Introduction

Dear guest, welcome to BAKED THE PULSE.

I’m Zahir Mohamed, founder of Baked Restaurant Group. I’m Egyptian by heritage, born and raised in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

I started BAKED in 2013 in the beach side town of Bakoven, Camps Bay in Cape Town. I was 24 years old, full of passion and determination. I’m a sixth generation artisan Baker and self taught cook. I’ve been fortunate to live in places like Paris & Bologna where I’ve cultivated my craft and deepend my love for cooking and baking. I was taught how to bake by my grandmother, and later on my mentor who was an old man with a big gray beard, who smoked like a chimney. His name was Louis. He was an incredible mentor and I loved learning from him. Later on I went to Bologna and lived with my friend Antonio’s grandmother, Margarita. I called her (Nona) she owned a pasta shop / delicatessen on the ground floor and lived upstairs. She housed me for 1 year, I was taught how to make fresh pasta and here is where I fell inlove with pizza and the richness of italian cuisine.

The menu at BAKED is a journey of my life. I’m not really a very talkative person, but I do really express myself through the food I cook. I like to call it an extension of love. We might not know each other but food is the connecting factor that brings people together from all walks of life, and I like to use my ability to cook and bake as a conduit to bring people together and create moments of joy and nostalgia for people on a daily basis.

I believe in fresh produce and making everything from scratch, we do not cut corners. It’s how I was taught. We don’t buy any finished products, only raw materials. The eggs we use are free range and all our meats are organic or free range. We pay a premium for all of our produce, as I strongly believe in quality. The menu is a reflection of my upbringing, my culture, my travels and my personality. Blending cape malay, egyptian, and italian flavours in my own unique way and all are signature dishes.

Thank you for visiting my restaurant. I hope you have a great time!

BIG LOVE, ZAHIR

@bakedfounder