Kwalapa - Three cheers for the little guy

There's a show on BBC Food called Gary Rhodes' Food Heroes. I normally hate Gary Rhodes but after watching this show...well...I hate him less. The vibe is that he has famous guests on the show who nominate people they think need recognition but aren't necessarily getting it. These people are often suppliers or farmers. Sometimes the nominees are owners of delis who only use local produce. The deli owners all stress the importance of sourcing the highest quality ingredients and, more importantly, looking nearby. 

Since watching the show I have often thought about how cool a South African version would be. Not just because I want to be rich.  Not just because I want to be famous. Not just because I know I would look amazing on camera. But rather because I think there is a story to tell. I want people to meet the farmers and I want people to appreciate the difference between small, independent suppliers who care and the mass producers who pump animals full of growth hormones and antibiotics (this is subject of another post though, still to come). Anyway, the reason I'm writing this rather long intro is to tell you about a place that would get Jamie Who's vote for South African Food Heroes. It is a small organic deli/restaurant in Newlands called Kwalapa. Never before have I seen a place that puts so much emphasis on where their food comes from. 

The vibe itself is very rustic - a huge bedouin tent (with a hole in it for a tree) covers most of the restaurant. There are arts and craft stalls and you sit amongst the Newlands trees. I recently met the owner and she explained their deliberate anti-Hippy approach. "One of my partners wanted to call the place Sprout but that wasn't an option" she explained. "We want people to see organic food as normal food but just farmed the right way, without additives and preservatives". Amen. 

To eat I went for their RAW muesli which came with a beautiful, seasonal fruit salad covered in poppy seeds and freshly torn mint. I have since been back for lunch with Long Distance and had a chicken wrap made with my favourite, biodynamically-farmed Spier chickens. Both times my meals were outstanding. There are soups of the days as well as ever-changing, freshly baked pies. The deli section is also really cool and you'll find plenty of gorgeous cheese, fruits and vegetables. 

It might not be the funkiest venue and it might not get the most press. It doesn't have a celebrity chef or a fancy interior. But it has passion. And that's good enough for me. 

Find them at 31 Newlands Avenue or call on (021) 687-9314.

Cheers,

Jamie Who 

Cookshop - It's a go

If you ever lose your baby/father/grandmother/dog/parrot etc. stop what you're doing and - wherever you are - head to the Engen in Gardens. I promise you they will be there. Honestly, it is the world's busiest petrol station. I don't even like calling it a petrol station. It's got more going on in there than some of the smaller African countries. So...you would be forgiven for thinking that opening a restaurant just around the corner would be a good idea. That's exactly what a few people did a while back when they opened "Sage". It turns out they did everything right except concentrate on food, ambience, service and decor. Basically, the place was a joke. The Queen used to work nearby so we tried it out a few times and I usually got so pissed off with the tree-hugger mentality that I left without even ordering. 

So you can imagine I was intrigued when I heard whisperings that they had been taken over. The place is now called Cookshop and to compare it to Sage would be like comparing Madonna's armpit after a 4 hour gig to Megan Fox's belly button. 

The reason I enjoyed Cookshop so much was because of its fresh, seasonal ingredients and the fact that the whole place had a personality. Similar to The Kitchen in Woodstock, I noticed everyone smiling and genuinely looking to please their customers. It's not rocket science guys but so few places actually do it.   

To eat you choose between gourmet sandwiches and a buffet table. I went for a big plate (R30) from the buffet table and loaded it up with a pomegranate and herb salad, a green-bean-and nectarine one and some sesame-seed-crusted chicken thighs. Power went for roast chicken and homemade mayo on rye. Both our meals were way above average. They also make interesting juices and I threw back one made from apples, ginger and pear. I felt like Superman leaving that place. 

The vibe is simple but nicely done (chalkboard specials, blue feature wall, baked goods on display etc), the clientele is funky, the food is healthy and the atmosphere is laid-back. Honestly, you could do a lot worse. 

Find them at 117 Hatfield Street or call them on (021) 461-7868. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

P.S. If you do decide to check them out, park in the Jewish Museum's parking across the road. 

The Roundhouse - pleasure and pain in one weekend

Regular readers will know by now that The Roundhouse in Camps Bay is one of my favourites. Everything they do there is class. Breakfast on a Saturday morning dealing with a hangover? Let's try the scrambled eggs with salmon trout. Formal dinner with the boss? I'll have the roasted scallops with cauliflower caramel please. Quick lunch? Try the roasted bone marrow with oxtail marmalade. You get the point. There's also a picnic they can throw together for you with amazing tapas and a bottle of Villiera bubbly. So when I found out about their Friday afternoon "drinks and snacks after work" vibe - that's not the official name in case you were wondering - I was always going to be there. Except for not being able to get my hands on a Jack Black, I wasn't disappointed. 

What they do on a Friday afternoon is offer the tapas/picnic/chilled menu on their grass lawns. There is a DJ playing chilled background music, waiters and waitresses fetching your drinks for you and a view that could make Zeus weep. If you don't start going there then good. More for me. Booking is essential so plan ahead. If you don't you can always take a seat on their terrace though which is also cool. 

On Sunday I had an altogether different Roundhouse experience. They say dynamite comes in small packages. If by dynamite they mean torturer and small packages they mean lycra then they are absolutely right. You see, I had signed up for their Bootcamp Breakfast. How it works is you pay R150 and you are then put through a hectic workout for an hour before being served a health breakfast. Again, it was extremely well done. Our torturer's name was Jenny and she proceeded to put me and The Queen through our paces until we could hardly stand. Various cardio excercises were mixed in with some strength stuff and it all ended up with a little mini trail-run through The Glen. Working out outdoors is special and the views of Camps Bay definitely eased the pain a bit. Breakfast afterward may not sound exciting (muesli and yoghurt with fruit and fresh orange juice) but true to form it is better than anything in its category. Homebaked with cinnamon and dried cranberries and served with plenty of banana, kiwi fruit, apples, raspberries and blueberries it tasted awesome. As does any meal when you feel like you've earned it. 

Get hold of The Roundhouse to book for either of these very different experiences on (021) 438-4347. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

Red Mango - Welcome

It was good to be back in Jozi this weekend. I got to see some old faces, I got to eat at some cool restaurants, I got to drink Coffee-Patrone and spank the planks a bit. Most of all though, I got to eat Red Mango frozen yoghurt. I don't care how gay this sounds but holy monkey I love frozen yoghurt. Seriously, what's not to love? It's like yoghurt but COLD.

Aaaaanyway...after taking in some shopping and a nice lunch in the new wing of Melrose Arch with Superman and The Goob we came across Red Mango. Those not in the know probably haven't heard of it but let me tell you a little something. Red Mango is massive in the States and is made so much cooler to me by the fact that you can't get it here. I want you to imagine something. Imagine some girls strolling through Melrose Arch and coming across a Zara. Imagine them screaming, clapping and jumping up and down. Imagine the excitement. Now imagine those girls were me and that Zara was Red Mango. That's pretty much what we're dealing with here.

I walked in and took my seat in the white plastic bubble-booths (I made that up. It explains them perfectly and next time you're there use it. Use it like "Hey guys, let's sit in the bubble-booths." Act cool.) Basically, what you do is order some frozen yoghurt and choose from healthy toppings like watermelon, granola, almonds, strawberries etc. If you want them to blend it up into a smoothie they can do that too. They have some salads and wraps too I think, but to be honest I was too focused on the frozen yoghurt. The anticipation was too much.

To cut a long story short it was worth it. Now, I know what you're saying. You're saying it's just the novelty that made it cool. Like when we first had McDonalds, Pepsi or Pringles all those years back. Well, you might be right. But for now, I'm going to eat them like an eskimo until the novelty wears off. At least it's healthy. (Well, sort of. Yes, it is non-fat and natural but there still about 200 calories in a small cup so be careful.)

Red Mango, welcome to SA. Now hurry up and get to Cape Town. CAN YOU IMAGINE ONE ON THE CAMPS BAY STRIP??!!!

If you want to see what I'm talking about check them out on http://www.redmangousa.com/. You could also go to Melrose Arch.

Cheers,
Jamie Who