (not having a child proof home myself) was the little step and mini seat at the toilet in the ladies bathroom. Again, not useful for me but I imagine essential for a little person.
I found that the trendy decor and ambience does not quite match the 90s ballads playing on the sound system. The restaurant has lovely wooden tables with couch areas scattered in between the dining areas. The deck on the front looks on to 4th Avenue (which is good if you are a paranoid joburger who would prefer to be his/her own car guard). Although I did access this space, totally avoiding the anxiety generated when I am around children, at the back of the restaurant there are tables under the trees.
Parking is a problem, but this is nothing new to anyone who regularly eats out in Melville. However, it seems that many restaurants in the area have closed so that leaves a bit more space for Bambanani visitors.
Overall, Bambanani is a great restaurant with a very accommodating management team. Their waiters were all very friendly and efficient. I would definitely recommend them.
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