Best Tembisa barman has a dream

Rudolph Mkhonto is a barman specialising in cocktail making and he has served in top restaurants around the country.

Currently, Rudolph is the creative mind behind the MT Lounge’s tantalising and colourful cocktails.

As a young boy he dreamed of becoming a professional football player but fate had different plans for him.

“Family financial problems forced me to look for a job at a young age.

I was a waiter for two years and I enjoyed it.

I underwent training and learnt different skills like holding three plates on each hand and how to manoeuvre between restaurant tables quickly,” said Rudolph.

He said he got so used to such restaurant skills that he would sometimes forget himself when he was hanging around with friends.

“I would find myself holding three plates even when I was serving friends and families.

At first I would look at other waiters showing off their skills but when I became a waiter I quickly got bored.

I wanted to do something different so I applied for a job at a restaurant where one of my friends was a barman.

The restaurant owner gave me a chance to serve as a barman.

My friend was very helpful and he taught me everything I know about cocktails.

I gained a lot of confidence when I started to work shifts alone.

When other barmen were assigned to private events, I would be left alone.

Customers were happy with my work and management started to notice my capabilities,” said the MT Lounge barman.

He said he was proud of himself when he first learned to mix a cocktail with a variation of colours.

Now he reckons he is the best cocktail maker in Tembisa.

“I now have my own recipes. When a customer is not sure what they want I ask them their favorite colours and then mix an improvised cocktail drink. The drinks have different names like Strawberry Daiquiri and it usually comes in red. The customer decides whether she/he wants it shaken or blended.

There’s a cocktail called Flaming Lamborghini which is served with burning flames in the glass.

There’s Strawberry Margarita that comes in different colours in the same glass.

I can mix those and many more and I know that is a skill that sets me apart.

Rudolph cites the launch of the MT Lounge as being his best moment in the industry.

“We had big names of the South African entertainment industry, namely the likes of Khanyi Mbawu, Sophie Ndaba say they were pleased with my cocktails.

“No cocktail was returned to the bar. As a barman you learn every day. One day I want to travel and work on ships.”

He said to be a well recognised barman takes dedication and a prospective barman needs to respect the job.

“Working with cocktails doesn’t give you a right to drink on the job. I have friends who are also working as barmen and we boast amongst ourselves about our skills.”

Asked about the viability of owning a restaurant business in the township, Rudolph said Kasi people think that restaurants are a waste of money.

“Traditional restaurants that serve food only cannot survive in the township. People prefer restaurants that also serve alcohol beverages.

“We should build the culture of taking our children to township restaurants so local restaurants survive.

“When you open a restaurant in the township, get the best barman to mix the best cocktail drinks.

Mostly we have women as cocktail customers but sometimes we do have men who order cocktails like the Long Island cocktail,” he explained.

Rudolph serves at private events so if you want to enlist his cocktail experience, call him on 063 336 4918.