The great Anthony Bourdain left his mark everywhere he went. When his death was announced to the world in June 2018, media throughout the globe chimed in and listed all the great things he had done for their respective country. Whereas before, tourists would shy away from exotic foods, thanks to him, travellers now go the extra mile to find and try local bites. With this in mind, here are all the restaurants Bourdain visited and the dishes he tasted when he shot Anthony Bourdain South Africa for his show, Parts Unknown Season 2 Episode 7 (originally aired October 20, 2013):
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DISH – Smileys, Mieliepap and South African Dumplings
WHAT IS IT?
Smileys are made of sheep’s head with the lips shriveled back, chopped into bits and seasoned with salt and pepper. Mielepap is a tasty, sticky porridge made from ground cornmeal usually served as a side dish. South African dumplings are made of flour and yeast, typically spongy and bread-like.
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WHERE IS IT?
Mawilies Inn
Soweto, South Africa
ANTHONY BOURDAIN SOUTH AFRICA NOTES
In Parts Unknown South Africa, Anthony Bourdain described Mawilies Inn as “a little hard to find”. It is a “micro, under-the-radar” restaurant known as “eat houses” in South Africa. Mawilies Inn was once a garage, now a 6-table restaurant with a lawn at the back turned into a lounge. It is “closed on Sundays if grandma is visiting”.
DISH – Pan African Cuisine – Anthony Bourdain South Africa
WHAT IS IT?
Pan African Cuisine uses base ingredients that are indigenous to South Africa and incorporates spices and culinary traditions from Asia and the Western World. Examples of Pan African dishes include egusi and beef. Egusi is a traditional Nigerian dish, usually beef from a cow’s leg stewed with melon and pumpkin seeds. Phutu is a cornmeal porridge that is more crumbly than pap. Then there’s Basmati rice with rose water, a falafel with aubergines, mangoes and cassava in it.
WHERE IS IT?
Good Food Restaurant
Yeoville
Johannesburg, South Africa
ANTHONY BOURDAIN SOUTH AFRICA NOTES
Ask anyone in Yeoville where Chef Sanza Sandile’s Good Food Restaurant is and they’ll point you to the right direction. Here, Anthony Bourdain noted that there are no seats and the menu changes every day. Chef Sanza Sandile has another restaurant in Bellevue, The Yeoville Dinner Club.
DISH – Fried Chicken with Three Side Dishes – Anthony Bourdain South Africa
WHAT IS IT?
Chicken pieces coated with seasoned batter then fried, served with three kinds of side dishes.
WHERE IS IT?
Sympathy’s Restaurant
90 Claim St, Hillbrow
Johannesburg, South Africa
ANTHONY BOURDAIN SOUTH AFRICA NOTES
At Sympathy’s Restaurant, Anthony Bourdain enjoyed a meal of fried chicken with sides of mieliepap, coleslaw and dates.
DISH – South African Butcher Deli Fare – Anthony Bourdain South Africa
WHAT IS IT?
Butcher shops in South Africa are among the best ways to enjoy meat in the region. A typical butchery in South Africa offers Biltong – slices of meat repeatedly sprinkled with salt, brown sugar and vinegar, and packed in layers. The meat is removed after 24 hours and left to hang to air-dry for a week. Boerewors are spicy sausages made from beef and pork.
WHERE IS IT?
Maders
816 Paul Kruger St, Mayville
Pretoria, South Africa
Unfortunately, this restaurant has since closed its doors.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN SOUTH AFRICA NOTES
Maders is a father-son butchery, restaurant and theme museum that Anthony Bourdain referred to as “doesn’t fit in with my white-liberal-guilt sensibility”. Here, he sampled a T-bone rum steak and Boerewors with pap and fries.
DISH – Balkan Burger – Parts Unknown South Africa
WHAT IS IT?
Flattened ground beef seared over a flame grill, with Kashkaval and Mozzarella cheese. It is then folded with a choice of condiments: cabbage, tomato, onion, lettuce and/or hot peppers.
WHERE IS IT?
Neighbourgoods Market
73 Juta St
Johannesburg, South Africa
Unfortunately, this restaurant has since closed its doors.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN SOUTH AFRICA NOTES
Anthony Bourdain had a taste of Balkan burger from the Balkan Burger stall at the Neighbourgoods Market, a food park in Johannesburg with rooftop seating.
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