first-timer guide
Phala's Eating House Menu: What to Order on Your First Visit
"Re tla ja mara!" Roughly: "we're going to eat, though!" That's the mood. If it's your first time at Phala's Eating House in Block S, Mabopane, or your first time ordering from us online, this guide explains every dish on our menu and helps you choose.
The short version: every plate comes with pap, everything is slow-cooked, and the portions are generous.
The menu at a glance
| Dish | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mala mogodu | Beef tripe and intestines in rich gravy | R60 |
| Marapo | Meaty beef bones, slow-cooked until the marrow is soft | R60 |
| Tlhakhwana | Pork trotters, soft and sticky | R60 |
| Nama tlhogo | Sheep's head ("smiley"), boiled or grilled | R60 |
| Chicken hardbody | Free-range village chicken in rich broth | R60 |
| Oxtail | Fall-off-the-bone oxtail in thick gravy | R150 |
| Beestong (ox tongue) | Silky slow-cooked tongue with no bones and no gristle | R150 |
| Eisbein | Cured pork knuckle, cooked until it falls off the bone | R150 |
| 2 Mixed Meat | Two meats on one plate | R155 |
| 3 Mixed Meat | Three meats, best shared between two or three | R300 |
| Extra meat and pap | An extra portion for any order | R100 |
All plates come with pap. Prices are from November 2026; the menu and checkout always show the current amounts.
What to order if it's your first time
- Want something familiar? Start with oxtail, hardbody chicken or beestong, which has no bones and no gristle.
- Curious about tripe? Order a 2 Mixed Meat plate and try mala mogodu next to a meat you already know.
- Love meat on the bone? Marapo and tlhakhwana are for people who enjoy getting stuck in.
- Feeling brave? Nama tlhogo (sheep's head) is a township classic.
- Eating with friends? A 3 Mixed Meat plate shares between two or three people.
Marapo anyone? Meaty beef bones in thick gravy.
How to eat pap and meat
Most people eat with their hands: pinch off a bit of pap, roll it into a ball, press a dip into it with your thumb and use it to scoop up the meat and gravy. Prefer a knife and fork? That's fine too. Here's how we cook our pap.
Mogodu Monday
Visiting on a Monday? Order the mala mogodu. Here's everything you need to know about Mogodu Monday at Phala's.
Eat in, take away or delivery
Eat in or take away at 6233 Block S, Mabopane Unit S (near Mabopane Station), Monday to Sunday, 08:30 to 19:00. Not sure what we look like? See our photos.
Delivery to Mabopane (R40) and Soshanguve (R50) is by Spaceman Deliveries, our own delivery service. Order on the menu page or call 072 332 9351.