Scene Stealer:
Little Mowbray, Cape Town
There’s a rare kind of magic to Cape Town’s Little Mowbray, a neighbourhood wedged between the frenzy of Main Road and the snoozy suburbia of Pinelands. Best thing about it? The solid
line-up of eateries within strolling distance
1
THE FAT CACTUS
For a guaranteed good time When Mandy Karpierz and her late husband David opened
The Fat Cactus 23 years ago, they could hardly have predicted its staying power, carrying patrons through from their tequila-shooting twenties to their laptopwielding forties with ease. Now one of three restaurants, the OG Tex-Mex eatery’s menu still satisfies with the original crowdpleasers such as chilli poppers and cheesy nachos, but has also evolved to include the, quite frankly inspired, Amazeballs – crumbed chorizo, jalapeño and feta risotto balls. You can still order your margaritas shaken or frozen, but now there’s also a house-made (soon to be retailed) Gingerdead tequila, served with orange and cinnamon. 47 Durban Road, Mowbray; tel: 021 685 1920, fatcactus.co.za, @fatcactuscafe
2
DIDI’S MEXICAN For burritos, baby!
Owners Didi and Jacques Strauss launched Didi’s Bitchin Burritos food truck in 2013. The wheels of the truck are still turning for catering events, and the soul of the vintage VW AutoVilla thrives in this spot. Old takeaway faithfuls include the chicken burrito stuffed with cheese, bean paste, spiced rice and lime crema, and the crispy fish tacos (don’t miss out on Taco Tuesdays: buy one portion, get one free). But really anything on the menu is a sure thing.A special shout out goes to Didi’s Street Corn, pan-fried in garlic oil and cumin and topped with feta and spring onion. 83 Durban Rd, Mowbray; tel: 021 003 4494, didismexican.
co.za, @didismexican
3
BRUEGELS For thin-crust pizza (and crayons)
New ownership can be tricky when it comes to beloved neighbourhood restaurants and Bruegels is no different. But under the helm of André and René Rangasamy and their children Jonah and Isabella, the familyfriendly heart of this eatery still beats steadily – albeit in a slightly jazzedup milieu. Kids still get to create their own wax-crayon masterpieces on the paper tablecloths, and thin-crust pizzas still emerge, crisped to perfection, from the wood-fired oven. But now there’s also a small, seasonal blackboard menu with a sharper focus on local, artisanal ingredients such as fresh fior di latte from Puglia and stoneground flour from Bio-Wheat. The pasta funghi esotica is a current delight, as is the new apple, pear, walnut and leafy green salad, splashed simply with red wine vinegar and pumpkin seed oil, and topped with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.
99 Durban Road, Mowbray; tel: 021 685 6046, bruegels.com, @Bruegels.Cpt
4
SUGO DELI
For stocking your fridge Owner Ammy Steijn has long been cultivating a steady following with her catering business, and this deli slash cooking hub was the logical next step. The lifeblood that flows through many of the housemade frozen meals is sugo – a traditional Italian tomato sauce that Ammy simmers for two days – adding depth of flavour to everything from Moroccan beef meatballs and brinjal Parmigiana, to butter chicken and vegetable tagines. Other locally sourced goodies to pop into your tote include free-range meat from Ryan Boon and Richard Bosman, free-range eggs from Happy Valley, fresh produce from Terra Madré, and loaves from Woodstock Bakery. On your way out, treat yourself to a takeaway flat white made using Deluxe beans. 3 Surrey Road, Little Mowbray; tel: 082 655 0606, sugofood.co.za, @sugofood
5
JADE TAVERN
For sushi and chop suey cravings
Little Mowbray is takeaway paradise, with a host of pick-up-and-delivery-only spots in the ’hood. Owner Jade Jianwang’s newly opened satellite of the original Jade Tavern in Kenilworth means that local fans can now get their sweet-and-sour pork fix closer to home. All the greats are here, including the umami-bomb chicken chop suey and the rainbow dragon roll with salmon and avo, drizzled with stickysweet, house-made teriyaki. Speaking of sushi, they have some crazy-good two-for-one specials. 79 Durban Road, Mowbray; tel: 021 687 0112, jadetavern.co.za, @jadetavern1
6
TASTE OF THAILAND
For pad Thai perfection, every time
You might not be boarding a plane to Thailand anytime soon, but chef Withamol Namsong’s cooking will soften the blow significantly. No matter how many times you’ve eaten his pad Thai, with its golden nuggets of fried tofu and crushed peanut sprinkle, it’s always a challenge not to default to it when perusing the menu. That said, the chicken cashew made with oyster sauce or roasted chilli paste might just sway you to try something different. It goes without saying that the curries are all carefully calibrated flavour bombs, but the masala curry deserves a special mention. 65 Durban Road, Mowbray; tel: 021 689 6156, tasteofthailand.co.
7
CURRY QUEST For the best bunny chow
When Durbanite Vani Moodley relocated to Cape Town 16 years ago, she was hard-pressed to find any restaurants that could satisfy her craving for authentic Durban curry. This perpetual quest led to Vani opening her own restaurant on, ironically enough, Durban Road, where it’s had a loyal following ever since. Vani roasts and blends fresh spices from Durban, which she then deploys to great effect in rich, tender butter chicken, saucy sugar-bean bunny chows and spicy lamb curries – among a legion of other customer favourites. For something snacky, the crispy potato samoosas served with a gloriously sticky mint chutney tick all the boxes. And folks in Kenilworth will be happy to hear that Vani has opened another branch there. 89 Durban Road, Mowbray;
tel: 021 686 3157, @curryquest
8
HOUSE OF CRAFT
For Dutch-Mexican courage
If you time it right, you might spot a consignment of spiky, bulbous agave hearts piled onto the stoep of this neighbourhood craft distillery. That’s because owner Maarten van Doesburgh is one of only a small handful of South Africans who produce 100% agave spirit – classified as such because mezcal and tequila have Protected Designation of Origin status. What makes Maarten’s operation rather unique is that he and son Nic roast, ferment, distill and bottle said agave hearts – procured from Graaff-Reinet – on the premises. In addition to a blanco and reposado (rested in old French oak barrels for three months) the duo also produces small-batch rum, gin and liqueurs. 61 Durban Road, Mowbray; tel: 082 487 8691, agava.co.za