ZAR South African Grill: The First South African Food Spot in the Philippines

Of all the cuisines out there, African cuisine is the least I’m familiar with. Thankfully, the Manila gastronomic landscape is evolving and African food spots are slowly entering the scene. One is Mapishi, a restaurant in Quezon City offering authentic Swahili or East African food. Since the Swahili coast is located in the Indian Ocean side of the continent, the food has Arab and Indian influences (imagine the flavors!). That’s why Mapishi (and Swahili cuisine in general) has its own version of Biryani and Chapati. I haven’t been there but I can’t wait to visit!

While my Mapishi visit has yet to happen, I was fortunate to have tried authentic South African food recently. I was browsing through my Foodpanda when I encountered ZAR South African Grill (I resided in the East Metro area for a few months so it popped up in my app).

ZAR prides itself as the first South African food spot in the country. It’s being run by a South African chef and his Filipina wife, who were based abroad and went to the Philippines during the pandemic. Their original plan was to start a business outside their field (food and beverage) but ended up opening ZAR. And I’m thankful to God for such turn of events! Else, my tummy won’t be filled with delicious South African food! LOL.

Let’s now talk about the food I tried from ZAR:

Boerewors

If the Philippines has Longganisa, then South Africa has Boerewors!

Literally “farmer’s sausage”, Boerewors is a coil-shaped sausage and is a Braai (South African barbecue; more on this later) staple. ZAR makes a mean version, which is juicy, flavorful, aromatic. It’s also nicely chewy and savory, perfect with the sweet and tangy Chakalaka (tomato relish) on the side.

The chef describes Boerewors like a steak in sausage form. I agree!

Bunny Chow

Nope, there’s no rabbit in it! LOL.

Bunny Chow is a South African dish composed of a curry stew stuffed inside a hollowed loaf of bread. The stew can be made with chicken, lamb/mutton, and vegetable. While there are many versions of its history, the dish certainly originated from the Indian immigrants of Durban, a city in South Africa.

ZAR’s Legendary Bunny Chow has chicken and potatoes stewed in a flavorful and slightly spicy curry (I can certainly taste the garam masala). There’s a sour relish on the side, which cut through the richness of the stew. The bread is fluffy, perfect as a utensil to the stew, which is the traditional way of eating Bunny Chow. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable dish and my favorite among all Zar dishes!

Shisa Nyama/Braai

Let’s talk about what ZAR is known for—Shisa Nyama. Literally “burnt meat” in Zulu language, it refers to the “buy-and-braai” spots in South Africa. In it, diners get to choose their meats and have it grilled their way. Such experience is normally accompanied with beer and music, and enjoyed by people from different walks of life.

At ZAR, you can choose your meats at their counter. They offer chicken quarters and wings, pork chops and rasher (belly), and, of course, Boerewors. They’re all flavorful, juicy, and tender, perfect with their Cape Slaw (coleslaw) and Tjips (chips/fries). Chef really knows his barbecue!

ZAR South African Grill truly gives a unique experience; it’s NOT your Filipino barbecue. I highly recommend that you pay it a visit. And when you’re there, don’t forget to talk to the chef and his wife. Along with the food, their friendliness and stories are other reasons I love visiting ZAR!

What South African food above would you like to try? I hope to try their Bobotie and Peri Peri Chicken someday! Are there other African food spots here in Manila that I should know about? Comment them below!

PS As of today, ZAR did a weekend pop-up at Bonifacio Global City (BGC). I’ve been encouraging them to test Makati and nearby areas before. I hope they’ll be more frequent!

Address: 2/F K-Center, Felix Ave. cor. Kaginhawaan St., Karangalan Village, Pasig City | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Monday, 12PM-9PM (8PM on Sunday) | Contact No.: 0915-0492727 | Facebook | Instagram