So when it’s time to meet friends for a bite to eat do you ever find yourselves unable to agree on a particular cuisine that everyone is happy with? Well I have the answer! Go to Time Out Market in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront. You’ll find something to please everyone.
This recently-refurbished market is the first of its kind in Africa and has 13 kitchens and four bars. These are some of the hightest-rated local restaurants with some of Cape Town’s most revered chefs. And the diversity of the food offering is beautiful to behold. From burgers to bao buns; seafood to sushi; Italian to Indian; pizza to ramen and a selection of uniquely African dishes, it’s hard to decide exactly what to eat. One of my favourite problems.
As big fans of Indian food we were quickly drawn to Kapoochka with its menu serving contemporary Indian street food. Kapoochka is the brain child of Hitesh Panchat with a focus on the tasty pan puri.
Considered as the king of street food in India, these puris are crispy hollow balls of dough filled with all kinds of deliciousness. We decided to try out the prawn pop puri – crispy, fried puri stuffed with spicy garlic butter prawns and a garlic and chilli aioli. There were also two deep-fried prawns on the side. Wow! Beautifully spicy, garlicky and juicy with that irresistible puri crisp. The king of street food indeed.
We also ordered a masala dosa having developed quite a liking for them during our travels through southern India (well, a serious addiction in my case). These crispy rice and lentil crepes are stuffed with a spiced potato filling and served alongside a lentil sambar with stewed vegetables and green chutney. My first mouthful transported me back to the vibrancy of southern India, so perfectly authentic and crisp and piping hot.
And here’s a shot of (someone else’s) delicious-looking tandoori malai tikka served with a buttery paratha. If you love Indian food I can’t recommend Kapoochka enough. It’s a revelation.
We completed our delectable meal with a lovely bottle of rose from the Culture Wine Bar. They have a fabulous choice.
And here’s a quick look at a couple of the other interesting-looking stalls. The Siba Deli offers an elevated take on South African cuisine.
Or you can tuck into substantial bowls of ramen and Asian delights from Ramenhead.
Other stalls include Die Vrije Burger, The Melting Pot Seafood, How Bao Now, Carne (Italian and steaks), YARD (pizza), Barakat (Cape Malay cuisine), Sushiya (Japanese), MLILO (pan African cusine cooked over fire), Nosh cafe (all-day breakfasts) and Unframed ice cream bar. See…everyone’s gonna love it.
And here’s the view of the market from outside with the majesty of Table Mountain as a backdrop.
Today’s Price Point
Okay so Time Out Market is a little on the pricy side for Cape Town (especially the wine) but it is a fabulous experience.
Our food today cost R240 and our wine R420. That’s a total of just over £27 at today’s exchange rate. So still great value, especially if you’re visiting from Europe.
Time Out Market is located alongside the Watershed design hub in The Old Power Station Building, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront.
https://www.timeout.com/cape-town/time-out-market
