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| Mzoli's - Belly-Filler in Langa Township of Cape Town |
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| Where the Meat Meets the Heat: Mzoli's Kitchen |
A few sweaty guys tend open fires in a really hot, tiled room, flipping slabs of spicily marinated beef, pork, chicken and lamb. Mzoli's is a rare commodity--a restaurant--located in Langa, one of the oldest townships in Cape Town. Situated in the midst of tiny crowded shack-homes, Mzoli's sells barbecued meats to be consumed on the premises at picnic tables outside. You choose your raw meats from the butcher's display case and then take them to a counter to arrange for them to be barbecued. While waiting for the meat to cook, Gordon and I saved seats at a picnic table under the tented open air cover. Our Zulu guide Maxwell took Larry and Max back out into the street to get drinks. They went into a lady's shack across the street to buy beers. She offered a six pack for sale, but Max pointed out that it was actually a five-and-a-half pack, because one of the beers had already been drunk halfway. When the meat was finished cooking, it was piled onto a platter and handed over. Our guide Maxwell advised that if you prefer not to use African utensils (i.e. your hands), you need to buy plates (paper), cutlery (thin white plastic) and napkins (paper). Also, since the slabs of meat are large, you really could use a real knife. No problem. Rent a steak knife for ten rand (about $1.20) deposit, to be refunded when you return the knife. It was delicious food and perfectly cooked. We also bought the side of pap, a ground maize that looks like mashed potatoes, but whiter. After we finished eating, our guide Maxwell asked if I wanted to meet the owner of the restaurant. Sure...why not? I followed Maxwell back into the butcher shop storefront area, where the owner was busy taking payments. Maxwell suggested I pose with the owner so we could get a picture with my camera. No problem. Smiles. Click. I held out the steak knife and asked for the deposit refund. He took back the knife, smiled and suggested ten rand for the photo. Fair deal!
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| Picture Pose instead of Knife Deposit Return |
