Ever since we heard that Masala Club and Woodstock Brewery were joining forces at The Village Idiot, we’ve been counting down the minutes. I’m not going to lie – it was a tough week but we made it! Who would have thought that seven days could feel like an eternity? As we made our way up The Village Idiot stairs for the sixth Sunday Collab, we were greeted by the unmistakable whiff of curry. It was time for bunny chows and brews.

Out on the balcony we got our first look at the herd of bunnies, and we liked what we saw. If you listened carefully you could hear the potjies bubbling slowly, while whispering promises of curried deliciousness. As we always say, cooking in cast iron is good for the soul, so it seemed fitting that this was going to be our Sunday lunch. First things first though, it was time for a beer.

These days it doesn’t come much better than Woodstock Brewery. They have taken their rightful place as the newest member of craft SA’s big five, and they have done so by putting their money where their mash-tun is. They make big, bold beers and they’re made the way they want to make ’em.

We started with their thirst-quenching Hazy Daze, the perfect way to get the afternoon going. Made with fresh oranges and crushed coriander seeds, this unfiltered Belgian Wit is awesome on a hot day, or any other day for that matter. Their other three taps included Happy Pills (Pilsner), Pot Belge (Belgian Amber), and what is turning out to be the local king of the IPA castle, Californicator.

It was all hands on deck as Masala Club manned the coals. Bunny after bunny hopped across the counter and every now and then, Max the family dog, would trot past to keep an eye on quality control. He must know a thing or two about Mikala’s cooking, and we reckoned it was about time to find out for ourselves. There were a few options on the menu: lamb, bean, or a combo of the two. Carbs be damned, we went for broke with the lamb bunny. It was served with authentic grated carrot salad, sliced green chilli, fresh, coriander and to that we added a Californicator to wash it all down.


As far as we’re concerned, a bunny chow is arguably the perfect meal. It is form, function and awesomeness all rolled into one. We know more than a few people who would choose it as a last meal. Get it wrong and it can be a slog of note, but get it right and the doors to spice-filled nirvana open up before you. Mikala had this one spot on! The bunny was perfect, with a soft, fresh ‘government’ loaf, hollowed out and filled to overflowing with tasty curry. “Would you like some extra gravy?” she asked – if anyone ever says no to that question then they are no friend of ours.

By that stage we were onto our second Californicator. The big tropical and citrus aromas from the hops were the perfect match for the curry spices. The more you have, the better everything tastes. Before we knew it, what once seemed a monumental task was reduced to crumbs on a plate and saucy fingerprints on an empty beer glass. Ten outta ten Masala Club, we love your work.

Full and satisfied we moved on to dessert – Woodstock’s newest beer, Mr. Brownstone. This brown hazelnut ale is everything it promised to be and then some. It was rich and robust with flavours of hazelnut, vanilla and chocolate. To quote Guns & Roses’ Mr. Brownstone, “He’s been knocking, he won’t leave me alone!” This beer’s going to stir a few things up on the local scene we can promise you that.

The other great thing about The Village Idiot is that it seems you never know what’s going to happen next. Just like that, we found ourselves in the Sunday pool competition. Without going into too much detail, we managed to scrounge up the last remnants of a misspent youth and walk away with first prize. What a result. It was time to celebrate and what better way to do it than with Woodstock’s last offering of the day, a barrel-aged Belgian quad aptly named, Sugarman. It was a beautifully rich and boozy way to end the day.

All in all, great chow, ridiculously good beers and great company – we can chalk up that up as another massive win for the Village Idiot. If there is a better place to be on a Sunday afternoon in Cape Town, we haven’t found it. Who knows, soon we may have to light a fire or three on the balcony – watch this space!

The Village Idiot, 32 Loop Street | thevillageidiot.co.za | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Masala Club | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Woodstock Brewery | woodstockbrewery.co.za | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram