Africa Café

Description:

• What started as a humble enterprise in Jason and Portia's Observatory home has turned into a rather large enterprise in town (think tour groups), but this is still the best place sample a selection of traditional dishes from all over Africa. Meals are brought to your table in bowls -- a "communal feast" shared in the African tradition -- and you can eat as much as you want. The lineup changes regularly (check out the menu on www.africacafe.co.za for the latest variations), but you can expect interesting combinations like Malawi mbatata balls (sweet potato and cheese rolled in sesame seeds), West Coast mussels served in a Cape Malay coconut sauce, Tunisian briouats (potatoes and garlic in phyllo pastry), Ethiopian sik sik wat (lean, succulent lamb in a mild berbere and paprika sauce), Moroccan zeilook (aubergine, dhania, and garlic dip), Tanzanian mango chicken (strips of chicken filet, a little tough, in a tangy sauce), and South African ithanga (pumpkin and cinnamon fritters) -- all served with warm Xhosa potbread. There's a great moment when the wooden floorboards start to shake as the ululating staff dance through the restaurant with real unrestrained joy. All in all, it's a very touristy experience but still well worth it. Note: If you're more interested in the cuisine of southern Africa, nearby is Nyoni's Kraal, 98 Long St. (tel. 021/422-0525) where you can try local delicacies like curried tripe, samp and beans, and mopani worms.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010