Like most boys raised in the Pretoria township of Soshanguve, food entrepreneurs Karabo Mpiriane, Letlhogonolo Leballo and Andile Khumalo knew Sunday mornings often smelled like seven colours of heavenly food.
From the crack of dawn, the aromas from bubbling pots of all sizes from homes in the township would permeate the air as gospel music blasted in the background.
“I grew up watching cooking shows. When I was bored, I would go through my mother’s recipe books but I did not think that one day it would grow into being such a big passion,” Mpiriane says.
RECIPE: This mouth-watering potjie is on fire!
While Leballo echoes Mpiriane’s sentiments, adding that the forced cooking lessons from his late mother led him to his purpose.
“It was not my dream to be in the kitchen, however the skills are there. This business has also brought out my passion for cooking, so it has pushed me to tap into a world that has always been a part of me,” Leballo admits.
Along with Khumalo, Mpiriane and Leballo are the founders of Dulcis Cuisine, a Sunday pop-up eatery in Shoshanguve. “Cooking is one hobby that turned into a passion, the passion has now grown into a business,” says Mpiriane.
A brotherhood in the kitchen
It is always a jubilant atmosphere in the Mpiriane kitchen every Sunday morning as the trio recreates some of their fondest childhood foods.
“Sundays in the kitchen when mom is cooking, is something you can never forget. You already know that it’s Sunday when you wake up and the house is smelling different already.”
Dulcis Cuisine founder Karabo Mpiriane
Leballo and Khumalo extended their hand in investment to push Mpiriane’s greatest dream of exploring his passion for cooking after he became a victim of job loss due to Covid-19.
It is this same brotherhood that serves a Sunday lunch of contemporary kasi dishes to clients who enjoy an indulgence of food and music in a casual environment.
Asked what their favourite meal is, they collectively say “potjie”.
“It’s all about love because Karabo loves cooking, so we took it upon ourselves to push a fellow brother’s dream,” Khumalo says.
Since its inception in August 2021, Dulcis Cuisine has been the pride and cornerstone of their brotherhood. Derived from the Latin language, “dulcis” means sweet (of food) and charming (of people), and the trio tries to make both meanings true through their eatery.
While the method of cooking boasts an element of sweetness from time to time, the eatery itself captures the charm of being served by male-only staff – a not-so-usual sight.
A leap of faith pays off
Leballo adds that the eatery gives them as owners an escape from reality. “It eases down a lot of things in our personal lives that run through our heads, because we always have something exciting to look forward to each week.”
“With something like this… Come any Sunday, you know that there is a place where you can have a proper meal and have a good time while at it,” Mpiriane adds.
Khumalo says his biggest highlight in their journey so far was the first day they opened their doors.
RECIPE: This mouth-watering potjie is on fire!
“It was frightening and the leap of faith came at a cost. We didn’t know what to expect or if we would make it to the next Sunday with the same confidence in the idea.”
From being sold out in the first few weeks of operation to endless explorations of new recipes, Dulcis Cuisine has become a hub of passion for food. Owned proudly by three friends bonded by the brotherly love they formed as childhood friends.
Together, they plan to take the culinary world by storm with edgy ways of bringing people from all walks of life together in the name of food.
“We want to turn DC into a fully functional restaurant situated at a set place where we will be able to employ people permanently and open every day,” Mpiriane says.
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