Amawele's, South African in the FiDi

Amawele's South African Kitchen
Rincon Center, 101 Spear St., Financial District
Phone: (415) 536-5900
Web: amawelessouthafricankitchen.com
Status: Open

San Francisco is making a foray into South African cuisine with the debut of Amawele's South African Kitchen, owned by twin sisters Pamela and Wendy Michaelson, who share chef duties with their mother, Nadia Drew. ("Amawele" is the Zulu/Ubuntu word for "twins.") South African cuisine is a hodgepodge of influences, incorporating traditional Khoisan, Xhosa, Zulu, and Sotho fare and ingredients with influences from the Dutch colonization, Indian laborers who emigrated in the 19th century, and the onetime sister Dutch colony of Indonesia. The resulting dishes include Cape Malay curry, which is fruity and not too spicy, heavy on turmeric and cumin; it's available here over rice or quinoa, with chicken or vegetables. Roti wraps are another option, filled with beans or chicken curry, and there's also bunny chow, bread stuffed with curried chicken; frikadella, meatballs with french fries inside a roll; and vetkoek, deep-fried dough balls stuffed with curried ground beef. See the full menu here.

The space is primarily a takeout/food-court operation, with some seating in the main Rincon Center plaza. Hours are 10 am-3 pm, Monday-Friday; you can call them before 10:30 to order food in advance for lunchtime.

· Amawele's South African Kitchen [Facebook]