What does a professional chef make for dinner at home? We speak to one.
When you are determined to make it, there is nothing that can stop you.
And sometimes, standing in front of a sink washing dishes can be a drag on anyone’s ambition.
But head chef at The Italian Kitchen, Mandla Donga, never saw it as a forever job. It was a stepping stone almost two decades ago, and he paid his dues along the way.
“It started as just a dishwashing job, but I kept watching the chefs, learning skills, moving into sushi and sauces. That is when I realised cooking was more than work. It was my calling,” he said.
His brother, also a chef, gave him extra drive.
“I saw how much he enjoyed it, and I thought, let me try and walk the same path. That is when I knew I had to take it seriously.”
Before joining The Italian Kitchen at Emperors Palace in 2019, he was head chef at a Mozambik restaurant in Johannesburg.
“Running Mozambik meant managing the kitchen, the staff, the stock, and making sure every plate was something I could be proud of. It was tough, but it taught me discipline and responsibility. Those lessons shaped me.”
The Italian Kitchen, he said, cemented his career.
“Opening a brand-new restaurant was exciting and pressured, but it gave me the chance to show what I could do. I have been here since then, and it feels like home.”
The kitchen feels like home
Italian food is more than the clichés, he explained.
“People think it is only about pizza, but it is so much more. We do pastas, seafood, steaks and salads. The variety is what makes it fun. Still, a great pizza is about the base, the sauce and the toppings working together. Get that right and people will always come back.”
His personal favourite is pasta.
“I love making it because you can play with the sauces. It is creamy, comforting, and a plate that always makes people smile. I often recommend it to customers, and many return to say how much they enjoyed it. That is a great feeling.”
That feeling is what drives him.
“When someone takes a bite and says, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’ that is what pushes me. It tells me I am on the right track, but it also challenges me to do better next time.”
Compliments challenge him
Having been with the restaurant since its opening, Donga has become an integral part of its identity.
“People know me here. They will say, if you go to The Italian Kitchen, Mandla will look after you. That makes me proud because it means I am not just cooking food, I am creating something people remember.”
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Cooking, he said, is all about patience.
“You do not rush it, and you do not cut corners. You build flavour in stages, and presentation matters just as much. People eat with their eyes. Garnish, colour and balance all add to the experience. Cooking with love means caring about every detail, not just the taste.”
As the year-end approaches, he is preparing for large functions and parties.
“Big events mean pressure, but after twenty years in kitchens, you know how to handle it. You prepare, you plan, and then you execute.”
Hours are long, but he finds time to reset.
“At home, I plan for the next day, then relax with a movie. In the morning, I go to the gym before work. It clears my head and gets me ready.”
Cooking for his family is another outlet.
“Sometimes I make restaurant-style meals, other times I keep it simple. I like trying new things for them too.”
And when the kitchen gets busy, he turns to music for rhythm.
“I enjoy R and B. Not too loud, just enough to keep the vibe going. Sometimes I even dance while I cook.”
