Yesterday I met Restaurateur and Chef Prim Reddy for the first time in her new Indian Chapter in Blouberg, on my way to the West Coast. She recently moved into smaller premises across the road from her former venue, grateful for this fortunate misfortune, focusing on her 20 diners with even more care and personal attention. Chef Prim is a kind restaurateur without any ego, yet strong and has exciting future plans.
In being a member of the Facebook Group Cape Town Restaurants: The Good, Bad & Nasty, I had seen Chef Prim and Indian Chapter mentioned regularly, and praised in the highest terms. Four years in a row Eat Out recognised Indian Chapter as the best Indian restaurant in Cape Town. As one of Cape Town’s leading Restaurateurs, I wanted to drop off a bottle of ADHARA Extra Virgin Olive Oil to her and meet her personally. The planned West Coast road trip with my friend Jenny was a perfect opportunity to stop by, and meet her at her new restaurant venue.
I had received a media statement about the launch during Lockdown of Chef Prim’s first Cookbook called ‘Temptations’, a bestseller collection of favourite Mediterranean and Indian recipes, which she co-wrote with Chef Niranj Pather of Café 48 in town.
Chef Prim was already awaiting our arrival outside her restaurant, waving at us to show us where to park when she saw us. She apologised that on the quiet morning a team of workmen had come to instal an alarm system for her restaurant. I asked her to tell us about her journey into the culinary world here in Cape Town. Generously she invited us to sit down and to try the taste of a selection of her dishes, joining us at the table, the ultimate gift of her hospitality.
Chef Prim grew up in Durban, her parents owning a spice shop. Her dad brought her up to be Extraordinary, ordinary not being good enough. She obtained her BA Communications degree, which she topped with an MBA. She moved to Johannesburg, into the Broadcast world, as a continuity announcer and a Cooking Show presenter, on various TV channels and radio stations. By luck she moved to Cape Town 14 years ago, working in the corporate world at Foschini initially, until she 
realised her dream of opening her own restaurant eight years ago.
Chef Prim loves cooking for others, but also to see her diners savouring her food. She loves creating beautiful food, it being the best expression of her love, creating ‘Foodgasms’ with her Soul Food. Her food transcends all stereotypes. She was recently asked which dish represents the Lockdown, and she replied a Paella, for her a dish of sharing and caring.
She prepares her dishes in a Tandoor oven, her marinated meat prepared on skewers over what is 
essentially a coal Braai, giving her succulent dishes an intense flavour. We were spoilt with Naan bread, which we finished very quickly, as well as a platter of chicken tikka, fish tikka, and lamb seekh kebabs, with beautiful colouring.
This was followed up by a delicious Naan bread with a coconut, cashew nut and saffron filling. Another set of dishes arrived, served in small pots, a tasty 
lemon rice with curry leaves and coriander, lamb Madras, Butter Chicken, and Raita, a type of tzatziki. None of the curry dishes were overpowering in their taste, Jenny and I preferring it mild. Chef Prim is so generous that she wanted to send us on our way with the leftovers, but we declined, given that we were heading on our Road trip and not returning home on the same day.
Chef Prim is ambitious, and dreams of a second Book and expanding her Indian Chapter brand into the city. As a fellow Sagittarian I know that she will achieve these goals and more.
The Indian Chapter Restaurant, OK Convenience Centre, Marine Drive, Bloubergstrand. Tel 021 557-5524 Instagram: @primreddychapter
Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuid
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