Unique food experiences at Kruger Shalati

Luciano Pavarotti said it best – “One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”

At Kruger Shalati, we love creating these moments for our guests – unique food experiences, bringing soul to every bite. Our Head Chef, Vusi Mbatha’s, love for classical cooking has an African flare to it, and reading through the menu is like reading a bestseller. There are an abundance of exquisite dishes as the heroes, with the only villain being a too-small stomach, as you would want to choose and taste them all.

Vusi’s philosophy is to cook the best food, nurture guests, and connect with them emotionally through various dishes. Furthermore, the aesthetics and creativity in plating the food will leave you in awe and wonder and awaken all your sensory delights. You will be transported to foodie heaven from the moment you take the first bite to the very last. Now imagine experiencing all of these sensations while sitting on a deck under a canopy of trees, with majestic views of the Sabie River and the African blue sky above you. At night, a million stars light your way, and a campfire inspires stories, laughter, and a reflection of a day in the bush.

We believe cooking is like love – it should be entered into with abandon or not at all (Harriet van Horne). We choose to live in complete surrender to good food! Your first bite starts in the early morning before your game drive. Wake up to fresh coffee or tea; baked, decadent pastries, rusks (a South African favourite), and delicious fruit.

Then it’s setting off in the still dark morning, smelling the fresh morning dew and listening to the sound of the bush, waking up to another day in Africa. The sun rises in spectacular orange, yellow, and pink hues, and the excitement of a leopard at a waterhole leaves you breathless. Picnic in the bush is always one of our guests’ favourites. Early sunrise coffee or late afternoon sundowners, always with something delicious to taste and sustain you to breakfast and dinner.

Apart from the early morning wake-up stomach indulgence and the two drive stops, we also have a late afternoon high tea with treats, but the three big showstoppers must be Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Foodies are people with a particular interest in food – at Kruger Shalati, everyone becomes a foodie. Breakfasts include classics like Eggs Benedict and freshly baked croissants, but we have Shalati favourites like Bobotie croquettes with bacon jam and mini-omelette!

Our lunch and dinner menus change daily to ensure food adventures. Some of our top-rated lunch menu items include Fried Calamari and Asian Salad, Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Fresh Salsa, and Roasted Cauliflower with Dukkah.

Our dinner menu features a masterclass of finesse that the bush is yet to experience. New dishes include Braised Oxtail Raviolo; 12hr Sous Vide & Wood Fire Grilled Short Rib; Sous Vide Zucchini Scale Kingklip; Salt-Baked Baby Beetroot & Strawberry Salad, and perfectly prepared Duck fillet. All our game meat is prepared on open fires. Delectable, mouth-watering, and most enjoyable!

Finally, if you are a wine lover, you know that “drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilised pleasures” (Michael Broadbent)

With South Africa being the 8th largest wine-producing region in the world, we offer the very best for your enjoyment. At Kruger Shalati, we have over 100 wines on the list to choose from! Our chef and restaurant team works hard to find wines that match our menu for the best food and wine pairing. From well-known winemakers to rare and bespoke vineyards, we provide a variety of quality wines our guests can choose from.

All of this comes together in a moment, in a bite, where you close your eyes and devote your entire attention to eating! Heavenly.

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