Dine like Madiba: Culture and cuisine in the shoes of two great men

My family’s dining room table in our home in Jersey City is not only reserved for plates and utensils, but for my father’s copy of Long Walk to Freedom. For as long as I can remember, the historical text has had an assigned spot on the table right next to his laptop, his unofficial workspace. The 500-page book chronicles Nelson Manelda’s road to liberation before, during and post apartheid. The autobiography details his childhood until adulthood, with his continued fight for freedom. 

In November 2009, the United Nations recognised 18 July as Mandela Day, celebrating his life and legacy. Some people choose to observe the day by engaging in acts of service for 67 minutes. Across the street from my new internship at Market Photo Workshop, I watched community members pick up garbage to clean the premises. Dave Moletsane, digital communications officer of the Market Theatre, Aneesa Adams, social media and content manager, and Xoliswa Nduneni Ngema, CEO of the Joburg City Theatre could be seen walking around organising with a team as their commitment for Mandela day.

“We came out in large numbers to honor Tata and to work as a collective as a city and the Market Theatre as well,” said Ndudeni Negma. 

Though “Tata’s” (isiXhosa word for father) birthday was on Friday, it was also the birthday of an important man in my life, my father Roger Campbell. To pay homage to the humanitarian and create a memorable 60th birthday for my dad, we “Dined like Madiba” at Insights Restaurant inside Sanctuary Mandela on Sunday, the result of an invitation by their marketers to dine there and write about it for Daily Maverick.

Sanctuary Mandela opened in September 2021. Prior to the public reveal, the tranquil hotel was known as Mandela’s first home in Johannesburg after his prison release in 1990 until 1998. The now reimagined home is a curated room boutique owned by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, a nonprofit aiming to uplift humanity through social change that honours the life of Madiba through the preservation of furniture, photographs and even a curated menu. 

Inside the boutique-style hotel is Insights Restaurant — and the Dine like Madiba experience, an opportunity to reintroduce traditional South African cuisine to locals using native spices while also introducing the Xhosa culture to tourists through the recipes of Xoliswa Ndoyiya, Nelson Mandela’s cherished chef.

Upon arrival, my parents and I took pictures of the Sanctuary Mandela sign outside of the gated restaurant while waiting to be buzzed in. I looked over at my father, a history enthusiast and Mandela admirer, to see if he approved of his birthday surprise. Truth be told, he has experienced a few of the Mandela gems in South Africa such as his home on Vilakazi Street and even Nelson Mandela Square, but not Robben Island due to maintenance issues, so I was eager to see his reaction to the Madiba-inspired restaurant in his former home. What I was not expecting was the in-depth historical tour of the country’s beloved former president. 

After my parents and I entered the tranquil garden, including the pillars of Mandela’s values such as freedom and democracy, we walked up the steps of the boutique. Our host, Tshepo (meaning “hope” in Sesotho) Kunene greeted us. 

“Welcome home,” Tshepo said. 

On my first day in Johannesburg, I went on a tour of Soweto. Walking around Vilakazi Street is when I heard “Welcome home” for the first time since walking through customs in this country. How do I explain to people that a country that I have no residence in feels like home? You have to visit the country to experience the warmth for yourself. Hearing an unfamiliar voice warmly embrace me into their homeland was all of the comfort that I needed to feel as though I belonged, and that perhaps living in a new country for three months wouldn’t feel so foreign after all. I smiled and shook Tshepo’s hand. 

As I mentioned, I truly wasn’t expecting a tour of the premises. Instead, I was prepared to sit at a table for three with my parents and try the dishes the humanitarian once ordered. Guests at the hotel are not the only customers who have the opportunity to receive a tour of Mandela’s former home — diners also get a glimpse of the estate. 

After we were seated at our table, Tshepo asked if we were ready to begin our tour, and we surely were. The four of us walked back outside the boutique to start from the beginning. Reading the artefacts and scanning the photographs paled in comparison to Tshepo’s ability to articulate the culinary and living experience available at Sanctuary Mandela.

Each hanging painting tells a story about the significance of the room. The room called “Mr President” has a painting of Mandela greeting children, showing his love for young people. Beyond the paintings and photos, the boutique attempts to resemble the original structure of the house. The fireplace, foundation of the pool and the famous balcony of the house have been preserved to represent the essence of Mandela’s former residence. 

After the tour, your experience doesn’t have to end with the admiration of an artwork of Nelson Mandela made out of wood — at “Dine like Madiba”, expect a five-course meal filled with history, culture and good company. 

Sanctuary Mandela is also the home for black and locally owned wine brands, including Carmen Stevens, who is the first black female winemaker in South Africa, inspired by Mandela himself; she includes his quotes on the back of her bottles. Tshepo wiped a bottle of Stevens’ to show us — and behind the bottle was this quote: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”

At first, I was hesitant to ask for a glass of wine or recommend we also try the wine pairing since I’d be dining with my parents, but when my father, who seldom drinks, and in his words “only on special occasions”, asked for another glass of the Boschendal Vin D’Or Noble Late Forest, I knew he felt the same way that my mom Joryn and I did — can a glass of wine really be this sweet? Wine it is.

It was time to order our food after touring. On our tables were sealed white envelopes with the rusted-brown initials at the centre, SM, for Sanctuary Mandela. After opening the envelope, the five-course meal options were available as promised.

“Our menu is a historical ‘food-print’ of the modest tastes of Nelson Mandela, whose passion and integrity are reflected in the dishes that were inspired from Africa and beyond,” reads the menu. Recipes from the cookbook Made with Love, by his personal chef of 22 years, Xoliswa Ndoyiya, are also included in the menu selection. The cherished chef not only cooked for Mandela, but also his family. 

Our complimentary bite arrived first — homemade bread, which is freshly made every day, was placed on the table along with a mini board of three options for the spread — salt, black pepper and hemp butter. Although I am a pescatarian, I am quite the experimental person. I applied a thin layer of hemp butter on the bread and then sprinkled salt and black pepper before taking a bite into buttery and seasoned heaven. Let’s just say, my dad asked for more. 

Next was the appetiser: mushroom and samp arancini with aïoli base topped with rocket microherbs for the garnish, paired with Boschendal Brut. The garlic base and the egg-white batter used to cook the crispy appetiser allowed us to taste hints of lime juice with the sparkling wine. As someone who is not a fan of mushrooms, the appetiser had me second-guessing the judgement of my taste buds. 

Next, we were served the starters: Cape Malay-style fish, butternut and saffron soup, and seared ostrich (all including rocket for the garnish). I am not the only one with a dietary restriction, though my mom’s needs aren’t by preference — she is allergic to fresh fish.

She selected the butternut and saffron soup, which was paired with Carmen Stevens’ Chenin Blanc. Tshepo shared with us that butternut squash was Mandela’s last meal. Since my mom’s dish was a vegetarian option, I picked up my spoon to try it. The creaminess of the soup was met with the immediate sweetness on the toasted slice of bread. Before I got carried away, I put the spoon back on the table. 

No one ordered the seared ostrich, which was plated with chakalaka, charred onion and an onion purée, not for any particular reason but my guess is none of us had ever tried ostrich, leaving my dad and I with the Cape fish: the crispy top layer of the kinglip, paired with the pawpaw curried salsa, pumpkin seeds and shavings paired with a Paul Cluver Riesling. Tshepo was right, the hint of sugar from the wine soothed the slight spice.

Though I was craving more fish, I decided to switch up my order for my main course — buttery samp and mfino “risotto”, a dish inspired by Xhosa cuisine. The maize kernels, sliced carrots and creamy spinach topped with parmesan shavings with a Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay complemented the creamy dish while also cleansing my palate in time for the dessert.

My parents both ordered the fillet on the bone, which was crusted beef with pink peppercorn, garlic mashed potatoes, finely trimmed carrot shavings, creamy Béarnaise sauce and port jus, soy sauce topped with rocket and a glass of Cederberg Cabernet Sauvignon.

In case you were wondering, the other main dish that was tempting to order was the coconut and lime sea bass, which would have been paired with the Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay.

We all had a different dessert to satisfy our sweet tooths: my dad had the sticky toffee pudding, I ordered the poached pear and amasi ice cream or sour milk with homemade breadcrumbs for the base, and my mom had the creamy pear custard, almond and barozzi cake, which she took to go. 

Even with the hints of sourness, the breadcrumbs, and slight spice from the peach pudding, the Boschendal Vin D’Or Noble Late Forest makes you forget that you are eating fermented milk. 

Before we left the restaurant, in my father’s traditional fashion he asked to have his photo taken with the staff at Sanctuary Mandela. If you know my dad, you become his friend after one interaction — his kindness and personality draws people to him. The group of us posed for the photo, and you would think we were regulars.

From reliving history through a tour of Mandela’s previous residence to tasting the meals his chef would cook for him, Dine like Madiba at Insights Restaurant inside Sanctuary Mandela is a unique experience of Tata’s once-cherished cuisine and beloved home.

“The whole concept of their house is to give you the whole reflection of Tata’s love for having people around. Hence you say ‘Welcome home. You are more than welcome at home,’” said Tshepo with a bow, as we departed. DM

https://sanctuarymandela.com | info@sanctuarymandela.com