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Cape Town - During her whirlwind tour of South Africa, US First Lady Michelle Obama has lunched at a Cape Town restaurant in the design district of Woodstock.
Obama, who is in the country with her mother and two daughters, stopped by to eat salad and drink lemonade and ice tea at the popular deli and restaurant The Kitchen, situated in Sir Lowry Road in Woodstock on Thursday.
Obama is reportedly due to visit the University of Cape Town where she'll be addressing UCT learners as well as youngsters from disadvantaged communities.
The Kitchen owner, Karen Dudley, told Channel24 that Obama's security team visited the restaurant on Thursday morning to “have a look at the venue” and alerted the staff to Obama's possible visit to the restaurant.
“We had an idea that Mrs Obama would possibly be popping by for some lunch and we were told to keep things very discreet. We had to prepare to have the venue ready for the First Lady, her family as well as her entourage.”
PHOTOS: Obama ladies in SA
Obama is touring South Africa with her mother Marian and daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Lunch time
Dudley said the Obama family arrived around 12:30, along with the US Ambassador and the US Embassy staff. She was spotted wearing a green and gold shirt, black pants and green heels, and left the venue just after 13:00.
“There were about 20 people altogether that arrived for lunch and we didn't chase any of our customers inside the venue away, but no outside clients were unfortunately allowed to come inside during the 40 minutes Mrs Obama enjoyed a meal here.”
While Dudley admitted to there being “strict security” outside the venue, the atmosphere inside was ”relaxed and fun”.
“The police had cordoned off some of the nearby roads, including a portion of Sir Lowry Road, but inside it felt like we were having a party. Everyone was chatty, and Mrs Obama and her family seemed to enjoy their time here. Everyone was in awe of her presence!”
Dudley's proudest moment came when she and Obama exchanged words. “I felt like I had connected with her and when she heard about the story of The Kitchen and the fact that it's only two years old, yet so popular in the city, she told how inspired she was by the people she's met on this trip.”
GALLERY: All the presidents' children
Dudley said the Obama family was accompanied by an official White House photographer who snapped photos of her and her staff and the restaurant.
“We were having such a great time, it felt almost inappropriate to ask for an autograph or photo. Mrs Obama was very impressed with our menu and I recommend some of our 14 salads for her to snack on, including spinach and cranberry, Turkish salads with falafel and humus as well as aubergine salads."
District Six and Robben Island
Earlier today, Obama was due to travel to Robben Island to visit the prison cell of former president Nelson Mandela, but due to the cold and rainy weather opted to visit The District Six museum in Buitenkant Street in the city centre instead. Here she was given a tour by museum curator Ahmed Kathrada and was educated on the history of Cape Malays and the city.
Obama is scheduled to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Cape Town Stadium at 16:00 today before jetting off to Botswana on Saturday.
Photo credit: Andre-Pierre du Plessis, Little Black Book
Clayton Morar is a celebrity expert and autograph hunter. See his exploits at www.claytonmorar.com
Obama, who is in the country with her mother and two daughters, stopped by to eat salad and drink lemonade and ice tea at the popular deli and restaurant The Kitchen, situated in Sir Lowry Road in Woodstock on Thursday.
Obama is reportedly due to visit the University of Cape Town where she'll be addressing UCT learners as well as youngsters from disadvantaged communities.
The Kitchen owner, Karen Dudley, told Channel24 that Obama's security team visited the restaurant on Thursday morning to “have a look at the venue” and alerted the staff to Obama's possible visit to the restaurant.
“We had an idea that Mrs Obama would possibly be popping by for some lunch and we were told to keep things very discreet. We had to prepare to have the venue ready for the First Lady, her family as well as her entourage.”
PHOTOS: Obama ladies in SA
Obama is touring South Africa with her mother Marian and daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Lunch time
Dudley said the Obama family arrived around 12:30, along with the US Ambassador and the US Embassy staff. She was spotted wearing a green and gold shirt, black pants and green heels, and left the venue just after 13:00.
“There were about 20 people altogether that arrived for lunch and we didn't chase any of our customers inside the venue away, but no outside clients were unfortunately allowed to come inside during the 40 minutes Mrs Obama enjoyed a meal here.”
While Dudley admitted to there being “strict security” outside the venue, the atmosphere inside was ”relaxed and fun”.
“The police had cordoned off some of the nearby roads, including a portion of Sir Lowry Road, but inside it felt like we were having a party. Everyone was chatty, and Mrs Obama and her family seemed to enjoy their time here. Everyone was in awe of her presence!”
Dudley's proudest moment came when she and Obama exchanged words. “I felt like I had connected with her and when she heard about the story of The Kitchen and the fact that it's only two years old, yet so popular in the city, she told how inspired she was by the people she's met on this trip.”
GALLERY: All the presidents' children
Dudley said the Obama family was accompanied by an official White House photographer who snapped photos of her and her staff and the restaurant.
“We were having such a great time, it felt almost inappropriate to ask for an autograph or photo. Mrs Obama was very impressed with our menu and I recommend some of our 14 salads for her to snack on, including spinach and cranberry, Turkish salads with falafel and humus as well as aubergine salads."
District Six and Robben Island
Earlier today, Obama was due to travel to Robben Island to visit the prison cell of former president Nelson Mandela, but due to the cold and rainy weather opted to visit The District Six museum in Buitenkant Street in the city centre instead. Here she was given a tour by museum curator Ahmed Kathrada and was educated on the history of Cape Malays and the city.
Obama is scheduled to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Cape Town Stadium at 16:00 today before jetting off to Botswana on Saturday.
Photo credit: Andre-Pierre du Plessis, Little Black Book
Clayton Morar is a celebrity expert and autograph hunter. See his exploits at www.claytonmorar.com
