Introducing Gigi

It’s been an exciting few months for the immensely talented Moses Moloi, the young chef who has cut his teeth under the mentorship of some of South Africa’s culinary greats, including Peter Tempelhoff and David Higgs. Last year he was awarded the 85th position on the global platform The Best Chef Awards and this year he has Joburg abuzz with the opening of his new restaurant Gigi, in Waterfall City.

The restaurant, which is billed as contemporary South African, has a decidedly international twist, and is very much a culinary journal of the chef’s journey to date. At Gigi, the chef draws inspiration from, and pays homage to, the restaurants he’s worked at so far. Touchpoints of South American, Japanese, and European cuisine meet a host of South Africa’s favourite dishes, flavours, and ingredients.

The interiors too lean into this global-meets-local fusion, with a muted palette of earth tones and neutrals, expressed in raw African materials and luxurious textiles, juxtaposed with pops of bold, colourful florals. It’s calming, elegant, and sophisticated without being flashy, and the focal point is the white marble bar behind which the chefs can be seen at work in the open kitchen.

The menu is divided into small plates, salads, mains, and grill options — an offering that has proven popular with Joburg’s restaurant clientele. The small plates include Moloi’s famous oxtail vetkoek — a dish he came up with at Zioux and which he’s now given a Gigi twist, here serving it with morogo, ginger tamarind, and onion seasoning. The seabass ceviche is another, with the delicate fish served with elements of citrus and textures of seaweed. The salad offering features the likes of fillet steak and sweet potato, chicken and grains, as well as a clever twist on prawn toast.

On to the mains and the deboned, coal-grilled baby chicken is a firm favourite, accompanied by charred corn, corn purée, jacket potato, and spring onion, creating a dish as flavourful as it is vibrant. The chef’s signature oxtail also makes an appearance on this menu segment, where it’s available as a twist on a traditional plate of meat, pap, and veg, or as ravioli with a red-wine jus and almonds.

The grill section offers a host of classic cuts of pork, lamb, and beef, all cooked over coals and served with a salad and jus. Expect the likes of 28-dayaged Angus sirloin, pork tomahawk, and lamb rack, with ultra-crispy duckfat potatoes, charred, honey-glazed pumpkin, and romesco cauliflower available as optional sides.

For dessert, Moloi leans into childhood favourites and South African classics. The age-old favourite of jelly and custard is elevated to new heights, with the chef’s iteration featuring a rooibos jelly, vanilla custard, and raspberry sorbet. The Gigi malva takes the local pudding and gives it a twist with textures of coconut, salted caramel, and a peach and amasi ice cream.

When it comes to wine and cocktails, Moloi has enlisted the help of former colleague Lester Riffel — previously at Fyn — and the cellar already displays a glorious selection of beautiful South African wines. Gigi is a welcome addition to Joburg’s dining scene, with the chef delivering an experience that is elegant, unfussy, and refined while wonderfully telling his story throughout the menu.