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Restaurant to be featured at East County Magazine’s “Taste of Africa” Oct. 8
By Jessyka Heredia
September 23, 2023 (San Diego) Image may be NSFW.
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Have you tried African food before? East County Magazine gave South African Bunny Chow a try recently,located at 7128 Miramar Road. The flavors were bold and perfectly paired in each dish. You could smell the flavors of South Africa as you walked through the front door. Right away, I knew I was in for a culinary treat.
As I entered the restaurant, I was greeted by a friendly and well-trained staffer who showed me a “safari” menu of photos before I was seated. The staff member explained each authentic South African dish. This is helpful if you have never experienced African food. Beware, the menu is expensive, and it will still be hard to narrow down because there are so many dishes to choose from. I recommend coming with friends and sharing dishes family style so you can experience more. You won’t be disappointed.
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Bunny Chow is not just the restaurant’s name, it is also their signature dish. Bunny Chow is a traditional South African “fast food” dish that consists of simply a hollowed-out loaf of bread, similar to a bread bowl, that is then topped with a delicious curry that you can order a spice level of 0-10 and choose from chicken, lamb, meatballs, shrimp or seafood for the protein. Are you vegetarian? Not to worry as Bunny Chow also offers a plant-based beef option as well as a vegetable option.
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I tried the Cape Malay Chicken as my first dish. One thing I really appreciated about Bunny Chow’s menu is that with each dish you can customize what type of protein you are served.They even encourage you to try their different sauces, so for this dish I tried the chicken and instead of the curry sauce I tried the peri-peri sauce.This sauceoriginatesfrom Portugal with the flavors of roasted red pepper, onion and garlic. The Portuguese explorers brought this sauce to Mozambique and South Africa. African culture then added their own bird's eye red chili peppers and spices to give it an even bolder flavorwith atouch of sweetness. The sauce is delicious so order some extra on the side.
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I added the Crunch Salad as a side that had a wonderful variety of chopped carrots, red onions, zucchini, cucumber, red peppers, and red cabbage.The texture is like a chopped salad with plenty of crunch and fresh raw vegetables to keep you from being too full. They give you a choice of Garlic turmeric, lemon mint or lime-cilantro dressing. I also added the Chakalaka as a side to this entrée. Chakalaka is a comforting warm side dish that isperfect for vegan diners. This dish included a delightful Zulu curry that is sure to get your taste buds wanting more. Perfectly sauteed cabbage, carrots, red peppers and baked beans give this dish a nice texture and the curry gives it just the right amount of heat.
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My second dish was theirDurban Lamb Curry, which was by far my favorite dish I tried. This curry had no heat but hada distinct punch of flavor. I reheated this dish the next day and it was even better after the tomato based red curry soaked into the lovely yellow rice. The lamb was perfectly cooked-- tender and moist, with plenty of large chunks of lamb and potatoto fulfill even the heartiest of eaters. This dish comes with your choice of protein, but the lamb was a perfect fit to taste the traditional flavors of Durban.
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I paired this dish with the grilled mixed vegetables, which were large sauteed pieces of zucchini, red onion, yellow squashand red peppers lightly seasoned with Karoo,a traditional blend of spices like coriander, mustard seed, paprika and pepper. I also ordered the Cape Cole slaw to keep this dish on the lighter side. The slaw had a great crunchy texture from the mixture of shredded red and green cabbage then tossed with crunchy walnuts and raisins with a light cape turmeric dressing that really set this dish apart from the others.
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The drink menu at Bunny Chow is vast as well. There are several South African wines to choose from. I suggest doing the flight so you can sample four at a time to find your favorite. There were several cocktails and assorted beers including a shandy to choose from, but if you are looking for a non-alcoholic drink to wet your whistle, Bunny Chow had fantastic ginger beers and mocktails for your enjoyment.
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Don’t skip dessert when you come to Bunny Chow. They had several traditional South African desserts to select from, such as Melktert, a milk custard pie with a flakey crust that is perfectly dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg and your choice of chocolate, strawberry, or raspberry on the side. I tried the Malva pudding, and I added a shot of Amarulaliqueurpoured over the top. This was a surprising treat with itsapricot sweet bread and the vanilla custard thatadorned the plate. You can also select chocolate or raspberry sauce on the side or a scoop of ice-cream for ala mode decadence.
After my meal I sat down with co-owner Gary Wolfson, who shared with me how he and his partner, Andrew Georgitsis, came together to bring San Diego Bunny Chow Shebeen and what they have instore for the future.
Wolfson told ECM that he and Georgitsis are both originally from South Africa but met here in San Diego when Wolfson was looking for a brick-and-mortar store front to serve his authentic South African meals after the COVID pandemic. During the pandemic, Wolfson was selling his signature Bunny Chow dish first out of a church because churches were shut down, then once churches were allowed to reopen, he found a temporary kitchen he was able to use. Wolfson stated that one day, another South African, Andrew, happened to come in for dinner just two days before he was going to need to relocate, and a partnership was born between the two.
Georgitsis and Wolfson have seen much success in the little over a year that they have been opened in Miramar. Now, they are about to open another Bunny Chow location in the heart of North Park where they are sure to be a hit as well. The north Park location is at 2850 El Cajon Blvd.
The vibe at Bunny Chow is casual with African music playing, African photos are displayed on a T.V. showing African foods, wildlife and scenery. They even have a small market to buy their spices, African wines and beef jerky as well as a freezer with some of their food ready to take home and cook such as their Boerewors, a South African farmers sausage that you can select in all beef or beef and sausage with choice of sauces.
Make Bunny Chow your next date night or bring the whole family and enjoy a taste of authentic South African Cuisine right here in San Diego. Ujabulele! (“Enjoy” in Zulu.)
Miramar Shebeen
7128 Miramar Rd. Suite 1,
San Diego, CA, 92121
Tel: 1 855 276-2533
North Park Shebeen - Coming Oct 14
2850 El Cajon Blvd., Suite 3,
San Diego, CA, 92104
Tel: 1 855 276-2540
Website: https://www.bunnychow.co/
Email: info@bunnychow.co