The Melting Pot Cafeteria

Monday, December 2nd, 2019

Reviewed by Carla Schoeman

As previous fans of John van Zyl's pop up with the same name, we were delighted to learn that he's found a permanent home for his Asian street food concept in Wale street. They don't take bookings, but are situated above the Gin Bar in Cape Town, so we were quite happy to take a chance on a Friday night at 7pm, thinking we'd go for a drink first if we needed to wait. We got lucky, and the last table for two before the waiting list started, and continued for pretty much the entire time we were there. The space is spacious and casual, with a vibey atmosphere. Sage, John's wife, runs the front of house with one other waitress and both were incredibly welcoming. John operates the pass, with a sous chef and two staff in the kitchen. It's actually quite remarkable that such a small staff contingent can be so effective. You order your food and drinks at the bar, and it gets delivered to your table as it gets prepared. We opted for the "One of Everything" and a bottle of Spider Pig Rose, which was more than enough for two people. The food comes to the table as it's prepared, and came out at a comfortable rate, giving us enough time to savour each dish, and take a break before the next one arrived. My favourite was the tuna tataki, and my partner declared the Brick Lane bagel his favourite. John is a clever chef, who understands Asian flavours incredibly well so each dish delivers on flavour and presentation. I would hope he changes his menu often, to keep regulars excited to try new things. We've been big fans of his from his Thali days, and this new venture does not disappoint.