One&Only Cape Town’s Reuben Riffel jetted off to New York City where he was to be filmed for his appearances on both The Martha Stewart Show and The Today Show. Cooking in the prestigious Saveur magazine kitchen, he showcased recipes from South Africa.
‘There is a definite interest in South Africa and in particular South African food’, Riffel said, ‘and so I made simple dishes using South African ingredients that are available in the United States.
Dishes like prawn dumplings with rooibos tea salt, curried pickled fish, peppadew salad, things like that. South Africa is seen as an exotic destination and people want to know what we eat locally, so we shouldn’t try and be too clever with our cooking, but we should be showcasing our incredible array of ingredients.’
Reuben’s at the One&Only
At Reuben’s One&Only Cape Town there is a strong South African slant to the menu, albeit with a modern take. ‘I believe in South African produce and I like to offer that to our guests but this does not necessarily mean presenting them with traditional or old-fashioned recipes.
But we do take our inspiration from our past and what is available locally. For example, here at One&Only I’ve created a dessert based on a combination of the traditional South African teatime treats. So on a plate you will find a Hertzoggie, some milk tart, a date slice, a Cape Malay coconut koeksister and some rooibos tea ice-cream. I believe we should be authentically South African.’