He cut his teeth at Bocca and Burrata in Cape Town and now he’s making a name for himself at Bryanston’s buzzing Gemelli Pantry – and online – with his gorgeous blog, Loyiso and Spoon. From deep-fried bagels with mango sorbet to pig’s-head tortellini, this is one creative young chef
I started cooking at a very young age. I used to live with my granny, and when I was about nine years old, I started cooking for the family. Isjingi – a dish made from pumpkin mash and maize meal – was a real family favourite. It’s really filling!
After finishing high school in 2013, I enrolled at Capsicum Culinary School in Durban. I spent three years there and then went to Cape Town to do my practical training. I worked at Bocca and Burrata – both part of the same group. The chef at the time, Annemarie Robertson, was a big inspiration to me; she taught me a lot. After studying further, I went back to the group and worked at their third restaurant, Open Door in Constantia.
When I first started working, it was really hard. When you first start a new job, people don’t believe you can do it. I had to prove myself and show them that I could do it. As a black chef, I felt an extra challenge because there were only a handful of black chefs who are also food photographers.
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Esta historia es de la edición July 2018 de Woolworths TASTE.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
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82 words on...
THE FROZEN APEROL SPRITZ is the hottest way to keep cool this summer, says Jeanne Calitz.
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FIRE STARTER
Celeb TV chef Clem Pedro - of Afternoon Express and Expresso fame takes the art of hosting to pro level and not because he went to hotel school or worked for TASTE, but because he started in his mom's kitchen. We asked him to share his food nerd roots and family braai secrets.
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Former Durban creative (and one-time carnivore) Neil Roake and his daughter Jordan's epic travels led them to collaborate on the all veg cookbook Castaway. They shared their meat-free adventures on the Filipino island of Siargao with TASTE.
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HOME TRUTHS
At her Joburg eatery, established in the iconic former Women's Jail at Constitution Hill, Mpho Phalane has worked to create a space that both honours the historic site and feels like home. She spoke to Khanya Mzongwana about the food journey that brought her here.
Morogo magic
Budget-friendly indigenous leafy greens - fresh, sautéed or preserved for later use are on Mokgadi Itsweng's menu at this time of year.
