Africola's new sister restaurant opens on The Parade

Diners yearning for a taste of Africola no longer need to book weeks in advance, with a new sister restaurant on The Parade allowing diners to get their fix of signature spice-laden dishes any time. 

“This second restaurant has been in development for a couple of years now, and the location was a big thing for us,” says head chef Joel Tisato. “We had it on the backburner while we waited for the right location and when we saw this spot on The Parade, we jumped on it. It's a great location at street level and there's a real buzz in Norwood at the moment, so we’re excited to get in there.”

The new Africola Canteen at 1/89 The Parade will focus on lunchtime trade and is more casual than its established sibling - “we’ve gone for a very clean design that’s a real contrast to Africola,” explains Tisato. “Africola is full of big, bold, colourful paintings, but designer Claire Markwick-Smith has gone for a lot of neutral colours. That means the artwork here will be all the food on display.”

When the new venue opens its doors today, Wednesday 28 September, there’ll be plenty to look at thanks to a rotating lineup of more than 50 seasonal salads built from fresh South Australian produce. Tisato promises 8-10 “big, healthy, nourishing salads” on offer at any given time, alongside “gutsy vegetables, roast chickens, lots of ferments… All the classic Africola style but done in a more accessible way so you can walk in and grab it in five minutes.”

The menu will be a mix of “greatest hits and future classics”, and Tisato has been hard at work crafting a range of exclusive new dishes for the venue. These include roast chicken with green goddess sauce, charred cauliflower with turmeric butter and a sweet and spicy buttermilk tahini dressing and a chargrilled broccoli, lemon and hazelnut salad. And like its sister restaurant, Africola Canteen will cater to a broad range of dietary requirements with a selection of vegan and gluten-free options.

With just a dozen seats, Africola Canteen will have a strong focus on takeaway and the kitchen will be open from 10:30am - 7pm every day. “That means you can come in for lunch, after the school run or even from the office to pick up a chook and salad on your way home,” says Tisato. And a retail section will stock the legendary Mpumalanga Fire Sauce (in red and green versions) and Chilli Crisp, as well as a cookbook so you can replicate all your favourite Africola flavours at home.