Two Hot ‘Dark Kitchen’ Food Brands Spicing up the Jozi Food Scene

Hot off the grill… two brand-new locally inspired food brands are now available via the delivery app, Uber Eats, in the Sandton and Rosebank areas!

Two exciting new food delivery brands offering wholesome, uncomplicated foods have been launched in Johannesburg. Dhaba and Gimba are both proudly South African brands, and both will emanate from the same kitchen. The practicality of these dark kitchen restaurants, available exclusively on the eat-on-demand app Uber Eats, will put food with all the elements of a family meal straight into their homes.

The convenience factor doesn’t need to be limited by geography — the beauty of food delivery means you can order via the app even if you don’t live in that area. How? Head to a park, office, or your friend’s house located within the delivery area and set that as your delivery location. So, what exactly can you expect when you order from Dhaba or Gimba?

Dhaba’s inspiration came from the allure and charm of traditional ‘Dhabas’ (food stalls) found in South Asia, but this ‘roadside-on–the-go’ style of food puts an innovative/modernised spin on the concept with modern Asian fusion flavours. The minimalism associated with traditional Dhabas is echoed in the creative menu, which is concise but not short on flavour and taste. Dhaba takes the concept of South Asian Street food staples and adapts them into dishes such as pilau burritos, kebab sandwiches, butter chicken burgers, masala-loaded fries, and other delicious snackable items. The menu draws from the diverse experience and palates of chefs who will develop a unique take on street food for the modern palate.

In the African context, colloquially, a ‘gimba’ is someone who loves to eat. If we are honest, there is a gimba inside most of us! The name is simple and honest, leaving you no doubt about what the food is: traditional African food. There are few places in the northern parts of Johannesburg that serve traditional African food – Gimba makes Tshisa Nyama accessible in the Rosebank and Sandton areas. A select menu focusing on around ten key offerings features traditional food with robust, hearty flavours and good portion sizes, emulating the eKasi experience. Think pap and nyama, magwinya (vetkoek), chicken and le dombolo (dumplings), kotas and even a 7-colour Sunday box filled with spiced grilled short rib, peri-peri chicken, freshly made pap, traditional pickled beetroot salad, kasi coleslaw and chopped chilli relish.

Both Dhaba and Gimba have been certified halaal by the National Independent Halaal Trust (NIHT).

The driving force behind these two new offerings, Millat Investments CEO Hamza Farooqui says, “Millat Investments has been looking for opportunities to expand into the food and beverage sector to create new income streams. The dark kitchen concept makes perfect sense because we are using existing facilities to provide South Africans with a different but very local food experience. A huge benefit of a dark kitchen approach is tapping into the resources – experienced staff are in place, and existing supply chains allow us to tap into the procurement process easily. Dhaba and Gimba will initially focus on the Rosebank and Sandton areas, with plans to take the brands to the Cape Town market at a later stage.”

“We will be assessing the performance of these new food ventures and have brought in local and international expertise to ensure further growth with new food brands and flavours that will delight tastebuds,” added Farooqui.

Mxolisi Bhebhe, Gauteng Territory Lead at Uber Eats, says, “Uber Eats is very excited to be growing the local cuisine offering on the app with the addition of Dhaba and Gimba through the dark kitchen concept. This is unique because we are partnering with Millat Investments to help scale this up. We believe this is a good way to unlock new revenue streams for the group – leveraging both brands and bringing exciting food choices to consumers in Johannesburg.”

The only question now is how fast can you download the Uber Eats app – if for some bizarre reason you don’t already have it – to get your Dhaba or Gimba fix? Imnandi!