TheMarabi
breadcourseTABLE TALK34 TASTE MARCH 2020SPOTLIGHT ON
The Marabi Club
Joburg’s coolest underground club has been ringing the changes over the past year. We caught up with
head chef Katlego Mlambo – recent winner of the Eat Out Nederburg Rising Star award – to find out moreI
t’s been just on a year since Katlego
Mlambo left Cape Town to take over
from Vusi Ndlovu as head chef of The
Marabi Club in Joburg. Armed with endless
ideas and fresh inspiration, he jumped into
the job ready to shake things up and take
the restaurant – loved by Joburgers for
its superb food and live music – to even
greater heights.
Katlego’s inaugural year, while rewarding,
hasn’t been without its challenges. “It’s
difficult stepping in as a head chef,” he says,
“You’ve got different rules, new standards
and it can take some people a little while
to get onboard.” Tough times, however,
result in tough people and he says that
a little patience paid off. “I’ve got people
here I would go to war for; we’ve all
become like family.”
Now settled, and backed up by a
powerhouse team who share his passion
and vision, the chef is on a roll. “I’m loving
every minute of it. I truly believe that no
one else is doing what we’re doing here,
and that’s exciting.”
Originally from Joburg, Katlego spent
most of his formative years in Cape Town
where he studied and worked at some of
the country’s best restaurants, including as
executive sous chef at Luke Dale Roberts’
The Shortmarket Club and The Commissary.
But he says he’s happy to finally be back home,
surrounded by his people. Johannesburg’s
bustling energy is the perfect match for
this renegade, and he’s already established
himself as a game-changer.
“There’s a different mentality in Joburg
compared to Cape Town,” he says, in
the sense that diners are used to bigger
portions. “But I’ve stuck to my guns and
people seem to be enjoying what we’re
doing because the food speaks for itself.”
What a dish lacks in size, it makes up for
in flavour. He does miss the abundance of
specialty suppliers in the Western Cape,
though. “It can be difficult sourcing specific