I have only just paged through the Eat Out 2020 magazine, and was interested in the article on restaurants trends observed during 2019 whilst Eat Out Head Judge and Chef Margot Janse and her team of judges roamed the country to evaluate our country’s top restaurants for the 2019 Eat Out Awards. Personally, I’m happy to see that table cloths are back in. Nothing worse than eating at a bare table, Continue reading →
Last week I ate lunch at Mondiall twice. The first was a family lunch, and the second was an invitation to try the new Winter Menu at Mondiall and to meet new Chef Riaan Burger, who has been at the restaurant for six weeks. The experiences were chalk and cheese. Mondiall has been repositioned as a French Brasserie, serving ‘refined comfort food’, rather than as an around-the-world restaurant when it opened.
The family lunch followed the scattering of the ashes of our late mother, which we had done in Table Bay on the yacht IQ, which moors outside Mondiall. I was very
disappointed with the lunch, which was a special group menu, a reduced version of former Chef Peter Tempelhoff’s menu. Chef Riaan was not working on the Freedom Day public holiday, owner Patrick Symington was not there, and Reservation Manager Mandy Smith whom I had dealt with in making the booking and discussing the menu, was not there either. The let-down was the waitress, and poor communication between Mandy and the Manager Franco. The food quality was not as expected either. I admire Patrick for proactively sending a sms to ask how the lunch went, and I told him about my disappointment. What was amazing was the glazed pork belly, offered as a Tapas dish, served with crackling, and a honey soy glaze. This dish remains on the new menu. Continue reading →
When Opulent Living‘s Barbara Lenhard and Florian Gast organise an event, you know it will be beyond perfect, the German precision being evident from the minute one enters the venue. Outperforming its ‘Chefs who Share – the ART of Giving‘ Gala Dinner and Auction of last year, which raised R1,2 million then, R 2,5 million was raised at ‘Chefs who Share‘ on Thursday evening from the 250 tickets sold at R3000 each for the Gala Dinner, and the smart auctioneering of art works and other auction lots.
Arriving at the not-often-used Darling Street entrance to the City Hall, the Mercedes-Benz (the company was a sponsor) CLS Coupé was outside the steps, and photographs taken of the VIPs attending. Halfway up the steps were the tables to register one’s attendance, with tall vases of beauty created with vegetables, all of which plus the vegetables used for the table decor going to a soup kitchen the following day. Outside the Hall itself, waiters greeted us with glasses of 
Graham Beck MCC, and one could admire the artwork hung in the passages, which was auctioned later in the evening. A continuous stream of canapés was offered, and the waiters linked to the creators of these 
served them, which helped in that they knew what they were serving. Little name cards, with the description of the dishes and the chef’s name, made the identification for Tweeting easy. Those served by Chefs Jackie Cameron, Rudi Liebenberg with Michelle Theron, Darren Badenhorst, Malika van Reenen, and Christiaan Campbell attracted particular attention. It was in the passage that we could chat and congratulate Barbara, who looked beautiful and glamorous in her Gavin Rajah dress. Continue reading →
No significant events have been planned to attract visitors to Cape Town and the Winelands this winter, and it appears to be the worst winter ever experienced by the hospitality industry in the Cape. A surprise is the number of restaurant changes, as well as the the movement of staff between restaurants. Given the poor winter business, many restaurants have taken/are taking generous winter breaks. This list of restaurant openings and closings is updated continuously, as we receive new information:
Restaurant Openings
* Four & Twenty Café and Pantry has opened in Wynberg
* The Crypt Jazz Restaurant has opened below St George’s Cathedral.
* Orphanage Cocktail Emporium is opening Orphanage Club upstairs, with 1920’s style music by live performers, later this year.
* Cavalli restaurant on the stud farm on the R44 must be opening shortly, as Carl Habel has left the Mount Nelson Hotel as Restaurant Manager and Sommelier to join the restaurant.
* Shake your Honey is to open in the original Madame Zingara building on Loop Street next year, after renovations commence later this year, according to an iolTravel report. The ‘vibrant spirit of India’ is to be reflected in the 5-storey building, with a theatre, markets, restaurants, and shops.
* Burger King has opened its (second) Tygervalley branch. Branches at Cavendish and at Grandwest are to open soon. Continue reading →
When superb wine marketer and CEO Hein Koegelenberg is involved in a project one can expect it to be of a superlative quality, reflecting La Motte’s slogan of ‘A Culture of Excellence’. So it was on Wednesday, when we were invited to attend the launch of ‘sister’ wine brand Leopard’s Leap’s new Culinaria Collection of six wines, a range developed on the basis of terroir, inspired by the regionality of French wines, and its suitability for different food types. Continue reading →
The first taste of the Cape winter this weekend is likely to be felt by the restaurant industry, which will see hard times in the next two months, if close to zero accommodation bookings in the Cape are anything to go by. Other than Hermanus FynArts and the Wacky Wine Weekend kicking off next week, ‘Cook Franschhoek‘ running over the Youth Day long weekend, and the Bastille Festival weekend on 13 – 14 July, no significant events are planned to attract visitors to Cape Town and the Winelands. A number of restaurants are closing for an annual break in the next two months.
This list of restaurant openings and closings isupdated continuously, as we receive new information:
Restaurant Openings
* The Crypt Jazz Restaurant has opened below St George’s Cathedral.
* Frères Bistro has opened next door to Col’Cacchio on Hans Strydom Continue reading →
No restaurants which opened in South Africa from 2010 onwards (with the exception of The Test Kitchen) were judged to be good enough to make the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards 2012, held at the The Westin hotel last night. As predicted, Chef Luke Dale-Roberts’ The Test Kitchen was named the number one restaurant on the Top 10 list, while Margot Janse of The Tasting Room was named Chef of the Year. The Best Service Award went to Rust en Vrede. Stellenbosch now is the Gourmet Capital of South Africa, with four Top 10 restaurants, followed by Cape Town with three, and one each in Franschhoek, Johannesburg, and the Natal Midlands. The biggest surprise of the evening was the ‘slap’ Chef George Jardine of Jordan Restaurant, making third place on the Top 10 list, gave Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly (wearing Gavin Rajah) from the stage, criticising the use of an imported judge for the Awards, clearly referring to the controversial role Bruce Palling played in the Awards. A number of other controversial 
aspects once again clouded the Awards evening.
Lets start with Mr Palling. The relationship between New Media Publishing and its ex-judge went sour after the judging, when New Media Publishing was said by Palling on Twitter to not want to offer him a ticket to Cape Town to attend the Awards last night. Continue reading →
The inaugural Eat Out Conference, held at the The Westin hotel on the eve of the Eat Out DStv Food Network Top 10 Awards with a disappointing attendance of fewer than 100 delegates, was an interesting journey of food through its South African history beginning in 1652, culminating in the climax of the inspirational talk by Chef Massimo Bottura of fifth ranked Osteria Francescana on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Chef Luke Dale-Roberts of The Test Kitchen, most likely to be crowned our country’s best Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant and Chef this evening, was meant to speak about ‘Food for thought, thought for food’, admitting that he is more comfortable cooking than he is at admin and public speaking. He was inspired by the recent gathering of 200 international chefs organised by Alain Ducasse, at which it was emphasised: “I am a chef, it’s what I am, it’s what I make”. He said a chef would die if he/she were to stop evolving. Every day inspires him, he said, as well as the seasons, and their change. Chef Luke showed a number of videos, made by Dreamcatcher Productions, of the making of his ‘thematic food’, being as funky, beautiful, and vibey as his dishes, including ‘Sea’ (oysters on salt), ‘The Farm’, ‘The Forest’, ‘The Test Kitchen Egg‘ with foie gras in its middle, the more recent ‘Walk through citrus groves’ (which included a three citrus sorbet, and Campari and orange jelly), and ‘Red Cabbage Coral’, served in different styles, being raw, powdered, cooked, and as a jelly. While Chef Luke did not address the theme of his talk, being more self-promotion focused, he earned the respect of the audience through the quality of his videos, and the beautiful dishes that he presented.
The presentation by UK food designer Andrew Stellitano and photographer Dominic Davies of sonnets on strands of pasta, laser cut biscuits, and more, went over the heads of most of the audience, especially the part entitled ‘Sensory experiences of the Cape’, via James Wannerton, who suffers from synaethesia, a condition in which two of the five senses are dissonant. Fun was his taste association, via Google Maps, of Table Mountain with pear drops, the Epping Market with chocolate digestives, and Paarl with ‘Gobstoppers’, all of which we were given to taste.
Margot Janse, Chef of The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français for the past 17 years, has a record number of ten Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant awards, more than any of the other 18 chefs she is competing against tonight. Africa is Chef Margot’s inspiration. She has lived in Africa for 23 years, coming to South Africa from Lusaka, and down to the Cape at the time at which Mr Mandela had just been released. This opened up a whole new world for culinary South Africa, the rest of world starting to fall in love with our country again, she said. More was better in the ‘Nineties, quantity was synonymous with quality then! She remembered braais, chutney, mampoer, witblits, South African generosity, her favourite gem squash, cheddar and gouda cheeses, milk in plastic sachets, and learnt that meat does not have to come in styrofoam trays. Her love for food became an obsession and then her career. She travels a lot, cooking in many countries. Her creations all have a South African stamp, and could include baobab, buchu, and chakalaka, these ingredients making us special. She is proud of where her supplies come from, having walked where the cattle graze, and sees where the vegetables grow. She shared how Farmer Angus makes a plan, and walked the extra mile for her, getting the cheeks cut out of lamb skulls. Integrity and honesty are the lessons she has learnt from Africa. She cooks what is grown here, and now. She learnt to fight for good service, for her staff, was known to be difficult, and is no longer banned from suppliers for standing her man.
She discussed the contradiction of focusing on the perfect carrot, when there are so many people in our country going hungry. Guests want to contribute, and give something back. With a fundraiser in Holland she raised R1 million, and can feed 750 children in Franschhoek, proudly showing this scheme to her guests. She has learnt ‘Ons maak ‘n plan’, that everything is possible in Africa. She uses local ingredients like sorghum, kapokbos, num-nums, sour figs, and a salt from a sacred place which is 200 years old, in the Mopani district. The Tasting Room only serves local wines, mainly from Franschhoek. She was asked how she has stayed at the restaurant for so long, and explained that she stays enthused through sourcing, and constantly evolving her restaurant. This winter they changed the interior of the restaurant, done by her brother, who was inspired by her food, removing all unnecessary and ‘intimidating factors’, such as table cloths, candles, and bread. The tables have been made from wood from the trees which were removed when the Berg River dam was built. She concluded with a plea: “Let’s celebrate this incredible land”! One reaction to her moving talk was from the audience: “I came about food and I was inspired to be a South African”.
Hetta Van Deventer-Terblanche, Culinary Consultant at La Motte, used research about Cape food in compiling a cookbook ‘Cape Winelands Cuisine’. Her talk was entitled ‘South African Storytelling on a plate‘. She related that she had grown up in a traditional town, with 
the belief that South Africa does not have a distinctive cuisine, with only a small repertoire, and that South Africans love meat (Braai, biltong, boerewors, potjiekos), and that vegetables are less important (‘Rys, vleis en aartappels‘). After 1994 the world opened up to South Africa. Guests asked where they could eat South African food, and they wanted South African cuisine defined. She said that she started researching South African food long before it became trendy. She described the recipes of the first settlers from different countries as ‘culinary treasures’. Founder Jan van Riebeek loved gardening, being ‘passionate and obsessed‘ about it, and experimented with the new plants he brought here, laying the foundation of South African herbs and spices. His fruits at the Company Gardens were described as being larger than everywhere else in world. There was an abundance of fruit, vegetables and nuts, which were not just harvested for ‘mooigoed’! French Huguenots added the heritage of offal and macaroons, for example. Rice was planted in the Cape, Lady Anne Barnard preferring it to imported rice. Roses were used for rose water seasoning, as were dried mushrooms, and crushed crayfish tail shells. Our forbears used natural flavourants naturally 300 years ago – ‘how new is our old, how old is our new‘, she asked. She said that we have lost such a lot, and that we need to find our past again. Dr Hettie Claasens did a lot of original research, being her inspiration, documented in her book ‘Die Geskiedenis van Boerekos’. Recipes are handed from mothers to daughters, and therefore are secret, and many are lost, as mothers are not teaching their daughters any more. Pierneef à La Motte Chef Chris Erasmus was praised, making magic on a plate. ‘Find your own food stories’, she concluded.
Catering
by The Westin hotel was excellent, from the morning tea treats, to the lunch buffet, especially its ‘dessert’ Sweet Treat buffet of Smarties, 
jelly tots, macaroons, and chocolates, and cappuccino requests were actioned with speed and friendliness.
Chef Massimo Bottura of 3 Michelin star Osteria Francescana described Modena and surrounds as the ‘motor and food valley’, including Lamborghini and Bughatti, as well as Parmigiano-Reggiano, proscuitto, and balsamic vinegar. Chef Massimo entitled his talk ‘Come to Italy with Me’, also the name of one of his menu options, sharing how excited he was about his first visit to Africa. At his restaurant he asks guests to leave behind their preconceptions of Italian food, and to rediscover Italian flavours with him. He shared Chef Luke’s philosophy of being a chef, saying: “Do what I want to do, with passion. Look deep in your heart. Get the best from the past and bring it into the future”. All chefs must have an identity, he said, knowing who they are and where they come from. He said he could not achieve what he has without the support of a great team. Chef Massimo’s dish of five different styles of Parmigiano-Reggiano was named Italy’s Dish of the Decade 2001 – 2011. He described how he and his team ‘break down old forms, into a puzzle, and recreate them into new forms, using new technology and techniques‘. Chef Massimo brought his love for art into his talk, and explained how he recreated traditional recipes ‘through Picasso’s eyes’, creating ‘Cubist paintings’. Asked how the recession affects his business, he explained that it has hit Italy badly, but that they have
faith in their new Prime Minister. His business, with only 25 seats, has not felt its effect, but one must work hard, keep one’s feet on the ground, be humble, and fight to beat the crisis! Chef Massimo described how they tried to perfect the Umami of a broth, adding pigeon, veal, beef, capers, chicken, eel, but it was the Parmigiano-Reggiano that gave the soup the perfect Umami! He advised that one must step back 10 meters, to see better into the future. One must combine history, art, food, and the social aspects to be successful. He mentioned his Tagliatelle Ragu as one of his trademark dishes, one which made the locals in his area attract them to his restaurant. He concluded, emphasising again that one must never forget where one comes from.
I had asked the question about the recession, and was delighted that Chef Massimo’s American wife Lara Gilmore came over to say hello, filling in some information gaps. Lara said that she met
Chef Massimo in New York 19 years ago, and moved to Modena with him a year later. She explained the slide of the lemon and the light bulb, saying it represented that even the simplest ingredient can become special, depending on how you use it. She told me the lovely story of how Chef Massimo had been asked to design a menu for Christmas and New Year for a cruise liner. An earthquake in May caused tremendous damage and hardship for the people of Emilia Romagna, so Chef Massimo designed the menu utilising large numbers of ingredients from this region,
to build up its economy again. She shared that the restaurant has three menus, one with 6-courses of Traditional dishes at €100, the Classics menu with his best dishes over the years at €140 for 8 courses, and the 12-course Sensations ‘Come to Italy with Me’ menu at €180. The dessert list has two sections,
she explained, five being ‘savoury sweet’, and another five ‘sweet sweet’. The quirky names of the dishes impress, for example ‘Oops, I dropped the lemon tart’! While they worked hard to achieve three Michelin stars, it is even harder to maintain them, Lara shared, but it has allowed them to be more daring and avant garde. They have recently finished redoing the restaurant and the kitchen.
The Conference ended off with a panel discussion led by Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly, and was disappointing, with a mismatched panel of Chef Reuben Riffel, Chef Giorgio Nava, The Local Grill owner Steven Maresch, and Food Network owner representative Nick Thorogood. Grass-fed beef (‘Field to fork’) was highlighted as being healthier, and more sustainable, although it was clear that the steakhouse was ordering grain-fed meat. Even Chef Reuben said he had to order both kinds, as his customers did not relate to the grass-fed steak. Nick fed back that the trend in London is that the source of each ingredient is specified on the menu. South America will be the ‘next big name in cuisine’ , the influence on world cuisine coming from the forthcoming Olympics and World Cup soccer. Chef Reuben tried hard to argue that he is in touch with his restaurants, despite being a ‘celebrity chef’ now, but a question from the audience sounded as if it was addressed to him directly, making a passionate plea for absent chefs to be at their restaurants! TV cooking shows are popular, for entertainment and the inspiration. No-shows are a problem, but most restaurants do not ask for credit card details, with the exception of The Tasting Room. Bank chargebacks could mean that the guests dispute the payments and receive the money back anyway. Chef Jenny Morris suggested that the restaurant industry stand together and formulate a policy on booking deposits. The role of food critics was discussed just as it was time to close the discussion. While bloggers were criticised for not being knowledgeable and wielding considerable power, the unanimous view was that blogposts about restaurants must be honest and constructive, to ensure the integrity of one’s blog.
Despite the excellent content of the Eat Out Conference, bar one session, it was poorly attended. As the Conference is likely to become an annual event, New Media Publishing may need to consider a Sunday or Monday for it, to attract a far larger attendance by chefs, only a handful being in attendance. Important too would be to focus on who the Conference is aimed at – at Foodies, writing about Food and Restaurants, or at Chefs, or a combination of the two. Very few chefs attended, and one suspects that had most of those who attended not been speakers, there would have been barely any in the audience, a full-day Saturday conference in November probably poorly suited to busy restaurant kitchens. Perhaps the cost of R1000 was a deterrent too. Such a Conference would be better suited to the quiet winter period. Sadly, there was little interaction between the food writers and the few chefs, partly caused by the lack of name tags.
POSTSCRIPT 26/11: Last night I saw Massimo Bottura and his wife Lara at the Eat Out Awards dinner, and we chatted, especially about her most unusual choker made from a very special wine cork, encased in sterling silver at the ends.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
Franschhoek is upping its gourmet game, with two local chefs having spent some weeks at Noma in Copenhagen, the number one restaurant on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list and bearing a 2-Michelin star rating since 2008, in the past three months. Both Chef Shaun Schoeman from Fyndraai Restaurant at Solms-Delta and Chef Chris Erasmus from Pierneef à La Motte returned inspired and have fine-tuned their menus and cooking to incorporate Nordic cuisine into their local gourmet offering.
The restaurant’s philosophy is on the homepage of its website:
Chef Chris Erasmus, Pierneef à La Motte
Yesterday I met with Chef Chris Erasmus, a week after his return from Noma, at which he had spent close to a month. I asked him why he had taken the time to leave his post as Executive Chef, and start from scratch at Noma. Chef Chris said he wanted to study how Chef René Redzepi had taken a restaurant which had been laughed at initially for focusing on Nordic cooking, initially not very exciting and then synonymous with ‘whale blubber and fish eyes’ (like Bobotie would be for South African cuisine, he said), and taking it to the number one restaurant in the world, and having kept it there for three years running. What Chef Chris does at Pierneef à La Motte, in foraging from nature, and in cooking what one has, is reflected at Noma too. Chef Chris has Daniel Kruger growing a range of unusual herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers for him at La Motte, with only one of 13 items in the salad farm grown, and the balance foraged, while Noma is supplied by specialist producers.
Chef Chris was impressed by the systems of the restaurants, each person working for the restaurant knowing what is going on. A meeting is called by the Restaurant Manager prior to service, in which they discuss any specific dietary requirements of guests, so that the chefs are prepared for this upfront, and not told about them when the guests arrive. The Restaurant Manager, from Australia, 
is in the running for a Restaurant Manager of the Year Award in Denmark. Chris said that his knowledge is amazing, having spent so much time with the chefs to get to know the dishes that he can cook them himself. There are 45 kitchen chefs, with another 25 volunteers unpaid and just there to learn more from this leading restaurant. Only two of the chefs are Danish, the others coming from the USA, Australia, Germany, and Mexico in the main. The rules are strict, and one is expected to follow them 100%. A mistake made a second time will lead one to be told to leave. Staff are treated politely, even though Chef René can lose his cool on occasion. No dishes are allowed to be photographed or distributed via Social Media by staff or volunteers.
There are three kitchen sections that the volunteers go through, starting with the Preparation Kitchen, foraging produce, and getting them ready. Chef Chris spent less than a week here. The second level was the Hot Kitchen, dealing with the restaurant service, and here Chef Chris gave more than expected, already coming to work at 5h00 in the morning (instead of 9h00), and usually getting home to the hostel he was staying at at 2h00 instead of the usual 23h00. This allowed him to work with the other chefs and learn from them, and to show them how eager he was to learn, so that he could move through the three kitchens. The third kitchen is the experimental Test Kitchen, which has two scientists and a chef, creating new dishes. Lactic acid fermentation is the foundation of many of the new dishes, a natural process bringing out the Umami in food, eradicating the need to add salt or sugar to food. There is no salt on the restaurant tables, nor is it added to food. The maximum sugar content of any dish is 12%. They make their own Miso paste too, taking a few months, ant purée, fermented crickets, and more. Chef Chris shared that he tasted bee larva, having a very rich creamy wax taste.
Chef René greets each guest as they arrive at his restaurant. He works seven days a week, even though the restaurant
is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Chef Chris came to work on Mondays, again to learn as much as possible. Noma has an excellent Head Chef and Sous Chefs, on whom Chef René can rely while he is busy with the guests, and spends time in the Test Kitchen. The chefs serve the guests. Waiters cannot work at Noma if they have not studied to be a waiter for three years at a local college. The role of the waiters is to explain the dishes to the guests. Guests are served 16 ‘snacks’ as a start to the Tasting Menu in rapid succession over 12 minutes, literally a mouthful each. This is followed by four courses, the size of our starters, being a vegetable dish, a meat dish, a fish dish, and a dessert, at a cost of about R2250. The restaurant is flexible in what they serve, to allow for dietary requirements. The Test Kitchen’s role is to add new dishes to the menu, and Chef Chris saw five new dishes being developed in the time that he was there. One of the dishes developed while Chef Chris was in the Test Kitchen was ‘Lacto Plum and Forever Beets’, served with lemon verbena and fennel soup, the beetroot being roasted for three hours, and its leathery skin then peeled off, the inside tasting like liquorice.
To learn from each other, especially the visiting chefs, they have Saturday night ‘Projects’ after service, in the early Sunday morning hours, presenting their own dishes, which are evaluated by the
fellow chefs and the scientists. Chef Chris missed the opportunity to present a dish.
Chef Chris has been inspired by his experience at Noma, and changes are already being made to his current menu. He has added Lacto-fermented Porcini broth to his menu, inspired by Noma, made by adding salt to the mushrooms and vacuum-packing them, until they ferment at ambient room temperature. This creates enzymes which break down the bad bacteria, bringing out the natural savoury flavour. The summer menu will be much lighter, with far more foraged herbs and flowers, and some unique vegetables grown for him by Daniel. Artichokes, peas, and broadbeans are at their best right now, and Chef Chris showed me the some of his vegetables and herbs, which had been picked for him at 10h00 yesterday morning. They are only using Raspberry Vinegar now, instead of vinaigrettes. He will focus on only using vegetables and herbs from the La Motte garden.
Chef Chris has invited Chef René to visit (he was in Cape Town for what seemed literally a flying visit in February when he addressed the ‘Design Indaba’). He was inspired by his experience, and it is visible in his big smile, and new passion for his craft. While others may not have had such a good time, he said that ‘you get out what you put in’. He lost 15 kg in the time, just working and sleeping for a short while. He can’t wait to go back in a winter time, to see how they use all the preserved foods they prepare in the summer months, such as pickled rosebuds, and fermented plums. Having had to start at the bottom at Noma, he has a better understanding of his staff, yet expects ‘150%’ of them, Chef Chris said. One of his American co-volunteers at Noma started at The Test Kitchen in Cape Town this week.
Chef Chris’ Noma experience, coupled with the fantastic vegetable and herb garden on the farm, are sure to earn Pierneef à La Motte an Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Award in November!
Chef Shaun Schoeman, Fyndraai, Solms-Delta
In June, Chef Shaun Schoeman of Solms-Delta’s Fyndraai Restaurant spent two weeks working in one of the kitchens at Noma. Chef Shaun’s feedback was that the simplicity of Noma’s menu, which lists items like ‘pike perch and cabbage’, ‘cooked fava beans and beach herbs’ and ‘the hen and the egg,’ belies its sophisticated appeal, as evidenced by the backlog of keen diners waiting for bookings. Noma is known for its contemporary reinterpretation of Nordic cuisine. This includes a return to the traditional methods of pickling, curing, smoking, and fermenting as well as the integration of many indigenous herbs and plants. Redzepi himself has worked with the world’s best, having spent time at both El Bulli in Spain (when it was the world’s number one restaurant), and the French Laundry in California’s Napa Valley.
“There are many similarities between the kinds of indigenous elements we use here at Fyndraai and what chef Redzepi has become known for in his cuisine,” said Shaun, who felt that he could only benefit from doing a stint at the world-famous Noma. After his acceptance as a stagier, he packed his bags and flew to Copenhagen, where he joined a production kitchen staffed by over 50 chefs from around the world, all there to learn the philosophy and techniques of this influential chef. “Everyone who works at Noma, no matter what their experience, starts in the production kitchen,” explained Shaun, where the standards for preparation and hygiene are exacting and the hours extremely long, with shifts of up to 14 hours. Only after three months will Chef Redzepi consider moving a stagier into the main service kitchen. Every morning, a group of the production kitchen chefs go out to the nearby seaside to forage for fresh wild herbs and leaves, like nettles, wild rocket, sea coral, and wild garlic. Upon their return, they set to work on their pickings, cutting leaves into uniform sizes, all done on a tray kept over ice. “Temperature is extremely important as the herbs must be kept cold, but never below the temperature of the fridge.”
For a Franschhoek-born and bred native, it was an amazing experience for Shaun. He was overwhelmed by the incredible fresh fish and seafood that came through the production kitchen daily, including live crabs and 
luscious sea scallops still in their shells. All vegetables were organic and specially grown for the restaurant. A great example of Noma’s high standards was the daily sorting of fresh green peas into varying sizes! But aside from the differences in product and handling, when it came to the indigenous plants themselves, Shaun found that they were not dramatically different from the plants he relies on at Fyndraai, which are grown in the estate’s Dik Delta Garden. “We have many versions of the same plants, the major difference being that the Scandinavian herbs have more subtlety. South African indigenous herbs are sharper, which means that you really need the knowledge and training to harness their flavour without overpowering dishes.” Shaun returned from Copenhagen infused with energy and appreciation for the wide variety of herbs he has at his discretion, which collectively he refers to as “my baby.” He uses only indigenous herbs grown on site, so management of ingredients is crucial. That said, he feels he has a great deal of flexibility – one of the perks of a kitchen garden – and is always able to find a pleasing substitute if one herb is temporarily depleted. The ingredient he’s most crazy about is citrus buchu, which he says is the most fantastic herb he’s ever worked with. “It’s got a sexy, citrus flavour that really lifts everything it touches. It works equally well with savoury dishes or desserts, and can be used in anything from infusions to a flavouring in bread rolls.”
He’s also extremely partial to spekboom, a small-leaved succulent also known as ‘elephant bush’, which is very versatile. At Fyndraai, it receives various treatments, from a quick stir-fry to lightly-dressed salad greens, and from pickling to its use as an ingredient in a cold cucumber soup. In its pickled form, it’s one in a range of signature Dik Delta products Shaun has recently started producing and selling on the farm. Some of the others are lemon and wild rosemary chutney, lemon and gemoedsrus (fortified Shiraz) marmalade, and wild herb rubs. Customers love taking these products, which they cannot find elsewhere, home to their own kitchens to experiment with. “The indigenous herbs play sometimes starring, and more often supporting roles in the food we create at Fyndraai, depending on the nature and flavour of the plants themselves,” Shaun said. The key is quantity, and knowing how much to add to a dish, and when to add it. Sometimes they are added directly to dishes, at other times infused into sauces, used to create syrups which provide complementary flavours to a dish and even as flavourings in ice cream! The plants are propagated at Dik Delta, the large ‘kitchen garden’ on the wine estate. The two-hectare veld garden is overseen by a team of trained Solms-Delta residents. It yields crops of dynamic herbs, many of which were
on the verge of extinction before the birth of this valuable culinary-bio project.
Today, the garden is the restaurant’s source for everything from wild asparagus to spekboom to makatan, an indigenous melon which Shaun cooks into one of the Dik Delta preserves. The garden is in full spring flower, with sunny yellow patches of honeybush, which flowers will be picked and dried for honeybush tea, and the dark mauve flowers of the Bobbejaantjies (little baboons) or Babiana. While this striking flower is most often used as an ornamental plant, it has a highly nutritious bulb or corm that can be eaten raw or cooked; it tastes a little like a potato and can be used as a vegetable in stews or in salads. Since Fyndraai opened four years ago, cooking with these plants has been an ongoing learning process for Shaun as well as his staff, all of whom were initially kitchen novices. This had many advantages, because they had no preconceived notions or bad habits to break. He is extremely proud of his kitchen crew, who handle the complex menu and its preparations with confidence and expertise.
Pierneef à La Motte, La Motte, R45, Franschhoek. Tel (021) 876-8000. www.la-motte.com Twitter: @Pierneeflamotte
Fyndraai, Solms-Delta, Delta Road, off R45, Franschhoek. Tel (021) 874-3937. www.solms-delta.co.za Twitter: @Solms_Delta
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
One of the most unique restaurant experiences was the opening of the new Okamai (meaning ‘home-brewed hospitality’) Japanese Restaurant at GlenWood wine estate in Franschhoek on Thursday evening. It is a unique marriage of the Umami in the delectable Japanese food created by Sensei (meaning teacher) Deon de Jongh, and the special GlenWood wines created by winemaker DP Burger.
PR consultant Erica Liebenberg and DP welcomed us at the GlenWood reception with a glass of Morena Rose Brut. The Japanese touch was immediately evident, with Sensei Deon’s wife Rayne wearing a kimono. We moved through to the tasting room with a welcome fireplace on a still chilly Spring evening, from which we only saw the branding on the ‘noren’ , or hanging cloth, which was the first lesson we learnt in Japanese culture, in that there are no closed doors, denoting the sacred space between the different sections of the restaurant and kitchen. The writing on the entrance noren, replicated on the serviette, was the greeting: ‘We bid you welcome’. Between the kitchen and the scullery and pantry there is another noren, visible in the photograph of Sensei Deon. I slipped into the restaurant while the others were still tasting the wines, and noticed the bonsai on a side table, a collection of ornamental swords, a decorative holder for the swords, and a picture of a Samurai ‘Grand Master long passed’, with decorative lettering written by the Emperor’s calligrapher, with wording ‘The fighting spirit through harmony and respect’,
Sensei explained. He was dressed in a black chef’s outfit, but with Japanese touches. He has the most charming smile, looking at peace and in harmony, and reminded me of Chef Reuben Riffel. The word ‘humility’ was used a number of times at our table to describe the Sensei.
Sensei Deon studied 16th century samurai swordmanship in Japan, and lived in that country for 27 years. Once one has passed the highest level of swordmanship, ‘they entrust you to cook’. Sensei studied the Japanese and western style of sushi creation for 15 years. Erica told me that the Sensei has written Japanese novellas, being collections of stories related to him while he lived there. He has also founded and run a school of martial arts in New York, is a motivational speaker and life coach, and was awarded a Nelson Mandela Momento for his contribution to social upliftment and better relations, the website states.
Alistair Wood is the owner of GlenWood, which he bought 28 years ago, and DP has been his winemaker and General Manager for 22 years. They share the same long term vision and focus. Alistair told us that DP is a fourth generation Franschhoeker, and his great-grandfather saw the last elephant leave the Franschhoek valley in 1856. Alistair and his partner Nikki de Havilland were regular customers of the Japanese restaurant which Sensei had opened on the Franschhoek main road, and invited Sensei Deon to open his restaurant on their wine estate when he closed the village restaurant. They were excited about the good pairing between Sensei Deon’s food and their wines, a good marriage of the umami in both, and ‘between Japanese boutique cuisine on a boutique winery‘, said Nikki. The word ‘umami’ was mentioned a number of times, and it is the fifth sense, with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, an element discovered by a Chinese scientist 1200 years ago, we were told. Umami was found to be an ‘indescribable’ taste in seaweed, and described as being ‘addictive’.
The restaurant can only seat 16 customers at a time, because the Sensei prepares everything fresh, and therefore booking is recommended. However, the kitchen is open from 12h00 until closing time, so one is not restricted to only eating there at traditional lunch and dinner times. While GlenWood wines are served, one can also order Japanese beer and sake. ‘Oshibori’ is ‘to clean the hands for the meal one is about to receive’, and a cloth was brought to each guest, and after we returned it to a hostess, we were told that the correct way of doing so would be to roll it up as we had received it: ‘By the way it is received you will return it’, we were told. Nikki invited us to be ‘adventurous’ in our eating.
Before the meal, Sensei spoke an appreciation ‘of the journey of the food before me’, and ‘I honour your journey and my journey for being here’, acknowledging the uniqueness of the Sensei and customer connecting at that time and space. He also told us that the Japanese customer would meet the chef before committing to the table, to ‘get a feel of his intentions’ which could harm one if the chef has negative energy or is in a bad space. Should the customers pick up negativity in the chef, they would leave.
We 
started with a Miso soup (R20), and Sensei Deon taught us how to hold the bowl on the tips of our fingers, and drink from it by slurping, this being how soup is drunk by the Japanese. The Miso soup is a traditional start to the meal, keeping the Japanese healthy, and is made with Dashi stock and has chunks of tofu, and was paired with the GlenWood Sauvignon Blanc 2011. Miso soup is a good preparation for the meal to come, and an excellent way to counter a hangover, we were told. Thereafter we were served a black Bento Box (meaning ‘lunch box’ ) with a red edging, looking very smart, and with compartments inside for the different foods. The Bento Box contained the following:
* ‘Edo Unadon‘, eel meal, paired with the GlenWood Unwooded Chardonnay 2011 – there is no such thing as a ‘California Roll’, Sensei said. This dish costs R62.
* Sashimi, cut and seared salmon, which was paired with GlenWood’s flagship wooded Vigneron’s Selection Chardonnay 2011
* The Tempura prawn was described as being high in umami, and was paired with the GlenWood Semillon 2010 (4 prawns cost R34)
* Chicken dumplings were paired with the GlenWood Merlot 2009 (4 chicken dumplings cost R32)
* Salmon Roses were paired with the GlenWood Shiraz 2009 – this should be made from the tail of the salmon, which contains the sweetest part, Sensei said.
Rice should be prepared a day in advance, we were told. Wasabi only has a three hour life span, and should never be bought in a tube, we were advised. Wasabi should never be mixed with soy sauce, as it loses its health benefits. A leaf of ginger should be eaten in-between courses to clear the palate. Kewpie mayonnaise should be Japanese and not Chinese, being more healthy. Sushi
means ‘finger food’. The meal as we had it, with the Miso soup and Bento Box, costs R170. One can also order Temaki handrolls at R38 – R53; 6-piece Makimono at R33 – R47; 8-piece Uramaki ‘inside-out rolls’ at R55 – R68; 2-piece Nigiri at R31 – R43; 2-piece Inari R 33 – R45; salads from R40 – R48; 4-piece sashimi R50; two salmon roses at R45; and 4-piece fashion sandwiches at R43 – R55.
The dinner was concluded with a Japanese crepe containing thinly sliced strawberry and banana, and cream. We were told to close the Bento Box when we finished eating, and return it to the hostess, to prevent her from having to lean over the guest to clear the table. Traditionally, hostesses were used to ‘eavesdrop’, to obtain secrets from guests eating by overhearing their conversation, information which was used competitively in warfare. The best time to eat Japanese food is from 13h00 – 17h00, when the digestion and metabolism are at their optimum, Sensei said. We were advised to eat only 80% of the meal, and then take a breather before finishing the meal.
Alistair and I talked about the new wine range that will be launched, and without giving away any secrets, he shared that he is excited about an idea which came to him while travelling through France for three months in our winter, being that Franschhoek is well-suited to make a Sauternes noble rot ‘sweet wine’ in the style of Chateau d’Yquem. Watch this GlenWood space!
Okamai is an educational experience. It serves ‘cuisine based on ‘Wakon-yosai, an ideal of adopting and applying western learning and knowledge in confirming the native cultural traditions, creating a familiar & 
authentic blend of known and traditional dishes’, the Okamai website relates. Sensei Deon is most charming, and he makes eating at Okamai a fascinating experience, given the personal attention that he can pay to his 16 guests at a time.
Disclosure: We received a bottle of GlenWood Merlot 2009 with the media kit.
POSTSCRIPT 25/1: Sensei Deon sent an e-mail this evening, announcing that he left Okamai at Glenwood on 20 January: “I trust you all are doing well and had a good festive season. I am emailing to let you know I am no longer at Okamai…I resigned January 1st 2013…and Sunday January 20th was my last day…for many reasons not known to many..and such It need remain to preserve the integrity of others and the code of samurai conduct that mandate my discreetness and reasons :-). The Very Best Regards & Care. Whereto from here?…I do not know…but shall keep you posted..at GlenWood it is business as usual as they have indicated with the employ of a new sushi cook. Thank you Deeply for your past association and support. Kiyomasu Deon Sensei. 076.997.3786”
Okamai Japanese Restaurant, GlenWood wine estate, Robertsvlei Road, Franschhoek. Tel (021) 876-2044. www.glenwoodvineyards.co.za www.okamaijapan.com Tuesday – Sunday, from 12h00 – 21h00. Booking advisable.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage