The Rocking Oriental Kitchen in the Mother City...

There’s nothing I enjoy more than a nicely prepared meal. Prepared with an array of Asian spices and of course served with healthily cooked mixed vegetables. I love freshly cooked food that provokes all my senses and satisfies my every desire.

I never paid attention when my friend Maria spoke about the Eastern Food Bazaar in Cape Town CBD. Maria would always refer to it as, “the Asian restaurant, full of spicy adventures and unforgettable treats.” One day I decided to see for myself and Maria was more than happy to come with me.

On arrival instead of being lured in, my mind was full of doubt. The restaurant was packed with people and I lost all hope of getting a table. Luckily, some ostensibly satisfied customers finished their meal and the table was allocated to us. As we sat, my mind was at once amazed and perplexed of the wide variety of meals. There was just too much to choose from, instead of ordering my food I found myself observing on other people’s plates and their dishes. However, despite the pressure I managed to make an excellent choice, I ordered a meal that I would live to remember.

Once our meals were served, I was shocked by the huge amount of food on the plates. The aromas were absolutely breathtaking and the presentation was phenomenal. At this moment I understood and did not dare dispute those who called the place “a taste of heaven on earth”.

The food on my plate looked and smelled divine, chicken marinated in yoghurt and spices, slowly grilled in a tandoori oven hence, the name “tandoori chicken” served with medium fried chips, just the way I love them, as well as a small portion of oriental curried cabbage salad “something new”. Every bite gave me the taste of Asia; spices were well mixed and embedded in the chicken. Definitely a meal I will never forget. Surely every meal presented the love and passion for Asia and its authentic gastronomy.

I was struck by the prices of the dishes; I have always had this notion that to have a reasonable tasty meal in Cape Town, one needs to be willing to spend a lot of money. Conversely, it was not the case for Eastern Food Bazaar. Here, the prices were far more rational, the most expensive plate was R35. To me this restaurant is just “the food palace”.