Words: Kit Heathcock | Image: Nailya Bikmurzina & Natasha Lassen
Since she won MasterChef South Africa in 2013, Kamini Pather has lived her dream of working with food: writing, developing recipes and doing some pretty fabulous travelling for her TV show, Girl Eat World. Her blog is called Kamini Like Harmony, the name giving a clue as to how her name is pronounced. When she’s not on a plane to foreign foodie hot spots, her home is in Green Point, where she’s lived since 2011 and which also has plenty of food highlights to discover.
Home sweet home
“Green Point is the perfect area to live if you want to be close enough to the city as well as the sea. It’s central and convenient,” Kamini says. She moved back after living in Joburg for a year.
“I lived in such an exquisite building at the Refinery there, which is an old factory – modern and industrial. It’s beautiful, but Joburg is not a walking city, and, for me, that’s the major advantage of living in Cape Town, specifically Green Point. There’s a big part of me that would like to have a garden and get a dog and all that jazz, which would mean moving out of Green Point, but it’s actually so convenient here.”
Some of her favourite things to do include walking to Granger Bay for the Oranjezicht City Farm Market on a Saturday morning and strolling back home with farm fresh veggies and supplies, running through the Green Point Urban Park – with a pitstop at the duck pond – and doing hill sprints up Glengarri Road.
“The Cape Town Stadium has added a whole new energy to the area,” Kamini says, “especially on days when there are events there. Somerset Road is closed o for pedestrians, which makes for a lively atmosphere.”
Neighbourhood gems
Walking everywhere gives Kamini easy access to De Waterkant, the Bo Kaap and the CBD. Her pick of things to experience as a local include picking up a pair of Mami Wata board shorts in the Bo Kaap, playing Bitchy Bingo at Beefcakes led by one of the venue’s infamous drag artists, eating Gorgonzola gnocchi at True Italic and having breakfast at Hemelhuijs. “The freshly baked mosbolletjies and pressed juices are not to be missed, as well as the beautiful crockery.”
Whether you’re a visitor or a local, Kamini suggests that you do a food tour in the Bo Kaap. “You get to have a cooking lesson from one of the ladies who have lived in the area for generations. There’s a walking tour of the old slave quarters and a stop at Atlas Trading; while it’s a tourist attraction, it’s still worth it. The shop is brimful of aromatics and infusions for any type of spice food.”
Perfect Sunday
Kamini crams a lot of delicious moments into a perfect Sunday. “I would start with a morning run down the promenade or up toward New Church Street, followed by a walk to the Loading Bay for a gold juice (pineapple, apple and mint) and the oyster mushroom ragout with sourdough croutons. There’s also Sunday morning yoga at YogaLife or Unraveled Yoga. Then I’d take a stroll to Giovanni’s and pick up some picnic treats – a loaf of Woodstock Bakery’s sourdough with some charcuterie, cheese, pickled artichokes and other delicious dishes – then a skip to the Green Point Park. The ducks will happily accept any extra bread. Then it would be a late afternoon bunny chow at The Village Idiot or pizza at Hail Pizza and sundowners at The Vue – it has the most spectacular view of the city, and during the summer months, the skyline is blushing and bright.”
“I love that I can walk almost everywhere from Green Point. I enjoy being able to navigate my city on foot – the feeling of being in touch with life at street level makes me feel like I’m part of the place.”
Kamini Pather
About Kamini Pather
After a lifelong obsession with food, Kamini won MasterChef South Africa in 2013. She was the host of a food travel show, Girl Eat World, and can usually be found at local eateries and other places with beautiful produce. kaminilikeharmony.com
Eat:
- Izakaya Matsuri: for delicious sushi
- Jason Bakery: for amazing breads and pastries
- Shio: for Asian-inspired tapas
- Loading Bay: for juices, almond milk chai lattes and light meals
- El Burro Green Point: for imaginative Mexican cuisine
Do:
- Listen to jazz music on Thursday nights at the Piano Bar.
- Do a cookery course and lunch with Marlene Van De Westhuizen.
- Visit Oranjezicht City Farm Market at Granger Bay on Saturdays.
- Enjoy picnics, exercise and feeding the ducks in Green Point Urban Park.
- Play Bitchy Bingo at Beefcakes on Tuesday nights.
