Notes from the Cape

You can get anything you like to eat in New York. The cheapest food is eating off the street, where you can get a hot-dog, giant pretzels or kebab for about $2 (I have eaten the hot-dogs, but I cannot bring myself to eat the kebabs).

Slightly better than the street food is the fast food outlets. These include all the names you expect, such as MacDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC etc. The pricing and quality are predictable. Note that Burger King charges the same as MacDonald’s, but the burgers are very comparable to a Spur Burger at home. A basic fast food meal costs about R3. There are also some quite good sandwich spots.

Next up are the canteen-style restaurants. These are basically self-service restaurants, whereby much of the food is priced by weight. They serve salads, pasta, chicken, and of course Pizza. Pizza is usually served in very large (and thick) slices. The food is good, a bit greasy but very good value. A meal here is about $5-10.

Next up are the real restaurants. You can goto any type of restaurant you like, however you are going to pay. Expect to pay upwards of $20 for a good restaurant meal. However these meals really taste like food. It is good quality, you are not rushed. and you can relax and enjoy the meal.

Drinks prices are pretty consistently expensive across the restaurants. A glass of (ok) wine or beer is about $3-6 in most places serving alcohol.

We did manage to find one restaurant that served great food – had an onsite brewery, and provided a beer tasting. It was not cheap, but by New York standards it was not too bad (the beer is mine – not Lois’).

While I am loving the food here, and enjoying the experience, I am really looking forward to eating at home, and having simple meals, with plenty of salads, smaller portions, and grilled (instead of fried) food!