Ever since I was a child, to some extent I had a sort of infatuation with South Africa in some way. One of these aspects was the sausage Boerworst; part of it might have been its characteristic shape, and it was definitely helped with being slightly spicy. A number of other reasons exist to my interest in South Africa, but I do digress - one aspect I find underrated is their cuisine. I make no secret that I am a keen fan with all things Africa, especially African food, and often search to see if any new restaurants have popped up in town. Well, lo and behold.... Dine with Joy.
My dining buddy is a big fan of South African cooking, and for some time he has been wanting to find another place is Brisbane that does it. Telling him about this place, with a bit of vagueness, he managed to find it with a simple search and after reading about what they had on offer it was too good for him to turn down. It was not too far away, and thus one day it was off to here for some basic, wholesome fare.
If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that this is aiming to replicate the corner store in suburban South Africa (I haven't been there, so excuse my naivete). Inside is really small, with most of the shop space behind the counter and a bit of room to walk around if not too many people are lining up. To the entrance left is a mini store of several types of groceries, namely snack foods that are sourced from the country of origin. For dining, they have managed to section off part of the pavement out the front for al fresco dining. Right outside on the windows are pictures of animals to signify South Africa's well known wildlife.
Note, it might not be the best of locations overall. This is just off the highway, a stone's throw - more or less - from the Logan Hyperdome, and in a semi-industrial part of town. Still, with what it is given it does enough and provides a shaded area, that has a shield against the wind and car fumes. Props goes into putting some effort is, this is a little more than a corner store.
Plus, the service also adds to the feeling of a place. All four people there were very friendly. The organisation of business and who does what was apparent and good quality; this is something that I don't often seem to notice. There was a young-looking lass at the tills, a young man who was in charge of the coffee machine, an older lady who I could deduce was the boss (and the chef from what I could deduce) and one other young woman who was the waitress. It made for one efficient system, which is going to do them well in the future. It basically goes like this going here, usual counter service - go up, order, pay then either wait around for the meal to go or go and be seated at a table. Food comes out very quickly.
So, as it has already been mentioned a few times, the food at Dine with Joy is South African influenced. It is mostly a place for catering, making meals to order that can serve up to dozens of people and plenty of items for bulk orders. So for when next time you are planning a big event, well this might be the new candidate for getting something just a bit different.
Like with most places that do catering, particularly to a niche product or distinct cuisine, on the side there is a small menu of several delights spotlighting the highlights. Starting out, as per their jingle underneath their moniker, they have a whole big variety of pies. Not really something South African, however they have plenty of choices there ready to be eaten as a snack. Also, in the cabinet next to it are many sweets, some distinctly from the homeland and a few admittedly to cater to the Australian palate. Plus, a number of drinks including coffees and milkshakes plus what is available in the fridge to wet your whistle are there. This is on top of all the exotic snacks that are available to snack on. Like any homely place, to get the whole experience going there is needed - you never know what other specials they might have on offer. For one last homely touch, they have blackboards presenting a few other offers to add more variety to the array of meals in house. Are you hungry yet?
If you don't know me by now, the business as usual was to get a coffee to begin with. And yes, for those of you who do - no surprises here, a doppio! It slips my mind what blend of coffee that they used here, regardless though the barista for the day was on the ball. Although I had to "translate" what doppio meant. Again, each aspect for a good espresso was present. This I noted was a bit hotter than normal, but it was not burnt, it had a solid body and was smooth in texture. That adequate sort of coffee that you find from most places nowadays.
For the most part, the available items were not really meals therefore it was more or less getting a compartmentalised meal with plenty of bits and bobs. Don't diss it too much, since sometimes that is the best sort of way to try several items in one go. Basically, it was where my dining buddy and I got a number of items off the menu to try, and it was all shared (as if it would be otherwise).
Coming to the food, the first thing on the agenda for me to order was their "Vetkoek with Mince". The waitress behind the counter was happy to describe what it is, and it is basically where they get a dough ball and fry it. It is then split open and can be served with whatever the imagination allows, sweet like honey or savoury like mince. This was pretty good, piping hot and the amount of mince in which they served on the side was generous. The dough was soft and chewy, like a doughnut that has yet to be glazed or sprinkled with cinnamon. It was in the vague shape of a football, split all the way down the middle and served with a heaping of mince in the middle. The mince was fine, had a fine spice marsala mixed throughout it and the meat they used, a bit course, did its job well. So thumbs up already.
What my dining buddy wanted to try of all things was a snowball. The comparison that can be given to a snowball is to think of a lamington, make it a sphere shape, and coat it with a rose-water flavoured syrup as opposed to chocolate. That is basically what a snowball is in a nutshell. It is a pleasant enough little snack, which is certainly sweet. It was covered with plenty of coconut, and the flavouring was pleasant - much better than the pink colour would indicate it to be.
Since this place was good value and cheap, the idea for the following was why not? Also between us, an order of chips and gravy was requested. It cost less than what most places give for a small serving of fries, and the amount was a decent serve between two people - and some of the best fries that I have had in ages. Without any doubt, the fries were cooked fresh to order - being hot, crispy and crunchy, and were steak fries. What also helped was the seasoning on the fries. I'm not sure what they did to make the gravy, but with how viscous it was I am optimistic that it was whipped up from scratch. A simple combination, far from being anything haute, and when both aspects are given due care and attention it is one of the most delicious, filling and wholesome snacks that can be made.
Also on the side, one menu item is being able to get three samoosas for a reduced price. Think of a samosa, done in a slightly different style. They have several different varieties on offer, so this is a good incentive to try several of them. Between the two of us, the samoosas that were gotten were the spicy beef, the corn and cheese, and the potato. Each of these were done with such a great, crunchy and hot pastry coating that managed to hold the fillings in, but was not disproportionate. As per the vetkoek, the mince in the mince one was solid and had a spicy marsala throughout it, that was good. Next was the potato one, where it had soft, beautifully cooked potato that was semi-mashed and also considerably spicy. Plus, the cheese and corn one did well as well, juicy and like nothing that comes from a can. These samoosas are something quite different to the regular ones, and are also a worthy snack. All of this bits and pieces tied together a good, filling meal.
One food item that I have been wanting to try for a while is something known as a "Koeksisiter". All that needed to pique my interest was to hear that it is some kind of doughnut. There are two varieties of them, one which is Malay (spicy) and another which is Dutch (sweet). Following traditions, they did not serve the Malaysian version that day. It was Saturday, and the Malay Koeksisters are traditionally served on Sunday, after church (the staff were talking about it in a bit more detail, and it was interesting). Fortunately, with the Dutch variety one could be pulled out of the fridge. Anyways, the difference from memory between the two is that the Dutch is savoury - often served with spicy curry - and the Dutch is sweet, and covered in heaps of sugar syrup.
Going for a second round, the agenda was for some sweets. As aforementioned, being a fan of doughnuts I jumped on the opportunity to try a koeksister, and my dining buddy went for a chocolate-cherry slice. Because of getting some dessert, another coffee was more or less on the agenda. Therefore, the coffee must have been worth it for that to happen. Splitting the two again, both of them were quite good.
When I say that the Koeksister is covered in a heap of sugar syrup, that is not hyperbole. First, you could see the glistening of the sugar on the doughnut from afar, and it was soaking through the paper bag. Nevertheless, it was tasty and incredibly sweet - a good snack for the occasional eating, I can see why they are so popular in the homeland. The dough was soft and chewy, absorbing syrup readily.
As for the chocolate cherry slice, that was also good. Not a lot much unique to say about it, what it is can easily be deduced. This was really thick, akin to a brownie almost, and it was filled generously with plenty of cherries that were far from glace - they were fresh fruit that was used in this. And that concludes one great eating out experience.
This has all of the makings for that kind of find that gets the true praise - it was a hole in the wall, cheap as chips, something quite exotic and with an edge of being authentic, plus the servings will certainly fill you up for a long time. So, it is simple and straightforward in its philosophy - and that works in its favour. For expats and foodies alike it is a slice of heaven, and it is high in how much I would recommend it. My love for all things South African is still in vogue.
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