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Cape Town is the culinary capital of South Africa and quite possibly the continent. It certainly has the best restaurants in southern Africa. Nowhere else in the country is the populace so discerning about food, and nowhere else is there such a wide selection of high-quality restaurants. Western culinary history here dates back
Cape Town is the culinary capital of South Africa and quite possibly the continent. It certainly has the best restaurants in southern Africa. Nowhere else in the country is the populace so discerning about food, and nowhere else is there such a wide selection of high-qu
Cape Town is the culinary capital of South Africa and quite possibly the continent. It certainly has the best restaurant
Cape Town is the culinary capital of South Africa and quite possibly the continent. It certainly has the best restaurants in southern Africa. Nowhere else in the country is the populace so discerning about food, and nowhere else is there such a wide selection of high-quality restaurants. Western culinary history here dates back to the 17th century—Cape Town was founded specifically to grow food—and that heritage is reflected in the city's cuisine and the fact that a number of restaurants operate in historic town houses and 18th-century wine estates.
Cape Town dining today offers a global culinary experience, with Cape chefs showing the same enthusiasm for international food trends as their counterparts worldwide. French and Italian fare has long been available, but with Thai, Japanese, and Pan-Asian influences flooding in, accents of lemongrass, miso, and yuzu have become de rigueur in fine-dining kitchens. Middle Eastern cuisine is finally making some headway, and the Americas have also come to the fore, with plenty of burgers and ribs, and even chicken and waffles popping up on menus these days, not to mention a few South American and passable Mexican eateries. Ubiquitous pan-Asian fare is probably not as good as what you might be used to in major American cities; sushi is also easily found, though largely limited to tuna and salmon, and often prepared with lots of drizzled mayo and sauces. The locavore trend toward organic produce and healthful dishes is also gaining popularity, though attitudes toward vegetarianism in this meat-happy land remain somewhat backward.
Though unfortunately inside the mall, this buzzing hive of activity consistently churns out what many say is the city's best sushi along with a surprisingly good array of other Japanese dishes as well as seafood favorites like English fish-and-chips and a prawn pasta. It is probably fair to say that South African sushi was defined by Willoughby & Co., with its fanciful and decadent signature rolls, such as the creamy rock-shrimp maki (a tuna-style roll graced with large chunks of tempura-fried crayfish in a spicy mayo-based sauce) and the rainbow nation roll (salmon, avocado, and tuna topped with caviar and a few squizzles of delicious sesame-oil and sweet chili sauces). More traditional sushi is also very good, thanks to the fact that this shop promises nothing is ever frozen (multiple weekly shipments of fresh Norwegian salmon help make this so). The Japanese Kitchen menus are also extremely tasty. There will almost inevitably be a line during normal dinner hours; however, it goes quickly (especially if you sit at the sushi bar, which is the place to be) and you're likely to be offered free tastes of various new vintages while waiting.
19 Dock Rd., Cape Town, Western Cape, 8002, South Africa
Tjing Tjing House is a four-venue Japanese cuisine marvel that shares skilled chefs and bartenders, great design style, and a 200-year-old heritage building in the heart of Cape Town. On the ground floor you have Torii, serving meals and snacks comprised of crowd-pleasing Japanese bar food—think deep-fried sushi rice, excellent tempura, baos, hot-dogs, and karaage chicken; there's also a rooftop bar and the excellent and more high-end Momiji, which serves refined tasting style menus on the middle floor. Next to Momiji is a sophisticated lounge bar, where you can enjoy cocktails and a range of Japanese whiskeys. Midnight blue walls and white floors are offset by sparkling chandeliers and graphics that aim to combine hints of both old and modern Tokyo. Service is friendly and efficient (in fact you may want them to slow things down if you plan to linger), and the cocktails are fantastic (note the bar upstairs). Mochi Mochi is a recent 5th addition to the venue, found next to Torii, a cafe serving great coffee, simple sandwiches, and all sorts of flavors and types of mochis.
165 Longmarket St., Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
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