Restaurant Review: Madiba

Madiba (195 DeKalb Avenue, Fort Greene, Brooklyn 11205)

Another slate-colored and damp, cool day. Welcome to Spring in New York! Actually we love these somber days with their low and overcast skies, their moody lighting, their crisp and misty air. And on such a pleasantly soporific morning, Cafe Drake motored over to Fort Greene ( a most agréable et charmant neighborhood - see pics - to meet Jen Ruske and Anthony Castro for brunch at NY's only South African restaurant, Madiba.

Rough-hewn interiors splashed with bursts of African color create a cozy yet exotic ambiance at Madiba, and while not terribly efficient, the friendly waitstaff greeted us warmly enough (a small miracle in a city bloated with would-be actors bitter at the money-making idea of serving diners).

A very nice starter consisted of cornmeal porridge topped with lamb sausage and chakalaka, a traditional South African vegetable relish studded with tiny soft beans.

Cafe Drake and Anthony loved a main of Bobotie (ground lamb and beef cooked with various herbs and raisins and draped in a ceiling of baked egg custard). Condiments included a cucumber and yogurt salad, mango chutney and saffron-tinted rice. Pappadums crowned the generous plate and further clarified the Indian connection to this nation's cuisine.

Jen supped on a competent (according to her trusted review) burger and very decent fries.

If you visit Cafe Drake regularly, you know we're no real devotees of sweets, but Madiba's warm, runny cake/pudding known as Malva is final course crack on a plate. Vanilla, gentle warm spices and a caramel sauce make this a destination dessert.