Kindered Kitchen Restaurant Review: Refreshing and creative flavours

It's always great to try a new novelty restaurant, especially when at the heart of the city.

Inside Kindered Kitchen restaurant. [Image by Esihle Faltein]

By Esihle Faltein

I recently came across this restaurant, and I was pleasantly surprised, even more so when I found out it’s the first plant-based restaurant to open in Gqeberha. Situated in the vibrant and artistic Richmond Hill, among various other eateries, bars, and boutique stores, Kindered Kitchen offers something unique and special.

Since opening its doors, Kindered Kitchen has made remarkable triumphs in the hospitality industry over the past few years. Kindered Kitchen won the Faithful to Nature Eco award. Kindered Kitchen has also featured in numerous publications such as Food, Taste Magazine, Home Magazine, Top 500 Restaurants in South Africa, and The Herald Newspaper.

When making your way to the entrance, you cannot help but notice all the greenery on the patio through the glass balcony and the bold logo and sign “Kindered Kitchen" the greets you in.

On our way inside, we met our waiter, who was very friendly and accommodating. Our waiter led us to our table outside, where we enjoyed the warm sun and serene view. After ordering our hot beverages, we soon went in as it started to become quite windy on the balcony. When walking inside, I felt a very cosy feeling. The coastal interior design style added much personality to the space and the soft lo-fi music that filled the background. As I scanned the room with my eyes, I saw a comfortable children’s area. A children’s corner is not something I expected to see, but I was happy I saw that it had insightful books and artistic play items.

Inside Kindered Kitchen [Image by Esihle Faltein]

For as long as I have been a vegetarian, I have only come across very few places that cater well for my pallet, neverminded an entirely plant-based restaurant. When I received the menu, I was very excited as I couldn't wait to try out the Creamy Coconut Korma - a mild curry served with black rice, a poppadum and topped with toasted coconut and almonds. At first glance, I thought it was quite a large serving and a visually appealing display. When I tried the food, I could instantly taste the creaminess of the curry, along with the tasty mushrooms. I am a big fan of spicy food, and when having the curry, I was expecting at least a tincture of heat, but to my disappointment, it was very mild for my taste buds. However, my friend who's not vegetarian had a Burrito that consisted of black rice, corn, peppers, smoky black beans, sweet potato, tomato salsa, and topped with vegan cashew cream, spiced tomato sauce, guacamole, and salsa. When I asked her how it tasted, to her amazement it was "flavoursome and filling," she said. "I wouldn't mind coming back," she added. It seems like I might have convinced my meat-lover into conscious eating.

There is a wide variety of nutritious plant-based meals on their enticing menu. So you should take your time when going through the entire menu! With breakfast, lunch, and an equally enticing beverage menu, you are sure to find one or two things you would like to try. Their beverage menu also includes Ginger shots, Activated Charcoal shots, and a Turmeric Cayenne and Lemon shot that boosts your immune system. Something to note if you are vegan is that their drinks are not entirely vegan as they contain honey. And you also have the choice of choosing between almond, soya, or ordinary cow's milk with each beverage.

When I ordered my Chai tea, I chose to have it with cow's milk. The waiter then informed me that its made from "scratch" and would be very strong. I had one sip, and let me tell you - it was the spiciest Chai I've ever had. It wasn't all too bad, but if I knew it would be as spicy as it was, I would have ordered something else. However the Raw Cacao hot chocolate made with almond milk was delicious and excellent for cold Winter’s Day.

As more people are becoming conscious eaters, the idea of opening a plant-based restaurant is a golden opportunity within the hospitality industry of Gqberha. While taking on the challenge that's opening a highly specialised restaurant, Kindered Kitchen has been able to cultivate a growing audience and a divine menu. With their profound philosophy that acknowledges the interrelation of food, life and how we choose to live in the world, Kindered Kitchen makes us aware of our footprint on this earth. With that said, I would highly recommend coming to the restaurant, even to those who are not conscious eaters. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to try something new!

Album Review: Inganekwane by Zoë Modiga

Despite the challenges that came with the year 2020, it was the music that brought us ease.

Album cover of Zoë Modiga's Inganekwane. [Image via Sportify]

By Esihle Faltein

On the 26th of June 2020, Zoë Modiga released her sophomore album for all to stream online. The name Inganekwane translates to the Zulu word, a fairy tale which is quite fitting as the songs unfolds much like chapters in a story book, as it begins with Kwasukasukela and ends with Cos Cos Yaphela.

Modiga makes the kind of music that you want to hear when you are in your quiet space when all has been said and done for the day. Drawing elements of African storytelling, sounds of soulful jazz and a bit of Motown, the well-acclaimed artist eloquently tells her story through her sound. In the album Inganekwane, Mogida takes us on a spiritual journey of healing encouraging, us to do the work and let go. With all the chaos happening around the world, this album could not have arrived at a better.

What you repeatedly tell yourself, you eventually come to believe. Lengoma, featuring Tubatsi Mpho Moloi, is a simple yet powerful song that transcends this idea. The repetition and chant-like sounds draw the listener into a celebratory mood that affirms and brings healing.

Right after this is the song Umdali, which speaks about the pursuit of reaching our dreams. Umdali refers to a higher being who has tasked of us with the responsibility of following our life purpose. At some point of the song, there is an out-of-body experience one goes through where her voice carries you through the higher beings consciousness.

Following this song is the much affirming Intsha. With a resounding YES, the song services as a remSinenkaniinder to take on head on what is ours. Intsha begins with a beautiful melody that builds towards a powerful timbre. Mogida transfers this energy into Intsha's reprise, Sinenkani as it softens the timbre and makes headroom for a cathartic experience.

Uthando sounds much like the name itself- love, as it explores a selfless love, as it sets the tone for the next song to come to Tata. Tata depicts a fragmented love of a father and a daughter with no lyrics the words expressed are much found in the melody. The theme of healing throughout the album is much embedded in this song.

Black Butterfly speaks about the idea of soaring high. From the message received in Umdali, Black Butterfly encourages a need for action, to exceed expectations and aim high. The song brings out a gentle and angelic emotion, which could be similar to the one of being up in the clouds. Cautioning us to become self-aware is Unembeza, reminding us to take care of our conscious mind. Isegazini moves us into the awakening of the story. The song explores the concept of having a purpose.

There is no doubt that Modiga has not evoked an awakening story in her listeners. As the mood changes from song to song, so do the emotions of the listener. The themes of love, the possibility of flight and finding purpose, all contribute to the overriding them of restoration. With this marvel of work, Mogida opens us to the idea of putting our trust in healing.

Kwande Craft Gin: A gin that is far from ordinary

Black-owned London Style Gin makes its first debut at the 2021 Thirsty Traveler Annual Spirit Tasting.

Kwande Craft Gin Range. [Image via Kwandecraftgin Instagram page]

By Esihle Faltein

When I first heard about Kwande Craft Gin, it was in a conversation over a chill glass of wine. What came out from this conversation was not how great the gin tastes, (besides it was not yet out for sale at that time) but how incredible the story behind the making of this new gin was. Amazed and inspired by what my friend had to say about this gin, I knew I had to have a conversation with the man who created it himself. Lunga Tukani is one person who has a schedule that keeps him busy. In my attempts to get in touch with him, I anticipated many delays along the way. But to my surprise, he was more than willing to hear what I had to say. When I finally had a conversation with Lunga, the first thing I wanted to know was where the name Kwande came from.

When giving something a name, it is usually an intentional and purposeful act. The word "Kwande" is an isiXhosa verb that means "to expand" or "to grow". The word Kwande can also describe something that bears abundance, particularly when it comes to giving birth. I asked Lunga what were his intentions when naming his gin "Kwande"? He responded by saying, "Kwande Craft Gin is a seed conceptualized pre-COVID (March 2019), during a school trip to Mexico”. “It was inspired by Huichol (indigenous people of Mexico),” he added. “The symbol of the brand is common to both Xhosa and Huichol people,” he said. “Although the concept was born pre-COVID, it was during the hard lockdowns that it was born,” said Lunga. “Besides the virus scare, COVID could also be likened to the times of famine in the book of Genesis,” Lunga uses this biblical reference to give an understanding of how the name Kwande came from a prayer.

"In biblical times, people had a choice of movement illustrated by Abraham moving to Egypt, Isaac to the land of the Philistines and Jacob to Egypt with his family," Lunga makes a comparison between the famine and COVID-19. "All these moves were driven by famine," he said. "Sadly, with COVID-19, we did not have the choice of movement; hopelessly watching the economies shrink and only hearing of death and rising numbers in the media," he continued. "Kwande, as you say, means to expand or grow," defined Lunga. "It was in the context of these difficult times that my prayer was that may our economy expand, not lose hope so we may rise again," said Lunga. "My prayer is that we may grow and life returns and supersede even the high unemployment rates we were used to," he concluded.

Gin is more than just a juniper-flavoured alcoholic beverage infused or distilled with botanicals. This spirit has a rich and fascinating cultural background and has changed its character significantly over the centuries. Initially, its uses were for medical treatment only. And as it rose to popularity, the spirit became a part of contemporary drinking culture. When I asked Lunga why he decided to make gin, he replied and said, "Spirits (white and red) are used in most cultural activities as a connection to the ancestors". "The white spirit is ordinarily seen as an offering to the motherly ancestors, while the red to men," he said. "This was the reason we decided to make spirits," he added. "We started with gin, as indicated with the link to mothers and every human being on earth; their first home is a mother's womb," he continued. "Watch as the story unfolds, and see our offering grow too," said Lunga.

The process of making gin is dependent on what type of gin you are making. There are two kinds, distilled gin and redistilled gin. Redistilled gin is a fermented or mashed alcohol base. While distilled is lower-ABV fermented alcohol, extracted from grains, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets and cane. When adding flavour, the juniper and botanical ingredients are infused or boiled into the spirit, using one of two methods. “What type of gin is the Kwande Craft Gin?" I asked. "It's a Distilled gin," Lunga replied. "Various botanicals are added after the distillation, which are all-natural botanicals. We have three product offerings as yet, all with different characters," he added.

Kwande Craft Gin distillery is at the Brickmakers Distilling Company on Brickmakers Kloof Road in Gqeberha. In a recent interview with the Thirsty Traveler, Master Distiller Eugene Coetzee spoke about the ingredients used in the making of Kwande Craft Gin. "The base spirit is distilled from molasses as this is my specialty," said Eugene. "And in addition to the juniper, I have added Coriander and Angelica and Liquorice root to add a few more subtle flavours," he described. Kwande Craft Gin has a range of gins. There is the classic, witty and rooibos. I asked Lunga why he decided to have the different flavoured gins. "People are not the same, and also change over time. With the change, preferences also change. It is on this understanding that we would not make one product for all," said Lunga.

The packaging of the Kwande Craft Gin range is appealing and quite enticing. I asked Lunga how he would describe the taste of his gin to someone who has never had it. "Over time, we have offered one variant to different people and they have all had different descriptions of the product(s). To answer this question, I would rather challenge each person to try our gin by arranging a tasting session at a nominal fee," he answered. "To do so, you can contact us on our website. Alternatively, you can purchase on the website and have the tasting at the comfort of your home. We deliver across South Africa,” said Lunga.

Not everyone drinks alcohol and for various reasons but, some would still like to have a taste. I remember exploring different kinds of non-alcoholic beverages and found that there isn't a wide selection to choose from. I asked Lunga, "Do you plan on having a non-alcoholic gin in the future?'' "We cannot rule that out", he responded. "Those who identify with the brand and would like to be involved but don't drink," he continued. "They can make enquiries on the website on purchasing merchandise," he added. "To know if you identify with the brand, I challenge you to read the Kwande story on our website," he said.

For every occasion, there is a Kwande Craft Gin. I asked Lunga how we could best enjoy the Kwande Craft Gin range. "The Rooibos variant – with ice or as some would say "on the rocks," he suggested. "I have recently had customers who say they enjoy it with ginger ale too," he continued. "The Classic variant- Ice, Tonic water and add grapefruit as a garnish," he added. "Some customers have enjoyed it with blue tonic and grapefruit tonic, thus removing the garnish in that instance," said Lunga. And the final gin from the range, "The Witty- Rosemary herb as a garnish, Ice and Tonic water," he said. "Once you purchase the bottle, you can enjoy it in any way that satisfies your pallet," he added. "Just let us know, however on our social media pages, we really would like to know how you found the product to be," said Lunga.

Kwande Craft Gin Range [Image via Kwandecraftgin Instagram page]

To purchase your own Kwande Craft Gin visit the website https://kwandecraftgin.co.za/