Executive Chef Xolani

Date: Aug. 14, 2011

Its a chilly morning at the Riviera on Vaal Hotel & Country Club when I head out to interview the new Executive Chef at the Hotel. After sorting out the pleasantries and introduction, I sit with Xolani Mfeku for an hour and a half. What was meant to be an interview about cooking and the kitchen takes on a metaphoric philosophical conversation thats both refreshing and has me thinking differently about a lot of things cooking included.

A man who clearly reveres his father lots of referrals taught to him by his dad Chef Xolani is both humble and unconventional in his thoughts. For a person who was born and bred in a rural village, my father was a forward thinker. He taught me how to appreciate and empower women. That everyone was equal regardless of their gender. He never believed that the kitchen was a womans place only, in fact on weekends he encouraged us boys to cook.

Growing up Xolani never really thought that cooking or being a chef could be a profession since everyone around him always resorted to becoming teachers. What sealed the deal for him was the practical side of his Catering Management course, where he was placed in the kitchen. I found that I was more comfortable and at ease in the kitchen more than anywhere else.

Xolani joined the Riviera after an 18 month stint in West Africa in war-torn Liberia. We went there to bring back the hospitality industry because the war had destroyed everything. The hotels were not up to scratch. I was employed as the Executive Chef at Kendeja Resort & Villas. Getting fresh produce was a mission since there was no agricultural structure everything was imported. A kilo of tomatoes could easily cost you something like four dollars.

I love this Hotel, Riviera on Vaal, because it has beautiful views; great potential to become one of South Africas top Hotels. A typical day for me involves a motivation for the staff. Im very demanding. I push people to be the best. I like pushing boundaries because thats when things get done and then you can move to where you want to be. I dont want to think out of the box, I want to be out of the box!

I dont really have a favourite dish per say my cooking philosophy is that everything is an ingredient. I believe in consistency. Im inspired by new ideas. What to cook next, not whats been done before. If it has been done, I look for a way to play it out differently a way to modify it.

Xolani refers to his cuisine style as glocal; meshing the words global and local together. He enjoys the diversity presented by the food industry in South Africa. SA cuisine is not really classified as all others; its South African cuisine by the mere fact that it was prepared by a South African. This place is enriched with all types of people; all continents of the world come together here.

When in the kitchen, Xolani likes joking around with his staff. When you interact with people you make it easy to make relationships at work. Its therefore easy to interact with guests too; you can adapt to all situations and turn them around to your advantage. Listen, guests are not looking for apologies, being apologetic is a common mistake that chefs make along with trying to push their own ideas and egos onto guests. When in actual fact what the guest is looking for is someone who understands their needs.

Chef Xolani has used this train of thought to compile the new menu at Matthews Restaurant. It took a couple of months to create this new menu because we wanted to capture the peoples choice; something that reflected the people of this area. On the new menu you can relish dishes like the Lunch Cake Samp prepared with olives, sun dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese served with sirloin or chilli bed of curry. Food is very preferential, what I like wont necessarily be anothers persons favourite thus we created the menu offering a lot of variety to cater to everyones palette. People like to be fed and you can bring people together with food. A simple samp dish can appeal to everyone because your African person can identify with samp since having grown up eating it; the European tourist is open to trying it because the olives and sundried tomatoes appeal to him.

When cooking at home, Xolani enjoys traditional dishes that being your samps, dumplings and so on.

The light of his life is Zarah Okuhle, his daughter whom he says is going to grow to be one of the most beautiful women in the world. My favourite memory is holding her in my arms for the first time. I wish her good health to be able to make her own decisions in life. I want to teach her as much as I can so that shell make her own way. I want her to know that she can do anything she wants, nothing is a limit. Many people end up doing what their parents want; few really do what they want or are themselves.

I ask Xolani if hes cooked for anyone famous. He answers by saying that he doesnt believe in putting anyone above others. I dont understand this notion of society ranking people above others; labels, VIP statures and achievements dont interest me. I dont believe in giving people due for their supposed titles. I treat everyone equally I put in the same amount of passion for a normal person as I would for a VIP.

In the same tone, he believes that all jobs are important from the person washing dishes to the Executive Chef. I can create the best dish ever but it will lose value if served on a dirty plate. His management approach is motivational. I dont want to be feared. I want people to be able to interact with me, I want to be approachable. Im married to my work and spend a lot of time at work making my colleagues my family makes things easy since one spends a big chunk of their time at work. At any given time you will find me having fun with my team, singing and breaking out in dance. I dont want to be like a typical father who comes home to sit on the sofa reading the newspaper, with the kids afraid to make a noise or ask him for anything.

Parting words from Chef Xolani are that you shouldnt accept things at face value, question everything and create the life that you want for yourself.
Quick Facts about Xolani:

• Unlived Chef of the Year
• Participated in a number of South African Food Promotions abroad
• Was previously the Executive Chef at Mandela Rhodes Hotel & Spa in Cape Town
• Also worked at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, Beverly Hills Hotel as well as Zimbali for the Fairmont Group
• Part of team South Africa that competed in Singapore and achieved silver medals.

Author: Marius