Currying flavour with Dubai gourmets

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - A Plettenberg Bay chef is on her way to Abu Dhabi where she will give the rest of the world a taste of South Africa.

Martha Williams, chef at the 5-star The Plettenberg Hotel, has been invited to cook at the Cape Malay Food Festival at Vasco's, Hilton in Abu Dhabi from 28 September to 6 October. She will not only present delicious South African recipes, but will do so in her unique Cape Malay cooking style.

Williams says she is very excited to share her passion with others, especially at an event like this.

"My excitement starts when the food starts. I'm around food all the time, so I'm always excited," she says.

During the festival she will present a special Cape Malay menu that includes bobotie, tomato bredie (stew( and masala fish. For desert she will conjure up true South African treats including malva pudding and koeksisters. She will also share her stories and tell visitors more about her love for the Cape Malay cuisine.

While Williams was born and raised in Plettenberg Bay, the self-taught chef spent several years in Cape Town in the Cape Malay community where she picked up her kitchen skills, which she further honed when she became the head chef at The Cape Malay Restaurant in Cape Town. It was Williams' innate understanding of flavours and hard work that led to her promotion as head chef at the restaurant.

The restaurant became a success, proving popular with both local and international guests, and Martha established an excellent reputation leading to her ultimately being invited to present her Cape Malay culinary skills at a number of events in South Africa and abroad. She has been to several destinations including Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Taipei.