Food Jams: Dinner with a Difference in Cape Town
If you’re looking for a unique interactive dining experience, a pressure-free cooking class, a great date night idea (I’m sure you would learn A LOT about your partner) or a place to meet new people in Cape Town (although, technically they have a branch in Joburg too), Food Jams is the place to be!
I was lucky enough to experience the one at the Soute Studio in Salt River, and cooking for myself has never been so much fun. Not only did I learn how to cook, enhance my mixology skills and make friends, but they also taught me how to use a blow torch! And all in one night!
First, the Backstory:
I do NOT enjoy cooking. When I was a kid, I absolutely loved baking. So in high school, I decided to take Home Economics as a subject through to matric. Bad idea! I had a home economics teacher who made Gordon Ramsey look cute. Now, whenever I have to cook for anyone, I have a disproportionately large amount of anxiety, convinced that if I make a mistake, I will be shouted at and publicly belittled.
Anyway, it turns out that Food Jams is actually better than therapy for getting over mild PTSD from high school. …Well, if it stems from Home Economics class anyway; your daddy issues and your poor choices in boyfriends, maybe not so much.
Food Jam First Impressions
After a welcome that involves hand washing, you’re led up the stairs into a vibrant cooking studio where you are greeted with a welcome drink. Between the vibe created by the resident DJ and the excited energy of our hosts, the tone is set for a fun night.
There was also a table covered with lots of “Yummy snacks”. I’m assuming that if you are not starving before you start cooking, it reduces some of the pressure. And it probably removes the temptation to eat the ingredients before you complete your dish. — These people are smart like that!
Our host, Partner and Founder of Food Jams, Jocelyn Myers-Adams, then welcomed us and explained how the event would run while speaking into a whisk — not because it amplifies your voice but it does amplify the fun!
Three work stations were set up and we were encouraged to pick a group. We could choose to cook with friends or complete strangers. At first, I opted for the table with the pink aprons because I like pink, but then I realised that four of the five people at my table were part of the group I was travelling with, so I abandoned them for a table of strangers in the true spirit of adventure! I ended up being part of a group with Keith Lindsay, the managing director of the Waterfront Duck Co., i.e. “the bus boat” (which you should absolutely try out if you haven’t already) and his wife.
Together with my partner, we were tasked with the job of making ostrich bobotie.
First though, I needed a drink...
Mixologist Training
Remember how I was completely teetotal/dry/sober/etc when I moved to Cape Town? Yeah, when you’re trying to be a travel/lifestyle writer in a city surrounded by wine farms, that was never going to last long. Now, not only do I know all about terroir and varietals (no one in Cape Town is impressed), I’m also officially a mixologist in training.
The mixology at Food Jams is actually usually a separate event altogether, but on this night, they combined both experiences. We had the option of learning how to mix an Aperol Spritz or a margarita. I went with the former. And boy, am I good at it! Maybe it’s because mixology was not actually something that was covered in high school home economics (can’t imagine why!), but it turns out I’m pretty good at mixing drinks. I made an Aperol Spritz light, with a lower amount of alcohol in it, but it was so good that it could properly get me into trouble!
A Fun and Pressure-Free Cooking Class
Each table was tasked with making certain dishes. There was an entire harvest table full of options and different grains, nuts, legumes and similar ingredients lining the walls at the back, so you were welcome to go off book, take creative licence and even make something else altogether.
My partner and I stuck to the recipe when making the ostrich bobotie. We also had some super charismatic staff on hand to guide us away from making anything inedible and maintain the atmosphere of fun.
The ostrich meat was already pre-cooked, so basically we just had to add the custard. The best thing about this dish is that it had to be caramelised on top, which means, yes, I got to play with a blow torch! I’m so glad I decided to change tables!
No one has ever entrusted me with a blow torch before - and maybe rightly so. There was one bobotie casualty, but it sacrificed itself in the name of fun. No one got hurt, the Soute studio didn’t burn down, and I didn’t even get shouted at for messing up!
Learn to Cook South African Food
When we were done, we placed our dishes on a table in the middle of the room so that everyone could dish up for themselves.
Then we sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labour with our new friends. It may have been the Ikea effect talking (the phenomenon where people are biased towards anything they had a hand in creating), but the food tasted really good.
While there are different menus available on different nights, ours was distinctly South African. The menu consisted of:
- Buchu-cured trout on mielie blini
- Herb-crusted lamb ribs
- Warm ostrich bobotie bites (That was me!)
- Spanish beef/tofu espetadas (Okay, maybe not everything was South African)
- Fire-roasted sweet potato fritters
- Foraged mushrooms & umngqusho tartlets
And then for dessert, we had Malva pudding with baobab and beetroot custard with mini rooibos koeksister bites.
Some of the other menus available for future cooking classes include:
- Parisian Pleasures
- Tuscan Feast
- Cantina Nights
- Spice and Soul
- Aegean Bites
And Food Jams has just launched a new experience called Food Jams Foraging, where their guests forage for ingredients on a guided nature walk, before proceeding to a cooking station, where they learn to create a meal with their findings.
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| Fun fact: If you cook under a disco ball, your food tastes better |
Cooking Can Be Fun
On the whole, though cooking for other people often makes me feel anxious, our host was so warm and welcoming. Her staff were every bit as awesome, singing and cheering us along while also walking us through the process and making sure we didn’t burn our eyebrows off! And we even had a DJ to keep the vibe going throughout the night.
The whole experience reminded me that cooking can be fun! I played a role in creating a meal, I got to play with fire, and no one cried — but there was a lot of laughter and ‘woo’ing!
If you’re looking for an interactive thing to do with your friends or strangers, an unconventional dining experience or just something fun to do, give Food Jamming a try!
Find out more or book your own experience here.
Where is Food Jams?
In Cape Town, Food Jams happen at the Soute Studio in Salt River.
great post!!
ReplyDeletei like your post! keep it up!
ReplyDeleteWell, Cape Town wasn’t in my next five planned trips, but after reading this it may need to be moved up!
ReplyDelete