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The sign on the wall says it all: 'Sandwiches & Coffee'. While The Melting Pot is known for its globetrotting menu of inventive small plates, the bright orange street hatch that is Pappa's Deli is pleasingly low-key.
Tucked away on Waterkant Street in De Waterkant, this new takeaway sandwich shop is the latest venture by chef John van Zyl, whose children call him 'Pappa'. It opened at the end of September, but if my visit this week is anything to go by, it's already keeping curious tourists and local office workers well fed.
Van Zyl is the chef behind The Melting Pot, which began as a tiny Loop Street pop-up in 2019 before finding a home on Oak Valley Estate in Elgin. A seafood-focused outpost at Time Out Market Cape Town followed, and the restaurant returned to the city in late 2025, settling into new premises in De Waterkant.
Along the way, Van Zyl – who previously worked alongside Liam Tomlin at Chefs Warehouse and Thali – has built a loyal following for his inventive take on global street food, drawing on his travels across Asia, Europe and beyond.
And at Pappa's Deli, he's simply packing all that flavour into the sandwich of your dreams.
“The menu is very much inspired by the same concept as The Melting Pot: globally inspired food, drawing on ideas from around the world,” explains Van Zyl. “It's basically The Melting Pot between two pieces of bread.”
While The Melting Pot encourages diners to settle in for a leisurely parade of small plates, Pappa's Deli is all about grabbing something delicious on the go. The tiny takeaway hatch, with its bright orange shutters and cheerful branding, keeps things simple: seven sandwiches, good coffee from Deluxe Coffeeworks, and a small selection of cold drinks.
Service kicks off at 8am, and the Brekkie Bun is reason enough to make an early visit. Forget your standard bacon-and-egg roll: this one combines pork sausage, a fried egg, cheddar cheese and a generous dollop of HP sauce, all tucked into an English muffin. Order it with a coffee, and the breakfast special comes in at just R99. Score!
Come lunchtime, it's the Hot Fried Chicken (R115) you should be ordering. Already a favourite from Van Zyl's days in Elgin and at Time Out Market, it's a glorious combination of crunchy fried chicken, Sichuan chilli oil, lightly dressed slaw and house pickles, all packed into a soft brioche bun.
Wondering how they get it so tender?
“We marinate the chicken in amasi,” explains Van Zyl. “Then we finish it with Sichuan chilli oil. It's very simple, but it's our best-seller.”
But simplicity is a relative term here. While these are sandwiches designed to be eaten on the run, there's a remarkable amount of prep going on behind the scenes.
Take the Brick Lane Bagel (R135), inspired by London's famous salt-beef bagel shops. Van Zyl's version comes with a generous stack of salt beef, brined for up to 14 days, rinsed, then slowly cooked for eight hours until tender.
It's a similar story with the seemingly straightforward Chicken Caesar (R115). The chicken is brined overnight, air-dried the following day, then roasted on day three. It's chopped and layered onto ciabatta with crisp romaine lettuce, Parmesan and an anchovy-rich Caesar dressing. A sourdough crumb delivers a delicious crouton crunch.
For something a little more adventurous, try the Bánh Mì (R125), inspired by Van Zyl's six weeks travelling through Vietnam.
“In Vietnam it's quite normal to have several different preparations of pork in one sandwich,” he says. “We've kept ours to two: crispy pork belly and pork pâté.”
Add pickled daikon and carrots, fresh cucumber, red onion and a generous handful of herbs, and you've got one of the most colourful sandwiches on the menu.
The Smoked Hock & Cheese (R115) is another standout, elevating the humble toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich to more indulgent heights. Here, slow-cooked smoked ham hock is paired with Emmental, mustard and pickles, then pressed between slices of ciabatta until golden and gloriously melty.
Vegetarians aren't forgotten either, with the Aubergine Parm (R105) layering crumbed and fried aubergine with rich tomato, mozzarella, Parmesan and basil. Secret touch? The aubergine is blowtorched to caramelise the cheese before being tucked into ciabatta.
Yet despite all that culinary ambition, Van Zyl is adamant that a great sandwich should remain easy to eat.
“You don't want to be fighting your sandwich, with half the filling falling out,” he says. “I really love good bread, but I think it has its place. Sometimes you just need a bit of yeast in bread to make it fluffy. You don't always need a two-day process.”
So, with limited kitchen space, Pappa's buys its bread, preferring to let the fillings do the talking.
Alongside the sandwiches, you'll find a selection of hot and iced coffees, matcha and chai, as well as homemade Pappa's Lemonade and Iced Tea, made with the same house cordial served at The Melting Pot.
Van Zyl is planning to feature a rotating sandwich of the month, and – if we’re lucky – we may even see the return of his famous fried squid sandwich from his Loop Street days. Watch this space, but until then head for De Waterkant and look for the bright orange hatch.
Pappa's Deli, 137 Waterkant Street, De Waterkant
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 8am-3pm
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