With the success of Golden Boy, the Botanic Hotel, in partnership with Bistro Dom Executive Chef, have opened Adelaide’s first South African themed restaurant and bar. The open kitchen is located on one side of the restaurant and is decked out with a wood oven, a wood grill and a spit. The bar area is smack bang in the centre, and the dining space is efficiently used, flowing freely onto the outdoor area. The menu is full of African ingredients which are prepared using traditional cooking methods, however, the presentation is more modernised.

We started with complimentary buns that came with dukkah and olive oil. I’ve had this before at other restaurants but this was the unprepared version, equipped with a small mortar and pestle. Ground the dukkah, add olive oil and mix till you’re content. An interesting exercise and a good combination none the less.

The Sweet Potato Chips came with a cumin whipped cod roe. The sweet potato slices were ultra thin and were crunchy like potato chips. The cumin whipped cod roe was delicious and it reminded me of a well refined salmon dip. I’ve had sweet potato chips before but none as good as this.

The Bunny Chow is a South African fast food dish that typically refers to hollowed out bread that is filled with curry. It’s origins date back to Indian migrant workers in South Africa that used hollow loaves of bread to transport their curries in the absence of traditional roti bread.

This version of the Bunny Chow is a perfectly formed bun that is light and fluffy. The filling is curried lamb mince which is very subtle in flavour. Any hint of spice is overpowered by the sweet jam glaze topping.

Boerewors is a South African sausage that literally translated from Afrikaans means “farmer sausage”. The sausage served to us was cold and the fat content was considerable, which is not uncommon for sausages. The sweetness of the spiced peach chutney was well balanced by the saltiness of the pigs face and ice plant.

The item on the spit today was the Yoghurt Fed Roast Pork. I suspect the pig that was served up today ate too much yoghurt and didn’t do enough exercise because it had a considerably thick layer of fat. The lean portions of pork were slightly overcooked and the crunchy skin was a bit too hard.

The Allegaartjie Potjie is a stew that contains slow cooked mutton neck, pork breast, beef shin and boom chakkalaka. The dish is served hot and is beautifully presented in a small cast iron pot. It’s hard to identify which piece of meat is which, but the combination of tenderised meat and vegetables is full of flavour and well balanced. I thought it was very similar to a Vietnamese dish that uses left over roast pork.

Of course, my 20-20 vision detected what was said to be pig hair in the dish. Without scientific analysis, I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

The staff were friendly and welcoming, and the service was exceptional. Drinks arrived promptly and were constantly refilled throughout the night. The waiter looking after us had full knowledge of the menu and was happy to make recommendations. Plates were cleared as we finished, and the staff were attentive but not overly intrusive.

The atmosphere was vibrant which is typical for this part of town on a busy Friday night. As far as pricing goes, it higher than average and verging towards what you’d pay at a fine dining establishment. Out of the two snacks, one entree and two mains we ordered, the total cost was around $90, although we did reach a point where we were both satisfied.

For the food adventurers out there wanting to try something new, this is the place to check out because you’ll find nothing else like it in Adelaide.

WHERE: 4 East Tce, Adelaide