It’s safe to say that we’ve got our comfortable share of burgers, pizza and Thai restaurants on the Central Coast. It’s getting out for a new flavour that can take quite a bit of research! And when it comes to South African cuisine, it’s definitely not a restaurant you’ll see on any street corner. That’s why we love Old Mates Kitchen at Wyong!

Situated just off the Wyong straight, this little gem was opened by the Dwyer family in December last year. South African couple, Chrissie and David run it with their two adult children, Nicholas and Kiera so it’s a real family affair. Opening the restaurant was always about bringing a piece of home to life for the Dwyers.

“Being an immigrant, there’s always things that you miss from home and we strive to provide that exact feeling of being at home, from the food, to the language and the South African hospitality. You will hear a lot of Afrikaans being spoken here and it might just make you feel like you are in South Africa,” said Chrissie.

Old Mate’s Kitchen has a standard menu that caters for South African and Australian palates during the week, but on Friday and Saturday nights they play up the menu which has been cheekily named the “Sexy Chef Special” and the team behind the scenes replicate much-loved meals from South Africa.

Their most popular dish is the Bunny Chow which is very hot Durban beef curry in a cob loaf as well as the Vetkoek and Mince, which is a deep-fried bread filled with savoury mince. Chrissie says they regularly have people travel up from Sydney just for the Bunny Chow.

Behind the counter, you’ll always find OMK’s famed dried meats. Biltong, a staple in South Africa, is a meat that’s been spiced and cured with vinegar and then air dried and served in slabs or small sticks. They also sell a South African jerky that makes for a super moreish snack, as well as the traditional Drywors, which is a dried South African style sausage and a must try for anyone wanting to try the real deal Afrikaans meat.

Don’t shy away from sampling the desserts either. Keep an eye out for the Milktart which is like a custard tart, but so much better and the Koeksisters (pronounced cook-sisters) which are twisted dough deep fried and then soaked in a syrup which is typically found at weddings or special events in South Africa.

“The easiest way for people to find out what's on the menu is to check out the Old Mate’s Kitchen Facebook page or do like our other customers do and book in without knowing what will be on the menu. It’s like going on a blind date, except this time you know it will be good,” said Chrissy.

Before you head off after your meal, check out Old Mate’s South African grocery range, which includes all the favourites straight from the homeland and stock up on the dried meats.

If you’re looking for something a little different, but at the same time, eating just like you’re at home, Old Mate’s Kitchen is the place to be.