Reuben Riffel is South Africa’s favorite celebrity chef. He owns a number of restaurants, brings delight to TV screens all over the country and is a multi-award winning chef.
He’s couldn’t be less like many of the culinary divas that we see on the TV though. Reuben’s down-to-earth boy-next-door demeanor is part of his success, not to mention his knack for injecting new life into common South African dishes.
His food has been described as rustic, modern South African cuisine and his focus is firmly on using the local ingredients in all his creations. Reuben manages to create a sense of the familiar in his food, aiming to recreate the feel-good associations of home cooking in diners.
A Mother’s Influence
Reuben’s earliest influence in the kitchen was his mother, who worked at a local restaurant while he was growing up. While picking on leftovers from her place of work, he got his first taste of exotic ingredients and flavors that he could never hope to experience at home.
After he finished school, he joined his father in the construction industry, later taking a job as a waiter at Chamonix restaurant. One night he helped out in the kitchen and before long, he caught the attention of chef Christoph Dehosse, who took him under his wing. Reuben’s obvious talents soon earned him the title of Executive chef and a star was born.
He says that food was important while he was growing up, but it wasn’t as important as the relationship between the person cooking the food and the person eating the food. He’s never forgotten this basic premise even now that he runs some of the country’s most luxurious restaurants.
Thanks to this, he’s been able to bring new elements and tweaks to familiar foods, without losing the essence of where they came from.
A Passionate Relationship with Food
Dining at one of Reuben’s eateries is like enjoying the food grandma used to make, only better. Alongside these local treasures you’ll also find the opportunity to try a range of his totally new creations made from familiar ingredients.
Be sure to pop in to one of Reuben Riffel’s restaurants during your trip to South Africa. He has restaurants in Franschhoek, Sandton and the V&A Waterfront.
Get in touch to book your luxury Cape Town accommodation and start your culinary journey.
