Bibis Kitchen, Wynberg

Updated: 26-01-2022

If you are into Indian food and live in the southern Suburbs, you are bound to be familiar with the well-established Bibis Kitchen in Broad Road, Wynberg. Since inception in 1987 they had both a restaurant and separate takeaway store adjacent to the restaurant.

Bibis celebrated their 30^th birthday anniversary in 2017 and with good reason do they have that staying power. They have moved to adjust to the change in customer preference and their quality is unparalleled. Since closing the restaurant in 2007, their focus has been on their revamped takeaway store that caters to sit downs as well. The store decor is simple yet trendy with orange and white chairs and wall mosaics.

There is ample parking right outside and they also offer home delivery through Mr Delivery. There is seating available if you prefer to eat there, however it could possibly accommodate around 30-35 people at one seating. Large groups may want to call in advance. The one aspect that needs improvement is the provision for a restroom in store for customers to use. As it is mainly a takeaway the need might not have arisen for a public restroom, however since the revamp there is a need for it as some people prefer to sit down. They do provide a wash basin to wash your hands after your meal.

Bibis mostly offers North Indian cuisine. They have a wide range of chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian dishes. They also offer basic takeaway meals for those who prefer a regular burger, sandwich or hotdog. For those who like a starter, there is a savoury counter where you can buy some hot samosas or pies to munch on while you wait for you meal.

Not only that, if you have a sweet tooth and want to round off your meal, they have a great range of dessert such as pistachio kulfi, mango cheesecake, rasmalai, trifle and even falooda or a mango lassi. Apart from the dessert counter, they also have a cake counter with delightful mini cakes, koeksisters and cupcakes. For anyone who needs pre-packed biscuits to save yourself the baking effort, you can buy those at the cake counter too. This adds to the value that Bibis provides in terms of convenience foods, cakes, biscuits and savouries. Let’s face it sometimes we just don’t have time to cook or bake.

Having tasted their butter chicken, prawn chaat, lamb breyani, prawn moghlai, grilled kingklip, grilled prawns, tandoori fillet and masala steak sandwich: I can attest to the fact that every dish is as appetizing and tasty as it looks. I personally prefer the Indian dishes as it is as authentic as one can get in Cape Town, especially since I have a preference for North Indian cuisine. The Indian dishes are prepared by a chef from India.

I must admit their masala steak sandwich did hit the spot too, although I found it a bit steep in price. The price range is above average, although one does not mind due to the consistent quality. The curries and breyanis are value for money in that it feeds at least 2 people. I could not finish any meal on my own apart from the masala steak sandwich (I visited on two or three different occasions). I loved their vegetable and mince samoosas. It was really some of the best I have tasted. On that, did I mention they sell frozen savouries? If you ever run late and can’t make something to take to an event, Bibis can help you out.

Their signature dish is the prawn chaat, trust me you do not want to leave Bibis without trying it. It was most definitely my favourite. It was fresh, warm, creamy, tasty and the chilli was perfect to suit any palette. The prawns in the prawn chaat were large and the puris it was served with were soft and flaky. None of their curries are too spicy, it caters to a wide audience. However, you can request your meal to be more spicy if you like. You have a choice of rice, naan or chapatti that comes standard with any curry.

The mango lassi is refreshing, I felt the consistency may have been a tad too thick. However that did not take away from the delicious taste.

If you enjoy ice-cream, you must try the pistachio kulfi. It took me back to India. It was the perfect mix of cardamom, pistachio, creamy and sweet.

Lastly, their koeksisters are quite literally off the hook! They are award-winning (yes, KFM best koeksister competition).

Overall a very pleasant food experience, with top quality food. Definitely some of the most authentic and tasty Indian dishes that Cape Town has to offer.