When the late U.S restaurant critic Jonathan Gold wrote about food, he invariably commented on the irrational fear white Americans have of their neighbours, forging connections along the way. Ishay Govender breaks it down in our local context.(@IshayGovender), For Sunday Times, August 2018 The future is female.. Image: Yandisa Nazo/Ekse Lens Recently, a [...]
Kylie Kwong, seasoned chef and TV celebrity is loved for her Australian-Chinese food and her Australia-on-a-plate approach. We caught up with her recently. Written by Ishay Govender for Fine Dining Lover, 15 June 2017. Sydney-based chef and restaurateur, Kylie Kwong, opened her famed Billy Kwong restaurant in 2000. Since then, she’s appeared regularly on Australian [...]
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
Following the evocative rhythms of a city in rapid flux, Ishay Govender-Ypma immerses herself in the soundtrack of Havana, looking for clues that reveal its heartbeat. Havana City, Cuba's Vibey Capital. For Marie Claire SA, June 2017. Lunch Time Band THEY SAY YOU HEAR THE LIFE before you see it in Havana. Prior to my travels last [...]
Green Berlin is not the future, it is happening today. Berliners are propagating the message that cramped urban cities can transform to accommodate a safer, more sustainable future. Ishay Govender-Ypma examines three projects in progressive Kreuzberg. In 2011 former French Minister of Culture Jack Lang remarked: “Paris is always Paris, but Berlin is never Berlin.” Berlin is, [...]
If there’s a single nation whose food has received worldwide attention (and deserved adoration) of late, it must be that of Korea – South Korea, to be clear. And New York City serves up exemplary Korean food. The Best of Korean Food in New York City, written for Fine Dining Lovers. Mokbar Korean Ramen [...]
Ishay Govender-Ympa, a freelance travel and culture journalist, a former lawyer and always knows where to eat in any city. Here I speak about what it is like to travel in the time of Trump and why I protested in New York. Written for Marie Claire, 2 February 2017. Photo by Ishay Govender I [...]
Lunch with Slow Food's Carlo Petrini - a photo essay. On 17th August 2016, I attended a private lunch with Slow Food's Carlo Petrini, founder and president of the movement ( Slow Food International), on the last official day of his tour through South Africa, his first visit to southern Africa. Just prior to that he [...]
Cherae Robinson, founder of Tastemakers Africa chats to Mail & Guardian...
Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen - South African Soul with a French Touch Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, owner of JAN in France, is the first South African to be awarded a Michelin star. Ishay Govender-Ypma (@IshayGovender) chatted to him on his recent visit to South Africa. For Fine Dining Lovers, April 2016. Jan [...]
