Africola, Adelaide: Don't Worry It's Only A Dream

Africola is an institution and a must visit when in Adelaide. This South African restaurant was an instant hit when it first opened in 2014 and remains popular even 10 years later. So what is it like and what are the must orders when you visit Africola?

"Hello my dear!"

Every person that brings me food at Africola looks excited. As if they know what sort of journey my taste buds are going to be on. The restaurant in East Terrace of Adelaide had been on my "must try" list for years and finally, finally, I am booked in for dinner on Saturday night during my visit to South Australia.

The restaurant turns over around 8pm so at 8.15 there’s a queue outside. Things are busy inside and I take a peek while waiting for my table. The restaurant is a pastiche of styles: zebra print, jungle animal figurines, turquoise and an illuminated sign that reads, "Africola don’t worry it’s only a dream," beams down on the restaurant. The owner and chef at Africola is South African born Duncan Welgemoed who grew up in Johannesburg and was trained in the UK and France.

I’m dining here by myself this evening so I take a seat at the bar. There's a menu at the table with food and drinks. I bypass the Mpumalunga-rita, Oaxacan Sniffle Snuffer, Afrotini and Shark Bait Hoo Ha Ha as I've had a busy day wine tasting in McLaren Vale. Instead I opt for a non alcoholic Spicy Paloma, a deeply throaty and spicy version of one of my favourite cocktails made with fire agave, lime and grapefruit.

Many restaurants in Adelaide seem to have feed me options and at Africola that’s the only option. The chef picks or the staff pick (with feedback from you) for $85 a person. They call it a 3 course meal where they will pick 3 items but then a whole lot of other plates will arrive too. I only have one request: the chicken skin sandwich but I'm happy to be guided for the rest. The top three dishes are the Goolwa Pippies, Peri Peri Chicken and Chicken Skin Sandwich but as I've already tried the Peri Peri chicken at the Tasting Australia food festival they choose the pork instead for me. Vegans and vegetarians are also well catered for with plenty of options.

The food comes out very quickly and it's brought with enthusiasm. The crispy chicken skin does not disappoint at all. It is crust-less white bread filled with paper thin and glass-like crisp chicken skin with a pot of Peri Peri chicken pan drippings yet it is so much more than it sounds. I take a sip of the drippings and there's so much flavour there that I can see why they would make a dish so as not to waste all of the goodness.

Another plate arrives and it's a perfectly sized portion of kingfish sashimi with mustard seeds, celery and green chilli that keeps things beautifully spicy. I'm not even a huge fan of celery but I would eat a whole plate of this and I'm delighted that they just don't hold back on the chilli spice.

Another of the signature dishes is the Goolwa pipis and I'm thrilled to see these coming towards me. The pipis are cooked in a sauce made from fermented chilli, soy, garlic, ginger and butter and paired with al dente mafaldine pasta and Tuscan kale. Get some of that bread to mop up that sauce and suck on those shells to get every drop of that sauce out. This dish is bold and beautiful and deserving of its signature status.

The poached veal is a lovely take on vitello tonnato with anchovy mayonnaise, oregano and capers. It also provides a mild juxtaposition from the boldly spicy flavours of the other dishes. To mop it up is a fat, soft slice of freshly baked house focaccia bread.

Mains arrive around 30 minutes later. The pork belly is four thick slices of confit pork belly with sauce Robert (brown sauce from demi glace made with onions and wine). Don’t forget the endive with its sweet dressing that goes perfectly with the meltingly soft pork.

On the side is a wedge of wood fired pumpkin with candied walnuts, tahini and mallee honey which is nice but it is now that I have to confess that I peaked early on the first course not really expecting the generosity of size of the servings and the bewitching flavours that made everything un-put-downable.

There is no room for anything including the yellow curry potato with pickled bitter melon. Normally I wouldn't have chosen this because I'm not the biggest fan of bitter melon but I didn't look closely enough at the menu to ask that I not be given it.

The staff kindly offer to pack everything up for me and seeing a late rise the next day and no breakfast, I happily accept their offer. A brown lunch bag is handed over to me and I know that "future me" will be ever so happy.

But there’s always room for dessert. Tonight there are two choices: a lemon creme with fruit or a tahini ice cream with black sesame praline. At their suggestion I go for the latter and am rewarded with two scoops of creamy tahini ice cream with a fine and crunchy dusting of black sesame praline.

It's time to go but I have my trusty brown paper bag for the best leftover meal the next morning. Or at midnight in my hotel room.

So tell me Dear Reader, do you often take away your leftovers when you're travelling? What restaurants are on your "must visit" list?

NQN dined as a guest of the SATC but all opinions remain her own.

Africola

4 East Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000

Lunch Friday & Saturday 12-2pm

Dinner Monday to Saturday 6pm til late

Closed Sundays

https://www.africola.com.au/