Abigail Mbalo-Mokoena

Abigail Mbalo-Mokoena is a South African chef and restaurateur. She is the chef, owner and creative director of 4Roomed, also called 4Roomed eKasi Culture or just eKasi, in Khayelitsha township, outside Cape Town, South Africa. In 2019 4Roomed was named in a combined project by Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure magazines as one of the 30 best restaurants in the world. She worked as a dental technologist for 17 years before opening the restaurant and in 2014 was working at Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s Dental Sciences department.

Culinary career

Mbalo-Mokoena is self-taught. and three years later moved into a four-roomed house. The restaurant is named for the four-room, multi-family ). Mbalo-Mokoena was raised in this type of home. 4Roomed serves a five-course tasting menu at a single communal table. Mbalo-Mokoena also has a casual restaurant and carryout a few blocks from 4Roomed. The couple have two sons and one daughter. She is of Xhosa heritage and her husband, South Sotho.