Sababa Kitchen and Deli
Sababa Kitchen and Deli – wholesome food combined with a green ethic
On a mission to find a restaurant which features tasty, wholesome food combined with a green ethic, we strolled into Sababa – meaning ‘awesome’, ‘cool’ or ‘great’ in Hebrew slang. ‘Solar heated water panels and food served on recycled paper plates’ is written up on their blackboard – it seemed that we had met our green criteria. A glance at the central table laden with platters of delicious-looking, healthy, Middle Eastern salads, it would appear that the other criteria was adequately met too.
Owned by talented sisters, Tal Smith and her sister Nirit – both of them influenced by the Middle Eastern backgrounds of their parents and sharing a passion for good, simple food that brings people together – Sababa started from humble, market beginnings and has now grown into two very popular shops. The first one is in Sea Point – more of takeaway and self-catering style outlet – and then, by popular demand, they opened Sababa on Bree Street, Cape Town with more seating.
The food is simple, Middle Eastern and served buffet-style, as you would at a family gathering. The central buffet table is split into two options – one half with meat dishes and the other half with side or vegetarian dishes. When we visited, there were wholesome stews with kidney beans and lamb, Cajun grilled chicken breast fillets, slices of rare beef fillet and, on the other side of the table, a collection of purple, beetroot-based salads, quinoa and interesting, green leaf salads. You could say this was a table laid for a family. Nirit happily states, “I eat here everyday too, so some days I feel like a change and then we mix things up a little.” There are also the loyal, five-days-a-week Sababa patrons who would scream blue murder if their favourite items were not on the menu.
Nirit also plans to have fun in the future with developing more of their delicious pastries which all derive from recipes she learned while living and working in some of Israel’s top restaurants.
The shop in Cape Town is located on one of Cape Town’s most popular ‘restaurant’ streets – Bree Street. It is small, quaint and predominantly crisp, clean white contrasted by blackboard-painted walls covered with chalk written menus. The staff can’t wait to generously dish up a recycled, paper plate full of fresh flavours from the buffet for you. You can either sit along the bar-style seating or outside in the sun, in the buzz of Bree Street. It is also the perfect place to grab something for the office or to take home for later that night.
Sababa reflects its owners’ love of community, family and food with fresh and simple flavours. So often in life, when you strip away all the bells and whistles, you are left with something unique, fresh and good.
Look out for Falafel nights on Thursdays from 6-9pm edlekarna.cz/.
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