Amori Burger is the food talent behind many of Joburg’s trendy restaurants and boutique hotels, but more may know this chef as the face of Op Die Spyskaart on Mondays on DStv. Trio Café in Greenside is Amori’s new adventure; she’s revamping the eatery with a new logo, menu, décor, drinks and a very cool new cellar – launching on Friday 29 January.

A dish on offer at Trio Cafe. Photo courtesy of Lisa Skinner/Skinnderella.

Formally chef-schooled here in South Africa, Amori is known for using spices like tamarind, turmeric and galangal to create a new kind of comfort food. Her special flatbreads have other chefs popping in in the early evenings, and leaving with fragrant baskets under their arms.

“It’s what I want to do now: to feed all the interesting people with real conversations. I’m buying antiques – not French or anything, but things that fascinate me from real dorpies. And in the cellar I’m serving… can’t we call them something else? Okay, not-tapas!”

Two waitresses at Trio Cafe. Photo courtesy of Lisa Skinner/Skinnderella.

The new Trio menu is short, and will change with whims and seasons. It could feature a starter of a beetroot hummus flatbread with goat’s cheese, own-pickled vegetables and chermoula; lamb curry served with jasmine rice, cumin bread, beetroot pachachi (a very thick purée), peanut chutney and minted tzatziki, all made from scratch on site; or perhaps chunky basil pesto on perfect potato gnocchi.

The drinks will be whiskies and bourbons – some flavoured her signature way, like a bourbon cocktail spiked with turmeric, ginger and cardamom – plus some carefully chosen wines and beers. People on the outside pavement areas are already ordering the bottomless mimosas on Saturdays and Sundays – out of antique coupe champagne glasses, naturally.

Another interesting dish on offer at Trio Cafe. Photo courtesy of Lisa Skinner/Skinnderella.

The décor is taking an idiosyncratic turn, with a very big radiogram from the 50s keeping company with homely wooden tables and crystal. A vertical herb garden is taking root, too. “Even then it won’t be enough for the amount of herbs I like to throw in!” quips Amori.

Visit the new Trio Café from 29 January 2016 and tell us what you think.