Whether you fancy yourself a Cape Town-foodie, or couldn’t be bothered by the difference between green and matcha tea (they’re both green, right?), these are the foods that are currently trending in the Mother City – and you need to get involved with them all.
1 Bowled foods
Healthy food bowls, Buddha bowls, poke bowls – dishes served up in a bowl are just better to eat. Deep dishes filled with veggies, whole grains and proteins, or the “deconstructed sushi” poke bowl are making their rounds in Cape Town and are getting increasingly popular. Salads to smoothies, bowl-based meals are healthy and enjoyable to eat, and most certainly topping food trends. Grab a bowl at Dear Me in the City Bowl, or try out a poke bowl at Hoke Poke, also in the City Bowl.
Photography BornThree
2 Indian tapas
Tapas are a particular favourite of Cape Town and international food lovers alike, and this Spanish style cuisine is taking a Southeast Asian twist. Indian food itself is a warm and cosy meal, and the idea of perfectly sized, tapas-style curries and tandoori chicken is pretty exciting – Cape Town actually has an array of restaurants that offer just that. Try out the fairly new Indian tapas eatery, Thali in Gardens, or Sundoo, which offers genuine South Indian cuisine in Seapoint.
Photography Tamlyn Ryan
3 Fermentation
Ever-healthy Cape Town has seen fermentation of any and every kind explode on the city’s food scene. From homemade kombucha to raw milk kefir, all things microbiome have taken the Mother City by storm, and it’s a trend that’s really good for you, as well as tasty. The kimchis, kombuchas, sauerkrauts and raw milk kefirs are making their way onto restaurant menus and are all gut-pleasing foods, so a restaurant dinner doesn’t need to be treated as a cheat day anymore. Keep an eye out for these fermented favourites at eateries like The Potluck Club.
Photography MYDOMAINE
4 Artisan butchers
Ambassadors of ethically reared, grass-fed and free-range meats, artisan butchers are upping the trend on great quality, unique ranges of meat. Find them at one or more of Cape Town’s favourite food markets, where you’ll be able to pick up some original cuts of meat and even packs of marrow bones for a homemade broth. Also find the likes of bacon, tubs of lard and some recipe advice for a mean-meaty-meal. Get your hands on some of these artisanal cuts from Son of a Butcher in Newlands (also at the Earth Fair and OZCF markets), Cure Deli at Earth Fair and OZCF markets or at Backarea Gardens at Oude Molen in Pinelands.
Photography Cure Deli
5 Deliver & cook
Local companies like UCOOK and Daily Dish, are inventing a new form of take-out food, almost. They deliver already prepared ingredients to your home, and all you have to do is cook. Also known as food meal kits, they’re a cheaper and healthier version of eating out, with carefully selected ingredients and recipes which save the effort of preparation, but still allows you to enjoy cooking! The service is picking up around Cape Town, and is quickly becoming one of our biggest food trends in the city.
Photography UCOOK
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