Strewn across the Seven Hills, Lisbon’s azulejo (ceramic tile)-covered buildings stack together forming countless arches through which the famous yellow eléctricos, or trams pass, rickety over the cobblestones that are shiny with wear.
The salty tang of fresh kelp lifts on a crisp breeze, across the cream-colored sands of Die Krans in Paternoster, once the lookout for fishermen monitoring the weather. Kobus van der Merwe stands on the verandah of his sparse 20-seater restaurant, a 130-year-old fisherman’s cottage called Wolfgat, about two hours from Cape Town, overlooking this point.
A road trip through Portugal’s Dazzling South, 20 April 2018. Written by Ishay Govender 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 [...]
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 homeland of Brittany, DNA testing and calls out the BS amongst chefs…Written for Woolworths Taste Magazine, September 2017 issue. Dominique Crenn, image supplied I [...]
Before you head to Jamaica’s Caribbean beaches, immerse yourself in Kingston – the home of Bob Marley’s reggae, rhythm and blues. Written by Ishay Govender for Marie Claire, September 2017 issue. Thirty-six. Both Robert Nesta Marley’s age at death and the number of years that have passed since that fateful day in 1981. For his [...]
Elegant and trendy – Helsinki wears both well, as this harbourside capital of Finland caters to a smorgasbord of interests. A Helsinki Food Guide for Fine Dining Lovers. The culturally-curious, design and architecture nerds, snow-bunnies who seek cross-country skiing and ice–swimming, and gourmands, are amply provided for. REINDEER, SALMON & BERRIES Liisa Eskelinen, who founded Day [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
My Fave Road Trip Playlist - July 2016 I've been working on an engaging, demanding food project across South Africa this year. So far, we've spent time in 57 towns over about 80 nights and covered 11 500 km (excluding flights, of course), flying or driving back home to Cape Town in intervals to work and [...]
