Mmabatho Molefe’s Emazulwini flares up Makers Landing

Makers Landing recently introduced a pop-up restaurant concept, which facilitates rising stars and gives them an opportunity to get a taste of running a full-scale restaurant.

Also read: The award-winning African restaurant to visit at the V&A Waterfront

The first to take advantage of the opportunity in the 100-square-metre space is Emazulwini Restaurant’s owner and award-winning chef, Mmabatho Molefe.

Picture: Emazulwini

The South African chef, who was awarded the Eat Out 2022 Rising Star Award, moved from a 10-seater restaurant at Makers Landing into the 40-seater pop-up space.

This will be her home for the coming months, with the possibility for growth should the facility get too small for this crowd-puller.

Molefe proudly unveiled a new menu at the new location. “I’m calling it ‘A letter from home,'” Molefe explained.

“We have been privileged to launch in a pop-up space in Makers Landing, which is fully equipped with everything from a kitchen to tables, crockery and equipment. We just need to bring the food and alcohol,” Molefe said.

The food:

Her cooking, which uses offal and indigenous ingredients, will now also include a vegetarian menu, and she promises that a few old favourites will make an appearance.

1. The starter is a celebration of corn custard with parsley sauce accompanied by delicious mielie bread.

Picture Chenai Nyakunengwa | Cape {Town} ETC

Picture Chenai Nyakunengwa | Cape {Town} ETC

2. The second dish is a succulent seared liver with veggies – mushrooms and braised onion.

Picture Chenai Nyakunengwa | Cape {Town} ETC

3. The delicious potato pie with chutney sends tastebuds into a frenzy.

Picture Chenai Nyakunengwa | Cape {Town} ETC

4. The short ribs, cabbage and steamed bread dish is the highlight of the menu, evoking the nostalgia of mom’s home cooking.

Picture Chenai Nyakunengwa | Cape {Town} ETC

5. The dessert of sorghum genoise, Amarula cream sauce, sorghum ice cream and orange curd is the perfect sweet finish to the five-course menu.

Picture Chenai Nyakunengwa | Cape {Town} ETC

The Design:

Emazulwini was designed in collaboration with Clout/SA, a design programme that facilitates collaboration between designers and the hospitality sector. Interior design specialist Walter Train was the design lead on the project and was mentored by Clout/SA. He did an immaculate job bringing contemporary design to work with the Zulu-Nguni essence of the restaurant.

The view of the dock

Picture: Emazulwini

The bar

Picture: Emazulwini

Chef Molefe has the backing of the V&A Waterfront management, which has full confidence in her capabilities. “We’re happy to be launching this new pop-up space with one of our own taking up the first residency to further her business. It’s been a privilege to watch Mmabatho and her restaurant grow to be recognised as an industry leader in the traditional African food space, and her passion for food and the food community is very much a shared value between her business and Makers Landing, a food incubation hub that holds its roots in helping to break down barriers to entry within the local food industry,” said Alex Kabalin, V&A Waterfront Retail Executive.

“The opening of the Makers Landing pop-up kitchen is the next evolution on providing a platform for growing food businesses to scale up, as we build a community around food as a passion point and cultural connector. We hope to be a space where authentic South African food and its diversity, are shared and businesses are mentored.”

Head on over to Emazulwini this summer, and during the festive season, you are guaranteed nothing but the best of Chef Molefe.

• Bookings are open and available on the Dineplan website.
• Location: Makers Landing | The Cruise Terminal | Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
• Open: Thursday to Saturday: 12pm to 10.30pm | Sunday: 12pm to 5pm

Also read:

JAN Franschhoek at La Motte is now open for dinner bookings

Picture: Emazulwini

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