The new Somerset Mall food and entertainment wing is now open, but Best of Asia, Kokiyo, Souk Pop-Up, Woolworths NOW NOW and Freedom Adventure Park are still to come.
It has only been a few days since Somerset Mall’s new food and entertainment wing finally opened, but the precinct is already changing again as more of the new businesses begin finding their feet.
When I visited on Friday, the new SM Food Market had opened with several of the restaurants ready for customers, including the relocated Steers, Fishaways and Debonairs Pizza, as well as Bunka Ramen and Rib Republic. Since then, another name has joined them.
Smasht. has now quietly opened, having been under wraps during my visit to the mall on Friday. The Halaal burger restaurant soft-launched on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, meaning another piece of the new food offering is now in place.
But there are still several spaces waiting for their turn.
Best of Asia and Kokiyo Still to Come
Two of the restaurants still to open are Best of Asia and Kokiyo, both of which are already part of the new food court’s line-up.
Best of Asia will bring a takeaway-focused Asian food offering to the precinct, with sushi, noodles, buns and other Asian favourites on the menu. The business is particularly known for its fresh sushi specials and also offers online ordering and delivery through services including Mr D and Uber Eats.
Kokiyo will take a different route, bringing Halaal Korean fried chicken to Somerset Mall. Its offering centres around freshly prepared, double-fried chicken served with Korean-inspired sauces, including sweet and spicy and soy-garlic flavours.
Kokiyo is now set to open on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, while Best of Asia is still to come, meaning the two spaces are at different stages of their arrival at the new food court.
Souk Pop-Up and NOW NOW
There are also two smaller additions still to come.
Souk Pop-Up is among the businesses still being fitted out in the new precinct, while Woolworths NOW NOW is already working towards a confirmed opening date. As previously reported, the quick-service Woolworths concept is scheduled to open on 10 September 2026.
NOW NOW will bring a selection of breakfasts, burgers, wraps, bowls, salads, pastries and barista-made coffee to the food market, adding another option for shoppers looking for something quick.
The Former Entrance 1 Stores Are Already Changing
While the relocated restaurants have now found their new home inside the food court, the spaces they left behind at Entrance 1 are already showing signs of what comes next.
Steers, Fishaways and Debonairs Pizza relocated from their previous Entrance 1 positions into the new SM Food Market on Friday, 28 August 2026. Their former locations are therefore now empty, but a notice has since appeared indicating that a new store is loading at the former restaurant area.
At this stage, there is no confirmed information on what the new store will be, but the notice suggests that the Entrance 1 side of Somerset Mall is not being left empty for long.
It is another indication that the mall’s changes are extending beyond the new food and entertainment wing, with more movement still happening across the centre.
And Then There’s Freedom Adventure Park
At the new food market, Freedom Adventure Park is also continuing to take shape.
When I was at the mall on Tuesday, the space was already looking considerably more finished than it had a few days earlier, and the team was busy putting up its signage. There is still no confirmed opening date, but the new attraction is clearly getting closer.
The Somerset Mall location will include the previously announced family entertainment offering, including the new South African-first themed attractions that Freedom Adventure Park has been preparing for the site.
Still More to Come
For now, the new wing is only partly complete from a customer’s point of view, with each new opening adding another little piece to the picture.
I’ll be keeping an eye on the remaining spaces and sharing updates as Best of Asia, Kokiyo, Souk Pop-Up, NOW NOW and Freedom Adventure Park make their moves.
