Cape Town chef and restaurateur Reuben Riffel flew to New York for nine minutes of fame as a guest on the Today and The Martha Stewart shows.
He told Weekend Argus that his five-day visit to the Big Apple had been “a blitz”.
He added: “It was like a media machine, a factory line, you go on and off and the next guest is waiting.
“We landed and drove straight to Stewart’s studio. I spoke to her for two minutes beforehand and then I was in front of the cameras for just five minutes. She asked me questions on the country as she has been here before.”
With his food in front of the cameras, Riffel focused on South African flavours. One of the dishes had a bit of peri-peri, which got up Stewart’s nose. “She wanted to know what it was. I explained that it was a South Africa chilli spice. I wasn’t nervous or intimidated by her.”
Next he made a guest appearance on the Today Show, which has 4,5 million viewers.
“I was on for four minutes and prepared three dishes – fish fritters and rooibos tea salt, roast fish with apricots and jam, and curried pickled fish. Everything was prepared beforehand. So I went through the steps and spoke to the presenter. “
Next in line on the Today show were women from the Playboy Mansion. “So my timing was perfect,” he joked.
“There is a definite interest in South Africa after the World Cup, and in particular South African food. So I made simple dishes using South African ingredients that are available in the United States. South Africa is seen as an exotic destination and people want to know what we eat locally, so we shouldn’t try to be too clever with our cooking, but we should be showcasing our incredible array of ingredients.”
During his visit he did two other media events and a piece for a CNN travel show in which he was followed around in New York City by a TV cameraman.
It’s been fewer than six months since Riffel opened his restaurant at the One&Only Resort at the Waterfront. He divides his time between Cape Town and his restaurants in Franschhoek and Robertson. - Sunday Argus