Asian fusion meets award-winning Korean wings at Lakefield’s Origami

In the Benoni suburb of Lakefield, in Johannesburg, there is an Asian fusion restaurant called Origami that might grab your attention, based on the two-dimensional theme merged with the Japanese garden outside alone.

The menu treats you to a diverse range of Asian foods — you will be spoilt for choice. From Korean to Thai flavours, whether it’s sushi or a bowl of your favourite ramen, the restaurant caters to all tastes. 

One thing Origami was not known for was its Korean fried chicken wings — but it was nominated for radio station 947’s “Best Wings” competition in June and won it. 

The Mail & Guardian had to get a taste of these wings and — like the other items on the menu which we tried — they did not disappoint. 

Battered before they are fried, the wings’ crunch makes them a joy to bite into — but the real winner is the sauce. There is a subtle sweetness at first, followed by a spicy tingle, that makes you want to reach and pick up the next wing. 

The restaurant is owned by the Bhamjee family and one of its sons, Ismaeel, said it felt surreal when they found out they had won the competition. It had boosted the number of people coming to the restaurant. 

“Winning got the word out! People who had no idea that we existed, even though they live right around the corner, have been coming in for wings,” Bhamjee said.

“Every restaurant could do with an accolade. We needed it. It gave us the strength to keep putting our best foot forward and reminded us that this pursuit of excellence that we embarked on 17 years ago is seen and appreciated,” he added. 

This 17-year journey goes all the way back to the family’s first food venture, Lazeeza’s Bakery, which was started by his mother, Saleeha, from their home. 

Bhamjee recalls his father’s glass business had hit a speed bump and that’s when his mother started her home industry. 

It was also around the time when the youngest of her five children was born, so the family had no time to waste if they were going to carry their brand forward. 

“A shop became vacant at the local shopping centre. My mum convinced the lawyers to give her the space by having them taste her custard slices  — which is possibly what Lazeeza’s is most famous for.

“For Lazeeza’s, we scraped by and did the best we could, buying equipment as we made the money. 

“We didn’t have a cent of start-up capital,” Bhamjee said.

Initially, the bakery had only some secondhand equipment and an old, discarded oven, which was given a new lease of life. However, the main ingredients the Bhamjee family had were love and age-old family recipes. 

Once the bakery took off, the family ventured into cold sandwiches and then toasted sandwiches. 

Not long after that, they opened Upcycled Café, which offers just about everything from gooey toasted cheeses to sizzling steaks. 

With no formal training, Saleeha Bhamjee and her children had to learn on the job. 

Upcycled Café was a busy place with a good vibe. However, as in any venture, the creators have to evolve to enjoy success. 

The family ventured further, with the children being the taste testers for their mother, and in a way, Origami was born inside Upcycled Café. 

“My mum loves to experiment. She loves sushi. So, she started offering it as a weekend special at Upcycled, just to test the waters and see what the demand was like for Asian food with a twist. 

“The insane numbers of orders that came in convinced her that Asian food should be her next challenge,” Bhamjee said.

The secret to the success of the Bhamjee family is they do not compromise on the quality of their food. 

“We like to do things ourselves so, for both Upcycled and Lazeeza’s, every­thing gets done in-house. Design, decor, the works. 

“We all get our hands dirty. And the end result is a place infused with the personalities of the entire family. This recipe works.

“The biggest challenge in the food industry is maintaining standards. That’s a job you can never delegate. 

“If you believe in your brand, and want to always push the boundaries of excellence, you have to be present, yourself,” Bhamjee said.

They are not planning any new ventures in the near future. They have a set focus on maintaining their standards, no matter how busy they get after winning the award for the best wings in greater Johannesburg. 

They might explore franchising their brands but a concern is it might compromise those high standards. 

For now, the Bhamjee family is taking it one wing at a time.