Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River

Home cooked meal!

It felt like a family dinner! Shihamm and her partner made us feel so at home I wanted to kick off my shoes and stay! the food was wonderful and we learned so much about the spices that we used. the best part was all of us sitting down to a fantastic lunch. after lunch lunch we sat on the sofa and listened to stories of Cape Town.

via Viator

Outstanding Cultural and Culinary Experience! (Highly Recommend)

Our Cape Malay Cooking Experience with Shihaam and Janop was absolutely phenomenal and a highlight of our time in Cape Town. The experience started with a wonderful mini-tour of the vibrant Salt River neighborhood. Stopping by the local butcher and neighborhood grocery store to gather our fresh ingredients added such an authentic, local touch. Shihaam was incredibly patient and knowledgeable, answering all of our questions about the different spices and unique items we spotted on the shelves. Once we got to the kitchen, it was time to get busy! Cooking alongside Shihaam and Janop was both educational and incredibly fun. They are a true wealth of knowledge when it comes to the history and traditions of Cape Malay cuisine. As a huge bonus, Shihaam was exceptionally well-researched on adapting the traditional recipes to meet gluten-free dietary restrictions, making the entire meal seamless and stress-free for us. To top it all off, the final dishes were absolutely delicious. And to make the experience even better, they followed up by providing us with the recipes and a wonderfully curated list of books to read and places to visit across Cape Town to continue our cultural journey. If you are looking for an immersive, deeply authentic, and warm cultural cooking experience in Cape Town, do not hesitate to book with Shihaam and Janop!

Response from the operator: Shihaam and Aunty Janop were delighted to read this, thank you. The stops at the butcher and the grocer are where the class really begins, because the spices on those shelves carry the history of the Cape’s enslaved people from Southeast Asia and other parts of Africa, whose cooking shaped what we now call Cape Malay and Creole food. It’s lovely to hear your questions there led to such good conversations, and that adapting the recipes to your dietary needs made the meal easy to enjoy. These dishes have always been passed on by cooking side by side, so we’re glad you left with the recipes and the reading list for the rest of your journey. We’d love to welcome you back to Salt River one day. Dennis

via Tripadvisor

Authentic CapeTown highlight

It would be hard in a review to convey what a wonderful day I had with Shihaam and Janop at the Cape Malay cooking class. Actually to call it A cooking class is a bit of an understatement. This is definitely a cultural immersion. I was looking for a more authentic experience to add to my first trip to Cape Town and I certainly chose the right one. Shihaam was waiting for me at the old biscuit Mill where we took a stroll met some of the vendors, visited a vintage shop and basically learned the history of this interesting neighborhood as we walked back to the home. Learned about spices and technique, made the most tasty three course lunch. most rewarding was spending the day with Shihaam and her assistant Janop. They shared their heart, their food and their culture, it was definitely a highlight of my trip.

Response from the operator: You’re right that “cooking class” doesn’t quite cover it. From the vendors and the vintage shop on the walk from the Old Biscuit Mill to the lunch at Aunty Janop’s home, the day is really about Salt River and the people who’ve made it what it is. Shihaam and Aunty Janop will be touched to hear that what they shared with you stayed with you, and I’m so glad it became a highlight of your first visit to Cape Town. Dennis

via Tripadvisor

Not to be missed!

This was a wonderful day. We know how to cook but going through the steps of making a Cape Creole curry, folding the samoosas and rolling out the rotis was great fun, and the food was all delicious. The best part was the time spent with Shihaam and Janie. They were warm and generous ,and hearing about their lives and the history of the neighborhood was incredibly informative and moving. We can’t recommend this experience enough for everyone, tourists new to Cape Town as well as Capetonians who have grown up here. An experience not to be missed.

Response from the operator: It’s always a pleasure to cook with people who already know their way around a kitchen, and folding samoosas is one of those skills that only comes with practice! Shihaam and Aunty Janop will be glad to hear how much the conversation meant to you, because their own stories are as much a part of the day as the Cape Creole curry. Thank you for recommending it to Capetonians too, as some of our favourite guests have been locals seeing their own city from a new angle. We’d love to welcome you back to Salt River. Dennis

via Tripadvisor

Vibrant and legit food experience

Our day qas perfect with the two hosts!!! The experience was supposed to end at 3pm, but at 4:30 we were still there talking and sharing stories and food recipes!! We learn how to fold samosa, how to appreciate different ingredients and my fav, the roti! Not a tourist trap at all

Response from the operator: An afternoon that runs this happily over time is a lovely thing to read about! We always move at our guests’ pace, so when the conversation is this good and everyone’s happy to stay, Shihaam and Aunty Janop are glad to keep the stories and the food coming. I’m so glad the roti won your heart, and I hope you’ve had a chance to roll a few more at home since. Thank you for spending such a generous afternoon with us. Dennis

via Tripadvisor