|
GROWING UP IN DURBAN , SOUTH Africa , restaurateur Ivan Spiers learned plenty about cuisine from his family during his childhood — and it opened his eyes to a culinary world that spans much of the globe , yet retains distinctly unique elements as well . “ South Africa had a lot of Irish , English , Dutch , African , Indian and Malaysian influence ,” he explains .
When he came to the United States more than 30 years ago and decided to launch his own restaurant , he knew that he wanted it to be distinctly South African — something that Laguna Beach didn ’ t have . It ’ s been nearly two decades since Spiers opened the doors to Mozambique , yet traditional dishes and ingredients are still prominent on its varied menu . He worked closely with the opening chefs to ensure that the food served resembled dishes he enjoyed overseas with his family and that they would be appealing to diners in America as well .
|
One thing that greatly impacted his menu choices was the tradition of the African braai fleis , which is a South African tradition used for birthdays , holidays and other special occasions . More than a simple barbecue , this custom features a full-on feast with grilled meats cooked over an open flame , cultural sides and drinks like beer , wine or cocktails . These backyard celebrations inspired Spiers to include peri-peri sauce in both the peri-peri tiger prawns and the periperi chicken dishes .
“ We import all the bird ’ s eye chile [ used in the peri-peri sauce ] from Africa — it ’ s the only place you can buy it ,” Spiers notes . “ The dishes are received exceptionally well . It took awhile , but after 20 years , we sell a ton . The sauce and preparation is our secret recipe . The chicken and prawns are wood-fired — charbroiled ; the sauce is added while you cook it .”
The peri-peri sauce infiltrates the
|
Top right : Restaurateur Ivan Spiers with his dog , Max ; top left : peri-peri prawns ; bottom : peri-peri chicken
menu in more ways than one , also served with the calamari , seafood platter , prego steak sandwich and Mozambique shrimp scampi . While Spiers guards his precise family recipe — which combines the bird ’ s eye chiles with olive oil , lemon juice , garlic and a secret , specialized blend of spices — diners can stop by to try his South African creations .
|
TOP LEFT : SHARON WILLIAMS ; BOTTOM RIGHT : SAMANTHA WHARTON |
48 LAGUNABEACHMAGAZINE . COM |