EXPECT THE unexpected
“On family outings, as soon as the wheels of the car are turning, it’s going somewhere to eat,” laughs Melissa de Villiers, who, at just 25 years old, is head chef of Pajamas & Jam. Her older sister and general manager of the restaurant, Natasha de Villiers, jumps in: “My mom has always had an open-kitchen policy at home; we all cook. We thought everyone grew up like that, with food at the centre of their lives.”
Pajamas & Jam is housed in an industrial warehouse in an area just outside of Strand in Cape Town. The first sign that this is no ordinary venue is a salvaged aircraft hanging off a building at the corner of Van Zyl Street, where the restaurant is located. This eclectic eatery is truly deserving of the title “hidden gem”, as it’s chock- full of treasures. The charm starts at the door with a sign on it that states: “Push it. Push it real good”.
Once you’re through, a world far removed from the prosaic industria of the street awaits. French music reverberates around the warehouse, and antiques and all manner of curiosities twinkle and gleam in the light. Though it’s well past lunchtime on a weekday, there are at least 40 people inside, idling over coffees and chatting at various tables scattered throughout the space.
The walls are covered with colourful prints, a
