Zunzi’s
108 E York St
Savannah, GA
Throughout our eating adventures we hadn’t yet come across a South African restaurant, so it serendipitous that we found Zunzi’s, a South African lunch spot in Savannah, whilst on our prolific BBQ tour. Zunzi’s is tucked into a cute brick building in a quiet street of Savannah (which is a pretty cute place full of cute brick buildings). Tired and sweaty traveler be forewarned, though, Zunzi’s is only a stand-up counter, so you have to take your food to go or eat it outside on the patio.
Inside, Zunzi’s is barely bigger than a breadbox, though there is just enough room for the extensive menu to be written above the counter. The menu boasted a variety of South African-inspired favorites like a Boerewors sausage sandwich (5.95) and an assortment of salads and entrees, with a special section dedicated to vegetarian options. M ordered the Old Indian town Curry Curry Stew (7.50), influenced by the sizable South Asian population in South Africa, while I opted for the Conquistador Roast Chicken Sandwich (7.50), an admittedly more Americanized choice. When our food arrived we were absolutely shocked by the portions, each was big enough for 2 hungry eaters (and we were). Take a look at that curry! M enjoyed the hearty pea, carrot and potato curry, though it might have been a little mild for his fire-breathing tastes. My chicken sandwich was basically the size of a whole baguette, as you can see below, and was completely overstuffed with fresh roasted chicken. I especially liked the 2 mystery dips on the side – one was a riff on a tangy thousand island, and other was a creamy garlic sauce.
Even though it was sweltering outside, we decided to rest our feet at the outside patio, which was decked out with rainbow umbrellas. We were joined by an array of lunching Savannah College of Art and Design summer school students, also enjoying some midday nosh. With the breeze, despite the Georgian heat, it made for a quite pleasant lunch al fresco. We can definitely understand who they attracted a bustling lunch crowd. The first question we were asked when we relayed our daytrip to Savannah was if we visited Paula Deen’s restaurant – well, we saw the building – but give us the gut-busting portions at Zunzi’s any day.
Eating The World 