When it comes to food I love to try different and unusual things. Whilst looking for somewhere to go for lunch to celebrate my birthday I heard about an African restaurant that served up all kinds of unusual meats. Perfect! Si and I visited Jabula on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and were seated straight away. It's not a huge place but it has a really nice vibe to it. The tables were dressed with animal print table cloths and there were plenty of African style decorations around the place.
If I can I always have a tendency to check out the menu for a restaurant before I visit. On this occasion I had already chosen my meal days before arriving! For my starter I chose Crocodile Bites which was served on a slice of baguette with cranberry sauce and salad. It was actually amazing and the tastiest thing I've eaten ever. To describe the flavour of the crocodile it had a similar texture to pork and tasted like a combination of pork and chicken. It's quite a subtle flavour but absolutely delicious and I'm sure it would taste fantastic barbecued. Si wasn't feeling quite as adventurous and had cheese mushrooms which looked just as delicious as my starter.
For the main course I chose a dish called Game Africa which is in the photo above and is basically just various African meats. On the plate I had Zebra, Ostrich, Springbok and more crocodile. It was all delicious and perfectly cooked. The Springbok had a subtle sweet herby flavour which I really enjoyed but the star of the show was the ostrich. It's a red meat which actually looks a lot like beef and the flavour was out of this world delicious! I'm not sure how to describe it, I just recommend trying it if you enjoy eating red meat. All of this meat was served on a scrumptious fruity suace with apricots and mushrooms. If you aren't feeling adventurous enough to try any exotic meats they also do regular meats too. Si chose the mixed grill and boy do you get a lot for your money! It included a perfectly chargrilled steak, bacon, gammon and boerewors (a type of sausage).
Time for dessert which I can always make room for! I chose the Toblerone Torte and I'm not 100% sure what was in it, I just know that it was gorgeous. The staff were so pleasant and attentive making us feel right at home. They must have lots of people going there for celebrations as our waitress asked us if we were there for a special occasion. As it was my birthday they brought out my dessert with a candle and sang happy birthday in not one, not two but three different languages. Such a lovely touch. If you do happen to be there for a special occasion you have the chance to try their bushtucker trial. I have to admit I wussed out of it. I was so full from three courses I was worried about being sick attempting to eat insects!
I highly recommend this place, especially for any kind of celebration. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff and the food is some of the best I have ever had. I can't wait for our next visit!
What do you think of trying exotic meats, would you give it a go?
South African Restaurant & Coffee Shop
1 South Pier Road
Ellesmere Port
CH65 4FW
0151 355 1163
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