A Table in the Corner

If you think you know Cape Town's food scene, this conversation might make you think again. In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with Dennis Molewa, founder of Unexplored Cape Town, whose work takes visitors beyond the city's celebrated restaurants into the cafés, markets and neighbourhood kitchens where many of the city's brown and immigrant communities eat every day.
Dennis explains how growing up in multicultural Frankfurt, working in hospitality and later settling in South Africa led him to explore the city through its food. We discuss Malay and Xhosa restaurants, Somali cafés, Ethiopian eteries, West African kitchens, the remarkable food market around the Bellville Transport Interchange and why so much of Cape Town's culinary life remains invisible to both tourists and many locals.
Our conversation also looks at food tourism, heritage and the role restaurants play in preserving culture. Dennis argues that tourism can be a force for inclusion by supporting small food businesses and creating opportunities for people whose stories are rarely told. It's a thoughtful discussion about identity, migration, public space and why some of the city's most rewarding meals are found well beyond the familiar dining guides.
 

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

This episode of A Table in the Corner is another in our Pizza Sessions series, supported by Banhoek Chilli Oil. So naturally, I arrived at Novo Pizza + Wine with a box of Banhoek under my arm, ready to talk pizza with owners Ammy and Arno, and to discover why so many Capetonians had told me, "You have to put Novo on your list." 
Novo Pizza + Wine is a neighbourhood pizzeria in Mowbray built around the simple idea that great pizza brings people together. Ammy and Arno share the story of  creating the kind of local restaurant they wanted for their own community. We talk about the challenge of finding great pizzaiolos, learning the craft from the ground up, and how inspiration from Burrata, Massimo's and travels through Italy helped shape the pizzas they serve today. 
We also explore what makes a neighbourhood restaurant thrive, from sourcing exceptional ingredients and building relationships with regular customers to creating pizzas that people return for week after week. Along the way we discuss long-fermented dough, Cape Town's evolving pizza culture, the story behind Novo's cult favourite Fellini pizza, and, of course, whether chilli oil deserves a place on every slice.

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 sit down with chef Clara Bubenzer, co-owner of The Lebanese Bakery, a certified halaal bakery and deli with branches in Claremont and Cape Town's East City. Clara trained in fine dining kitchens before finding her way into Middle Eastern food through a career that took her from Cairo to Jack Black Brewing Co., before an unexpected opportunity led her to the bakery.
We talk about how the business evolved from a small bakery into a deli serving shawarmas, falafel, dips and Lebanese pantry staples, and how Covid unexpectedly accelerated that transformation. Clara explains the influence of Egyptian and Lebanese cooking on the menu, the importance of sourcing the right ingredients and why products like their pita breads and shawarmas have developed such a loyal following.
We also discuss kitchen culture, leadership and hospitality. Clara reflects on rejecting the aggressive brigade system she experienced early in her career in favour of building a workplace based on respect, trust and positive reinforcement. It's a conversation about food, business and creating a neighbourhood bakery people return to week after week. 

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, brought to you with the kind collaboration of Kirston Foods, I chat to Tim Wyatt-Gunning, co-founder of Vadivelu, the contemporary South African Indian restaurant on Cape Town's Kloof Street. With a background in banking, telecommunications and technology, Tim's move into hospitality was unexpected. Together with his brother-in-law, chef Jason Moodley, he's helping to tell a new chapter in the story of South African Indian cuisine, rooted in family recipes but unafraid to reinterpret tradition. 
We explore the evolution of Durban curry, why Jason describes their food as authentically South African rather than authentically Indian, and how dishes like crayfish curry, crab curry and even a crayfish bunny chow reflect the creativity that has always been part of this country's Indian food culture. Tim also explains why the restaurant's constantly changing specials board has become one of its greatest strengths. 
Our conversation ranges beyond the food to the realities of opening and growing a successful independent restaurant. Tim reflects on what he brought from the corporate world, why hospitality is built on relationships as much as recipes, and the importance of creating a restaurant people want to return to again and again. We also discuss ‘Shy Elephant’, Vadivelu's house Indian lager, the role of regular customers in building a business, and why generosity remains at the heart of great hospitality. 

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 Brad Berman, the founder of Pizzasaurus, a vegan pizzeria on Cape Town's Harrington Street that sees every pizza served as a small moment of activism. For Brad, plant-based cooking isn't about sacrifice or preaching. It's about proving that food can be indulgent, deeply satisfying and a little kinder to the planet at the same time.
We explore how he set out to reinvent one of the world's most beloved comfort foods, developing his own fermented vegan cheeses, slow-proofed doughs and house-made sauces while partnering with specialist producers to create convincing plant-based alternatives to traditional pizza toppings. Brad explains why he believes great vegan food should stand on its own merits, rather than being judged as a substitute for something else.
Our conversation also touches on the realities of running a niche restaurant, the changing fortunes of vegan dining in South Africa and why Harrington Street has become one of Cape Town's most exciting food precincts. Along the way we discuss food systems, sustainability and whether one great slice of pizza might just change a few minds.
As always, Pizza Sessions is brought to you by Banhoek Chilli Oil: The perfect way to finish every slice.
Whether you’re vegan, vegan-curious or simply love a good pizza, this is a fascinating conversation about food, hospitality and challenging assumptions, one slice at a time.

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