Naked Chef meats SA

The British TV personality has chosen the township butchery-cum-restaurant as this month's cover story for his recently launched magazine, Jamie.

"The whole experience was totally sexy: the heat, the music, the food and the people," Oliver writes in a seven-page spread on the restaurant, where patrons choose cuts of raw meat to be braaied and served.

Mzoli Ngcawuzele, owner of the establishment that attracts up to 2,000 patrons at weekends, said a "humble" Oliver spent a day at the restaurant sampling a variety of meat and swapping recipes with him.

"He learnt from us and we learnt from him. And he enjoyed the food. When he got his meal, he said, 'Wow'. He was taken aback," Ngcawuzele said.

"My experience from him is simple: to be humble and love people and make sure you serve good food."

The Naked Chef, who rose to fame with his quirky and simple cooking, says: "I wasn't travelling all the way to Cape Town to eat in posh restaurants. I'd heard of a place called Mzoli's... This place does a proper South African braai... and I couldn't wait to experience my first one."

Oliver had previously visited Johannesburg and Soweto.

"It wasn't my first time visiting a township. It's a real experience, driving into serious poverty, no police around: it's humbling and truly eye-opening," Oliver writes.

"The closer we got to Mzoli's, the more we could feel the atmosphere changing: it was fantastic."

Oliver says Guguletu is "like something from a movie". He describes "500 to 600 people chilling out in the sunshine".

"Car boots were up, people were bringing in their own booze, tunes were going off, the girls were pretty, and not just because of their big sunglasses, the boys were looking sharp. The vibe was brilliant," he writes.

But he was most impressed with the simple food. He chose an array of meat: "lamb cutlets, pork sausages, lamb sausages (to die for), chicken legs and pork leg steaks".

"In this part of the world, fresh is where it's at. Just kill it. Gut it. Skin it. Eat it. Heaven.

"Bizarrely, I felt at home. Everyone was just happy to be gnawing on bits of meat, dipping [it] into their chilli sauce and sipping beers on a Saturday. When I go back to Cape Town, I am absolutely going to Mzoli's," he says.

Paul Dring, managing editor of the magazine, said Oliver was unavailable for comment as he was on paternity leave following the birth of his third daughter, Petal Blossom Rainbow.

Lebohang Mokhesi, spokesman for SA Tourism in the UK, said: "Our efforts to position South Africa as a desirable, must-do destination are greatly enhanced by positive endorsements from the likes of Jamie Oliver. We are delighted that Jamie found the experience fulfilling."

Source: The Times

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