It’s always a treat to have South African food when far from home, and Chakalaka is surely the best place in London to find the favourites – and be spoilt for choice! The regular menu has boerewors, bobotie and oxtail potjie, the most delicious chargrilled beef, kudu or ostrich steaks as well as kingkip, tiger prawns and mussels and vegetarian delights such as half-baked butternut stuffed with feta and spinach and spinach and mushroom bake.

Mouthfuls of feta and roasted butternut salad, boerewors, pap and special chakalaka sauce and tiger prawns with avo and aubergine got the taste buds on full alert. Between three of us, we rotated our starters and shared in the flavours of a top quality kitchen! Chakalaka in Chiswick creates a killer piece of boerewors, made from the finest quality steak, the effect was a melt-in-the-mouth affair with this SA speciality which I had never much cared for. It beats all others hands down!

Always battling to choose only one main at Chakalaka, I opted for the two-in-one game duet on the specials board – uber tender kudu and ostrich on a mound of rough mashed sweet potato and topped with crispy roasted sweet potato strips. Mmm, divine! I also got to taste the springbok filo bake, topped with camembert and cranberry sauce! The springbok was rich and full of flavour and offset by a drizzle of pepper sauce, salty camembert and sweet splash of cranberry! I must also mention the mushroom sauce on the surf ‘n turf – wow, what a creamy, yet light creation!

The atmosphere is always delightful and the place was buzzing, surrounded by paintings and carvings from Africa and the subtle sounds of Brenda Fassie, Theuns Jordaan and of course, Johnny Clegg. But the desserts are when you feel truly South African, and saying no to homemade malva pudding, Amarula crème brulee, Dom Pedro or peppermint crisp tart is tough for even the fullest of tummies. We made space to sample the death-by-chocolate delectable brownies and the meltacious malva with cold butterscotch ice cream in contrast. We left smiling. Chakalaka, you are the ultimate cure for any homesick South African and the gateway to food heaven for non-South Africans alike!

Chakalaka Chiswick
1-4 Barley Mow Passage
Chiswick
W4 4PH
Tel: 0208 995 4725