Eating in Chef Mac's kitchen

There can only be one bull in this kraal," my grandfather used to say whenever one of his grandchildren got too big for his or her boots.

"Take me on at your own peril," was his unspoken message. Needless to say, none of us ever did.

Chef Mac Withojit, originally from Thailand inspires a similar deference among his staff at Thiptara at The Palace, The Old Town. Laughing and joking at quieter times, more serious as the restaurant fills up, not a single plate that he's not happy with will leave his kitchen.

Informed that the restaurant offers a chef's table — a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the man responsible for your gastronomic wellbeing — my companion and I didn't expect a table in a nook just off the main kitchen.

"Don't worry, we don't throw plates and stuff around here," Mac Daddy — as he became known at one of the restaurants in Cape Town he worked at — reassured us. "We might kick pots and pans, but we don't throw stuff — you're safe."

Sure and steady hand

True to his word, even when it heats up in there, the captain of this vessel steers it with a sure and steady hand.

Sitting in Chef Mac's kitchen is a bit like sitting in your mum's kitchen as a child — you feel directly involved in your meal, with a huge advantage: not being expected to do the dishes.

While we were entertained by one person chopping in one corner and various others frying, blanching and steaming away at their respective stations, Chef Mac settled in for a chat and revealed he actually enjoys meeting patrons — "even, or especially, when they're not happy" with something he's prepared. "I prefer to hear first hand what it is people enjoyed or what wasn't to their liking. Is it the salt? Lime? Another ingredient? Too spicy? Not spicy enough?

"By having people in my kitchen, they have direct access to me — and I to them," Chef Mac said.

And engage you he does — which is a pleasure, as he has interesting experiences and stories aplenty to share.

Seafood dimsum, the contents still steaming within the almost translucent pockets, was towered over by prawn tempura with a light dough that wasn't too oily. This was accompanied by beef and chicken satay, lightly grilled, crab cakes and the highlight: duck salad. The pieces of cold meat on the leaves and herbs balanced the warm dishes perfectly.

It was followed by tom yum and chicken soup — the tom yum could've been spicier, the creaminess of the chicken bowl broken effectively by a mystery ingredient we'd be introduced to later.

When it came to selecting mains, we didn't need as much input, with my soft spot for lamb shanks and my friend being a lover of seafood. His dish of mussels, scallops, prawns and other sea creatures coated in spices got the nod as did the lamb — soft, tender and falling off the bone, as expected.

The twist, Mac's selling point, was taking this usually rich and hearty dish and transforming it with the fruits, veggies, spices and herbs that define Thai cooking. This results in a fresh, almost crisp taste I've never experienced with lamb shanks.

"I like a challenge," Chef Mac explained this pairing. "Spending 14 years in South Africa I fell in love with lamb shanks. So it was only natural to combine it with the flavours from back home."

He learned quite a bit more about South Africa in his time there, as evidenced by his initial reluctance to reveal the source of a flavour we'd identified as close to lemongrass, yet different. "You don't want to say this in South Africa, but it's kaffir lemon — one of the basics in Thai cooking."

With that, a bagful is hauled to the table, along with other unusual fruits and vegetables.

Over dessert, fresh fruits and sorbet, Chef Mac continues threads of conversation he'd abandoned on earlier visits to attend to his staff: his competitive nature (he's still waiting for a Japanese chef to challenge him to a sushi cook-off), cooking in France ("I had fun, but Paris was way too cold!"), and of always trying to surprise himself (some of his staff are still amazed when the middle-aged chef arrives at work on a skateboard).

And that is what makes this worthwhile — instead of merely inviting you to the restaurant, Mac Daddy invites you into his kitchen, his domain, where he shares his life with you.