SOUL food meets soul music when celebrated South African chef Katlego Mlambo launches his pop-up at The Marabi Club in Maboneng, Johannesburg on Thursday.
Joburg gastronomes and those fixing for a remarkable repast will soon be treated to Katlego Mlambo’s pop-up at the atmospheric Marabi Club in Hallmark House from January 20 to 26 March 2022.
Mlambo is upbeat about the highly anticipated project since the Marabi Club in Maboneng pulls a discerning crowd.
“I’m excited. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to cook food my way. Over COVID-19 so many great chefs took a hit and lost their passion so I’m grabbing this opportunity to do what I love most with both hands.
”Big names that have graced his tables include Kelly Rowland, Carmelo Anthony, Black Coffee, Jay Z, and Beyoncé. In 2019 he was the lead chef for the Mandela 100 Years USA event hosted by President Barack Obama in Washington DC. Sprinkling traditional African dishes all over the world map has always been his goal and after a career spanning fourteen years, he is clearly well on his way.
From Eldorado Park in Gauteng, it was Mlambo’s grandmother who ignited his interest in cooking. Time spent watching her prep home-style comfort food fuelled his determination to be a versatile, stand-out chef. Mlamblo derives tremendous satisfaction from the creative processes behind recipe and menu development and is at ease with all types of cuisine. He frequently contemporizes African staples – think truffle samp – and constructs ‘lusciousness on a plate and savage flavors.’
Says Mlambo, “The fact that we are situated in town at the Hallmark provides such a great synergy and my having worked at the Marabi before is a bonus,” he adds. “There’s such a great energy between myself, TJ Steyn and Dale de Ruig, the gents who founded the Marabi Club as part of their commitment to inner-city regeneration.”
The sultry speakeasy in the hotel basement offers world-class African jazz by the resident Marabi Quartet and established artists. Named for the Marabi style of music that evolved in the yards of New Doornfontein in the 1920’s, the club offers a long bar and stylish cigar lounge, replete with vintage furniture pieces, a signature wall made up of reclaimed doors, contemporary artworks, and classical South African jazz imagery.
Chef Katlego Mlambo’s Marabi Club pop-up promises a trip to flavor town paired with the hottest jazz in Jozi. A winning combination and not to be missed.
The Marabi Club is open Thursdays to Saturdays from 6pm to late, and on the last Sunday of every month from Noon until 3pm the sister-restaurant, Rooftop at Hallmark, plays host to the iconic Sunday Lunches brought to you by Chef Mlambo. To book your prized table visit www.hallmarkhouse.info/marabi or email info@themarabiclub.com and call on 010 591 2879.
Some of Mlambo’s awards include the NederburgRising Star Award & African Restaurant of The Year, First place in the 2019 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards and 2019 Eat Out Nederburg Rising Star Award, a prestigious accolade.
Mlambo presents his own Food Network cooking show called The Inside Job broadcast throughout Africa and the Middle East.
- Looking for the full inner-city experience? Enjoy 20% off all hotel overnight stays at Hallmark House when booking your table for the Marabi Pop-Up experience.
- Hallmark House, an all-suite luxury urban hotel is a chic 46-room property with new standout decor pieces and bold murals created by leading designers and artists. Hallmark’s biggest drawcards- the Marabi in the basement and the Rooftop at Hallmark – have also been reignited.