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Japanese RamenGardens
Ramenhead simmers broth for eighteen hours and cuts its own noodles at its Kloof Street izakaya in Gardens, Cape Town, every single service.
OrderA bowl of ramen on the 18-hour broth with noodles cut in-house, then a round of wood-fired small plates.
TipTables are booked in two-hour seatings with a R200 deposit; the high tables, bar and ramen counter for two or more are kept for walk-ins.
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VietnameseGardens
Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant has served pho, spring rolls and fresh dumplings on Kloof Street in Gardens, Cape Town, since first opening in 1997.
OrderThe pho with beef short rib, the slow-simmered broth the restaurant built its name on.
TipBook through Dineplan, and ask for outdoor seating for the Table Mountain view from this Kloof Street corner.
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KoreanRondebosch
Seoul Pocha brings Korean street food, tabletop grills and soju pairings to Main Road in Rondebosch, Cape Town, in a social, casual setting.
OrderThe tteokbokki, chewy rice cakes in a spicy sauce that anchors the street food menu.
TipIt is named for the pojangmacha, Korea's covered-wagon street stalls, and the Korean fried chicken with soju is the crowd favourite for groups.
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SeafoodKalk Bay
Kalky's has served battered hake and snoek with chips from a cabin on the Kalk Bay harbour wall since 1996, with calamari, kingklip and crayfish too.
OrderThe fried snoek and chips, cut fresh from the day's catch at the harbour.
TipIt is cash only and self-service; carry notes and expect to queue at the counter before finding a bench.
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SeafoodHout Bay
Fish on the Rocks sits at the far end of Hout Bay harbour in Cape Town, frying hake and chips to order at a walk-up counter over the Atlantic.
OrderThe battered hake and chips, the order most tables at the harbour wall are eating.
TipSeating is outdoors on the rocks; bring a jacket since the wind off the harbour can turn cold fast.
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VeganDe Waterkant
Romeo and Vero Vegan Butcherie sells mushroom-based meat alternatives from its own shop on Dixon Street in De Waterkant, Cape Town, Monday to Saturday.
OrderThe vegan boerewors roll, grilled to order from the shop's own mushroom-based sausage.
TipIt doubles as a butchery counter, so buy a few frozen packs to take home alongside your meal.