TASTING INTOWN: 10 Degrees South Restaurant Review

By Art Huckabee

If you were to stop the average Atlantan on the street and ask them what they know about South African cuisine, you would probably get lots of blank stares. Moreover, judging by the recent survey news that one out of every four of us thinks that the sun revolves around the Earth, you’d probably get even more blank stares if you asked, “Where’s 10 Degrees South?” While the answer to the rst question can be somewhat complicated, the answer to the second is really quite simple; it’s right on Roswell Road in Buckhead.

For close to 15 years, 10 Degrees South has been providing Atlanta with the unique and multicultural cuisine that is South African. From its modest beginnings in a small bungalow to its present contemporary state, this restaurant has created quite a following with food that while o en very good can sometimes seem like expensive comfort food.

Our party of six arrived on a Wednesday night. ere is a warm and intimate feel about this place. e interesting artwork and lighting lets you know that someone cares just as much about the atmosphere as they do the food. A guitar-playing singer could be heard in the bar.

We chose a bottle of wine from the large selection of South African whites and reds. Many will recognize the South African professional golfer turned winemaker, Ernie Els, whose wine can be found several times on the list. ey also have a limited number of choices from other latitudes as well. Many selections can be had by the glass.

We tried a variety of small plates. e mussels were excellent. e accompanying baguette was the perfect vessel for sopping up the delicious white wine and garlic broth. e bobotie spring rolls were lled with a ground beef curry and served with a chutney. ey were crunchy good but maybe a little too sweet for many appetizer palates.

e sosatie, the South African version of a kabob or meat on a skewer, was tender beef let and also on the sweet side with its apricot curry. It had been de-skewered and sat atop a mound of Basmati rice, a staple side for many dishes. An order of garlic bread produced another very good baguette; the bread is good here.

We ordered the Filet “Au Poivre,” the rack of lamb, the prawns, the chicken curry and the chicken bobotie. e let was tender and had a nice peppercorn cream sauce. e beef was cooked to the correct level of doneness but it lacked a good sear. e accompanying medley of vegetables was well seasoned and spiced with a dash of red pepper ake. e mashed potatoes were simply prepared.

e lamb chops were good-sized and cooked to medium rare as ordered but, they, like the let, lacked the sear that a hotter grill would provide. Regardless, they were quite tasty and also accompanied by the vegetable medley and potatoes. e prawns were split open lengthwise and grilled in the shell with lemon butter. ey