Beef Bobotie by Chef Wamu
Eating a cultural food outside of that particular culture is a tricky business. Restaurant reviews cite authenticity as a benchmark of quality, and being deemed “unauthentic” is the kiss of death. Having never been to South Africa (but finally going next May), I’ve been told that I’ve never truly experienced real South African cuisine, despite having eaten at three “authentic” South African restaurants here in New York. Yesterday, I finally got my chance and didn’t even have to travel more than 20 blocks from my office.The De Gustibus Cooking School is located inside Macy’s Herald Square (THE Macy’s), quite hidden up on the 8th floor. De Gustibus boasts a test kitchen that has hosted the likes of Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck and Julia Child…to name a few. Yesterday, De Gustibus hosted Chef Wamu, a young South African chef whose specialty is incorporating a gourmet twist on traditional South African cuisine.
Chef Wamu's Chicken Bunny Chow
Chef Wamu lead us through three dishes that he had prepared, each paired with either wine or Amarula (a South African liqueur – think Bailey’s). The first, Bunny Chow, is a “peasant food” from the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. In no circles could this version of Bunny Chow ever be deemed “peasant food”. And no, it is not made of bunnies – it is chicken 🙂 The dish draws heavily from South Africa’s Indian influence, its curry flavors packing a large punch despite its small size. I’ve had this dish twice at South African restaurants in NYC and nothing has come close. What I had previously experienced was a weak attempt at Bunny Chow – runny and no flavor at all. Obviously, Chef Wamu nailed it.
Koeksisters prepared by Chef Wamu
Next up was the Beef Bobotie, pictured above. I’ve had this many times at restaurants throughout the city, and this dish tasted completely different from anything I’d experienced. Bobotie is a great example of Cape Malay cuisine – yes, South African food with a Malaysian touch. It is the sweet answer to the Indian spice in other dishes. Follow all of that up with Koeksisters (“cook-sisters”), a sweet braided pastry from Dutch influenced cuisine, and we had a global feast! I could not be more excited to try more South African cuisine at the source and to visit Chef Wamu while in Johannesburg (he is the chef for the Radisson Blu Sandton — and yes! He cooked for Michelle Obama during her visit a few months ago!).
Chef Wamu, putting all other South African cuisine in NYC to shame.
