Opened in 1998, 10 Degrees South is one of a few South African restaurants in Atlanta. The others are Cape Dutch and Yebo, operated by the same owners.

Surprising, we have so many Ethiopian restaurants but only a couple South African restaurants in Atlanta. Situated off Roswell Road, 10 Degrees South is one of those charming, classy restaurants that for whatever reason, stays under the radar in the Atlanta dining scene.

The food, a unique blend of spices and flavors I can never put my finger on, and something I think would be quite complex to replicate at home. Since opening in 1998, the building has gotten a complete overhaul. What was once a small house, has now been transformed into a spacious and well-appointed dining area.

Our server, extremely well-versed on the menu, recommended a couple starters for us: Calamari, Sosaties (skewered beef in an apricot curry sauce over rice). I’d never had unfried calamari before visiting 10 Degrees South, and love this take on the popular seafood item.

If you go, you must try the Sosaties. Swimming a mix of spices my tongue desperately tried but failed to identify, this dish with it’s sweet and savory appeal won’t let you down. 10 Degrees South has a phenomenal wine selection, with very generous pours that compliment the dishes well. I tried two different South African reds during my visit and both were well matched to my selections.

For entrees, I was tempted by the Ostrich medallions, which I’d had in the past and they didn’t disappoint. But as I wanted something authentically South African, I ordered the Bobotie, a sweet ground beef mixture topped with a custard. Trust me when I tell you the picture (shown at the bottom of the post with the recipe) doesn’t do this dish justice. It just explodes with flavor. Think of it as South African Shepherd’s Pie, which is the best way I can describe it. Instead of peas, carrots etc, this “pie” of sorts has apples, apricots and raisins. And 10 Degrees South was kind enough to share the recipe with me, which I’ve posted at the bottom of this post.

We also sampled the chicken curry. The spice blend on the dishes at 10 Degrees South is insanely good. And don’t worry – while there are lots of spices, it isn’t hot spicy like some Indian and Thai food can be. Although it doesn’t come with either dish we ordered, we did try the sambals, which are the South African equivalent of grits. Except these grits are more solid and less liquidy than southern grits. While I’m not much of a grits fan, these were a pleasant diversion from traditional southern grits.

 

While I quite enjoyed the flan we sampled, the winning dessert was Di’s Delight, a moist sponge cake, made daily by the owner’s mother. Overall, the menu at 10 Degrees South still has items that are more neutral like prawns, mussels, and even barbecue chicken should you have non-adventurous eaters in the mix. But it really is worth it to explore the menu. None of the spices or any ingredients are that foreign than what you’ve had before, and who knows, you might just fall in love with this unique cuisine. There’s nothing else like 10 Degrees South in Atlanta, which why this delightful restaurant remains one of my favorite Atlanta restaurants.

4183 Roswell Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
404 705 8870
Website

Extras: There is a beautiful enclosed patio perfect for group get-togethers or a girls night out!

Bobotie Recipe

Serves 4-6

2 pounds of ground beef
1 ½ cups of onion
2 cloves of garlic
Salt/pepper
2 Granny Smith Apples (grated)
1 cup of Apricot Preserve
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of raisins
2 to 3 tablespoons of curry powder (depends on how spicy you want it to be)
1 tablespoon of tumeric
2 bay leafs

Sautee onions and garlic until soft and translucent. Add ground beef, salt and pepper and stir until the meat has browned. Add curry powder, tumeric, brown sugar and apricot preserves. Stir until well combined, then add the grated apple. Let it cook for about five minutes, then add the raisins. Once the raisins have plumped up (after about five minutes) take the mixture off the stove and drain any excess oil (and there will be – it depends on how much fat content is in the ground beef you buy).

Let it cool down and then put a couple of bay leaves in the bottom of your dish and then add the mixture.

Custard Topping:
3 Eggs
1 cup of milk and a little cream
Salt and pepper
Cinnamon

Beat all of the above and pour over the meat and bake for +-30 minutes in a 375 degree oven until golden brown.

This delicious dish may be baked in a larger container for a crowd to share or into individual portions, depending upon how you’d like to serve it.