okja? OK, JA.

"okja" - it's a name that you can pronounce in any way you're comfortable.

Officially, it's supposed to sound like "OAK-JAH" but heck, it's totally OK with us if you say it like "OK, JA."

The Future is Delicious.

It’s not enough to be sustainable. It’s not enough to be ethical. It’s not enough to be nutritious. The future of animal-free is delicious. 

Our job is to guide good people like you on an easy, smooth and delicious journey towards a more plant-based diet; helping you to be kinder to yourself, to others, and to our amazing planet.

our cafes

okja Camps Bay.

In 2020, we swung open the doors to our first little café in Camps Bay and were met with a global pandemic, but we didn’t miss a step. In fact, the Victoria Road spot has since fostered its own cult following.

okja Kloof Str.

Our in-house bakery on Kloof Street our beating heart and our beaming baristas our smiling soul. In the bosom of the Mother City’s hottest neighbourhood is where we conjure up alluring pastries and tempting treats.


The goods.

We are uncompromising when it comes to product, which is why we’ve hired a talented ex-Michelin-star restaurant pastry chef to commandeer okja’s in-house recipe development.


our m!lks

Simple is hard.

Plant m!lks are nothing new. These days, any legume, grain, seed, or nut is made into a mild and m!lky fluid. Look more closely though, and you’ll discover that they are not all created equal. You’ll find ingredients you don’t recognise, additives you can’t pronounce and gums you need to Google. It’s cheaper and easier to add that kind of stuff… but it’s just not our vibe. With our m!lks, you don’t need a PhD in Chemistry to understand what you’re putting in your body, because, as usual, we've listed the ingredients on the front of the packs, all proud-like.

Our rich, creamy milks are great for adding to your cereal, perfect for blending with superfoods in smoothies and amazing for dunking your chocolate chip cookies into. My favourite is to foam them up for silky flat-whites in the morning or for fluffy hot chocolates in the evening.

The Frumpy Überbean.

Ask 10 people what they think about soy and you’ll probably get 11 different answers. Some will swear by it, some don’t care, and some may tell you that the stuff will give you manboobs.

The Okinawans had it all figured out. Long before TikTok “scientists” were trying to convince you to eat more organs, these Japanese islanders were living really, really long lives by eating mostly veggies, whole grains, and soy.

All the myths from the fringe anti-soy narrative have been debunked but I’ll spare you the lectures. God gave you a brain and Larry and Sergey gave you Google. Use both wisely.

Wasted potential?

Granted, the first time I remember trying soy m!lk it tasted like, well, sugary wet cardboard. It was also crammed with lousy ingredients. So I don’t blame you if you’re wincing while you’re reading this.

Over the years, things improved, but not enough for me. I wanted a kick-ass, additive-free soy m!lk that my 4-year-old son would merrily quaff with his chocolate chip cookies.

I’ll have you know that 4-year-olds are the harshest critics, but I think we pulled it off and I’m thrilled with the result.

A Tribute to the Barista.

Ritual  n.  a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.

The first thing I do when I wake up every morning is go downstairs, switch on the espresso machine, drink a tall glass of water, then make a flat white for my wife and an espresso for myself. The whir of the grinder perfumes the kitchen air and, as the machine extracts the tawny elixir, my heart warms to the comfort of this daily ritual.

Damn, it’s good to be alive.

Almost 20 years ago, I owned a few coffee bars. I remember one Saturday in particular, working the espresso machine from 7am to 3pm, non-stop and without a break. That day we served over a thousand coffees in that little bar. It was hard but rewarding work. I miss it sometimes. It’s an addictive sensation watching a customer enjoy a drink you’ve prepared with diligence and dedication. It’s a gratifying responsibility to be part of someone’s daily ritual.

Barista  n.  from the Italian for "bartender” - a person, usually a coffeehouse employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks.

A barista blends art and science to serve you magic. A barista is sometimes the first person you talk to in the morning. A barista can make your day with a big smile and that perfect cuppa.

Our oat m!lk  is dedicated to all the hard working baristas out there, who spend their entire shift on their feet, making magic to start our days or gently wind them down.

WYPI=WYGO & WTFAQ

"What you put in is what you get out" is something my Dad always told me growing up. Another fatherly nugget was "Always do your best."

This wisdom is reflected in our approach to making our drinks. The best way we can. In fact, we're so thrilled with the result, we've listed the ingredients on the front of this pack, all proud-like.

Why Italy? Well Italy is the birthplace of espresso after all and world famous for it's crazy amazing food culture and agricultural heritage. It is in this wonderful epicurean land that we found a great partner to help us make the m!lk of our dreams using scrumptious local oats and ingredients.

Here's a little run-down of each ingredient and why it's in the m!lk you're drinking:

Italian Oats.

It's O-A-T m!lk, right? So we tried to pack in as much as possible at 16%. A whopping 60% more than the famous Swedes. That means a richer, creamier mouthfeel and a denser foam for your latte. Oh, and something very important for us, and in case you were wondering, there is NO glyphosate residue in our oats :)

Cold-Pressed Sunflower Oil.

We use only a drop (less than a gram!) of unrefined, cold-pressed sunflower oil per 100g as a natural emulsifier. It keeps the water and oats blended together to help us achieve such a smooth, creamy texture, without having to add gums, thickeners and other nasties.

Sea Salt.

Just a pinch to balance out the natural sweetness of the oats.

The Human Family

What’s the best-known food that nobody knows anything about? C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E. The word draws most of us a picture of a candy bar, a luscious slab, or a melty Easter bunny. Our brains rush with dopamine even at just the thought of eating it. Fact.

Here’s another fact. It was only in 1847 that Joseph Fry created the first modern chocolate bar in Bristol. That’s right, for about 96% of chocolate’s 5000 year history, it was a drink.

I’m not here to host a history lesson. There’s nothing I can teach you in a few lines that you can’t Google yourself. And you should, because it’s bloody fascinating.

This luscious beverage is dedicated to love. Not the sexy kind, although eating chocolate does make you feel a little naughty. I’m talking about the ‘love thy neighbour’ kind of love.

‍The simple truth is that chocolate transcends geographic, racial and cultural boundaries and is adored by billions across the globe. Chocolate binds us, while society is set on exaggerating our differences. Chocolate reminds us that we are all connected to each other and to our planet.

In her powerful poem "Human Family" Maya Angelou beautifully expresses that we are all one big family. Imagine the change we would see in the world if we all shared her grace and wisdom:

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‍“I note the obvious differences in the human family.
Some of us are serious, some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived as true profundity,
and others claim they really live the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones can confuse, bemuse, delight,
brown and pink and beige and purple, tan and blue and white.

I've sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land,
I've seen the wonders of the world not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women called Jane and Mary Jane,
but I've not seen any two who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different although their features jibe,
and lovers think quite different thoughts while lying side by side.

We love and lose in China, we weep on England's moors,
and laugh and moan in Guinea, and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland, are born and die in Maine.
In minor ways we differ, in major we're the same.

I note the obvious differences between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.

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We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike."

You Sexy Thing

Fernando Pessoa had the right idea when he wrote,

"Look, there's no metaphysics on earth like chocolate."

Our approach to making this drink was simple but challenging: No shortcuts. No ingredients you don’t recognise, no additives you can’t pronounce or gums you need to Google. No added sugar or flavours.

Choosing a random cacao was never an option. For this liter of love, we selected Rainforest Alliance Certified beans from the Dominican Republic - balanced, but bursting with character.

Rainforest Alliance Certified cacao farms are audited against rigorous environmental, social, and economic criteria that protect biodiversity and foster a culture of respect for workers and local communities.

our granola

The Third Kind.

There are two kinds of granolas. First, you get the nasty, sugary stuff peddled by the same suits who employ cute cartoons to weasel their skanky wares onto our breakfast tables. The second bunch is usually exotic, superfood stacked nibbles that require a trust fund or a sugar mama to keep your fix regular.

This, my friends, is your first close encounter with the Third Kind: a balanced blend of good-for-your-gut grains, friendly fats, nutty protein, and sweetness from fruit. Simple, darn delicious, and affordable. Your (real) mama would approve.

our spread

Deez Nuts.

Chocolate hazelnut spread on toast. There’s no food that reminds me more of being a kid. Actually, I lie. PBJ might be a contender for the title. It’s almost too close to call. Anyways… I digress. Flashforward to 2021. I swing by my local baker, pick up a warm, sourdough baguette or a fresh, flaky croissant and voilà, I have myself a worthy grown-up version of a breakfast staple. Or, you know, I could just spoon it straight out the jar and shove it directly into my cakehole. 

Flashback to the early 1800s. The Royal Navy’s blockade against Napoleon means exotic ingredient prices are skyrocketing and supplies to the continent are depressingly throttled. Thankfully, some wiley Turinese chocolatiers have devised a solution: blending in local ground hazelnuts to stretch what little they have left of their precious cocoa stash. This hack—affectionately dubbed ‘Pasta Gianduja’— catches on fast and turns out to be an outrageously delicious workaround to an epicurean dilemma caused by a self-appointed emperor with short man syndrome.

Now that you know the “eatymology” of this spreadable joy, the real question is, where am I going with this? Well, I don’t know the last time you looked at the ingredients of The Brand That Shall Not Be Named... but it ain’t pretty. Palm oil? Really? In 2021?! More palm oil than hazelnuts? WTF? SMH. LOL! NWJ. No way, José. The OG Piedmontese Architects Of Amazing would scoff at this sacrilege, I have no doubt.

Chocolate should be naughty, not evil. And honestly, I don’t want to be bumming out about deforestation and animal welfare while I’m lashing luscious layers of love onto my leavened loaves. Who invited the party-poopers? To me, it’s all about steadily making small, incremental changes that, over time, add up to something meaningful. I’m sure you feel the same way. In fact, I’d bet my hazelnuts on it.


our coffee

Bean there. Done that.

Look, I know coffee. I know it well. But I promise never to fling fancy jargon at you like some kind of douchey dung monkey. 
  
There’s really only one way to tell if a coffee is delicious: drink it. If you like it, it’s good. If you really, really like it, it’s delicious. That’s it. Sure, people’s opinions may differ, but as the ancient Romans used to say, de gustibus non est disputandum — there’s no accounting for taste.

Another important thing to consider is the provenance of your morning moxie. Are the beans organic? Are they from sustainable plantations and grown under the natural shade of existing forests? Are they handpicked and sorted by skilled and fairly paid folk in excellent working conditions? I sure hope so.

To summarise, when it comes to coffee, there’s really just two things that count:

✅ It’s delicious.
✅ No one and nothing has been harmed on its way to your cup.

I can happily tell you that when it comes to these beans, both boxes are checked, and then some. Like I said, I know coffee. And now, so do you :)

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Team okja.

This is us. We're all very different but we share the same values.

Rui.

Rui's Mom is a great cook. He's a little fussy now with food because she spoiled him with so many good eats. He's pretty much here to make sure everything is made and tastes like it should.

David.

David AKA "Frank the Tank" makes sh*t happen. His first gig in the food game was dancing with birthday cakes on his head to entertain guests. Now that's commitment.

Sam.

Sam is the aesthetics geek who helps to make our creative dreams come true. The go-to woman on all things Mac related, we suspect she moonlights for Apple. She enters half marathons, sometimes she runs them.

Manny.

Manny likes systems and processes. Things should tick like clockwork. He's Rui's Dad. Also goes by the name "The Flying Pork."

Pule.

A big man with an even bigger heart. Pule has a penchant for African art and tech startups.

George.

George's mission is to turn ideas into companies that change the way people live, work, and play. He enjoys romantic moonlit walks on the beach and getting sh*t done.

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“Only work with people you’d invite to your home for a meal.”
~ Garth Walker | Designer, Publisher, Photographer.

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