What 19 people say about Emazulwini Restaurant
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Excellent food and service.
A definite culinary experience to remember for life. From the intimate setting, to the presentation of each dish. Beautiful evening + experience with beautiful people.
This restuarant is such a beautiful suprise! Found within a trendy food market at the Waterfront,called Makerslanding. It is my second time here because of the amazing food,attention to detail. Yes,the meals are made up of traditional ingredients,presented fine dining style. Its such a great choice for restuarant we...
Read full reviewThis restuarant is such a beautiful suprise! Found within a trendy food market at the Waterfront,called Makerslanding. It is my second time here because of the amazing food,attention to detail. Yes,the meals are made up of traditional ingredients,presented fine dining style. Its such a great choice for restuarant week,you leave feeling satisfied. Their restuarant week special is so generous. Great personalized serviced from the staff.
Love this new kid on the block! The woman led kitchen uses the most common local ingredients to create the most inventive dishes ever, brings some kind of nostalgia back in my childhood with those flavours. It is rare to see any restaurant display proudly South African food heritage into a gastronomic art.
It was a wonderful experience. Every single plate was distinct and delicious. The atmosphere was relaxing and the service was impeccable. We will definitely save this restaurant as a regular spot.
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About Emazulwini Restaurant
Cuisine: Fine Dining
Emazulwini is a modern Zulu inspired restaurant which seeks to celebrate and showcase Nguni cuisine and South African ingredients.
Mmabatho Molefe runs the tiny harbour-facing restaurant called Emazulwini. Molefe was retrenched from Salsify At The Roundhouse during lockdown. With previous experience at Aubergine, she has used her skills to present traditional Zulu cuisine in a fine dining context. With her breakthrough restaurant Emazulwini (meaning ‘heaven’ in Zulu), she’s introducing Zulu dishes in completely unexpected ways to Makers Landing.
This inspired Mmabatho to reflect on her own Zulu upbringing in KwaZulu-Natal, and experiment with recipes that could represent the food she was raised eating, but with modern techniques and novel ways of presentation. The intimate space at Emazulwini affords diners the opportunity to taste dishes such as ox tongue in different preparations of tomato, isijingi (a sweet pumpkin porridge with orange caramel, roasted pumpkin and cinnamon), and an amasi (sour milk) dessert made with uphuthu (pap) and whey caramel.
“I want people to let go of their previous apprehensions, try new things, and hopefully change their minds about these Zulu-inspired dishes,” she says. Although cooking and serving cultural foods differently to how they are traditionally done, she has ensured that the flavours remain true to the original. “Usually Zulu cuisine is slow-cooked and braised, and all the flavour gets left in the liquid,” she says, “so I’m just preparing it slightly differently. It doesn’t have to be brown, heavy food. I’m adding fresh components, so that people are more inclined to try it.”
By delving into Zulu history and traditions in her quest to honour her heritage, Mmabatho is sharing her culture through the art of cooking, creating a contemporary appreciation for Zulu cuisine .
