We were excited when we heard that Braai was opening in Sandnes. Braai is short for "braaivleis" and in Afrikaans (which is one of the 11 official languages in South Africa) this means "to grill meat over open flame". In South Africa, it is also synonymous with a picnic where you grill. I start with this information as Nikki is from South Africa and thus it is important to define it properly. Braai is located by Sandnes Kulturhus and I was there on a Saturday in November. We were a larger group and of course we booked in advance and in that process, we also pre-ordered the food. In the future I would like to see a proper website where you can book a table and see the menu!
When we sat down, the appetizer was served extremely fast– actually before we had the opportunity to order wine. I understand that it is not so easy to deal with a group of 10 and that there were several other guests, but it got off to a slightly hectic start as the appetizer was served 4 minutes after we had the table booking!! My starter was three sausages, and I’m not surprised to see this is on the menu as they have some wonderful sausages in South Africa (traditionally called Boerewors)! The sausages were great and were served with 3 dips and it was exciting to be able to combine different sausages with different dips.
The main course selection includes food like pulled pork, spareribs, chicken and burger – and you can also get a proper tomahawk steak! I chose pulled pork that had been in smoker for 9 hours and that was served with mashed potatoes, coleslaw and beans. This was lovely and I loved the meat and the side dishes! This dish cost 380 kroner and I would have enjoyed a slightly larger portion. I also tasted the chicken, and it was also fantastic as it was super juicy and tender! The wine list at the restaurant is not extensive (only 6 reds) and in my mind, they should have more South Africa wines on the list. Speaking of wishes – I'd love to see more traditional side dishes on the menu. Braai is not only a matter of meat, but also a matter of lots of delicious vegetables and salads. I am used to Chakalaka, pap (something like polenta), butternut squash, Portuguese Rolls etc. But I understand that these side dishes might be to special for the average Norwegian restaurant visitor.
I hope that the restaurant takes my rants as "constructive feedback" and not as complaining. I'd like to drop by again to taste more because it was really good food - but then I'm probably going to just go as a couple and order à la carte. Thanks for the meal Braai!
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