Shisanyama Fest: a battle of the best
DURBAN’S Shisanyama Festival gets into full swing next weekend with a celebration of culture, food, fashion, and music at uMlazi’s trendy Eyadini Lounge.
The event has only been going for three years and is already cited as one of the top food festivals in the country. The festival runs over two days on September 1 and 2 and sees the top five Shisanyama venues in KwaZulu-Natal in a cookoff, while the music line-up includes AKA, Unathi, Babes Wodumo and more.
Next Saturday’s celebrity judges and chefs, Jackie Cameron, Nardia Adams, Sean Webber and Nkululeko Mlotshwa, will do a blind tasting for the White Star Cook Off from 3pm to 4pm, with the winners announced at 8pm. On September 2, the Shisanyama Awards will be announced by the judges, Buhle Mbonambi, Dennis Ngxongo, Sdu Gerasch and Meleney Cunniff.
In addition, a Mega Glam Cam will give visitors the chance to snap their outfit on a 360º rotating platform and, on both nights, there will be awards for the best-dressed man and woman.
The five finalists shortlisted by the judges are Seaman’s Corner, Hammarsdale; Unique Lounge, Durban CBD; Sbu’s Lounge, Inanda; The Joint Beach & Jazz Cafe, South Beach; and Café Skyzer in Mayville. The Independent on Saturday spoke to judge and Independent Media’s Food and Drinks Editor, Buhle Mbonambi, about what he was looking for when it came to the perfect shisanyama experience.
“I’m looking for great food, but the key to the whole shisanyama thing is value for money and authenticity,” he says.
“Shisanyama is township-based. It’s done in people’s homes or back rooms. It must be home-style cooking. I am looking for good pap and jeqe (steamed bread) and a good variety of meats that include liver and kidneys and chicken,” he says.
“And also a good variety of flavours, and not everything seasoned with the same spice. The chakalaka must have a kick. It’s always better when it’s created from scratch. The canned stuff is garbage,” adds Mbonambi.
“I’ve always loved wors, and it’s the simplest thing, but people can get it so wrong. Same with liver. They need to sear it and season it and not cook it right through, otherwise it’s grey and hard and you could hurt someone with it.”
While not a huge fan of beef, he looks for lamb chops on the menu, and then there’s unusual or distinctive sauces or sambals.
As to the winners, he was playing his cards close to his chest, but sang the praises of all the finalists.
“Cafe Skyzer almost makes me want to deny my mom’s jeqe – and she makes the best jeqe,” he says. “It needs to be fluffy, like eating a cloud. And Sbu’s lounge had a wonderful variety of meats that included pork and lamb. It’s also a beautiful establishment with safe parking,” says Mbonambi.
Seaman’s Corner has a wonderful jazz lounge feel about it.
“It’s the sort of place that’s really chilled and all grown up, and the food is very good.”
The two urban shisnyamas, The Joint and Unique Lifestyle Café, both exceeded expectations. “These are going to be more expensive, so to compete they need to offer excellent quality and a better selection so I can still get my money’s worth,” he says.
For Mbonambi the important thing is, do the locals still go?
“At the end of the day are they still welcome?” he asks, “Or is it simply an uMhlanga-style establishment in the township?”
Tickets cost R150 general and R300 VIP through Computicket. Follow announcements on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @shisanyamafestival