Mama Africa.

It’s a Friday evening; the girlfriend is in town and it’s time to find somewhere to eat. In an attempt to try something different, we venture out to Long Street. Just driving up Long Street is an adventure in itself. I found myself taken aback by the stunning sights, smells, and sounds this Street has to offer. From the diverse range of people that were roaming the area to the aromas of wonderful foods and spices of the restaurants. Being there was one experience, walking the Street was another, but deciding where to eat was a whole new experience in itself. I found myself spoilt for choice. We were bombarded with a variety of options. Each restaurant boasted something different, however, exciting. After much deliberation, my better half and I decided that Mama Africa would be our host for the evening.

Mama Africa is a beautiful restaurant, rich in culture, history and African traditions. As we entered the establishment we were greeted by a group of African traditionalists who were singing and dancing in good spirits. The music was vibrant; however one may argue that it was a bit loud. Conversations were hard to come by as hearing wasn’t an easy task considering the music in the background. Although the music was at times a bit much, the performance itself was short-lived which made it bearable. The musicians were extremely interactive with the customers at their tables and certainly added an element of entertainment to the evening.

A table was hard to come by as Mama Africa is clearly the place to be for many families and friends on a Friday night. We had to wait about half an hour for a table, which put a bit of a dampener on the evening. Had it not have been for the good company and general atmosphere of the restaurant we would have been very tempted to satisfy our hunger needs elsewhere. To their credit (for creating such a vibrant atmosphere) we stuck out the half an hour wait until we were finally greeted by a friendly waiter who was eagerly waiting to escort us to our table. We were both particularly hungry that evening and I was keen to feast my eyes on the menu to see what Mama Africa had to offer.

Being a student, my eyes often wonder to the right hand side of the page where the price is revealed, as my budget is somewhat limited. Thankfully the menu was reasonably priced and my wallet didn’t take too much of a beating.  I was able to afford a 300gram rump which I couldn’t wait to tuck into. I placed my order and began to patiently wait for this delicious protein. Roughly 20 minutes had gone by and dinner was served. Accompanying my steak, much to my surprise, was a large portion of the traditional “pap”. I’m not a huge fan of this traditionally South African delight and was bemused when I found it alongside my beautifully cooked steak. However, “the show must go on” as they say and I proceeded to gently prod it away into the corner of my plate as I tried to ignore it was even there. To the credit of the kitchen, the steak I had was as close to perfect as it could have been. I found myself enjoying an explosion of flavours and taste sensations with every bite. The food on the whole was, delicious and served in good time with no mistakes. While the food was delicious it certainly wasn’t fantastic, perhaps by judgment were obscured by my overwhelming hunger.

As a whole the Mama Africa experience was a good one. The vibe was incredible. It made me proud to be African as the restaurant itself is a celebration of African heritage and triumphs of our wonderful continent. The service could perhaps do with some refining. More impatient customers would have exercised their right to leave after not being showed a table for over half an hour. The food was good, not great, but good. If you want a truly African dining experience and are searching for something different as you look to escape the more traditional Southern Suburb type restaurants then this is the place for you. If you are more interested in ‘Masterchef’ like food I’d suggest you try something elsewhere. I am a firm believer that eating is so much more than an action we are obligated to perform in order to survive. Eating should be about the experience, the vibe and the surroundings in which you do so. It is a celebration, not an obligation. When reviewing a restaurant one can’t simply make a judgement based solely on the food, but you have to look at the experience as a whole.

 Great company. Great vibe. Great experience. Good food. Great night out.