It’s the first week of February and the last day of planning my food adventure weekend.In my mind was how to get a multi-cuisine restaurant or an eatery for that matter.As A daring chef my focus was clear. To experiment any cuisine with the chef in charge of the organization for one day!!
A Wednesday morning I took what I needed for my busy day. Off I go! Before I realized, am by farmers market. I admit my obscession with food and I can’t resist trying new food. Food travel is my next big thing and do wish I would do more of it.
As the world tourism says”Food tourism is the act of travelling for a taste of place in order to get a sense of the place”. New food experiences enrich any travel experience.Trying unique dishes creates memories that live with you forever.
Now, in the farmers market,I looked around and saw some fascinating fresh food stuffs and ingredients which booged my mind even more.But surprisingly I couldn’t pick any due to the fact that I did not know where my days kitchen raid would be..
Off I left the market headed south. A10km drive along the beach line I saw a big signage with inviting food pictures and taglines.Guided by my instincts i headed straight to the signage which landed me to the Big kitchen eatery. As the name suggests it’s really a big kitchen by looking at it’s huge outdoor set up.
At the entrance the security asked me to open my bag which had all manners of cooking parafenalia.As i was slowly following the orders,I saw a man on a chefs jacket (no doubt that was the chef)My guess was as good as yours.He was the chef owner of the kitchen.
Chef!I yelled. Before the security man realized i had already started introducing myself to the Chef.I felt embarrassed but nothing could stop me anyway. We shared a conversation and he allowed me to work alongside him this day.
Chefs speak global language,I wore my chefs jacket and the days journey began. As they say “if the cheese smells like dirty feet,it will taste like heaven.
Ricky Mustafa the owner of the Big Kitchen and Oyster Bar in downtown southcoast beach is a well accomplished chef.As we wait for the supplies at the bar, I take in the gleaming open kitchen that overlooks the comfortable, cozy dining room, comprising a mix of tables and a banquette along one wall. The plush chairs are covered in soft velvet. Each table is topped with a vase of pastel-colored roses. Black and white wallpaper hung over the kitchen defines “Big” and “culture” – the name Ricky pays homage to
I’m holding my horses when Ricky abraptlly ask me. “You hungry?” he asks, and though I was not, he convinces me to try some pork plate and rice. “It’s my favorite dish,”he says. “I’m about to eat some, too.”It was a nice sweet and savoury dishes which he called it Vietnamese.
In the kitchen several minutes later, we embarked on the day with some more food on the production line.For chef Ricky Lunch service was measured with precision.One after the other plate was moving out.
“They say if you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,”he says. “If that’s true, I stopped working about 15 years ago.”
He loves food, Like me he never dreamed that one day he’d make a living out of his love for cooking.We pulled more plates on the local Swahili cuisine too.
I guess at this point I just kind of becoming obsessed.I was finding my place in this kitchen.
“It’s all about quality,”he says.Two hundred covers showed up. “You came here with a blessing” He says wiping off his sweat.
Mzedu Kitchen 