Ivor Jones is one of my favourite chefs, and someone who is often mentioned on the show by his contemporaries. He's all about technique and a pin-sharp dedication to exploring, and getting, the very best out of ingredients in terms of flavour and presentation. I simply can't get to CW Beau Constantia often enough, but when I do, it's always a joy. There as so much to chat about on this episode, especially abut the challenges of seasonality in Cape Town and keeping the engine of a complex operation running, that I never got to chat to him about his recent collaboration with Jason Kosmas from Pot Luck Club and the Meuse Farm lunches. He was the very first guest on this show, so perhaps I can get him back for a third round some time soon. Hope springs eternal... but this was a great chat nonetheless.
Season has started by there may still be space to book on Dineplan
Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia
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• Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
• All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
• Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

In this episode, I sit down with one of my food heroes - Chef Chris Erasmus. He's now Group Chef of the Newmark Hotel Group, and we discuss his commitment to sustainability and the importance of sourcing from small, family-owned suppliers. We rummaged around in his culinary journey and the philosophy behind his new restaurant, Terrarium, which recently opened at the Queen Victoria Hotel in Cape Town's V&A Waterfront. Join us as we explore how Chris is redefining fine dining with a focus on hyperlocal ingredients and innovative flavors. Chris is such a lekker oke and I really enjoyed chatting to him.

You can book for Terrarium on Dineplan
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• Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
• All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
• Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat with Ken Kinsey-Quick, co-founder of Banhoek Chilli Oil, about the journey from kitchen experiments to national success and the opening of a global market. A quest with his brother-in-law Adi Meintjies to develop the perfect chilli oil to use at their dinner table led to the creation of a brand that enhances flavours in food without overpowering them. It also birthed a community farming project run by locals in Banhoek Valley where they grow chillies for the oil. There are some interesting aside about entrepreneurial spirit and focusing applying simple principles to running a successful business. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Ken and learned a lot from our conversation.

Banhoek Chilli Oil is available on their website and on Amazon USA and UK.
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• Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
• All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
• Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

Lance Gibbons is the CEO of SA Chef Media, and along with other players in the industry like FEDHASA and SA Chefs Association, he's put together the SA Chef Conference & Expo which is happening in Cape Town on November 25 & 26. On the cards are talks by Liam Tomlin, Luke Dale-Roberts and Chris Erasmus, as well as an address by Minister of Tourism, Patricia De Lille. One of the hoped-for outcomes of the gathering is a direction for branding South Africa as a food destination to build on our already robust culinary tourism scene. My chat with lance raised some interesting talking-points and it is great to see an initiative being driven to get chefs collaborating on building our food scene further as a global tourist attraction.
More on the SA Chef Conference & Expo 2024
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• Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
• All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
• Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

Vusi Ndlovu is the mind behind Mlilo at the Time Out Market, Cape Town. His journey to All Star chef began in hotel kitchens and grew through his time at the Greenhouse with Chef Peter Tempelhoff and later at The Saxon with Chef David Higgs. He's also been staging abroad and was a regular on the global culinary competition circuit. With partner Absie Pantshwa, he created Edge to explore his take on contemporary African cuisine in the fine dining milieu, until Mlilo gave him a chance to present simple, delicious street food from across his home continent. This was a great chat with an inspiring and inspired young chef.

Mlilo at Time Out Market, Cape Town

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• All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
• Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

With a sparkling track record which includes some banging cocktail bars in New York, Tetsuo Hasegawa has brought his brand of precisely crafted cocktails to Cape Town. Anthm Bar in Loop Street is an intimate 35-seater with a fabulous small plate menu where local ingredients and global techniques are explored in both drinks and food. We sat down for an excellent chat about his journey from Japan to New York and thence to the Mother City. Enjoy.
Anthm Bar

Italian WInes and Spirits by Gabba International

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• All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
• Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

Crush! online magazine is a digital food publication that started documenting food and food people in Cape Town way back in 2008. I sat down for a natter with founder, publisher and general creative head Matthew Ibbotson, and while food was at the core of the discussion, it was also about media, publishing and the effect the restaurant scene had and continues to have on the global media scene.

Read CRUSH! here

Cheese from Dalewood Fromage
Italian Wines from Gabba International

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• Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
• All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
• Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

Pop-ups fascinate me. I’m interested in the business model - how they work, and the benefits or challenges they present for operators. I’ve seen and heard a lot about Not Sad Food Co. so I reached out to Claudia Alberti for a chat about how (and why) she and her partner Yoraya Nydoo run pop-ups and kitchen takeovers. They’ve developed a fun, funky food brand, free of the constraints of walls and a permanent location - but what’s next?

Not Sad Food Co.

Gabba International - Italian Wines & Spirits

Kaas Club by Dalewood Fromage

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• All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
• Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay