LAST week John VZ got hold of me, and opened with “I hope you don’t mind me mailing you out of the blue.”
Well, John, when you’re getting in touch with me to tell me about a fabulous foodie place, you can mail me out of all shades of the blue.
John is has been head chef at Chefs Warehouse in Bree Street, and head chef at Thali. Now, along with his partner Sage (food lover who has worked alongside John for years and in the process of becoming a chef) and his lifelong friend Stefan (Terroir, Thali, Kole en Deeg), he has opened what has to be the tiniest pop-up in the history of pop-ups. You’ll find it inside what is normally broth bar Marrow in Loop Street.
The trio has taken over the space from now until mid-May where they’ll be serving a small but diverse menu of eight dishes, which will change regularly.
“We want to introduce the concepts of ‘melting pot’ and ‘global street food’ cuisine to the food lovers of Cape Town,” says John. “Our main aim is customer satisfaction – covering all dietary requirements, serving quality food and keeping the price point realistic.”
I popped into the pop-up last week and find out more. Leaving the decisions up to John, I first had yellowtail sashimi drenched (John’s lovely word, see featured image) in coconut cream, with fermented black bean dressing and topped with toasted coconut, chilli oil and fresh mint. “Creamy burny fresh yumminess” my notes read.
The next dish was fried chicken in crispy batter tossed with spicy caramel and ginger, with miso mayo. Also excellent with all its textures and complementary flavours.
There is no liquor licence but if you order a bowl of olives you’ll get a free glass of wine.
I love this initiative, and so should you. Grab a quick bite served on biodegradable plates with wooden cutlery (saves on washing up) and groove to the funky music John plays from his personal phone.
Melting Pot at Marrow is at 83 Loop Street, Cape Town, and is open Mondays to Saturdays from 12pm till 9pm. No reservations, and for more information, click here.
PHOTO CREDIT: BIANCA COLEMAN ©
