Guggenheim Museum by night Visit the highlights in Spain’s Basque Country to enjoy the best in architecture and cultural heritage. (@IshayGovender), for The National, Aug 2018 Three weeks in the Basque Country, an autonomous region in northern Spain, where the icy waves of the Bay of Biscay meet the misty green valleys, may be [...]
shot by Claire Gunn Mealie Pap. A South African Breakfast For All (@IshayGovender), For Extra Crispy My Recipes, April 2018 On cold mornings, I recall my mother bustling about in our suburban South African kitchen, ladling out bowls of creamy mealie meal pap or porridge. Hot from the saucepan, she’d stir in a little [...]
A road trip through Portugal’s dazzling south, for Woolworth's TASTE Magazine, April 2018. From atop of the ragged schist cliffs of Praia do Castelejo near Vila do Bispo in the western Algarve, a paraglider launches, with long strides and a short run-up. He lifts off and floats over the golden sands below, a circle of surfers [...]
Gilbert's Lamb Curry Traveling across South Africa, Ishay Govender goes in search of a curry that defines the nation. Written for Fine Dining Lovers. Is there one definitive dish that South Africans love and prepare? It’s common knowledge that the country comprises a variety of cultural, ethnic and religious groups, with as [...]
Taste Magazine Jamaican Jerk – succulent barbequed meat - rubbed in a savoury, spicy paste and turned over fragrant hardwood coals is central to the food culture in Jamaica. Ishay Govender takes a big bite….Written for taste magazine, October 2017. “I DON’T EAT IT, but I’ll jerk it for the people,” Nikuma Carl [...]
Based in U.S since 1988, Dominique Crenn, the only woman in the country with a two-star Michelin restaurant: Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, talks to Ishay Govender about her home town of Brittany, France, DNA testing and calls out the BS amongst chefs. Written for Woolworths Taste Magazine, September 2017 issue. I go for it [...]
Ishay Govender-Ypma dines with Slow Food founder and president Carlo Petrini in Paternoster, and holds back on the big questions. Inevitably some of the big answers reveal themselves over delectable skewers of springbok with wild rosemary. Written for Taste Magazine Springbok with wild rosemary It was a moment meant for the [...]
Waterfront. Perth Food Guide. Perth, in Australia’s southwest, is said to be the most isolated city in the country. It’s calm and laid back with a young but growing food scene. This Perth Food Guide was written for Fine Dining Lovers, 7 June 2017. American English used. Central Bites Moana Coffee - [...]
Nostalgia, for a homeland long departed, lies at the core of the Cuban diaspora’s quest for cultural identity. Dishing out memories at the kitchen table is one way that the legacy is passed on. Written for Financial Mail Travel Magazine, May 2017 Dining on Memories of La Patria by Ishay Govender-Ypma written for Financial [...]
Zayaan Khan, image by Ishay Govender-Ypma Food activist, seed librarian and community-driven leader, Zayaan Khan is changing the foodscape from the ground up. Written for Kulula's inflight magazine, Khuluma, 21 June 2017 Food As Sustenance, Knowledge, Life “Try this,” Capetonian Zayaan Khan (32) says, a headscarf draped loosely bandana-style over her cropped [...]
Riga, the cultural capital of the Baltics is offering up lighter, more refined versions of Latvian staples. Written by Ishay Govender-Ypma (@IshayGovender) for Fine Dining Lovers. Riga, image Shutterstock Often referred to as the pearl of Latvia in Central Eastern Europe, capital city Riga lies at the mouth of the Daugava River and along [...]
Taste of the Swahili Coast - Swahili Food The Swahili Coast runs from southern Somalia to northern Mozambique, a unique cultural melting pot that reflects in the cuisine. For Fine Dining Lovers, July 2016. In the village of Alfeneseni, outside Zanzibar, an east African island popular with holidaymakers for its pristine white shores and [...]
The Baltic regions are on the rise. We explore the splendour of nearby Poland, still shedding the cloak of communism and forging a new identity. Poland - More Than Pierogi & Vodka for Food and Home Entertaining Magazine, March 2016. Fall of the Iron Curtain Classic Pierogi If it’s pierogi – the eponymous Polish [...]
For ancient history and culture enthusiasts, adventurous eaters and bargain hunters, Istanbul is the ideal destination for a vibrant vacation. Immerse yourself in old traditions juxtaposed with new trends. Ishay Govender-Ypma explores. For Sure Travel Journey Magazine. For one night only On my most recent visit to Istanbul, I stayed for just one night. What [...]
Want to know where to stay, what to eat, where to shop and what to see? Here's insider's guide to Cape Town. For Singapore Priority Magazine. STAY: Ellerman House Serene Ellerman House, one of Cape Town’s swankiest addresses, is sparkling after a property-wide refurbishment. The décor reflects aquatic blues and greens, an enviable and relevant art [...]
Head in the clouds - Panorama Route In need of a break and a change of scenery, Ishay Govender-Ypma and her husband packed the car and headed for the Panorama Route on a simple quest: explore, unwind and recharge. For Getaway Magazine, May 2015. It’s the gateway to Kruger, but the tumbling geography that plunges through [...]
The Story of the Knysna Oyster - a complicated journey to the plate oysters in Kynsna The Knysna oyster farms have been shut for years, yet the town still retains its title of oyster capital of South Africa. Where do the oysters we consume come from? From rocky surface to the chilled restaurant [...]
A taste of the Bo-Kaap - Colouring the streets Beyond the colourful homes and winding streets, the rich history of the descendants of the Bo-Kaap, South Africa unfolds. Ishay Govender-Ypma spends time with a resident guide. A taste of the Bo-Kaap For The Times, 4 March 2015. Houses in the Bo-Kaap, Cape Town [...]
Chennai Food Guide Formerly Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai is known for its conservatism, fiery Chettinad curries, vegetarian thalis and milky Madras coffee. For Fine Dining Lovers It’s in Chennai that I start to appreciate the Asian preference for not just the savoury breakfast, but also the spicy one of idlis (fermented rice [...]
Banting Banter An introduction to Banting: Is there room for bread? Banting and the Tim Noakes diet have been the talk of almost every dinner party and social gathering I’ve attended in the last few months. A number of friends and Twitter followers have confirmed that this has been their experience too. Many [...]
