Café Dijo; the foodie’s getaway

If you are a regular at Kgale Hill shopping complex, you probably have passed this little piece of haven tucked away in a corner and not given it a second thought.

The haven offers foodies a hearty meal, good ambience and an award winning welcome from the 14 staffers and director of the restaurant. The reception is an invitation for visitors to return for more and bring their friends along. This is Café Dijo, an eatery that specialises in serving its growing clientele breakfast and lunch.

Open from seven in the morning to cater for the early birds who might want to catch a much-needed cup of coffee, tea or whatever poison, we are talking about hot beverages here as it will be too early to be talking about anything a little stronger, plus strong beverages are only served from midday, Café Dijo is that special place where one can just escape to and map their way in a peaceful corner.

For customers who might wish to have a bit of privacy, the inviting doors of the restaurant will offer a serene corner that will allow them to listen to their thoughts or chat with a friend over a cup of coffee. And for those who might want to sit in the courtyard and enjoy the scene, there is ample space for them to unwind and enjoy their favourite meals with a drink.

On the menu, one can find an array of salads that range from Thai Beef, Thai Chicken Salad, Chicken Caesar, Roast Veg & Humus all going for a small fee of P79 each, as well as the salmon salad that goes for P120. Take it from us when we say that the Thai Chicken Salad is something else, the dish can feed two people, and its colourful presentation (if you are a foodie you will know that presentation and colour is everything) is enough to send one to food heaven.
Other favourites on the menu include breakfast (inclusive of one fried egg, toast, two grilled tomatoes, & bacon) all going for a small donation of P30.

For those who might wish for cereal, oats is just P25, and there are other varieties that come in the form of health breakfast. As for those who might wish to have a hearty meal at lunch, every week there is a special that changes weekly.

For this week, it’s the Beef & chicken Stir fry served with butternut risotto & summer salad and unbelievably you would expect a meal like this to go for more than P100, but it’s reasonably priced at P80. One of the dishes for which customers keep coming back is the Chicken livers served with two pieces of toast.

The saucy livers are given a special taste with the barbecue sauce that is made in-house. On a hectic Tuesday morning, Style popped into the café for a chat with Supervising Manager, Roy Mosothwane who explains that the café has been operational for ten years now. He explains that their target market is everyone who enjoys a meal that is exceptionally prepared.

They specialise in breakfast and lunch but don’t offer dinner. “We are very welcoming to everyone who walks through our doors. We are very accommodating to everyone and our café sells food that’s very affordable,” he says adding that this is the secret that has seen them opening their doors each and every morning for ten years now.

Owned by Williem Scholtz, Mosothwane explains that the way that they delicately and intricately prepare their food is the reason that their clientele keeps coming back for more.  He also explains that when it comes to their specials, it’s all in the way that the meal is prepared. They offer their customers something new and different every week. “We offer them something that they can’t make themselves at home,” he notes.

Décor wise he notes that it’s a collection of whatever caught the eye of those tasked with giving the café a special touch, collected from their travels and even locally. “It is giving us a unique set-up,” he notes. Café Dijo is open from 0700 HRS -1630 HRS. And the kitchen stays open until 1600hrs. Alcoholic beverages are served from 1200hrs-1430hrs.