I suppose we could blame it all on the Huguenots. When they pitched up in the Cape in 1688 they didn't waste any time in finding a quiet corner where they could forget about being persecuted in France, plant their vines and whip up some homely Gallic cuisine to get them settled in. No Braised Eland or Rooibos infusion for them. 'Zut alors, no!' It was fine French cuisine all the way, thank you very much. In with the Old World, out with the New.
320 years later the gastronomic ghost of the Huguenots still haunts Cape Town, with Franco-focused restaurants from Franschhoek to Constantia regularly winning awards for their cuisine. To be fair, many of these fine eateries do go out of their way to make the most of local ingredients, but African influences are still few and far between when it comes to culinary Cape Town.
So, to paraphrase Paula Cole, "where have all the Africans gone?"
Thankfully, in amongst the truffle oil and foie gras it's still possible to find a taste of Africa in the 'Mama City'. Yes, some of the restaurants may be heavily geared up for tourists, but it's still easy to ignore the safari-suit brigade and excite your palate with a taste of the continent.
First stop for almost any African aficionado in Cape Town is The Africa Café (www.africacafe.co.za), slap-bang in the city centre. From humble beginnings in bohemian Observatory, Jason and Portia de Smidt's dream of promoting African cuisine has grown to the current three-storey restaurant which draws diners by the coach-load every night of the week.
The 'African Feast' set menu of around 14 courses takes your taste buds on a tour across the continent. There are no menus to pore over though… it's all painted on the jug in front of you and each course arrives first as a small tasting portion. Before you can say "North African Spiced Chickpea Patties" the table is groaning under a smorgasbord of bowls from Cape to Cairo.
The set menu changes according to the seasons, but the dishes will always include something for vegetarians, meat-lovers and pescatarians. Pop a Xhosa spinach patty in your mouth, get spicy with Mozambican peri-peri prawns or mix a little Ethiopian Lamb into your couscous. Once you've decided on your favourites you simply ask the waitron for more of the same. They won't stop re-filling your bowls until you beg for mercy!
Beaming smiles and waitrons in traditional African garb set the scene for an experience gobbled up by overseas visitors, but leave your cynical South African at home and become a tourist for the night. Each room is themed according to a different African tribe, so you're sure to learn something along the way, and it's hard not to be swept up by the regular drumming and singing sessions.
It's a similarly festive vibe down the road at Long Street's Mama Africa (www.mamaafricarest.net).
Gone are the socks-and-sandalled 50-somethings though, replaced by bright-eyed backpackers from across the globe who come to fill up on well-priced African dishes before hitting the bars and nightclubs of Cape Town's party central. With a Congolese band in the bar next door and marimba troupe warming up at 8pm this is certainly not the place for a romantic dinner à deux.
Über-cool waitrons patrol the floor like models on a catwalk, but service here is on African-time so don't look for anything in a hurry.
When it comes to the menu it's a wonder there is any wildlife left in Africa. As you'd expect with an adventurous backpacker crowd, creatures great and small parade the menu like a grilled version of Noah's Ark.
Springbok and Kudu steaks huddle together in fear, an Ostrich flaps about wildly on the edges while Malagasy Fish is simply resigned to its fiery fate. Hungry beasts will no doubt go for the Mama's Mixed Grill, which throws Crocodile steak and Venison sausage into the mix.
Super-size portions are served with a healthy dollop of samp and pap, along with a token side salad. Whatever you do… please don't copy the Americans at the table next door and ask for chips!
Long Street is renowned for its raucous nightlife, but further down the hill it all gets a little quieter. On the corner of Church Street you'll find the laid-back Addis in Cape (www.addisincape.co.za), a spot that's rapidly making waves in a city simply overflowing with great places to eat.
Communal dining is part of the Ethiopian culture that owner Senait Mekonnen wants to bring to the Cape, and breaking bread together is all part of the restaurant's charm. Low-slung chairs are gathered around the woven mesob table, where it's the traditional injera (made from fermented rice flour) bread you'll be sharing.
Like an edible stage for the dishes to perform on, the communal injera (as thick as a pancake and wide as a car tyre) is served in a large enamel bowl and doubles as a plate for your curries.
The menu has an excellent range of vegetarian dishes, but the traditional Doro Wot should be top of your list; the chicken marinated in limejuice and slow-cooked in garlic, ginger, Berbere and spicy Kibe is simply outstanding. Don't be afraid to get messy by ripping and dunking to your heart's content.
It's a little pricey for the small portions of curry, but the magical Ethiopian coffee ceremony and endless injera make up for it. Don’t forget to eat with your right hand!
Finger-food is also what you'll find at the back-to-basics Mzoli's. Discussed in hushed tones by white suburbanites, and in raucous laughter (or derisory tones, depending who you speak to) by Gugulethu locals, this butchery-braai combo has quickly moved from the marginal to the mainstream.
Originally just a township butchery, owner Mzoli Ngcawuzele quickly realised that most of his customers were buying meat to take home and braai. So why not get a few fires going and let them do it all in one spot, he thought. And so Mzoli's was born.
Be warned though; this is no place for vegetarians. Meat, meat and more meat is all you'll find here. Well, perhaps a little pap on the side, if you ask nicely. The service is quite simple too; there is none.
Choose your chops (or wors, chicken and more) at the butchery, hand it to the braai-masters out back and wait for your meat-feast to sizzle. And never, ever say 'no' to the offer of Mzoli's secret sauce! It's self-service all the way, but if you're feeling lost there's bound to be a Gugs local to point you in the right direction.
Out back you'll find a first-come, first-served collection of tables where you grab a spot with your tray of meat. There's no alcohol sold at Mzoli's, but you can bring your own or buy from the shebeen across the road. It's BYO glasses too, if you're that way inclined.
Incredibly, Mzoli's has managed to attract curious Capetonians and tourist groups without scaring away the faithful Gugs locals and chances are you'll hear more isiXhosa than English or German.
It's a festive, friendly mix of residents and tourists who've plucked up the courage to venture into the townships and a laid-back, no-frills taste of Africa. Bon appetit in the Mama City!
Published in The Weekender, Sunday 14 June 2009.
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