Dine and wine where history meets heritage

Daily Maverick

a day ago

In a vibey central Cape Town restaurant, my American and South African mentors and I got to dine out on the food of chef Vusi Ndlovu.
In a restaurant that challenges culinary customs and experiments with flavours, on Shortmarket Street in Cape Town, five plates were placed on the table in a moody dining hall. Small vases adorned the table and menus were laid next to each plate.
Five guests – two Americans and three South Africans, of different ages and professional backgrounds – sat down to enjoy the same meal. Well, except for the pescatarian that is.
A woman with high cheekbones, a colourful hair scarf with a knot in the middle and Afrocentric earrings greeted us at the table. Panashe Makande, a tall man, stood quietly, waiting to serve water.
Our table was right next to the fire, and immediately my memory transported me to my first braai. But in reality, braais are all around you in South Africa, in the township and even in fine dining restaurants like EDGE. Braais are represented in every culture in the country. Food has the power to bring people together, a theme I am finding to be proven true daily.
I took a seat next to Tony – naturally I've been sitting next to him as he's my mentor in South Africa. At the opposite head of the table was Karin, and two seats were reserved for Jan, her husband, and one of my professors from Syracuse University, Ken Harper. Jan and Karin are two of my hosts in Kayamandi. Ken is visiting South Africa to work on his own projects while also checking in on the student interns. I must say I do feel greatly supported throughout my internship. While we waited for Jan and Professor Harper, Tony, Karin and I caught up with how our weeks had been going.
The woman with the high cheekbones, Luyanda Peter, wiped the bottle with a cloth and the words revealed Aslina. My eyes widened. The Aslina wines? Before opening the bottle she asked me which one I would like to try. I am on a mission to find my favourite red wine, so without hesitation I said 'red'.
She opened the bottle and poured the red liquid into my wine glass. I'd been wanting to try the wine from Ntsiki Biyela since I arrived and was now having the opportunity to do so. The wine selection at EDGE is intentional with the inclusion of Black, people of colour, female and young winemakers in the cellar.
I quickly took out my phone and drafted an email to send to a representative at Aslina wines. I just had to schedule an interview with Ntsiki. Send.
The menu at EDGE includes bokkoms, kingklip, egusi and wine from Aslina, the second Black female winemaker in South Africa. Below the restaurant name the message on the menu reads 'Local ingredients cooked over wood fire, highlighting the beauty and depth of Africa's culinary heritage & the abundance of the great African pantry'. The African pantry is diverse with ingredients such as red pepper, various seeds and amaranth verte to reimagine African cuisine.
The hibachi-style setup along with a green egg and coal oven helps create the essence of the menu at EDGE. The portions are tailored to represent the shared-plates concept. Founder and owner Vusi Ndlovu has relationships with his butchers, portraying the ethos of EDGE. The South African chef has graced the kitchens in both his homeland and in Europe, exploring his culinary craft.
Co-founder Absie Pantshwa, from the Eastern Cape, is described as demure and mindful, and though she is not directly making the food, her upbringing in the kitchen, and even knowledge of how to slaughter a sheep, creates a space of collaboration with Vusi's casual and witty personality.
The first course was inspired by tradition. In Xhosa, the meaning of the meal translates to water of bread. The meal is traditionally served at family gatherings with the meat that has been cooked over as a stew. The meal at EDGE was prepared with water, the beef elixir and the plump, round steamed bread known as dombolo. Small oil pockets form in the centre. The dombolo quickly absorbed the elixir without any sogginess, allowing the flavours to seep into the carb. Refresher towels were placed next to our food so we could enjoy the meal with our hands.
The second course was the main one, served on a small plate to give us a glimpse of the menu, of cabbage, mussels and zamalek (the colloquial name for Carling Black Label beer). The bright-yellow sauce reminded me of eggs waiting to be scrambled. As I mentioned in a previous story, there are two foods I swore I would never try: mussels and oysters. Would you believe that one of my favourite parts of the dish was the mussels? Who knew mussels could be so tender yet chewy? The creamy sauce paired deliciously with the green apples, a pleasant topping on the dish. Now, I want to add green apples to every meal.
I excused myself from the table during the evening to use the bathroom and when I returned, a man with a blue hat, brown skin and grey puffer jacket was sitting at a nearby table talking to Jan, Karin, Professor Harper and Tony. Tony introduced me as Naomi Campbell, and the ice has been broken yet again. Vusi Ndlovu can now say Naomi Campbell has visited his restaurant, and if her PR representatives are reading this, you should book a reservation for her immediately.
At some point during the evening, and as with most of my outings with Tony, it was revealed that I am pescatarian. The waitress looked apologetic, but who can blame her? I've been politely teased as to how I can come to a poultry-loving continent as a pescatarian. Can you imagine how my Caribbean parents feel?
She also has a great memory. As she walked back to the table with my personalised plate she announced to us all what I would be eating. Before the plate was even placed on the table, I saw something excitingly familiar. The brown rice was neatly placed in a miniature bowl. It was jollof rice. I had briefly mentioned to her that Senegalese food is one of my favourite cuisines and there on my plate was a taste of the country I hope to visit one day.
My third course was mackerel topped with fresh tomatoes and peppers on top in yet another broth. Vusi is well versed in broth brilliance. I won't lie to you when I say I didn't get a glimpse of my dear friends' plates to see what they were eating – when you are treated like a pescatarian princess it is hard to take your eyes off of your own dish. The jollof had a slight spice to it with hints of amaranth verte. The salt and black pepper shakers sat untouched at the table. The perfect blend of salt and various spices could be tasted. A tip of the hat to the chef.
The final course was a dessert – a pastry with rooibos, egusi and vanilla flavours with a hint of peach jam on top. I appreciate all of the desserts I have tried in South Africa and I think the American culinary industry should take note – your desserts can taste sweet without a whole lot of sugar. The natural sweetness of vanilla, blended with the crispy pastry and fruity taste of peach, offered a complimentary treat which left me craving tea.
After we dined, Vusi guided us to the rooftop. We initially dined downstairs due to an event happening upstairs. During the walk up the narrow staircase I briefly spoke to my professor who asked me about my experience so far in South Africa. Where do I even begin? I thought.
On the rooftop, Vusi ordered us all a cocktail. I can't remember what I was given, partly because of the wine, but also because of the speakers. Is that amapiano I hear? One of my favourite parts of being in South Africa, specifically Kayamandi, is being woken up by passing cars blasting amapiano music. So it isn't a cliche? Amapiano really is part of the culture.
Vusi introduced the five of us to his team including chefs Nthabeleng Ntsewa and Owame Chupulogo. I told them about my love for amapiano and asked them to play Mali by Dlala Thukzin and Zee Nxumalo.
The chefs and Vusi were surprised I knew the song. I tried my best to pronounce the words in isiZulu, one of South Africa's official Nguni languages. I waited eagerly to hear the ad lib, 'Dlala Thukzin', from the song. I've listened to this song more times than I can count and I wanted to impress my new peers. After about four minutes into the song, I put on a cheeky grin and mouthed 'Dlala Thukzin', and they laughed and cheered me on. Mission accomplished.
The sounds of the percussion and chords paired with the vocals – how isn't amapiano more played in the States? I long for the day that I hear Dlala Thukzin's name echoed through the speakers.
After our jam session I was able to briefly interview Vusi. When I asked him what inspired EDGE, he said: 'The flavours of the African continent inspire me a lot, and what we bring forward to the table.'
What some might call casual cuisine is redefined through chef expertise at EDGE X VUE. My experience at EDGE restaurant was where history, trying Aslina wine, meets heritage, tasting traditional African cuisine, all by the fire.
'When you come here, you are going to find different types of ingredients that we like to play around with, and we also like to try new things, explore flavours,' Owame said.
As Karin, Jan, Professor Harper, Tony and I prepared to part ways, I was reminded of something that chef Nthabeleng said:
'It's always a vibe here.'
I enjoyed my first taste of First Thursdays (which happen weekly in the neighbourhood) and it wasn't even a Thursday. , I hummed as I walked down the flight of stairs to exit the restaurant and enter onto Shortmarket Street. DM