A Table in the Corner

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Justin Joubert of Southern Cross Seafood Deli, the Cape Town fishmonger and seafood supplier established by his father, Paul, in 2007. Justin joined the family business after working as a chef for eight years, bringing kitchen experience to a business that sits between fishermen, suppliers, restaurants and home cooks. 
We talk about the realities of buying and selling fresh fish, from building long-term relationships with small-scale fishermen and commercial suppliers to dealing with unpredictable catches, changing seasons and fluctuating prices. Justin explains how his experience as a chef allows him to advise restaurant kitchens on alternative species and different ways of using what is actually available rather than simply supplying what is on the order.  
Sustainability is another important part of the conversation. We discuss responsible fishing practices, the amount of a fish that can end up as waste and the importance of using more of the whole animal. Justin also talks about Southern Cross's relationships with restaurants and its growing home-delivery business, which is bringing restaurant-quality seafood directly to Cape Town cooks.  
Finally, Justin explains how he has helped give a long-established family business a more contemporary public face through Southern Cross's website and social media, and what he would like to do next, including the possibility of a seafood deli with a small seafood tapas offering.  

www.rwm2012.com
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
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 to chef Carla Burger about Bloem, the restaurant she co-owns with Bertus Basson at Paul Clüver Family Wines in Elgin.
We talk about Carla’s journey through the Basson kitchens, from Overture and Eike to Spek & Bone and Chorus, and the move from pastry chef to running her own restaurant. Carla explains why Bloem was conceived as a more relaxed, family-friendly restaurant suited to the Elgin landscape, rather than another destination fine-dining restaurant.
We also talk about the produce coming from the farm, the addition of the Pizza Garden and the realities of running a restaurant in a seasonal destination. Carla discusses finding her own voice within the Basson group, learning the business side of hospitality and the ambition to help establish Elgin as a food destination in its own right. 

www.rwm2012.com
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
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 to Mike Fuller, co-owner and operator of Spek & Bone in Stellenbosch, as the restaurant approaches its tenth anniversary.
We talk about Mike’s journey through the Bertus Basson kitchens and how that experience shaped the way he approaches food, wine and the business of running a restaurant. He explains how Spek & Bone has evolved from its original wine-bar idea into a food-focused neighbourhood restaurant, and why the menu is deliberately relaxed while still drawing on serious culinary skills.
We also talk about wine by the glass, building relationships with regular customers and the realities of running a small restaurant in a highly seasonal market. Mike shares his thinking on the move away from formal fine dining, the importance of looking after local customers and the growing community of restaurants in Stellenbosch that is working together to build the town as a food destination.
And we return to where the conversation began: attention. Mike explains why social media matters, but why word of mouth and the experience guests have once they arrive remain the real foundations of a restaurant’s success.

www.rwm2012.com
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
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 to chef Anouchka Horn about Buri, the new 25-square-metre fast food banger she's opened with Neil Swart in Harrington Street. The concept is simple: take the South African boerewors roll and give it the same attention - to ingredients, sourcing and detail - that the Belly team brings to menus in their other restaurants.
We talk about developing the Buri wors with Frankie Fenner, finding the right roll, making the sauces and building a menu around something that is already deeply familiar. Anouchka explains how childhood memories of Saturday morning boerewors rolls and seaside mini doughnuts have shaped the concept, while monthly specials give the team room to keep experimenting.
We also talk about the challenges of running a tiny, high-volume operation serving more than 200 boerie rolls on a Saturday, and we get into the bigger question of how a restaurant can take a familiar South African food and make it feel fresh without losing what people love about it.

www.rwm2012.com
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
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 bonus episode of A Table in the Corner, Jonathan Warncke and I chat to chef Ivor Jones at Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia, shortly before we sit down to eat his winter menu. Ivor has just returned from an intensive five-week trip, including three weeks in Thailand studying regional Thai cooking, and we talk about what he brought back with him.
We get into the difference between Thai food as it is understood in the West and the cooking Ivor encountered in Thailand, as well as how travel, seasonality and new techniques feed into his constantly changing menus.
Ivor also talks about ten years at Beau Constantia, why he avoids signature dishes, his focus on keeping his kitchen team creatively engaged and why winter has become an opportunity to experiment rather than simply a quieter season to get through.
 
(You can see the CW Beau Constantia Winter Menu episode of Table For Two on our Table Talk Youtube channel here.)

www.rwm2012.com
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay