For Zambia, With Love:
Chef Chintu is Plating with Love at 7th Sense Restaurant
Tasting menus celebrate creativity, a chef’s personal artistic voice told through carefully crafted dishes. At The Quorum’s 7th Sense Restaurant, Friday evenings bring something magical. From the private dining room above the lively streets of Kabulonga, street lights twinkling below, I experienced Love of Zambia, an eight-course journey crafted by newly appointed Executive Chef Chintu.
What struck me about this second offering in the restaurant’s weekly tasting series was how it transcended mere flavour. The experience felt oddly personal. The traditional Zambian dishes I grew up with had been thoughtfully reimagined. Chef Chintu blended modern techniques with global influences while somehow preserving their authentic soul.
The evening began with Mopane Consommé, a refined broth from mopane worms served alongside delicate cassava crisps dusted with ground kapenta. The broth offered earthy, umami-rich flavours, bold yet subtle enough to open the palate. That familiar scent of mopane and kapenta hit me with unexpected nostalgia, yanking me straight back to childhood afternoons in my grandmother’s kitchen. For the less adventurous, a velouté alternative provided silky, cream-based comfort that complemented the other elements beautifully.
Second came a crispy-seared Kariba Bream fillet resting on steamed cassava, garnished with edible flowers. Nearly too beautiful to disturb… nearly. The fish came with a velvety broth capturing the essence of traditional dried fish, slowly cooked to concentrate its smoky depth. Fresh kalembula (sweet potato leaves) added brightness and texture. Breaking through the crisp exterior revealed flaky, tender fish beneath, while the cassava tempered the intensity of the dry fish broth, anchoring everything in familiar territory with refined restraint.
That rich broth had me wishing for nshima to soak up every drop when the third course arrived: 6 Degrees of Maize. This clever tribute to our staple grain presented it in various forms, simultaneously familiar yet surprising. They’d transformed the nshima with parmesan and cream. I was sceptical at first, but it retained that familiar comfort while gaining a luxurious silkiness I never thought possible for our staple. Baby corn, samp, and sweet corn purée (reminiscent of childhood porridge) accompanied it, smooth and deeply satisfying. The standout? A nshima tuile mimicking that prized crispy crust found at the bottom of every properly cooked pot. One bite transported me back to childhood meals eaten by hand, sitting cross-legged on the floor, completely lost in the moment.
Fourth was Leaves & Pulses, a vegan creation proving that plant-based dishes can match their meaty counterparts in richness and satisfaction. Local vegetables got clever treatment: dried visashi (groundnut-pounded greens) transformed into a whisper-thin, intensely flavoured crisp. A light, airy foam of beans and spinach provided contrast, while traditionally prepared visashi grounded the dish in its Zambian heritage.
The fifth course spoke of dialogue between old and new: village chicken. Slow-cooked to develop deep flavour, then confited in duck fat. I found the meat impossibly tender, resting on a sweet potato base with bright microgreens. With each bite, I tasted our humble village chicken transformed yet somehow preserving its essential character.
For the sixth, Chef Chintu reinvented traditional beans and trotters as his answer to Thai Fish Cake: the Zambian Bean Cake. Breaking through the golden cassava-flour crust revealed a hearty filling of mashed Solwezi beans and succulent beef hooves, paired with buttery Dauphinoise potatoes. If asked to name a standout dish, this creation would claim the honour.
Seventh brought Kudu, the lean game meat reimagined as a gourmet slider. Inside it sat Japanese-inspired slaw dressed in soy and rice wine vinegar, with cassava crisps replacing conventional chips. The combination felt playful yet sophisticated, marrying burger classics with distinctly local character. Golden, crispy onion rings finished the plate perfectly.
The eighth and final course featured golden chitumbuwa (banana fritters) alongside sweeti mbalala (groundnut praline), house-made tamarind and baobab ice cream, and brownie pieces atop wild honeycomb. Every mouthful offered contrasts—warm against cold, crunchy meeting smooth, sweet playing with nutty. A shot of tangy munkoyo (fermented maize drink) punctuated the end of a dining experience that celebrates Zambia in ways I’ve never before witnessed.
As night wrapped around us, Chef Chintu’s vision became clear: a celebration of Zambian food that honours its roots while fearlessly exploring new territory. The Love of Zambia Tasting Menu at 7th Sense Restaurant satisfies more than appetite; it nourishes cultural pride and hints at thrilling possibilities for Zambian cooking’s future.
A la Carte Menu:
The new a la carte menu offers a local twist on diverse cuisines. Using fresh, local ingredients, it features classics like prime cut grills, curries, fusion dishes and vegetarian options.
Made with Love
The 7th Sense team thoughtfully adapts the menu to accommodate dietary needs while preserving the integrity of the tasting experience. The velouté proved so popular that it’s earned a place in the next iteration of the menu!
A Life by Design
Executive Chef Chintu’s distinctive approach to food reflects his unique background. With over a decade of experience as an engineer, architect, and industrial designer, he brings this design thinking to the kitchen. Always passionate about food, he began as a catering assistant in kitchens, serving some of London’s most prestigious dignitaries and officials. Through dedication, he rose through the ranks, eventually taking over as private chef from his predecessor.
For Zambia, With Love
The tasting menu springs from Executive Chef Chintu’s vision to elevate Zambian cuisine. “I asked myself why Zambian cuisine isn’t globally recognised like West African food? In response, I was inspired to reimagine traditional dishes as contemporary plates using European and Chinese techniques, maintaining Zambia’s essence while taking it to the next level—and Love of Zambia was born.”
Booking
Make a reservation by sending an inbox message via social media or an e-mail to: 7thsense@ thequorumzm.com with the promo code “Nkwazi Magazine” and receive 10% off your next meal at The 7th Sense Restaurant.
Contact Details:
Phone: +260 763885581
web: www.thequorumzm.com
