KZN restaurateur Paul Sheppard turns comfort food into culinary nirvana with his suckling pig. Tracy Gielink Paul Sheppard, owner of Mount Edgecombe eatery Marco Paulo, has an all-consuming love of food and is a firm disciple of the Slow Food movement (see page 116). The 29-year old chef makes a lovingly prepared suckling pig, and says pork has played a big part in his culinary experiences. “In my gap year after school I travelled and worked through Europe, and I remember being in Barcelona and not eating for the whole day just so I could afford the expensive hams at…

Suzi Holtzhausen is in love with her fisherman’s cottage on the West Coast, and locals are in love with her indigenous dishes. By Hilary Prendini Toffoli You can always expect the unexpected with Suzi Holtzhausen. I imagine it’s something to do with all that restless energy. She’s a perpetual-motion machine, constantly dreaming up the next dish, her novel ideas backed by prodigious talent and training. But everything she makes, she says, is based on one grounding philosophy. “A long time ago, when I was cooking at Cybele Forest Lodge, Barbara Jeffries told me: ‘Give people what they love, but with a…

Louise Gillett of Bartholomeus Klip believes in buying local, staying seasonal and cooking to please her own palate. Richard Holmes If you ever need evidence of the changing seasons, spend a little time on the road to Bo Hermon. It’s not far from the vineyards of Riebeek- Kasteel, and barely 80 minutes from the frenzied streets of Cape Town, but here, on this short strip of gravel, the fields mark the passage of time. In summer, plumes of dust billow from the brown road that blends seamlessly into the fallow wheat fields. Come autumn, the first green shoots push their…

Chef Mark Radnay heads a contemporary restaurant in Franschhoek designed to showcase local cuisine. Going back to South African roots, it’s all about comfort food with a twist. By Kim Maxwell Franschhoek has been a strong contender for South Africa’s culinary capital for years. Thanks to a number of good restaurants in the village, options range from casual French bistros or country cuisine for lunch to fine-dining tasting menus for dinner. Many dishes have been borrowed and adapted from Europe and Asia, with local trout, game, cheese and produce used prolifically in menus. Yet with the exception of Topsi &…

A man on a mission. After opening two restaurants in six months, he has emerged more passionate than ever and with his trademark humour intact. By Tray Gielink The view from Andrew Draper’s apartment is breathtaking. Elevated on Durban’s Berea, the most obvious landmark is the stately King’s House, the president’s official residence in Durban. It’s also within walking distance of both his restaurants. An unabashed hedonist with a flair for the dramatic, Andrew’s mahogany-clad kitchen features gold vaulted ceilings and collections of silverware. Large cottage pane windows allow him to keep an eye on the dining room while cooking…