The first thing that I noticed was the well trimmed green lawn. The state of the grass was very impressive considering that the surrounding areas were dry due to the annual lack of rain our country experiences during this dry sub-Saharan winter period, creating an Oasis like effect in the enclosure. Some tables were scattered around the lawn each a reasonable distance from each other ensuring that clientele had a decent amount of privacy to themselves. There were also some comfortable looking seats on a small veranda in front of the entrance, suited for those that did not want to feel the heat of the afternoon. As I placed my bike next to an open door which happened to be the kitchen I heard a voice calling me from inside. I instantly recognized the young man as Makoni, we were in the same stream at Prince Edward School and we both successfully completed our A levels at the business end of 2009.

The last place I would imagine seeing him in was a kitchen let alone cooking stuff! But his supervisor assured me that he was a promising prospect. Makoni told me that he had not learnt how to prepare pastries yet but that he specialized in dishes such as steak and chips which happened to be the special of the day. It was good to see that The Vanilla Moon was promoting youth in the kitchen staff department, assuring that the younger generation under the supervision of the oldies would continue to make gourmet meals.

I sat inside the coffee shop next to the veranda the theme inside the room which was also the reception was somewhat Victorian. The walls had a pink & vanilla (go figure) theme but the tables were a bit simpler. I noticed a sign about Wi-Fi users having to share a table at peak ours which undermined the sense of space I thought the establishment had but I realized that it was lunchtime and the place was quite empty not that I was complaining as I prefer peace and quiet. The individuals that were present were mostly around their 50s and were of the Anglo-Saxon variety.  As a young black man I didn’t feel out of place as everyone kept to themselves.

Now it was time for the moment of truth. Looking through the menu I saw that the prices were reasonable but would it pay for that based on quality? Drink wise I flipped through an assortment of coffees, teas and smoothies but decided to go for a small Cappuccino for $2. Since I was operating on a budget and all the meals were priced at $10 and up (yes it was that small!) my alternate plan was to look at their pastries. My mouth watered when I saw that they had Cheesecake and different specials that came with it but I was disappointed to find out that it was not currently available along with a handful of other treats. I settled for the Apple crumble going at $4. The wait was less than 7 minutes, a slice of Apple crumble with a scoop of vanilla flavored ice cream (It’s The Vanilla Moon for crying out loud!) was presented to me in an oval plate along with my Cappuccino accompanied by two little sachets of sugar, interestingly they did not see the need to include napkins, but that was a minor detail as I sank my teeth into the delicacy. The crumble was served at the right temperature and the taste of cinnamon plus the ice cream was heavenly. I washed it all down with the Cappuccino and felt rather guilty as I had used all my sugar, surely all this sugary intake was too much for a day but my stomach didn’t seem to mind. Before heading on my way I decided to take advantage of the quiet ambience and finish an essay I noticed that most of the clients were doing the same.

All in all The Vanilla moon is a great place to come to if you enjoy a tranquil environment and delicious pastries. The fact that some of the dishes were unavailable was a letdown, but hopefully this is not a recurring theme as it is a great place for those who have a sweet tooth or two!