Centurion IDC Spring 2023

It’s a sunny Friday

It’s a sunny Friday afternoon in Cape Town, and Kloof Nek – the steep road that winds between Lion’s Head and Table Mountain – is clogged with cars. Every now and then, passengers catch a whiff of a burnt-out clutch. s one of the main roads that A leads from the city bowl to the Atlantic Seaboard, lined with glimmering beaches, it’s not uncommon for cars to be crawling up this hill on a warm evening. Summer traffic is hardly new to Cape Town, a place that’s now seeing an influx of Joburgers moving here full time, as well a steady stream of travellers who have been lured from around the globe for years. Even as the city faces challenges – such as increased electricity cuts (for between two to six hours every day because of nationwide shortages) and a slight incline in crime – it’s still in insatiable demand. Even during the city’s major drought and water crisis, which lasted from 2016 for around three years, visitors were hardly deterred. Arrive in Cape Town on a blue-sky day and you’ll quickly see why. Known for its staggering beauty, the city has striking mountains blanketed with vibrant fynbos (local shrubland), tufts of proteas and indigenous forests – perfect for hikers. At the foot of these mountains lies the icy Atlantic Ocean, buffered by sandy white beaches, which rival the Algarve. And then there’s the food and wine scene, which is one of the most pioneering and prolific on the continent, if not the globe. The restaurants, dominated by independent entrepreneurs and chefs, have grown from strength to strength, thanks to the constant influx of eager diners always scouring for something new. For chefs, there’s also no shortage of inspiration and good local produce. “When you’re surrounded by mountains and vineyards there’s so much to work with,” says Peter Tempelhoff, chef and co-owner of Fyn, Doluptatus vello rerum, vollecte pa vera perumet rerferf eriorerrore voluptatu Em voluptatque porrum labor An art-filled common area of the Future Found Sanctuary hotel in Hout Bay; opposite: iconic South African artist Porky Hefer poses amid his Volume IV. Chaos Calamus exhibition at Southern Guild, on view until 20 April

PHOTOS HAYDEN PHIPPS/SOUTHERN GUILD; OPPOSITE PAGE: MILLION MEMORIES; PREVIOUS SPREAD FROM LEFT: HUFTON + CROW, ANDREA VAN DER SPUY which serves Japanese-style plates with homegrown ingredients and was recently listed on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list (the only eatery in South Africa to have made the list). Tempelhoff also attributes the scene’s success to the powerful tourism season. “It’s a major driving factor,” he says. “The city almost doubles in size during the high season [December through February]. A lot of these tourists are used to dining out in foreign countries, so it’s a challenge for restaurateurs to up their game.” Despite many of these restaurants now having to run on generators for large chunks of the day, the food scene is arguably better than ever before, with a host of buzzy new spots, including Tempelhoff ’s new ramen joint, Ramenhead, located in the same building as Fyn in downtown Cape Town. T here’s also been a slew of fine-dining destinations. If you thought gastronomy was dead, well, you were wrong. At least in Cape Town. “A lot of people were expecting the death of fine dining [after Covid]. They didn’t know the world would welcome the challenging industry of fine dining. It’s come back – and it’s come back hard,” Tempelhoff adds. Last year, the team behind La Colombe, one of Cape Town’s most prestigious and long-standing finedining establishments, opened Pier in an airy, glass-fronted dining room located on the water at the V&A Waterfront. On the menu, dishes like nitrogen-poached calamansi (a citrus fruit) and caviar with caramelised cauliflower delight diners seeking lengthy, elaborate meals. Chef Vusi Ndlovu’s Edge, which popped up at the Belmond Mount Nelson hotel (and will open in a permanent space in the near future), will also excite foodies looking for something fancy with local flair. “Cape Town has always had amazing chefs. The clientele allows them to fully explore and push boundaries,” says Ndlovu, who cooks most of his food over fire. “People in Cape Town are also open to trying new things, which works in our favour.” The young toque is part of a new wave of chefs in Cape Town tapping into indigenous cuisine. At Edge, he draws flavours and techniques from all over the continent, elevating well-known meals like jollof rice, which inspired his tomato consommé served with local salmon trout. “It’s exciting to see the restaurant scene rebuild, but not only with the intention to open a restaurant but also to shed more light on African and South African cuisine,” says Mmabatho Molefe, the chef behind opened Emazulwini, which highlights Nguni and Zulu cuisines. Located at Makers Landing on the foreshore at a shipping terminal, Molefe spins fine plates like butter-basted ox liver with yellow lentils and chakalaka (spicy relish). She recognises the challenges the city faces, but can’t deny that there’s still space for the industry to thrive. “Despite everything going on – electricity cuts etc – creatively, we have found our voice,” she says. This powerful voice extends to the art and design worlds, too. Since being listed as World Design Capital back in 2014, as well as the annual host of Design Indaba, a conference that draws design pioneers and innovators from all over the globe, the creative scene has been booming, highlighting more and more local makers. “There’s an incredible energy brewing CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 53