A father-son duo who've been smoking brisket before it was cool are ready to set your taste buds on fire with their new Woonona restaurant, Big Five Lapa.
The eatery is for meat-lovers or fans of South African cooking with traditional fares like Biltong, Boerewors sausage, meaty snacks like Droewors plus brisket burgers and wings.
The low and slow method of cooking meat hasn't been a trendy fad William Plotz jumped on, rather "it is the South African way".
"We grew up cooking with live fire ... that's what we do," said William Plotz.
William moved to Australia with his family in 1999, though his dad Johan made sure to pass on the legacy of traditional "low and slow" cooking methods to his children in their new surroundings.
William has been perfecting the craft ever since and has been travelling the country winning barbecue competitions left, right and centre.
His top tips for anyone attempting the low and slow method at home are: be patient, don't overthink it, and stay away from YouTube as it can "mislead".
"Get to know the unit you're cooking on, get to know it like a car and off you go, you'll get used to it," William said.
And if you're wondering what the exotic name means, it's a play on "big five" animals from the African jungle and "lapa" the South African word for gathering place - "a round area where everyone gets together and has a fire and cooks meat".
The new venture on the Princes Highway takes over from Time and Taste Indian. Currently it's open 8am to 3pm Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 3pm Sundays.
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Desiree Savage
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
