Neighbourfood celebrates women cooking up a storm

Here at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, we’ve joined forces with Heart FM to honour three women-run restaurants in our Neighbourfood ecosystem, showcasing the inspiration behind their unique menus and celebrating the immense work it takes to start a foodie business and make it a success – especially in such a fast-faced and competitive restaurant industry.

This August, on Heart FM’s weekly Thursday morning Fooding Around segment, you’ll have heard from the women behind Saray, Cooked and Seven Colours Eatery. They shared their stories, struggles and personal highlights along their entrepreneurial journeys.

Considering this year’s countrywide Women’s Month theme is ‘Celebrating 30 Years of Democracy Towards Women’s Development’, it’s exciting to see how these three women have developed their ideas into eateries that contribute to others’ livelihoods and the pure joy of dining out. Discover these tasty destinations below.

Cooked

Owner: Lindy Levy

Lindy comes from a heritage of passionate home cooks. This means that many of her recipes have been passed down through four generations of women, including the borscht soup, baked cheesecake and latkes that are always on the menu. Dishes are made from scratch every day, securing their status as ‘honest’ meals that are cooked from good ingredients and sprinkled with a lot of joy, which is what attracts many diners to Lindy’s always vibrant spot.

 Cooked is all about ‘feeling at home’ while dining in the heart of Watershed. Traditional yet uncomplicated Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare gets a slight modern twist that gives it a gourmet street-food edge. Order from the hatch window to take away, or sit down amongst the chatter inside or at one of the outdoor tables and enjoy a homemade pie, freshly baked bagel or flat bread with delicious toppings. Check out the black board for daily and weekly specials, which allow Lindy to flex her creative muscle.

Saray Restaurant

Owner: Naadiya Moosajee Dogan

Naadiya Moosajee Dogan is an entrepreneur and changemaker of note. Besides owning Saray, she is the co-founder at WomHub, a company creating gender parity through education and technology. She is also a Global Future Council member with the World Economic Forum, covering gender, education and the future of work. Her efforts to bring equality into everyday spaces, therefore, naturally extends into her kitchen.

At Saray, situated with a view of the Waterfront’s Clock Tower, Naadiya and her team have developed an authentic Turkish halaal menu that will make you feel like you’re in Istanbul. This experience is enhanced by incredibly friendly service. Start off with a mezze platter or salad with pomegranate dressing, and then head on to mains, with dishes such as karides guvek (spicy shrimp), et kavurma (spicy beef with mushrooms and onions) or yoghurt kebabs. End off the meal with traditional Turkish desserts such as baklava, kunefe (cheese dessert) or sutlac (creamy rice pudding).

Seven Colours Eatery

Owner: Nolukhanyo Dube-Cele

We’ve watched from the sidelines as Chef Nolu’s Seven Colours Eatery has developed within the V&A Waterfront. What started as a venture at the original V&A food market has transformed itself into two offerings: a food truck at the base of the Cape Wheel – perfect for a quick vetkoek lunch on the go – and a sit-down restaurant along the canal at Battery Park. Chef Nolu’s unique leadership style focuses on how decisions impact people, bringing empathy and a lot of passion to the two businesses.

At Seven Colours Eatery, it’s all about traditional South African flavours. You’ll get to tuck into a hardbody (chicken slow-cooked in its own sauces), enjoy proper tshisanyama (braai with sides), dine on mogodu (tripe) or savour a fall-off-the-bone meat potjie (stew), among many other local favourites. Vegetarians will love the savoury samp, umfino, sorghum salad and lentil bobotie. This is Mzansi flavour for everyone!

Tune in to Heart FM every Thursday morning to find out more from our Neighbourfood champions, and then book your spot at one of these delicious women-owned restaurants to try out the much talked-about flavour sensations yourself.