South Africa: Nothing reflects the rich historical background and diverse origins of South Africa better than its cuisine. The countries mélange of people is a result of the various indentured servants who were transported to Capetown by the Dutch East Indian Company from various Asian countries. One of the most popular fusion of cuisines created by the boat loads of people brought over from Modern-day Indonesia and Malaysia is called Cape-Malay food. I had to have the best version – enough of praising this food.
The locals highly recommended a restaurant called Bo-Kaap Kombuis as a Cape-Malay restaurant where one can try all of the authentic dishes that have survived history to tempt palates today. Kombuis, as the locals call it, is situated in the Bo Kaap district on the slopes of Signal Hill, where descendants of the indentured servants still live. The cobble stone streets of Bo Kaap are lined with colorful picturesque houses. Upon following a long windy road, you will see Kombuis propped along and edge of a hill that offers beautiful views of Table Mountain, Lion's Head and the Cape Town CBD. I can't think of a better place to get such wonderful views while you eat. It's mesmerizing, especially around sunset - about the time I was there.
The premises has an old house-like feel to it with minimal to none décor – they really bank on the gorgeous views! There's a narrow balcony surrounding the eating area that most people use to take picture – I, however, asked to have a table set out there and the restaurant swiftly made arrangements. Indoors, the tables are placed a little close together which can get a bit cramped when it gets full.
The menu has all of the Cape-Malay specialties but, the service staff recommended we get the Savory Platter to start. The platter included 2 each of samosas (just like Indian Samosas), spring rolls, dalchies (similar to Indian spinach and lentil pakoras/fritters), patatawaras (similar to the Indian Batata Wada). It’s a plate of familiar fried goodness! Since Bo Kaap is a Muslim neighborhood, the restaurant does not serve alcohol to be respectful toward the surrounding Muslim community. Instead you can opt for a pungent ginger beer or locally grown Rooibos tea.
Next the staff suggested we get the Kombuis Tasting Platter which comes with Boboti, Lamb Curry, Chicken Curry, Rice and Rooti – enough for 3 people. I asked for the Chicken curry to be swapped for Prawn Curry and they changed the dishes without any extra charge! The lamb and shrimp curries were both familiar flavors that I’ve had in both Malaysian and Indian foods and it’s really not worth describing. Now let’s talk about the only thing “Cape-Malay” about this meal, Boboti. The dish is a gently-spiced mince lamb/beef dish full of raisins and almonds which is then oven-baked with a layer of sweet/savory egg custard on top to form a crust and keep the meat moist. This version was topped with fried bananas.
My hoighty-toighty friends flat out refused to eat it because it is apparently a dish for the lower class in South Africa. After I went on and on about how peasant food sometimes has some of the best flavors and dishes and how the simplicity and mish mash of ingredients in one pot is what makes these dishes so epic, I took a bite. I wanted to spit it out but, didn’t. It was a weirdly textured meaty… dessert? It was a confused Greek Moussaka. I immediately thought about the Thanksgiving episode on “Friends” where Rachel attempts to make a trifle custard and mistakenly layers in “beef sautéed with peas and onions.” Just like Rachel’s trifle, this dish was a huge mistake! My friends just sat and laughed at me. “This is your National Dish though!” – I said trying to save face. It didn’t work. After washing down my meal with some Roiboos tea, we drove down the slopes of Bo-Kaap discussing which vineyards in Stellenbosch we were going to visit the next day!
My opinion on “Cape-Malay Cuisine” after this dinner is that it does not actually exist. Everything that I ate at Kombuis was screaming either Indian or Malaysian food – where’s the Cape part? Why can’t they just say Malaysian or Indian food? Perhaps the few dishes that do exist, like Boboti, are an acquired taste that I hadn’t acquired yet. Since the views at Kombuis are gorgeous, I suggest going around sunset to enjoy tea and a plate of fried goodness (our starter). If you’ve had your fair share of Indian or Malaysian food, don’t expect anything different here.
Address: 7 August St, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa
Phone:+27 21 422 5446
Timings: Mondays: Closed, Tuesday-Thursday: (8 am-10:30 pm), Friday-Saturday:
(8 am- 11:30 pm), Sunday: (9 am-3 pm)
Price Range: $20-$30/2 people
Comments
0 comment