The surfer chef behind South Africa’s first fine dining halal restaurant

Cape Town, South Africa – The first motion that Anwar Abdullatief is not an mean cook is his prime of headwear. Despite nan whimsical and blase quality of his cooking, he and his squad do not deterioration puffy achromatic cook hats. Granted, galore modern chefs favour grittier skull caps aliases bandanas. But Abdullatief does it his ain way: Everyone successful his room wears a demure tartan level headdress and a stonewashed bluish apron.

Neatly stacked stainless-steel shelves scope almost to nan ceiling of nan renovated storage space. Extra chairs are stacked successful nan parking car shed which is visible done nan unfastened backmost door. The squad of 11 useful silently, methodically, arsenic they combine nan artful creations that are nan merchandise of Abdullatief’s imagination. On 1 counter, an adjunct arranges leaves and flowers connected nan elaborate labyrinthine platter successful which mature cheddar cookies pinch smoked hake and prawn brandade are nestled.

At nan stove, Abdullatief is deep-frying nan battered dune spinach – an constituent he first encountered connected surfing trips up South Africa’s desolate westbound seashore – that will adorn “The Bass”, this week’s food course.

‘The Bass’ was nan food people connected connection during nan weekJazeera visited The Happy Uncles [Courtesy of The Happy Uncles]

If there’s 1 point Abdullatief has gleaned from 2 decades moving successful immoderate of South Africa’s finest kitchens, it is this: “Chefs emotion alcohol, bacon and Parma ham.” It is normal for chefs to effort each other’s sauces but, arsenic a Muslim who abstains from each three, Abdullatief soon realised it was safer to conscionable opportunity no.

That changed erstwhile he was made caput chef: “Whenever I was put successful complaint of things, I would surreptitiously make nan paper halal. No pork successful nan stock, nary intoxicant successful nan jus,” he says pinch a laugh. “My bosses ne'er complained and neither did nan diners. The nutrient tasted bully – why would they?”

Fast guardant a fewer years and nan 40-year-old is now nan proprietor of The Happy Uncles, South Africa’s first good eating legal restaurant, and Barakat, a celebrated modern Cape Malay eatery successful Cape Town’s caller Time Out Market. Last year, he scooped nan Rising Star prize astatine South Africa’s premier edifice awards.

It is simply a important accomplishment considering he had vanished pinch restaurants 2 years ago.

One of Abdullatief’s creations is presented successful a platter of greenery astatine The Happy Uncles edifice successful Cape Town [Courtesy of The Happy Uncles]

What’s successful a name?

“I didn’t scheme immoderate of this,” he explains: “The Happy Uncles is not a bully sanction for a restaurant. The abstraction is surrounded by scrap yards. None of this was meant to hap … life conscionable pushed maine successful that direction.”

After exiting his erstwhile business, a café successful nan farming municipality of Paarl called My Cross Aunt (a playful return connected nan French connection croissant), successful 2021, Abdullatief turned his attraction to backstage cheffing. As his customer database grew, he realised he needed a sanction for his business and a spot to shop his equipment.

He did not springiness either overmuch thought. “What’s nan other of a transverse aunt?” he asks, rhetorically. The Happy Uncles signified a caller start: “I was moving backmost home, getting married, I could surf each nan spots again. But it was ne'er meant to beryllium nan sanction of a restaurant.”

The space, successful a renovated storage surrounded by sheet beaters and shipping containers, was besides not meant to beryllium a eating establishment. But erstwhile he was asked to put connected a day statement for a bully friend’s wife, he was forced to find immoderate tables and chairs.

“We did a six-course paper for nan family,” he recalls. “After nan dinner, they started posting connected societal media, going connected astir this legal fine-dining acquisition and hassling maine to do it for much people… Every clip I did a dinner, nan group would show maine to make it a restaurant. But I didn’t want to spell backmost to that.”

Chef Anwar Abdullatief stands beside a eating array wrong The Happy Uncles legal edifice [Courtesy of The Happy Uncles]

Then, he says, strangers started calling: “Everyone was saying ‘You’re nan first legal fine-dining edifice successful nan country.’ But we weren’t moreover a restaurant.”

Eventually, he relented. “We started disconnected erstwhile a month. Then each 2nd week. Then erstwhile a week …” Fast guardant 18 months and nan edifice is now unfastened 5 days a week and has won aggregate awards, including for nan best legal restaurant successful Cape Town successful 2023.

While Abdullatief seems amazed astatine his accelerated rise, Jermaine Esau, a chap cook who has known him for a decade and a half, is not: “None of it was ever intentional but location was a request for it,” he says. “The Muslim organization successful Cape Town is huge. They wouldn’t spell to places wherever there’s vino around. Muslim good eating makes cleanable sense. But Anwar’s specified a bully cook that he gets supported by group from each over.”

Abdullatief estimates that only 50 percent of his clientele is Muslim.

The abstraction – each exposed bricks and original artwork – is acold much refined than Abdullatief lets on. The pictures he has chosen to show bespeak his personality. One wall features a zany coating of a female successful pointy sunglasses and a Rasta chapeau pinch feathers dangling from her hair; different is bedecked pinch gilt-framed prints of Arabic calligraphy.

On a glossy array to nan side, a twelve solid teapots, each containing a different shadiness of amber liquid, enactment lukewarm supra tealight candles. This curated beverage paper changes arsenic often arsenic nan nutrient paper does.

Next to nan beverage array sits a somewhat hidden rack containing bottles of non-alcoholic champagne.

Every crockery connected nan eight-course paperJazeera tried was remarkable, but location were 2 standouts. “Amagwinya” is elevated township thoroughfare food: a deep-fried mixed shot stuffed pinch tender karoo lamb and accompanied by “smoked tarragon buttercream, salsa verde, food pips [the seeds of an indigenous melon favoured by nan Khoisan people] and truffle aioli.”

The different winner: a palate-cleansing elderflower and pome sorbet, made theatrically astatine nan array pinch much than a small thief from a flask of liquid nitrogen.

Do not expect to sensation these dishes successful weeks aliases months to come, however. Abdullatief changes his paper whenever nan whim takes him.

Amagwinya is simply a deep-fried mixed shot stuffed pinch tender karoo lamb, accompanied by smoked tarragon buttercream, salsa verde, food pips (indigenous melon seeds) and truffle aioli [Courtesy of The Happy Uncles]

Back to nan start

Abdullatief grew up successful nan Cape Town suburb of Zeekoevlei, named aft nan hippos that still unrecorded successful nan adjacent wetland. Although astir of his schooling took spot aft apartheid had ended, because of South Africa’s analyzable past, he went to a schoolhouse pinch nary achromatic students.

“It was nan first precocious schoolhouse of colour to connection cooking arsenic a subject,” recalls Abdullatief, who was portion of that first class. “I loved cheffing, but I didn’t get awesome marks. I was ever connected my ain mission, making my ain dishes. Everyone other was conforming.”

And not conscionable successful nan kitchen. “I was into dense metallic and drum ’n bass. I ever had my skateboard pinch me. I was a surfer,” he says. “It’s not that I didn’t person friends. But I was ever a spot different.”

Abdullatief, who remains a keen surfer, expanded his culinary horizons connected surfing trips: “We were camping, cooking connected fires, foraging for mussels, eating dune spinach… I took nan cooking techniques I’d learned successful cook people and ran pinch it.”

Abdullatief did not understand it astatine nan time, but his first and astir important culinary schoolroom was his Cape Malay upbringing. The word for Cape Town’s Muslim organization traces its origins backmost to slaves brought to South Africa from nan East (mainly Indonesia) from nan 1650s onwards. “Cape Malay group turn up pinch flavours: cinnamon, cardamom, prima anise, coriander seeds,” he says. “As a youngster, you don’t deliberation astir it … Your mom conscionable wants to springiness you nutrient but you’re awkward to unfastened your lunchbox because it will smell funny.”

Only now that Abdullatief has grown up does he realise really fortunate he was: “I had a wealthiness of nutrient acquisition nether my loop without moreover knowing it. I grew up eating good-quality tasty meals 3 times a day. A immense assortment of different dishes cooked by my mom and my gran.”

Some of that knowledge laic dormant – but not forgotten – for decades.

After school, and a tourism diploma, Abdullatief sewage a occupation arsenic a edifice chef. It was during this clip that he became “obsessed” pinch nan brain, he recalls. “I’d beryllium sitting connected a train analysing people: Why’s this personification huddled successful a corner? Why’s that 1 holding nan bar?”

Not leaving that itch unscratched, he enrolled for a grade successful psychology. While his consequent profession occurrence stopped him from finishing nan grade (with conscionable 2 modules remaining) he is gladsome he did it: “To beryllium a bully chef, you request to usage psychology each day, each day.”

The room squad astatine The Happy Uncles each deterioration tartan level caps and stonewashed bluish aprons – nary puffy cook hats [Nick Dall/Al Jazeera]

‘I emotion alteration and I don’t for illustration politics’

Abdullatief recovered moving arsenic a edifice cook tiresome, truthful he applied for a occupation astatine a tourer edifice successful Cape Town’s trendy Waterfront precinct. He aced nan required cook-off, and contempt being a comparative beginner, was soon successful complaint of each nan restaurant’s biggest sellers.

“They specialised successful nan nutrient I’d grown up with… Stews and bredies [vegetable broth stews] and curries. The bosses said my flavours were spot on. I ne'er travel recipes aliases usage measurements… It’s not thing you tin beryllium taught. You smell nan herb and you cognize really overmuch you need.”

Abdullatief is nan first to admit that he is easy bored: “I emotion alteration and I don’t for illustration politics. Once nan skindering [gossiping] starts, I’m outta there.”

After that first edifice job, he landed a gig astatine a adjacent boutique hotel. “It wasn’t good dining”, he says, “but nan caput cook was often distant and I learned a batch astir managing a kitchen”.

His adjacent large break came erstwhile he landed a inferior occupation astatine Delaire-Graaff, 1 of galore good eating restaurants successful nan picturesque Cape Winelands region of South Africa’s Western Cape province. Working connected a vino workplace mightiness look a funny prime for a Muslim, but nan constitution was astatine nan epicentre of nan South African culinary segment astatine nan time, making it a bully spot to beforehand his career.

Esau, who met Abdualltief astatine Delaire-Graff, picks up nan tale: “Anwar was moving connected nan veg section, nan busiest conception of all, and we had 3 copper pans to provender 200 guests.” Esau was instantly impressed: “You could conscionable spot this guy, he’s sewage skills, he’s calm, he’s meticulous, he knows what he’s doing.”

Over nan adjacent 12 years, Abdullatief honed his trade astatine respective prestigious restaurants astir nan Winelands, astir an hr from Cape Town. Moving location meant leaving his beloved Cape Town – and its plentiful waves – behind. However,  he besides met a budding cook called Yolani Abrahams, who would go his wife.

He thought he would yet beryllium capable to settee successful 1 spot erstwhile he was made executive cook astatine a prestigious vino farm. “I established a rootlike plot for nan room and I was surviving successful this beautiful cottage connected nan farm. The occupation was perfect.”

But nan fairytale came crashing down erstwhile COVID-19 hit. “The leader agreed to salary my net but he refused to salary my staff,” he tellsJazeera, anger flushing his face. “He wouldn’t moreover fto maine springiness them vegetables from nan gardens aliases nutrient from nan pantry. These group had nothing. Really, nothing.”

Abdullatief ignored his boss’s orders, handing retired nutrient to those who needed it most, and mislaid his job.

Anwar Abdullatief and his woman Yolani Abrahams ain and tally Barakat together successful nan Time Out Market successful nan Waterfront area of Cape Town [Courtesy of Barakat]

Becoming his ain boss

Fed up pinch moving for different people, Abdullatief teamed up pinch a family successful nan adjacent municipality of Paarl to unfastened My Cross Aunt. Its gourmet return connected meal staples was an instant hit, he says, but he quickly realised that moving with partners was conscionable arsenic fraught arsenic moving for bosses.

He past switched attraction to backstage cheffing: “I was my ain boss, nary 1 was telling maine what to do. I vowed ne'er to spell backmost to large restaurants and good dining.”

Fate had different ideas. Soon, The Happy Uncles had established a estimation that opened new, and lucrative, doors for Abdullatief.

When Time Out opened its first marketplace – location are only 7 successful nan world – connected nan African continent, they reached retired to Abdullatief to go portion of nan exclusive franchise.

“Someone astatine Time Out’s caput agency successful London had heard astir The Happy Uncles,” he explains. “They could person asked an aunty from nan Bo Kaap [a accepted Cape Malay hood] but they wanted thing much refined. Something betwixt good eating and a monolithic sheet of curry.”

In November 2023, Abdullatief opened Barakat – which intends “blessings” successful Arabic – successful nan Time Out Market astatine nan V&A Waterfront area of Cape Town. (WhenJazeera visited nan stall, it had nan longest statement of each nan vendors).

The all-halal paper features dishes that originated successful nan slave-run kitchens of 17th period Cape homesteads: Denningvleis, which is lamb cervix successful a sticky, achromatic tamarind condiment unsocial to Cape Town, and ou mense onder dice komberse (“old group nether nan blankets”), a slow-braised beef shin wrapped successful cabbage leaves.

Denningvleis, which is lamb cervix successful a sticky achromatic tamarind condiment unsocial to Cape Town, is 1 of nan signature dishes served astatine Barakat [Courtesy of Barakat]

“Every azygous crockery astatine Barakat connects maine to my childhood,” he says. “At nan Happy Uncles, there’s ever a full batch of elements that link maine to my past. But they’re mixed successful pinch my coming and my future.”

Case successful point: nan dessert people connected nan paper nan timeJazeera visited The Happy Uncles. The Malva Tart, named aft South Africa’s astir celebrated pudding, is an eager and visually arresting exploration of immoderate of Cape Town’s astir iconic saccharine flavours.

“We make a malva pudding and we blend nan full point and put it into a long, rectangular tart case,” Abdullatief explains. This is accompanied by a delicate statement of mebos (South African dried fruit) jelly, koesister crumble (a delicately spiced Cape Malay return connected doughnuts) and boeber (a milky portion made from vermicelli and sago, and flavoured pinch cardamom, instrumentality cinnamon and roseate water) crystal cream.

Never 1 to guidelines still, Abdullatief says he is presently engaged pinch respective projects, noting that location are “definitely much Cape Malay projects successful nan pipeline”. He and Abrahams are researching dishes from arsenic acold backmost arsenic nan 1600s, uncovering ways to sphere nan cuisine “as good arsenic keeping it relevant”.

“It’s reached a constituent wherever I consciousness responsible for nan cuisine and my culture,” he says. “We person to sphere it… It is fading. There are truthful galore dishes that are truthful good. Hundreds and hundreds of dishes that group don’t navigator immoderate more. Keeping these dishes live is very important.”

The Happy Uncles type of oumense onder dice komerse (“old group nether nan blankets”) [Courtesy of The Happy Uncles]