A Table in the Corner

In this Special Thursday episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with brother and sister team Danillo and Chiara Turilli, the operators behind Lello’s Deli, to talk about inheritance, identity and building something deeply personal in a city that is moving as quickly as Cape Town is right now.

Raised within a family restaurant business run by their father, the Turillis describe themselves as restaurant babies who tried, unsuccessfully, to escape hospitality. Danillo left for fashion photography in Hamburg. Chiara moved into food styling and corporate work. Yet both found themselves dr...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel travels to Boschendal to sit down with Travis Finch, head chef of Arum, to talk about cooking inside one of the Cape’s most ambitious agricultural ecosystems. Travis reflects on a career shaped by formative years with Peter Tempelhoff’s team and long stints abroad, before returning home to cook at the intersection of land, produce and restraint.

The conversation centres on what it means to cook on a regenerative farm at scale, with direct access to gardens, livestock and orchards, and how that proximity reshapes menu thin...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Tasha Sideris, founder and chief executive of the Tashas restaurant group, to unpack two decades of building one of the most recognisable hospitality brands to emerge from South Africa. The conversation traces Tasha’s route into restaurants through family, osmosis and necessity rather than formal training, and how early years on the floor shaped a leadership style rooted in presence, pace and accountability.

Tasha speaks candidly about scaling across continents without losing quality, the constant work of sourcing ingredients market by market, and why no...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Julia Hattingh, chef and owner of Reverie Social Table, to unpack one of Cape Town’s most singular dining models. Julia talks through a career shaped by classical training, long stints in demanding kitchens and time abroad, before arriving at a form of hospitality that deliberately slows things down.

The conversation traces her path from Mirandol and Le Quartier Français to London, Paris and back home, and how those experiences informed a move away from conventional service towards a single communal table, one men...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Philippa and Graham Oldfield, the partners behind Bao Down, one of Cape Town’s most beloved independent restaurants. The conversation traces their parallel routes through chef school, hotels, yachts and serious kitchens, before converging in a small, hard working room in Vredehoek Avenue that would quietly build a cult following.

Philippa and Graham talk about learning discipline under pressure, the influence of Liam Tomlin’s kitchens, and why Bao Down was never conceived as a trend-driven project but as a tightly run, repeatable place buil...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Drikus Brink, chef/proprietor of Toevlug, to trace a quietly serious cooking life shaped by farms, butcheries and long service beside Bertus Basson. Brink talks through his early years growing up around meat and trade, cooking boerewors rolls as a teenager, studying in Pretoria and arriving at Overture, to spend nearly a decade in Basson’s kitchens.

The conversation moves through volume cooking, technique, pressure and instinct, from one man hot sections to breakfast services that teach humility fast. Brink reflects on what he ab...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down at the counter of The Wiggle Room on Bree Street with co-founders Lester Riffel and chef Ismael ‘Fish’ Amos to explore one of Cape Town’s most provocative new dining concepts. Built around a 12-seat counter, The Wiggle Room throws out menus, consistency and convention in favour of freedom, creativity and connection.
Lester and Fish speak candidly about their unconventional paths through hospitality, the ideas born during smoke breaks outside fine dining kitchens, and the decision to run against the grain with ever-changing menus, illustrated cards, wild i...

In this week’s episode, Russel sits down with Carla Schulze, executive chef of Salon which is part of the Test Kitchen family of restaurants. Carla reflects on her journey from studying under Jackie Cameron in KwaZulu Natal to becoming a key creative force alongside Luke Dale Roberts. The conversation explores mentorship, discipline, seasonality and the pressure of running a destination tasting menu restaurant in Cape Town. Carla speaks openly about creativity versus expectation, evolving menus, interactive dining experiences, no shows and the emotional toll they take on kitchens. This is an honest, generous discussion about leadership, resilience and wh...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Matt van den Berg, head chef at Mertia in Stellenbosch and one of the most quietly respected chefs in the Western Cape. Matt reflects on his unconventional path into cooking, from a BCom degree and life on yachts to training at Silwood and working in some of South Africa’s most demanding kitchens, including The Test Kitchen and La Colombe. He speaks candidly about discipline, long hours, kitchen culture, and the pressure of stepping out from established restaurant groups to find his own voice. The conversation ex...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sat down with John van Zyl, chef and co owner of Melting Pot, one of Cape Town’s most talked about contemporary restaurants. John reflects on his unconventional journey into food, from music and travel to working closely with Liam Tomlin, and how those years shaped his disciplined, process-driven approach to cooking. The conversation traces the evolution of Melting Pot from pop up dinners to permanent restaurants, exploring the freedom and pressure of cooking across cultures, the realities of running a growing team, and the tension between creativity and co...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Tasmin Reid, the young, fiercely thoughtful chef behind Melfort, a seasonal farm to fork restaurant on Marianne Estate near Stellenbosch. Tasmin shares her journey from Silwood Kitchen to working with Ryan Cole at Salsify, her plans for Australia, and how an unexpected autoimmune diagnosis reshaped both her life and her style of cooking. Now the owner of a popular winelands restaurant, she speaks openly about healing through food, foraging, running pop ups on farms, building a kitchen team in the middle of nowhere and creating a...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Chef Nathan Clark, head chef of Test Kitchen Fledgelings. Apologies in advance - the sound quality is not the best, as I had a few technical challenges, but Nathan's story is incredible.  He shares his remarkable journey from scullery to running the kitchen, rising through the ranks of the Test Kitchen group over 13 years. He speaks openly about learning under Luke Dale Roberts and Jason Kosmas, mentoring young chefs through the Fledgelings programme, and the pressures of leading a busy service in one of the city’s m...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, we step into the golden world of Veuve Clicquot’s Emotions of the Sun, the global photographic exhibition created with the legendary Magnum Photos agency, now shining in Cape Town at Youngblood Gallery on Bree Street.

My guest is Seth Shezi, Celebrity MasterChef winner, global traveller and lifestyle tastemaker, who curated the Sun on Your Plate Café for the exhibition. Inspired by light, optimism and the emotional power of the sun, Seth created a Cape Town centred menu perfectly paired with Veuve Clicquot’s cuvées, including the iconic...

Join me at my table in the corner for this incredible conversation with chef Anouchka Horn, co-owner of Cape Town’s acclaimed restaurants Belly of the Beast and Galjoen. In this episode, Anouchka shares her journey from her grandmother’s traditional Afrikaans kitchen to becoming a leading voice in ingredient-driven, low-waste South African dining.
We talk about her early culinary influences, training at the ICA, formative years working under Michael Broughton, and the creation of two of Cape Town’s most compelling restaurants. We talk sustainable seafood, whole-beast cooking, creative menu development, and the philosophy behind Galjoen - named...

Join us at A Table in the Corner as we chat with Chef Jess Van Dyk, the creative force behind Post & Pepper in Stellenbosch. From growing up in a small town with a love of food, to training at top kitchens, and now running her own restaurant, Jess shares her journey in the culinary world.

Discover the stories behind signature dishes like pork lollipops, her approach to shared plates, and how she keeps creativity and sustainability at the heart of her kitchen. Find out where Jess eats off-duty, her favorite comfort foods, and the realities of running...

The best meal I've eaten in Cape Town recently whas hands-down the one I enjoyed with my wife at Vue Shortmarket. With Vusi Ndlovu in the kitchen and Absie Pantshwa out front, this is the exceptional product of a pair of fascinating minds who take diners on a journey into African ingredients and cooking techniques with a refinement and playfulness that is delightful. Chatting with Vusi is always hilarious. I doubt that I've laughed as much with any other guest.

For more on Vue Shortmarket, click here

Message me here with comments or guest suggestions.<...

Until very recently, Belly of the Beast was my favourite restaurant I'd never eaten in. That sad situation has been remedied and lunch at this Harrington Street legend was everything I'd imagined. I sat down for Episode 02 of the second season of A Table in the Corner to chat to Neil Swart who created Belly with chef and co-owner Anouchka Horn. I'll chat to Anouchka in an upcoming show about the duo's second venue, Galjoen.

For more on Belly of the Beast, click here

Message me here with comments or guest suggestions.
Treat yourself...

In Season 02 of A Table in the Corner, we talk to the chefs we love about the restaurants or the menus they create. In the first episode of the new season Chef Marco Cardoso of De Eetkamer in Stellenbosch has to stare unblinking into the spotlight as I grill him with a bunch of questions about his background as a chef, his vision for De Eetkamer and his favourite comfort food.

Message me here with comments or guest suggestions.
Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu
Get a fair price with HeadsUp

...

That's it for the first chapter of A Table in the Corner. Join me next Tuesday for Season 2 and much more chef- and restaurant-focused content.

Message me here with comments or guest suggestions.
Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu
Get a fair price with HeadsUp
Top Restaurants in Cape Town according to the Inside Guide Survey 

While we work on the early episodes of Season Two, we're going to issue some re-edited and remastered episodes from the archives of Season One. Enjoy this chat with one of the legends of the local food scene, Franck Dangereaux.

Visit the 44 Stanley website for more information on this cool precinct.
44 Stanley is in Instagram here.

Message me here with comments or guest suggestions.
Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu
Get a fair price with HeadsUp
Top Restaurants in Cape Town according to the Inside Guide Survey

<...

As if proof were needed that strong narratives sell brands, my favourite local coffee brand, Bean There, has a fabulous back-story. We used their coffee in our restaurants and I was a regular in their Wale Street shop before the closed it to concentrate on the wholesale aspect of their business. I sat down for a great chat with Jono Robinson, the founder and drive behind this excellent brand to find out more about how he started and how it's going.
Visit the 44 Stanley website for more information on the precinct.
44 Stanley is in Instagram here.

I'm back with Justin Bonello to chat about his urban farming project, Neighbourhood Farm in Fish Hoek. One episode just couldn't pack in all the stuff this fascinating human is doing, and I'm not sure I've managed in two. We spoke about the importance of connection kids to nature and the source of their food, the challenges of keeping an urban farming project running and the harrowing thought that although we idealise the village life, we've completely forgotten how to live as a community in a village. Justin is a really engaging guest with a lot of insights that...

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Dale Herbst — the creative force behind That Food Guy. A content creator and brand marketer with a deep love for food culture, Dale recently traded Johannesburg for Cape Town, drawn by our rich and diverse culinary scene. He’s now collaborating with local food and hospitality brands to craft stories and creative campaigns that celebrate their flavour bth here and abroad.

Fresh from a month's residency at Clarke's in Bree Street, Yoraya Nydoo of Not Sad Food Co. sat down with me to talk about the experience. We chatted about whether she and partner Claudia Alberti are ready for a bricks-and-mortar restaurant having pushed that boat out. It's a complicated answer and led to some interesting lines of discussion.

Message me here with comments or guest suggestions.
Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu
Get a fair price with HeadsUp
Top Restaurants in Cape Town according to the Inside Guide Survey 

Justin Bonello was creating great food shows for TV back when Jamie Oliver was just starting to come to our attention. Some of my favourite local cookbooks are the product of his creative vision, and he is almost single-handedly responsible for dragging braais out or our back yards and into the limelight with the incredibly popular Ultimate Braai Master series. We found some time for a chat about the roots of his creative impulse and where he is now, with his urban farming project, Neighbourhood Farm in Fish Hoek.

Message me here with comments or guest suggestions.<...

Charné van Heerden was the life and soul of House of Machines, and there was probably a collective "Booooo!" when people heard she was moving on after six years behind the bar. Lucky for the crew, she only moved across the road, and opened her own very chilled, late-night cocktail lounge. HIBALL serves a range of cleverly-wrought cocktails in high ball glasses, along with flavoursome and comforting risottos. The idea is that it's not too raucous. You can linger over your drink and natter the night away, with a nourishing bowl to fill you up and the end of a...

Luke Dale-Roberts and Jason Kosmas got back from setting up their London pop-up of Pot Luck Club in mid-August. It's running at the iconic Waldorf Hilton Hotel until the end of November 2025, with an option to extend if chefs and hotel agree. It's too early for any serious reviews to give us an idea of how the concept has been welcomed, but the two chefs loved doing it and working with a local team in Aldwych. I was very chuffed that they agreed to sit down and chat to me in the recently refurbished Cape Town home of PLC...

Ashley Moss has worked with chef Peter Tempelhoff since he started his cooking journey at The Greenhouse. They’ve since partnered in opening a number of shops including FYN and Ramenhead.  I spoke to him about the journey, his inspiration and the drive to create.

Message me here with comments or guest suggestions.
Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu
Get a fair price with HeadsUp

Kurt Ackermann is the CEO of the Urban Food and Farming Trust which, among many other things, organises the annual Food Indaba in Cape Town. I sat down with him in the courtyard at Honest Chocolate in Wale Street to talk about the outcomes of Food Indaba 2025 and to learn more about what his organisation does. There's material for a dozen episodes here, but we tried to colour inside the lines. Perhaps there's meat for another long chat in the future.

Message me here with comments or guest suggestions.
Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney...

In this episode, I sat down with Justine Drake to explore her impressive career and dive into the evolving landscape of food media. From storytelling to trends and being a judge on SA Masterchef, we discuss how the industry is shifting and what it means for food lovers everywhere. Justine booked me for one of the first food shoots I landed when I first moved to Cape Town in 2005, so we've known each other a long time. It was fantastic catching up with her, and learning more from someone who is something of a North star for local food...

Gozney Ovens are things of rare and wondrous beauty. I love retained-heat ovens. In fact I'm a little obsessed, having built two brick arch ovens and installed a prefabricated dome at my Karoo pizza spot. I've got notebooks full of doodles with designs of ovens base on 44-gallon drums. Although I read Kiko Denzer's seminal book 'Build Your Own Clay Oven' from cover to cover several times - I never had the space or time to actually construct one. When, one day a post about Gozney popped up in my Insta feed, I was immediately besotted. I tracked down...

Shaun Scrooby is a fantastic oke. I enjoyed an exceptional lunch at his restaurant, Vuur, on Remhoogte Wine Estate and saw a truly innovative and engaged chef at work. Then we sat down for a chat which could have gone on for days. He's a kind of Have-a-go-Joe in the best possible way. Curious about everything related to his craft and not at all nervous to try new things, the experience Shaun offers guests is truly immersive. It's proper open fire cooking in a communal space that is at once familiar and yet something you've never experienced in an...

Sue Baker is the eternal 'smous'. Starting out by sourcing and selling exceptional oysters to the top local restaurants back in 1992, Sue built Wild Peacock. Today it is a huge provisioner to the restaurant trade, with seafood, cheese and specialist patisserie and deli items available for local and international producers. Wild Peacock was a supplier of seafood, quail, porcini and a couple of other specialist specialist ingredients back when we opened The Table at de Meye and the service was always top-drawer. I caught up with Sue for a chat about the very cool business she ran and has...

HeadsUp Systems has created a powerful resource for restaurants. Specifically aimed at owner-run operations, it can also benefit groups of restaurants. Their main product is essentially a massive AI-managed spreadsheet that assembles and compares the prices of goods and ingredients across hundreds of suppliers. This means small (and large) operators have better information available to negotiate or navigate better prices for their restaurants. I sat down with Sven - who is a great supporter of the show - to find out more about the product and the thinking behind his creation.

At a recent media event to promote the Seven Colours Sunday lunches at Marble, Cape Town, I was seated opposite the vivacious and interesting influencer, Patricia Blacc. As a member of a team that was around for the first lunar landing, and once had to hire a projector to watch movies in the comfort of my home, watching her work was fascinating to me. Seeing the polished and very snazzy results of her work on various platforms after the lunch was, frankly, bewildering. While I'm aware of the massive role influencers now play in promoting anything from cars to...

I got to know Rudi Liebenberg when I worked as a photographer and spent many hours shooting in his kitchen at the Mount Nelson. His approach to cooking and mentoring the chefs on his brigade, constantly pushing them to do better and learn new things, has launched many careers in the industry. I caught up with him for a chat when he'd just come back from a couple of years abroad, running hotel kitchens in Ireland and then the Carribean. He was between hotels, on his way to lead the kitchen at the Westcliff in Johannesburg.
(Correction: During...

There's a trigger warning on this one for vegetarians or vegans. We do discuss the processing of livestock into meat products. 

I wanted to delve deeper into the family farming operations that produced the Zuney Wagyu brand, so I spoke to Devin Wells son of eastern Cape beef farmer Denys Wells. Devin runs the processing and distribution side of the operation - started with lifelong friend Henning Klopper - that processes and distributes the Wagyu beef produced on their respective fathers' farms in the Zuney Valley. While Henk and Denys do agriculture, their sons are building the Z...

Chef Melinda Wiggins is the Director of Operations & Culinary Arts at Infinity Culinary Training a training facility that takes unskilled people - literally off the streets - and gives them basic kitchen skills and the chance of a job in a professional kitchen. ICT provides a path out of poverty for people who might otherwise have no hope of ever finding employment. It's a short course that covers basic cooking skills and essential life skills and then places students as interns in their first kitchen job - the rest is up to them. 

I've been banging on f...

I first met Dion Vengatass in Chef Rudi Liebenberg's kitchen at the Mount Nelson Hotel. He barely looked up from his prep, just kept chopping and sorting at pace. He was the solid, do-it-all chef running all the sections that needed to operate smoothly while the complexities of the pastry section and fine dining were building a reputation for the hotel's cuisine. When Covid ripped the heart out of the hospitality industry, Chef Dion was retrenched. Never one to let anything get him down, he started Violet by Vengatass named for the grandmother who had taught him to cook...

This is the second time I've had Lance Littlefield on the show. Back on Episode 77 he was an absolute mine of information on the craft of baking sourdough bread. We were introduced to 'Alfonsina' his starter, and the wonders of Motherdough Bakery. Almost a year later, he and partner Willem van Schalkwyk have had their Stellenbosch store running for 6 months, and there are plans for another venue. In this episode though, with the upcoming Food Indaba in mind, I spoke to Lance about the use of AI in running the bakery. AI and the Food System is the theme...