BAPS Shayona: Beyond the Braai

In a country where people gather around outdoor braais (barbecue grills), chowing down boerewors (farm sausage), steaks and walkie talkies (chicken feet and heads), most would think a South African vegetarian would be an anomaly. On September 24, Cape Town will celebrate Heritage Day, which was recently also declared National Braai Day. Even Archbishop Desmond Tutu has become a “Braai for Heritage” supporter. The idea is that South Africans, once separated by law, can unite around a common national heritage of grilling meat, irrespective of politics, race and culture. Mealies (corn on the cob) are always welcome on the grill, but there’s yet another, more veggie-oriented side to South Africa’s “heritage.” Home to the greatest population of Indian descent outside India, South Africa has one of the largest concentrations of Hindus in Africa. Due to British colonial history, a large number of Indian traders and enslaved workers arrived in the country in the late 1800s. Even Gandhi spent his formative years on South African shores. And in a historically Indian neighborhood of Cape Town, a culturally vibrant street offers vegetarian delights whether or not there’s a shisa nyama (braaiing meat) public holiday.

Kalky's: Fried Fish Paradise

Fresh fish caught daily in the icy Atlantic Ocean – this is the key to the longtime success of Kalky’s, the original fish and chips restaurant in the seaside village of Kalk Bay, one of South Africa’s oldest working harbors. In the summer of 1996, the Rosslind family started this small takeout café serving satisfying fried hake (cod) and snoek (mackerel), with fish supplied by the local fishermen of Cape Town’s Kalk Bay. Kalky’s size and menu have since grown, reflecting the harbor’s rich cultural and nautical history. But it remains a no-frills, no-fuss seafood spot, where utensils are optional and cash is king.

Café Ganesh: New South Africa (on a Plate)

In the late 1980s, Anthony Mlungisi Baker lived in Spain and other parts of Europe to dodge the military draft in South Africa. On February 11, 1990, the release of Nelson Mandela signaled the end of the apartheid regime and time for Baker to return home and become part of a new creative transformation. With a love for entertaining and cooking for his friends, Baker saw a gap in the “New South African” market for something different in the bohemian Observatory district (known as Obz to locals). The result was Café Ganesh, which opened its doors on November 10, 1990, and has since gone on to become a neighborhood institution.

Mariam's Kitchen: Cape Town Masala

In Cape Town, good eating is easy to find, but the best salomie – roti flatbread wrapped around curry – is worth searching for. This search took us to Mariam’s Kitchen, which is attached to the side of St. George’s Mall arcade across from the Cape Times and Argus Newspaper House in Cape Town’s business district. For a feeling of home, many locals tuck into this sit-down and take-away café, which has offered a plethora of halal meals for over a decade. The homemade menu is a masala (mix) of Cape Town’s unique fast-food culture.