You eat at tashas in the Mall of Africa, a shopping centre in Midrand. The kitchen prepares dishes when ordered — nothing is pre-made. The menu runs from breakfast through lunch to dinner: eggs cooked as you like them, sandwiches on sourdough or baguette, salads with chicken or halloumi, and pasta with tomato or cream sauces. The café shares a name with others in South Africa and abroad, but each has its own menu touches.

The Mall of Africa is one of the larger shopping centres in Gauteng, with parking under cover. The café sits inside it, with tables for meals through the day. Dishes are plated when ready rather than held back for the whole table, so a salad may arrive before a sandwich. The kitchen takes about twenty minutes to prepare most dishes, longer for meat cooked through.

What makes the place work is the shopping centre. The café draws customers who are already at the mall, and stays open through the day for meals between errands.