Some people are exactly where they’re meant to be. It’s as simple as that – call it purpose, call it luck, or the universe aligning the stars. For Carla Schulze, that fate meant being a chef, an undertaking she describes as “nothing but pure love”. And that means all of it – not just the reward moments like seeing someone’s reaction after tasting a dish you’ve been testing for months, or reading a validating restaurant review – the 16-hour shifts, the research, the chaos of service and the staff that becomes family, she loves all of it.

Interview with chef Carla Schulze

Landing a dream job after graduating might seem like a pipe dream, but when Schulze told her culinary teacher, Jackie Cameron, that she had her sights set on The Test Kitchen, it was fully realised. Not long after, the fledgling started working under chef Luke Dale Roberts, and alongside local culinary icons, Ryan Cole and Ivor Jones. Her innate curiosity and gumption proved her a force to be reckoned with, and many dishes later, Schulze earned the title of Head Development Chef at Dale Roberts’ latest venture, SALON.

While thousands of establishments promise to take taste buds on a culinary journey, SALON will give you a round-trip ticket. Inspired by Dale Roberts’ travels, the nine-course menu highlights various cuisines from countries like England, Singapore, South Africa and beyond. When she’s not at SALON, you can find her at How Bao Now, a restaurant started with her business partner and friend, chef Matt Van Den Berg. The Taiwanese-inspired bao bar was recently announced as one of 13 restaurants for Africa’s first-ever Time Out Market. We chat with Schulze about life, work and everything in between. Join the conversation.

Congrats on making the cut for Time Out Market! How does the How Bao Now team feel about the news?

We were extremely grateful to Time Out for approaching us with the opportunity. It was something fresh, new and exciting. We wanted our food to replicate that. Playing with local flavours, twists on classic dishes – we love to create and push our limits. Time Out presented the perfect opportunity to showcase our HBN team and cook up a storm!

How Bao Now is doing great. How did the restaurant take shape, and what’s been your favourite part about the venture?

Matt and I approached the OZCF (Oranjezicht City Farm) Market during COVID, when restaurants were forced to close their doors. The initial intention was supposed to always be more of a ‘pop-up’ experience. Instead of sitting at home, we wanted to get back into the kitchen – we missed cooking, the rush of service and the buzz of customers!

Chef & SALON owner, Luke Dale Roberts (left); Chef Carla Schulze (right)

When TTK was allowed to reopen, we thought ‘Okay, that’s it! Back to work!’ We couldn’t wait, but Luke, which I will never forget, said ‘Guys, you’ve created something incredible, you can’t stop now.’ So there we were, rolling bao buns at TTK after a 16-hour shift. Soon after, we started employing staff as HBN continued to grow. We opened a small shop at the Old Biscuit Mill, which was initially just a day-to-day lunch service, but we will soon be opening for dinner with a street food experience set menu.

Learning about the end-to-end running of a business has been my most invaluable experience, it has given us both a much better understanding of how restaurants operate, and while it continues to grow, so does our knowledge of the industry. More than anything, I’m grateful to have gone on this journey with Matt, he will be my best friend for life.

Your first job was at The Test Kitchen. What was that like?

I remember being extremely nervous on my first day; to put it into perspective, I walked into a kitchen with Luke Dale Roberts, Ryan Cole and Ivor Jones working on the pass. Needless to say, my dream was becoming a reality and the excitement took over. I was constantly in awe of how much attention to detail and just how many elements would go into one beautiful small plate, with the laser focus of getting each dish absolutely perfect.

What has it been like working alongside chef Luke Dale Roberts as Head Development Chef at SALON? Is it as brilliant as I imagine?

More brilliant than you can imagine! It has been uniquely incredible. He is a culinary genius, a true legend in my eyes, who has given me so much of his time and mentorship.

There are so many regions on our Journey Menu at SALON I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting yet. It has been so amazing being able to absorb new ideas, flavour combinations and the diverse cooking techniques from Luke’s stories and enriching experiences of food from different countries all around the world.

Chefs are perfectionists. How do you know when a dish is ‘done’?

All dishes start from inspiration; be it a place, a memory or even a simple ingredient.
The original idea and the finished product could end up being entirely different.
Balance and flavour are always key though, which is especially why I love my job, and bringing ideas and concepts to life.

This is particularly prevalent at SALON. We work and strive to elevate classic dishes and flavours. I developed a dish with chef Luke that was ‘a trip to South Africa’ – the classic malva. We wanted to honour and use local ingredients, such as making an amasi ice cream and elevating the malva with a Jerusalem artichoke cake in smoked bourbon and maple caramel. We tasted it and the amasi was quite acidic but cut through the warm flavours of the malva; still, we wanted the artichoke malva to be the hero of the dish.

I created a take on ‘Ultra Mel’ which was a coffee anglaise – coffee + Jerusalem artichokes = best friends. We added some hanepoot poached pears to add freshness to the warm and nostalgic dish. These supporting elements added to the completeness of the dish, then the flavours danced together, creating a beautiful trip and memory of home.

Describe your job in four words.

Nothing but pure love.

What’s the best advice you’ve received from a mentor?

‘Soak it all up like a sponge’, whether knowledge, techniques, ideas, experiences – all that you learn becomes who you are.

Latest obsession?

I really love when food is warm without being warm, like a Jerusalem artichoke ice cream.

With such diverse cuisines, how was the SALON team able to focus on the flavours for each dish on the menu?

We focus a lot on the journey of the menu as a whole, most importantly, using ingredients that are in season and at their peaks of flavour, clever ways to interpret definitive dishes from different regions and, needless to say, balancing the flavours.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten?

My mum, brother and I managed to get a booking at Noma in Copenhagen – getting in alone felt like winning the lotto. Steamed king crab in egg yolk sauce, pickled rose bud tart from last season, fermented ‘forest floor’ of reindeer moss dipped in dark chocolate; each dish reflected the genius of chef Rene Redzepi.

The three of us are extremely close, so sharing this unbelievable food journey with them at one of the best restaurants in the world was not only the greatest meal, but one of the greatest days I will remember forever.

Dream dinner party – who would you invite?

My dad passed away when I was 9 years old. He was always the cook in the house; being Austrian, he would always cook such beautiful dishes, always from scratch, always with love.
It is the one person I realised I would never be able to cook for – my dream dinner would be to cook for him.

Being a chef is tough; how do you keep motivated?

I read a lot of recipe books and biographies on chefs, even when I’m my most tired it sparks me with inspiration and excitement, which keeps me going.

I’ve also recently focused a lot on work-life balance, spending time with loved ones, and doing activities outside the kitchen that bring me joy.

10 years from now, how do you hope the industry will change?

That more restaurants in South Africa are internationally recognised. We have, in my opinion, some of the most talented chefs and unmatched food experiences in the world. With our amazing local produce, and passionate chefs turning out unique and incredible dishes, I hope South Africa is truly recognised for the food destination and gem that it is.

What advice would you give to aspiring or young chefs?

Work as hard as you can, soak up as much as you can. At the end of the day, the only person you’re doing it for is you.

To make a reservation at SALON call 087 093 5890 or email | Open Tues-Sat, 18h00–20h30 | Ist Floor silo building, The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock

*How Bao Now will be open for dinner from the 15th of July. Make bookings via dineplan.com | Lunch: Wed-Sat, 11h00–16h00 | Dinner: Wed-Sat from 18h00 | The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town