Wednesday, July 21, 7:00 pm
Members $100, guests $125

It was just a few years ago, really, that edamame, sushi, lemongrass, ceviche, even pesto, were as exotic to us as the Man on the Moon. These days, though we’ve got the culinary globe at our fingertips, there is at least one nation whose complex, rich, and exceptionally delicious cuisine remains largely unexplored: South Africa. Even the terms are strange. Cast your eye to the right at the dishes these South African culinary ambassadors—Grant Cullingworth, Earl King, and Johannes Mokae—will be making when they visit the Beard House this month: bobotie, mossbolletjie brood, spanspek, amarula, Morogo, Koeksister, Mielie Pap Tert…Any idea what those are? Can you even pronounce them?

Fortunately, Grant Cullingworth of the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town has organized the trio to introduce us to South Africa’s “Rainbow Cuisine,” so called, we presume, because of the diverse influences of native Africans, Dutch, Javanese, Malay, French, and other European settlers. Cullingworth trained at Carlton Hotel in Johannesburg, where he rose through the ranks. He worked for a time at a prestigious catering firm, then traveled the world, seeking to imbue his cooking with international flair. In Australia, Cullingworth worked at Conrad Jupiter’s, and in England, at the 200-year-old Rules. Upon his return to South Africa, he held executive chef appointments at the Cape Grace Hotel and Beluga, earning a number of international awards. At the luxe, five-star Table Bay Hotel, he oversees the Condé Nast Traveler award-winning Atlantic Restaurant and the more intimate Conservatory restaurant.

Pastry chef Earl King is an indispensable member of Cullingworth’s team. After earning his diploma in catering management in Durban, King gained invaluable experience at the five star Royal Hotel in Durban and the Palace of the Lost City in Sun City. Lured by the beauty and creativity of Cape Town, he accepted a job at the Lord Charles Hotel. From there, it was a short, rewarding hop to Table Bay.

Rounding out the team is Johannes Mokae of the magnificent Palace of the Lost City at the Sun City Resort. Supposedly modeled on the royal residence of a lost ancient South African civilization, the Palace serves food fit for royalty, in no small part thanks to Mokae. Mokae’s strong culinary presence makes itself felt at the African-influenced international Crystal Room, the Tusk Bar, the Palace Pool Deck, and the Lost City Golf Course Restaurant. His training includes stints in the kitchens of Cape Town’s and Sun City’s finest luxury resorts, as well as nearly ten years at Italy’s world-renowned Villa d’Este in Como.