Alright guys, so it is lunchtime here in Cape Town and today we are in Bo Kaap (Malay Quarter)
the colorful neighborhood.
We're going to be having some Cape Malay food which is very exciting because this is very
multicultural food in a way that is very unique to the Cape here in South Africa.
Visiting the colorful neighborhood of Bo-Kaap is your best bet to try Cape Malay cuisine
This is a fusion between Malaysian, Indonesian and South African culinary traditions characterized
by flavorful and aromatic ingredients.
So we're eating here at Biesmiellah restaurant (The Lounge) and we have our friend Trudy
who is a local of Stellenbosch to thank for this.
Because otherwise we probably wouldn't have found out about this place.
And this place is apparently a bit of an institution here in Bo-Kaap.
Yeah, yeah and so we've like ordered a lot.
Haha.
A lot of food.
We've got appetizers, we've got mains, we've got drinks and we've got desserts coming and
it is all quite affordable so we can't wait for all of the food to come and we're just
going to have another feast of feasts here in Cape Town, South Africa.
Drinks have arrived.
Indeed.
So I ordered the Biesmiellah Berry Cooler so let's have a sip.
Oh, already sprayed.
Just from looking at it it looks very refreshing.
Mmmm.
It is like a soda.
Yeah?
With like a berry flavored syrup in the bottom and little mint leaves on top.
Yeah, I think it is refreshing and lime.
The way it was explained is that it has kind of like a lemonade soda and then lime at the
top and the right at the bottom you have the berry syrup which you've been stirring around.
So colorful.
Every so diligently.
It matches my shirt today.
Ah!
It does.
How convenient huh?
And one of the other drinks that was recommended to us by the kind and friendly waitress is
mango lassi.
And of course we're familiar with this.
This is like a very kind of Indian inspired drink and so let's try it.
Oh man that is good.
It is definitely more of a sweet than a salty lassi and they put in a lot of mangoes which
is good.
I mean obviously when you order a mango lassi you don't want it to taste strongly of mango.
And so yeah it is just a fantastic lassi.
It is really thick.
Its consistency is more like a yoghurt than anything else.
So this is kind of almost like a meal within a drink if you can say such a thing.
So every table at the restaurant gets a free salad.
Want to give us a tour?
So let's look down here again.
So we have a salad and then we have a beetroot salad, coleslaw and tomatoes and onion.
So yeah, you've got to love the free side dishes.
And something else has arrived.
Yes.
And one of the things we ordered as an appetizer.
We just ordered the one it is a vegetable samosa.
So it is kind of cute and small in a triangular shape.
Well, it is nice and cheap on the menu too.
And so it comes with a sauce and this looks almost looks like it could be a fruit sauce.
I'm going to try that.
Or like sweet and sour.
Maybe sweet and sour.
So I'm going to try that.
It is a vegetable vegetarian samosa.
Mmmm.
Oh, wow.
Tasty?
That is a fruit sauce.
I think it might, I think it might include beetroot.
A beatroot sauce?
I think it might be a beetroot sauce.
And inside there is um lots of potato and some mushed pees and I believe some carrot
as well.
So that is really nice.
It is a really high quality samosa even though it is small.
I kind of wish we ordered more than one but we do have a lot more food coming.
We have a lot of food coming.
That is very true.
Alright, so all the food is here and it smells and it looks amazing.
But we're going to be trying something new.
We're having something called bobotie.
At least I think that is how you say it and I'm going to read you the description because
this sounds tantalizing.
A sweet sour flavored lean beef mince, stir-fried with fresh herbs, spices topped with a milked
egg glaze served with sweet yellow rice.
You can see that milk egg.
Oh yeah!
Milk egg and yellow rice.
Let's see.
Oh, so there is the minced beef.
Oh wow.
And the rice and the milk egg and glaze.
I think we mix it altogether right?
Yeah, mix it all.
That sounds about right.
Why not?
If we're wrong please let us know.
That way you get all the flavors.
And there is a lot of times when we're supposed to be eating with our hands or supposed to
be mixing it up or not mixing it up and yeah.
We never know.
We don't always know that is for sure.
So let's try this.
Mmmm.
How does that look?
That smells good.
That looks good.
So we've been in South Africa for two weeks now and this is my first time trying this.
Even though we've had Cape Malay food once before.
Yeah, this is definitely our first time and we also didn't have it on the first trip either
so this is really special.
One of our last meals.
How is it?
That is nice.
It is kind of sweet.
Is it?
Yeah.
Is it sweet minced meat?
A bit?
Yeah.
I don't know if there is cinnamon or nutmeg or something.
I wonder if there is any raisins in there?
Hhhmmm.
Raisins would go really well with this.
Okay.
It is kind of it has got like a Christmasy flavor in a way.
Oh, wow.
Mmmm.
So enjoying that huh?
It does have raisins.
There you go.
My wish has been granted.
Haha.
My food wish.
I make food wishes with an imaginary genie.
Mmmm.
That is good stuff.
So normally we take turns like presenting different dishes but I got so excited watching
you eat the bobotie that I just decided to I am going to enjoy the curry which we're
having next but I'm going to try some of this first.
The color of the rice on camera is so beautiful.
I know.
It is like a rich saffron orange.
Okay, so my goal here is to get a bit of minced meat, a big of egg and a bit of rice.
Let's get all of that going on.
Mmmm.
Oh my gosh I can hear gentle grunting noises in the distance.
Haha.
That is so good.
I know.
And you're right about that sweetness.
Yeah, it is kind of Christmas-y.
You know what it kind it is kind of Christmasy and it kind of hits you at the end of your
bite.
Just as you're swallowing the last part.
Mmmm.
Just that rice, oh man, what a great combination.
What a great idea.
We're going to finish this for sure.
Everything.
We're polishing that off.
Loving this.
This is my first time to try anything quite like it to be honest.
Time for dish number two.
So the next one that we got is a mutton curry and it says skewers of mutton cooked gently
and slowly with a blend of traditional spices and herbs to produce a tantalizing curry.
Check that out.
That does look like a tantalizing curry.
It does look tantalizing and it comes with roti.
Yes.
So I'm just we ate like an insane amount of roti when we were in Malaysia and Singapore.
So that is a very familiar bread for us.
Oh yeah.
You know what?
I don't even think I got any mutton in that bite.
It is just sauce but let's just go with that.
How is the curry?
Mmmm.
Savory?
Mmmm.
Let's grab a spoonful next.
Let's get you some of that mutton.
Get you some mutton.
Some mutton.
Oh wow, it is really soft and tender.
Look at that.
Oh wow.
It just breaks apart.
It just falls apart.
Really.
It falls apart on the fork.
Mmmm.
That is quite nice.
Sometimes mutton can be a bit tough but this is really well cooked.
You can tell it has been cooked for a long time slowly.
It is so tasty.
Oh man, I'm going to mix it with the bobotie.
Let's see.
Show us how it is done.
Haha.
How us how it is done.
Wow, now that is a big bite.
Combining all of the flavors.
I'm holding my fork like a shovel at this point.
Hahaha.
It is a food shovel.
Mmmm.
Good?
Alright, grabbing a bit of roti and going in for my first bite.
I am going in with my hands.
Oh nice.
I was able to scoop out a piece of the mutton.
Right?
Wow.
Oooh.
Wow.
That is some tender mutton and then when you combine it with just like a really rich savory
sauce and then a really nice roti.
Yeah, that is a winning combo for sure.
And now it is the time we've all been waiting for dessert time!
Time for dessert and we are having puddings.
Pudding.
So we have sago pudding which apparently is typical type of Indian inspired pudding.
Yeah.
And then we have over here Malva pudding which is sort of more traditional South African.
And you know what?
At first glance they both look the same so it will be interesting.
Alright, so I see tapioca pearls which I think is the sago.
It appears to be let's try this.
Mmmm.
Yeah, that is good.
Oh yeah.
You have like the sago tapioca like balls and then you have a bit of a warm custard.
This has been heated up so I wasn't sure if this would be warm or cold.
And then kind of a bread, a fluffy bread to sop it all up.
Okay.
That is pretty good.
Let's move on to the Malva.
Okay, malva.
Oh, okay so yeah there are no sago.
Oh there is.
There may be some tapioca balls.
No, that is just bubbles.
Those are just bubbles.
Oh my goodness.
Mmmm.
Yeah, that is a different uh kind of a custard sauce.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Oh, wow.
They look the same.
I know they look exactly the same but they taste different so they are both really good.
My gosh and we have another dessert that just came.
So this one is called a Koeksister or a Koeksisters.
Okay, and it is a fried doughnut.
Let me try that.
I'll break it in half.
Let's take a look.
Ooh.
It is super hot.
I'm like burning my fingers.
Aaah.
Mmmmm.
Oh, yum.
That has a bit of coconut on the outside and it has got a honey cinnamon glaze from what
I can tell.
That is real good.
Again, fresh and warm.
All the desserts are nice and warm.
Well, this is my dream right here.
I've got three desserts all lined up in front of me.
Woah.
Tada.
Audrey is in a happy place.
Alright, so I'm starting with the sago pudding.
This is the Indian pudding.
Yeah.
Let's see what I think of it.
Sago-licious?
Mmmmm.
Isn't that nice?
It is like kind of a mix between a cake and a flan but it has tapioca balls.
Yeah.
And custard.
This is really nice.
Isn't that nice?
Bite two.
Okay, let's move on to the next one.
So this looks like a cake too.
Let's see if we can get a bit of it.
That is the Malva right?
Malva.
Sorry, not Halva.
Malva.
With an M.
Sam, the custard is the same for both of them.
No, I swear that tastes different to me.
Are you serious?
To me the cake tastes different but this is custard on both of them.
Somebody's taste buds need to go back to culinary school.
My taste buds have gone haywire.
I've been enjoying too much red wine here in South Africa.
Yeah, it is kind of like a sponge-y cake but it is also quite well there is something different.
Heavy.
You're tasting the cake as being different.
Sponge-y but heavy if that makes any sense.
So you taste the cake as being different?
Yeah.
The custard is the same Sam.
Come on.
Oh my gosh.
Let's go for the last part.
Okay, ooh.
Koeksisters.
It is so nice when you zoom in like that you can
see the shredded coconut.
The coconut on the outside.
Yeah.
Mmmm.
This is like a donut.
A nice deep-fried doughnut with a sweet glaze and shredded coconut.
You know what?
Me loosing my taste buds is like Spiderman losing his Spidey sense.
This is not good is it?
This has been a really good meal.
I'm happy.
Well we are officially bursting at the seams.
Yeah, I'm in full on rotund chicken mode.
Rotund chicken.
I could take a siesta.
I don't even think I can make it back to the apartment.
Just roll down the hill.
I could just sleep right under this table.
But anyways it is time for price point.
So that was 340 Rand which at current exchange is about $25 US dollars.
So we did get ended up being three drinks, we got an appetizer, two mains and three desserts.
So we kind of, we kind of went overboard a little bit but uh yeah still good definitely
good value for money spent and one thing that we've really enjoyed about Cape Town is that
it is very much a foodie city.
We've been trying all kinds of different foods and cuisines here and we just absolutely love
that we can go out to different restaurants sample different cuisines whether it be local
or International and we've just been eating really well in this city so when we leave
we will definitely be sad.
But anyways that is it from Cape Town, South Africa.
Signing out.