I’ve loved salad since I was a kid, writes Cape {town} Etc’s Robyn Simpson. And I still love salad, especially in this heat! I think I just admitted to still being a child. Nevertheless, I’m backing all the salad lovers!
Friends often joke about the health nuts going to restaurants and “ordering the salad.” I know this may shock a few, but many of us enjoy a delicious bowl of greens. A well-balanced, fresh salad is so underrated and underexposed. So, I’m here to share some of my favourite salads around the Mother City.
Here are 5 places to get a delicious salad in Cape Town:
1. Chardonnay Deli, Constantia
- Dish: the Health Salad
- Cost: R99 / R130
- Location: 87 Constantia Main Rd, Constantia, Cape Town
- Website: www.chardonnaydeli.co.za
This salad tastes like home. It’s packed with goodies that my mom or older sister would slice up to make a divine dish — with its own unique twist, of course.
Chardonnay Deli makes the best Health Salad on the block. The portions are beyond generous, so I guarantee you won’t be heading home hungry.
What I love about this salad is that the base is cabbage rather than the traditional lettuce. Crispy and delicious. It’s decorated generously with soft danish feta, creamy avo, sweet cinnamon butternut, beetroot, pickled onions, and olives for a salty pop. The best part is the addition of the toasted seeds and dried cranberries.
You have the option of adding succulent roast chicken, fresh smoked salmon, parma ham or perfectly spiced falafel balls. Scrap the feta and it’s vegan!
Chardonnay Deli has a sister café, Dalebrook Café, which also serves up this stunning salad. It’s located at 20 Main Rd, Kalk Bay, Cape Town.
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2. Gigi Rooftop Restaurant & Bar at the Gorgeous George Hotel
- Dish: the Caesar Salad
- Cost: R130 (sesame tofu salad)
- Location: 118 St Georges Mall, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town
- Website: www.gigirooftop.com
The classic Caesar salad from Gigi Rooftop opened my eyes to what a classic Caesar salad should be. This dish is all about the lettuce (yes, it makes a big difference). Crisp gem lettuce coated in a creamy blue cheese dressing has me salivating just thinking about it.
Generous shavings of parmesan cheese adds the perfect balance of decadence and sharpness to the plate, which sets off the acidity in the beautiful white anchovies — definitely the best part! Top it all of with a perfectly cooked hard-boiled egg and a glass of white wine and you’re set for a fabulous rooftop evening in town.
Gigi’s menu is constantly changing, so the Caesar isn’t available this month. But fingers and toes crossed that they make it a permanent resident on the menu. On offer at the moment is a sesame tofu salad with pickled beetroot, peanuts, and a ginger-soy dressing. Sounds delish!
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3. Yen’s Vietnamese Street Food, Sea Point
- Dish: the Noodle Salad
- Cost: R90
- Location: Haul Road, Granger Bay Blvd, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
- Website: yensvietnamesestreetfood
I’ve come to realise something about myself: I eat meals in seasons (that have nothing to do with the weather). I’ll taste something I love, and then eat it on repeat for weeks on end. Yen’s vegetable noodle salad had me travelling to the Oranjezicht Market every weekend for months. It’s that good!
“Umami” became somewhat of a trendy word in 2021. It’s used in relation to the one of the five basic tastes used in Japanese cooking (salt). Yen’s food is Vietnamese, but dang does it encapsulate the word.
The first time I ordered the dish I looked at my bowl and asked Yen, the chef, to add some soy sauce because it appeared to lack dressing. She asked me to trust her and just try it before getting fancy with the sauces.
My eyes almost popped out of my head because I have never experienced such depth of flavour. Sweet, salty, sour and a bit spicy with the addition of dried chilli — all to be lapped up with noodles, peanuts, and crunchy veg.
The best part of this salad is the dressing, but adding to the perfect heap is a hot, fresh veggie and tofu spring roll chopped up over the top of it all.
Yen and I know each other quite well, now.
You can top up your noodle salad with a veggie spring roll, prawns, beef, chicken or pork.
I’m thrilled to announce that Yen has also opened a restaurant, Yen’s Vietnamese Street Food. It’s located at Old CapeQuarter, 19 Dixon St, Green Point.
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4. JARRYDS Espresso Bar + Eatery
- Dish: the Superfood Salad
- Cost: R115
- Location: 90 Regent Rd, Sea Point, Cape Town
- Website: www.nonamehg.com/jarryds
Jarryd’s serves up a salad with substance. This wholesome bowl uses quinoa as a base, perfect for those in the mood for something light yet filling.
A superfood is defined as a food (such quinoa and avo) that is rich in compounds (such as antioxidants, fibre, or fatty acids).
Packed with avo, carrot, spinach, rocket, chimichurri quinoa, almonds, black sesame, parmesan and spring onion, this dish is a herbaceous delight.
The avo-parmesan combination is absolutely moreish, and if you’re looking for an extra protein kick, you can add chicken. Otherwise, keep it original and ditch the cheese for a vegan alternative.
I love to lash my superfood salad with a bit of balsamic vinegar. The perfect lunch after a mid-morning walk at the Pipe Track.
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5. Tashas, Constantia
- Dish: the Chicken Crunch Salad
- Cost: R112
- Location: 9 Spaanschemat River Rd, Constantia, Cape Town
- Website: www.tashascafe.com
I’ve yet to order something off the Tashas menu that doesn’t blow my mind with deliciousness. What I love about this eatery is the consideration of fresh and flavourful ingredients. I know that whenever I order a meal from Tashas, the best quality will be on my plate and it really makes all the difference.
That being said, the Chicken Crunch Salad is sublime. Grilled chicken, white cabbage, grilled corn, green beans, radish, parsley, almonds, lemon and tahini yoghurt.
Never under estimate the power of fresh herbs in a salad. The parsley in this number elevates the dish to a new level. As for the lemon and tahini yoghurt — can I get extra?
Tashas has multiple cafés. Find your nearest one here.
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Also read:
Cape Town’s reactions to the heat were just as hot as the temperature
Picture: Unsplash