Foodie escapes: where local celebrity chefs go on holiday

On holiday, you want to put your feet up and relax. Adding cooking duties to the schedule is the last chore anyone wants, but what happens when cooking plays a huge role in your life?

I spoke to five local chefs to discover their most memorable holiday destinations – and whether they get to hang their aprons up. This is how chefs travel and unwind from their work. You can find the Chefs on Holiday feature every month in the Bites section of the Getaway Magazine.

1. Celebrity TV chef, Siba Mtongana

Siba showcases her recipes on the Food Network. Photo from Food Network.

My kind of holiday is at the seaside or exploring cities. The places we return to are Pezula in Knysna, which is not too far from home, and Zimbali Coastal Resort and Estate on the North Coast – that always truly feels like a holiday as it needs proper planning and management because we’re a big, modern-day family!

I’m a foodie through and through (or ‘waya-waya’, as we’d say in isiXhosa) so my holidays include experimenting and experiencing other people’s cuisine and indulging at trendy and not-so-trendy spots.

The best meal I’ve ever had on holiday was prawns on Mombasa Island in Kenya, with the most amazing chilli-butter sauce. They were as big as my hand. Malindi in Kenya also blew me away. It’s a coastal town and the seafood was out of this world.

Mombasa Beach in Kenya. Photo by Chris Davies.

The one place in SA everyone should visit is Cape Town, because of its scenery and breathtaking views. The Eastern Cape is also remarkably beautiful – yet to be uncovered by the rest of the world.

My favourite overseas destination is London. I do a lot of shopping; there are so many options and often the prices are quite reasonable. Portugal, Russia and Poland are also very memorable. I don’t cook on holiday because we mostly stay in hotels, but if we rent a house and have friends over, I’ll prepare something for all of us.

2. Gregory Czarnecki of The Restaurant at Waterkloof, Somerset West

Gregory Czarnecki soaking up some sun. Photo supplied by Gregory Czarnecki.

There’s always a food thought behind every holiday. I enjoy going somewhere special and educating my palate, and switching off and relaxing is when the ideas flow. I lived in 19 countries from when I was four, starting in Sweden. This certainly influenced my career choice – we ate many local meals that exposed me to flavours and delicacies; it opened my mind.

I often travel to France to visit my parents in Burgundy, but I do a few side trips. Last year I spent a day finding the top 10 pastry shops in Paris. The best meal I’ve ever had on holiday was in Dijon, the gastronomic capital of France: quenelle (the local fish) served with a crayfish sauce, good bread and wine.

The newest camp in Addo – Nyathi Rest Camp – is exceptional. Photo by Melanie van Zyl.

My most memorable holiday was in Sodwana Bay. I spent a whole month there, walking on the beach, cooking for myself and enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

The places in South Africa everyone should visit are Beaverlac near the Cederberg, for total tranquillity, and a road trip along the Garden Route to Addo Elephant Park – taking a break in Knysna for oysters. The title ‘chef’ never leaves you! I always end up doing the cooking on holiday. I prefer it because I get frustrated when food is not done properly and I also love preparing meals for friends and family.

3. Graham Neilson of 9th Avenue Bistro, Durban

Eating like a local when on holiday is never a bad thing. Photo supplied by Graham Neilson.

My kind of holiday is somewhere quiet and remote, where we can self-cater. I especially love it when you can get your ingredients from the area. We often return to Lake Naverone in the Underberg (wonderful chalets on the water), Sungubala Eco Camp near Bergville, and an amazing converted church called St Andrew’s Retreat in the Midlands.

Everyone should go to the Kosi Bay river mouth. It’s absolutely beautiful. Spend a day on one of the tiny islets there exploring and snorkelling.

Sungubala Eco Camp is a rustic, low-key escape in the Drakensberg. Photo by Teagan Cunniffe.

I was about 13 when I first had oysters in Knysna. At first I couldn’t believe that anyone would eat them on purpose, but I developed a love for them pretty quickly! On our last trip we found the most wonderful restaurant at Fynboshoek cheese farm in the Tsitsikamma. That was well worth the detour.

My most memorable overseas trip was South America with my fiancée. Peru and Bolivia were the best, especially on our tiny budget. Wonderful people and astonishingly good food.

4. Coco Reinarhz of Sel et Poivre, Johannesburg

Chef Coco and his family on vacation in Tunisia. Photo supplied by Coco Reinarzh.

For holidays I prefer cities, but not too far from the sea. I try to taste as much local food as I can so, no, I don’t cook on holiday. Our best family holiday was in Spain – Marbella on the Costa del Sol – because we had the sea, food, wine, culture and golf.

In South Africa I like Zimbali in KZN and Franschhoek. I also love Pilanesberg Game Reserve – it’s so big, every time I go I have the impression of being somewhere else.

The gardens in Le Franschhoek are plentiful and sprawling, trees and flowers filling the courtyards and walkways between hotel units. Photo by Teagan Cunniffe.

I often go to Dubai. You will find the best of all worlds there – you can have a French breakfast, an Indian lunch and an Arabic dinner. No wonder I always come back with an extra 5kg around my belly! My most to-die-for meal was an Anatolian pairing menu by chef Colin Clague at Ruya in Dubai, with marinated grilled octopus, black-eyed beans and apple vinaigrette, and his lamb shank clay pot.

I’m always surprised by the food in Nairobi, and by the dynamism of the city. I love their nyama choma (like SA’s shisa nyama). I come from a family of chefs in Burundi. I’d say the best food scene in Africa (apart from SA) is a toss up between Kinshasa in DRC and Abidjan in Ivory Coast – I’ve worked in both.

5. Emil Venter of Afro’s Chicken Shop, Durban

Emil Venter, the owner of Afro’s Chicken in Durban.

The one place in SA that people should visit is the Drakensberg. It has so much natural beauty – I’d recommend Hlalanathi Berg Resort, Mountain Splendour Eco-Resort and Drakensberg Gardens. I also enjoy going to San Lameer down the South Coast. I have two young sporty boys and it offers plenty to keep them busy, plus the beach is right on the doorstep.

Little beats a Drakensberg sunset like this. Photo by Melanie van Zyl.

My parents were real foodies and as a child we spent quite a few holidays in Cape Town and at the wine farms. I remember having some amazing Cape Malay food. Scotland is a very beautiful country with the most breathtaking countryside. And you can catch freshwater salmon!

My best holiday so far was at Benguerra Island Lodge in Mozambique. It was very chilled out – great accommodation. In Africa, apart from Mozambique, I love Zimbabwe for its friendly people and natural beauty.