A low-key Putney restaurant that specialises in South African cuisine, Chakalaka has a bit of a reputation as a local favourite and the go-to place for homesick and hungry South Africans.

The Venue
The restaurant is small but well spaced, with several seating areas and large windows that look out onto the street. There’s no way you can miss the place from the front – if the zebra stripes on the outside don’t draw you in, a glimpse at the red- and orange-painted walls surely will. Decorating the walls is a variety of animal skins (it’s safe to say that if you’re an easily-offended vegan this probably isn’t the place for you) and an assortment of wooden masks and other artefacts, as well as South African-inspired paintings. The decor is definitely not subtle and, no matter you take away from the meal itself, there’s no way you can forget those zebra stripes.

The Atmosphere
A few minutes walk from East Putney tube station, Chakalaka is located on Upper Richmond Road, a street that’s packed with pubs and restaurants. Even so, on a calm night this restaurant still brings in the crowds. Mainly South African – a testament to the restaurant’s authenticity – groups of friends, couples and even lone diners stop by for a taste of their homeland or to try something a bit different. Although it’s not overly loud there’s a nice buzz, and service is fast but won’t rush you along in deciding what you want. Overall there’s a laid back feel here, and you’d feel equally comfortable in bringing either a date or your family.

The Food
Chakalaka is, first off, an actual dish and not just a strange-sounding word. Made with onions and tomatoes, it’s kind of a chutney and kind of a salsa that’s both sweet and sour at the same time. It only appears on the menu once, in a starter with the famous South African sausages, boerewors (£5.95). The sausages taste like they’re made with fennel or aniseed and have a heady, smokey flavour that tastes wonderful with the chakalaka sauce, which, although technically a condiment, is so good that you’d happily eat it on its own. The kudu carpaccio (£7.50) is an interesting twist on a traditional starter; kudu is a South African antelope and, although you might think it would taste like venison, it’s more like traditional red meat. It’s sliced thinly, but not in slivers, so you can still appreciate the savoury taste, and the salty flavour of the parmesan shavings complements it well.

Mains include pork spare ribs (£13.95), available with either barbecue or Peri-Peri sauce. This is an absolutely enormous portion, practically a rack and a half, and the meat is so tender that you don’t even need a knife to separate the ribs – you can just pull them apart. The Peri-Peri sauce is eye-wateringly spicy but in spice of this it’s quite sweet as well, making a mouth-watering combination that’s hard to get enough of – don’t be surprised if you look down at your plate and find you’ve somehow finished the entire thing. A few chunky potato wedges are on the side of the plate, and although they’re not necessary to fill you up, you have to try at least one. You can tell they’ve been hand cut and are soft and floury on the inside, slightly crisp and not too greasy on the outside. Also on the menu is a lamb bobotie (£10.95), a lamb mince dish with an egg topping. The lamb is full of flavour, with plenty of spices and more than a hint of sweetness, whilst the topping is crisp and works well with the texture of the lamb. Served on the side is a mound of yellow rice, and four tiny bowls offer even more accompaniments: a piquant onion and tomato mix, shaved coconut, sugary and soft banana slices and a fruity chutney – all of which match well with the lamb.

There are about five choices for dessert, plus a selection of Jude’s ice cream. The peppermint crisp surprise (£4.95) is served in a glass, with creamy pudding layered with stripes of crushed chocolate and mint candies, whereas the milk tart (£4.95) comes surrounded by a crispy, crunchy toffee waffle. And if that’s not enough, when the bill comes you also get a complimentary mint and chocolate shot. It’s pretty much guaranteed that your eyes will be bigger than your stomach in regards to choosing from the menu, as each dish looks really interesting, no matter if you grew up on this kind of food.

The Drink
Just like the food menu, the wine list is all about South Africa, and refreshingly the restaurant doesn’t bulk up the choices with wines from other countries. Each bottle as nicely priced (£50 tops the list) with a few choices available by the glass for about £4 and £5. The house white is a £16 Van Zylshof 2007, a sauvignon blanc that’s very light, fresh and clean-tasting. Although at first it tastes very sweet, if you let it breathe awhile the flavours become even more intricate.

The Last Word
Chakalaka more than lives up to its reputation and, even if you can’t tell your bobotie from your potjie or your kudu from your springbok, it’s well worth a visit.

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