If you’ve ever wondered what magwinya might taste like if they went to an expensive private school, you should try celebrated chef Coco Reinarhz’s light and fluffy as a cloud deep-fried dough balls crammed with the creamiest smoked chicken, morogo and peanuts.
Presented on slate-black stoneware, this is street food so artfully plated I instinctively pick up my knife and fork to cut it delicately before remembering Coco himself had advised it is best eaten with one’s hands, like a bao bun.
It is an exclusive group of about 20 who have been invited to savour the menu de dégustation put together by the École Hôtelière Provinciale de Namur-trained culinary king’s revival of Épicure, the famed restaurant where he pioneered an elevated approach to pan-African cuisine long before the arrival of new gastronomical stars such as Wandile Mabaso.
It’s Friday afternoon and, while it’s a little windy, the warm Joburg winter sun shines brightly as we arrive on the seventh floor of One Rosebank, the sparkling new addition to the northern suburb’s skyline, where the restaurant shuttered five years ago has found a new home.
Sipping on the welcome drink — a “Kinshasa version of a Kir Royale, with ginger and a touch of pili pili” — is Thando Moleketi-Williams, who, like her mother Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi and father Jabu Moleketi, is diminutive in stature.
“There are not many tall genes in our family,” concedes Thando, who back in the 2010s offered a window on local cuisine through her blog Jozi Foodie Fix before mommy duties took precedence (Thando and her husband, music entrepreneur Bradley Williams, have two children).
Sunday Times food editor Hilary Biller introduces me to another avid cook, Tembisa Jordaan, who is a marine biologist with an interest in food.
“I’m passionate about food systems and food sovereignty — basically, the documentation of our inherently indigenous way of planting,” explains Tembisa.
Then there’s media gals Laurice Taitz-Buntman, Lerato Tshabalala and Zanele Kumalo, while content creators with a food bent come in the form of the oh-so-stylish Olwethu Leshabane and two newbies I first met the day before (more on that a little later) — lifestyle blogger Sibongiseni Ndlovu and travel fundi Eugenia Mbazo.
We head inside to take our seats at a long table in the 175-seater restaurant’s one of two private dining rooms where, overlooking a tree-topped view slightly obscured by construction cranes, Coco welcomes us.
He explains he signed the lease for the location back in February 2022, long before construction commenced.
“I knew this was the place I wanted. I kept all the furniture from the old Épicure, which we copied and pasted here, but the new restaurant is in a much better location. The concept is much the same but far better, because during these five years I have travelled to many more African countries,” he says.
The menu comprises small and large plates “to encourage sharing”, and is divided into different regions of the continent. We tuck into North African-inspired prawns wrapped in fried kataifi, lamb dakhine from West Africa (a stew of deboned leg of lamb, peanut sauce, onions and beans served with broken rice), and a refreshing East African dessert of Kilwa coconut cake served with chai ice cream.
If you’re wondering about prices, the lamb dish served as a large plate will set you back R325, while a small plate of magwinya mouthfuls costs R115. (That might sound like a lot for street food, but it’s a steal compared with the glorified shisanyama offered down the road at Marble.)
I had met Sibongiseni and Eugenia the day before in a part of Pretoria becoming a haven for design fundis.
A quaint shopping centre in Hazelwood is where St Leger & Viney chose to open their newest showroom which, besides the two content creators, drew a chic crowd including textile designer Glorinah Mabaso and two blondes who have allowed the cameras into their private lives as part of reality TV show The Mommy Club: Van Die Hoofstad, which has become an Afrikaans-language hit for a local streaming service.
“What’s the difference between a housewife and a mommy?” I ask Louise Volschenk and Crystal van der Burgh.
“We work,” says Louise, who runs a thriving makeup business.
“And we look after our kids,” adds mom-of-two Crystal.
At the do, we were welcomed by the fabric and wall coverings company’s head of operations, Case Van Der Touw. We then heard from CEO Peter Gordon and chair David Ralphs and got the chance to view the whimsical wares, while sipping on vino and sparkling wine and tucking into a buffet of treats including moreish sweet-potato bread.
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