The chef is seemingly as timid as his epicurean amalgamations are brave so I can tell you very little about him or his food philosophy other than that his first name is Samson, he comes from Benin and that everything coming out of his kitchen has been certified by the Beth Din. The Beth Din bit is confirmed by several framed certificates on the walls of the eatery but no additional information as to chef’s surname or personal history was forthcoming despite my considerable cajoling.

The venue is small and the décor is unremarkable. Beige stonewall cladding and Formica tables are joined by a glass-fronted display cabinet containing a creditable selection of well-priced, French, Italian, Israeli, New Zealand and South African Kosher wines. The wines are stored unnervingly close to the falafel frying station which may expose them to more than optimum heat.

The unassuming exterior of Chanah’s. Photo: Anna Trapido

The starter and main course sections of the menu include both modern Israeli/Arab street food (think falafel, hummus, pita, tahini etc.) and also West African culinary classics (think jollof, okra, pili pili etc.). Nothing costs more than R150. This variation on the (Middle) East meets West (Africa) motif is uncommon but it can be executed with ease.

There is almost no pork in West African cuisine and Kosher meat cuts/processing are well suited to the long, slow braising that is the commonest cooking method. Spicy, fried bean cakes similar to falafel (eg. Beninois Akkara funfun and Nigerian Akara) are found in street food across West Africa. Recipe modifications are not needed for most food to adhere to the prohibition on simultaneous meat and milk consumption because there is almost no dairy in West African cooking. Cows don’t cope well with tsetse flies so palm oil, coconut milk and nut pastes are generally used in situations where European chefs favour butter, milk and cream.

The West African fondness for dried shrimp powder and crabs has the potential to upset the apple cart but the waiters at Chanah’s Deli confirmed that Benin’s national dish, Man-Tindjan, which traditionally contains the aforementioned prohibited crustaceans, has been modified to suit the Kosher context.

The falafel. Photo: Anna Trapido

My son and I shared a very pleasant starter portion of falafel which were correctly crunchy on the outside, fluffy and herby within. I followed this with beef braised in a spicy peanut sauce. It came with what was listed on the menu as “brown pap” but turned out to be millet cooked into a risotto-like consistency. The brown pap was topped with a ladle of gombo (okra). Okra can be disconcerting for those unused to its texture but this was accessibly on the right side of the slippy: slimy: snotty culinary continuum. My son’s jollof rice was deliciously stewed in tomato broth with a hint of chilli, cumin and ginger.

The dessert section of the menu – which is made up of modified Francophone classics such as crème brûlée and confectioner’s custard-filled fruit tarts – was much less to my taste. Soy-based faux dairy “creams” are never as nice as the real thing but they are often used by Kosher restaurants in order to stay within Talmudic regulations. I skipped dessert and subsequently went next door to Shula’s bakery to satisfied my sweet tooth with a chunk of streusel-topped chocolate babka. Perhaps I was wrong – the little boy at the table next to mine seemed perfectly content eating his non-dairy ice “cream”.

Fairmount and neighbouring Orange Grove have historically had a large Orthodox, predominantly Ashkenazi Jewish community but there is now also a substantial population of people with West African origins in the area. Much is made of the times when diversity causes conflict.

Without wishing to be too kumbaya, Chanah’s Deli seems to be an example of unselfconscious, respectful and mutually advantageous sharing of space. During a lunchtime visit my fellow diners included women wearing Little House on the Prairie-style pinafores and “sheitel” wigs and men with tzitzit strings hanging out from under their shirts but also French-speaking West African men in Boubou robes.

Neighbourhood character around Chanah’s and Shula’s, where yarmulke-clad little boys with ringletty sidelocks tucked into hearty portions of modified Man-Tindjan while West Africans shared shwarma and big bowls of hummus. Photo: Anna Trapido

Ordering did not seem to be determined by heritage. Yarmulke-clad little boys with ringletty sidelocks tucked into hearty portions of modified Man-Tindjan while West Africans shared shwarma and big bowls of hummus. Everyone dipped crisp, salt-slaked chips into roasted pepper, tomato, garlic and chilli matbukha relish. Only I was surprised. Everyone else was busy having lunch and living their lives in the glorious social jumble that is Johannesburg. DM

Chanah’s Deli and Shwarma Bar, Fairmount Centre, Bradfield Drive, Fairmount. 011 057 7709. Open Sunday – Thursday 10am – 9pm except Friday 10am – 3pm. Closed on Saturdays.