We hear from four young chefs as they share theirs.
Wandile Mabija, co-founder of Kitchen Brothers
Q: What are your professional New Year’s resolutions?
A: We have decided to start a pop-up restaurant at home, this will be a sit-in vibe with us still preparing the meals from our food truck. We will have a stretch tent fully decked out with tables and chairs to accommodate our patrons and create that restaurant feel.
“We want our customers to fully experience Kitchen Brothers and our culinary offering, and we believe this move will help do just that. We will also be producing and bottling our own famous chef’s sauce that will be made available during the course of the year.
“We have also created a new menu that we will be launching soon, with new Mexican dishes and healthy meal options for people that don't have time to prepare their own and are on their health journey this year.
“As we look out to the horizon of 2023, our biggest triumph by the end of the year will be fully establishing and operating the pop-up restaurant with everything that we have set out for the year, creating employment opportunities for the youth and establishing Kitchen Brothers as a recognised brand in the culinary market in Mthatha where I was born.”
Q: What ingredient would you like to experiment more with this year?
A: “My ingredient of choice is basil. This ingredient is very underrated and is very delicious when combined well in recipes.”
Q: As a chef, what brings you the most joy and how are you going to do more of that?
A: “I get the most joy and fulfilment from seeing my customers enjoying and showing love and appreciation for the food I have prepared. Nothing beats customer satisfaction for me and that is why I love what I do.”
Q: If you could go back to last January, what suggestions would you give your past self?
A: “I would tell myself to always stay focused on my work, to not let anything stop me from experimenting and trying new things, to seek out opportunities extensively, and continue growing.
“Above all, the most important thing I would tell myself is to love myself more, not put too much pressure on myself, and fully embrace myself so that I can pour more out to others.”
Nadia Pillay, chef lecturer at Capsicum Culinary Studio, Nelson Mandela Bay
Q: What are your professional New Year’s resolutions?
A: “Experimenting with textures and understanding ingredients more; moving towards plant-based dishes and exposing people to understand the bigger picture of sustainable cooking and, most importantly, creating future chefs who think out of the box and who will make a difference in the culinary world.”
Q: What ingredient would you like to experiment more with this year? And why?
A: “Mushrooms are at the top of my list; I want to take this ingredient apart and see what I can do with it besides your usual risotto or pasta. There are so many different mushroom types and yet we tend to go with what we are familiar with, however, each mushroom has a different flavour base.”
Q: As a chef, what brings you the most joy and how are you going to do more of that?
A: “One thing that makes me the happiest is when I see my students excel while also listening to them when they discover a new ingredient or when they get excited about a practical class and discover what their vision is when it comes to plating food and presenting it.
“Encouraging that creativity and passion and then seeing them succeed is what brings me joy as knowing that the future generation of chefs will make a difference in the culinary world.”
Q: If you could go back to last January, what suggestions would you give your past self?
A: “’Just breathe … you love what you do’. Last year, I put a lot of pressure on myself as a chef and lecturer, but I know I am good at what I do and capable of teaching and inspiring my students to be the best versions of themselves.
“This culinary path that I am on chose me and I would not change it for anything.”
Tyrow Power, executive chef at The Cradle Boutique Hotel in the Cradle of Humankind
Q: What are your professional New Year’s resolutions?
A: “Every year I try to add to my culinary repertoire and acquire a new skill. This year I would like to learn more about food and beverage services and increase my knowledge outside of the kitchen.”
Q: What ingredient would you like to experiment more with this year? And why?
A: “I would like to experiment with more plant-based ingredients and more Asian-style dishes. The past few years have seen plant-based foods going mainstream and so chefs have had to adapt and create delicious gourmet meals using ingredients they may not have been familiar with a decade ago.”
Q: As a chef, what brings you the most joy and how are you going to do more of that?
A: “I love experimenting and creating new dishes for the restaurant’s menu. I also like going back and examining past dishes to see whether I can do them better. It’s all about growing and not resting on one’s laurels.”
Q: If you could go back to last January, what suggestions would you give your past self?
A: “The need to strike a more healthy balance between work and home life.”
Ompelege Moreosele, international award-winning recipe book author and founder of Food is Life
Q: What are your professional New Year’s resolutions?
A: “This year I would like to bake more. I just want to improve my baking skills because what I have realised is that I have been abandoning the pastry session mostly.
“I would like to also promote healthy living and eating, and at the end of the year, I would like to see myself launching a healthy, organic spice brand.”
Q: What ingredient would you like to experiment more with this year? And why?
A: “An ingredient that I would like to experiment more with is mopane. What I have realised is that most people do not know what mopane can actually do. For example, you can use them in baking, milkshakes, and salads.”
Q: As a chef, what brings you the most joy and how are you going to do more of that?
A: “The thing I love the most is developing new recipes, spending a lot of time in the kitchen, and training other people makes me happy.”
Q: If you could go back to last January, what suggestions would you give your past self?
A: “To focus and invest more in self-development.”