I have the highest regard for Chef Matt Schreuder of Homespun in Blouberg, for the creativity of his world class Secret Supper Club in particular, and his Tasting Menus which are of a Top 10 Restaurant standard.

Ahead of the official opening on Friday 18 June, I was invited to a ‘friends and family’ preview of Chef Matt’s new Homespun at The Andros 5 star Boutique Hotel in Claremont on Saturday evening. It was my first visit to the Hotel.  The Hotel has an old-world charm and dates back to 1908. It was designed by renowned Sir Herbert Baker.  It has 15 rooms. Parking is available on the propperty. It has a delightful Champagne Bar.

Secret Supper Club at Homespun by Matt is unique Magic Music Food Wine Theatre at its best in South Africa!

I was grateful to be seated next to my friend Stuart Bailey. Also seated at our table was Luke Potter of Distell and his wife Renate, Val the owner of the hotel,  and a hotel partner and his wife.

I had met Chef Matt’s sister Naomi and parents Dale and Iris Schreuder previously. Iris Schreuder did the interior design of both the Homespun restaurants, describing the colour scheme of The Andros restaurant as grey-beige, not a very large space, seating 30 guests well-spaced, and with the ability to open onto a terrace in summer. Iris showed me the parquet table tops, laughing when she told me that diners will have grown up with parquet flooring, and now will be eating from parquet table tops. Wooden chairs match the table tops. The tables have a central pedestal, gold powdered. Iris found a door with surrounding glass panes, and had it installed in the far end of the room to let in light in the day time.  Mirrors hanging landscape over the banquets in the past have been positioned portrait on either side of the new door. I was impressed that Iris was at the Preview, having stepped out of hospital the previous day from an operation. Naomi helped me with the name of the artist who did the mural : Esnath (Natty) Makombe.

Cutlery is by Italian brand Salvinelli, and the plates and bowls come from Mervyn Gers, Fanel, and J&B Enterprises.

I’ve never attended a soft opening before, and it literally is the first time that the kitchen team prepares the meal in the new kitchen and the waiters serve the dishes, having to explain the dishes and their manifold ingredients. Our waiter Ross was superb in knowing this information off by heart, and in sharing it with energy and spunk.

I was lucky to have got the scoop on the opening of the new Homespun at The Andros from Chef Matt telephonically, and the summary background of it follows below:

Breaking Restaurant News: Homespun at The Andros opens 18 June, second restaurant of Chef Matt!

After our arrival check-in and Covid checks we were seated and offered a choice of cocktails. I chose The Hugo, a refreshing and light cocktail made with MCC, elderflower, lemon, lime, and soda water. The second option was The Gin Fizz, made with a housemade Homespun Gin, strawberry syrup, and soda. Both cocktails were served with reusable metal straws.

When our Amuse Bouche arrived sommelier Michelle Michaels, previously with Greenhouse, introduced herself, and took our wine order. I opted for a Thorne & Daughters Pinot Noir 2020, which Stuart drank as well.

A menu for the three and five course Tasting options was on the table, with a branded serviette. The 3 course Tasting Menu plus Amuse Bouche and Palate Cleanser costs R475, while the 5 course one costs R595. The whole table has to order the one or the other, so it was good that our table reached consensus on the three course Tasting Menu.

Ross told us that the Amuse Bouche was one of two options, a generous option given the first night pressure on the chefs in the kitchen, Sous Chef Chris and Pastry Chef Chris Morrison (both formerly from Exhibit A) working alongside Chef Matt.  A beautifully presented panko herb crumbed oyster topped with Parmigiano arrived at the table with a cloud of  smoke, the oysters placed in a bowl with colourful shells. The second option was a cauliflower, ostrich, edamame, pinenut and soy bite with chili strings, arriving on a bed of maize corn in which a charred cinnamon stick infused flavour onto the bites.

My table neighbour Renate Potter ordered each dish differently to mine, so I photographed hers too.

My starter order sounded delicious and it was, being pork belly pancakes, with miso, salsa verde, aubergine, char siu and topped with crackling.  The order arrived as a double portion, two pancakes each with pork belly, which we were to eat with our fingers.  It probably was the most popular starter, if our table was anything to go by.

Renate’s starter was the Caprese, served on top of an unusual high rounded bowl, with goat cheese, a smoked tomato sphere,  tiger’s milk, avocado purée, smoked tomato shards, and basil oil.

The other four starter options are a Vegetarian Daikon, Beef Tataki, Vegetarian Jackfruit dumplings, and Prawn dumplings served with dashi, togarashi, and katsuobushi, a moving dish literally!

The palate cleanser was a medley of champagne sorbet, lemon mint, and strawberry, described by Ross as a ‘molecular delight’.

Five main courses are offered, and a variety was ordered by our table, the Vegetarian The Cauli not being of interest. Now knowing that Chef Matt’s dad is the famous Steak man Dale Schreuder of former Dale’s Black Angus, and now owner of Harvest Culture Eaterie, and that Chef Matt had worked for his dad at one stage, I ordered what the menu called ‘Matt Special’, two rounds of Triple A grade beef fillet topped with Modena salt, and served with mash decorated with carrot purée, capers, wasabi, a ponzu reduction, and walnuts.  Stuart ordered the Crispy Gammon, and crispy it was, I taking a bite of his dish, served with pecorino, orange, and sweet potato.

Renate’s main course order was Lamb, with chicken, sweetbreads, and corn. No one at our table ordered the Line Fish.

‘Cry Baby’ was the most popular dessert, also on the Secret Supper Club Tasting Menu, inspired by a childhood memory for Chef Matt, when an ice cream cone fell on the pavement.

I ordered the Olive Chocolate Garden, served in a glass cloche filled with smoke, and served just as a power failure hit the Claremont area. As a result my photograph of the dish did not do it justice. It was served with toffee and Tonka Bean.

Renate ordered the ‘Not Banana’ dessert, I seeing a banana shape on her plate in the dark, made to look like a banana, but made with banana, peanuts, and passion fruit.

‘The Beetroot’ sounded interesting, made with various beetroot textures, but no one ordered it.

The desserts came short on attention, given the half hour power failure, and the time pressure to leave at 22h00, all eaten too quickly so that we could leave immediately.

All the dishes were of a superb standard, some with bells and whistles such as smoke. Finishing on time by 22h00 was tough on the kitchen, and the power failure did not help. The starter and main course portions were very generous. Most dishes are new relative to those which I ate at Homespun Blouberg two years ago.

I was not dressed warmly enough, and found it a bit chilly initially, with a window and outside door near our table being open most of the time. There is a fireplace in the restaurant.

Overall it was a fantastic experience, meeting new people, and spoilt with an excellent meal. I’m sure that the timing of the dishes will be fine-tuned to meet the Restaurant closing time deadline.  It was a  tough night for the Chefs, Chef Matt shared, but said that he wouldn’t want it any other way, needing to,iron out all the hiccups. Admirable was that Chef Matt went ahead with the Preview, despite a number of personal tragedies related to him and his family just before the Preview, and during the finishing off of the restaurant. Homespun at The Andros is sure to be a big success.

 

Homespun at The Andros, The Andros Boutique Hotel, 16 Phyllis Road, Claremont, Cape Town. Book via Dineplan.  www.homespunbymatt.co.za  Instagram @homespunandros @homespunbymatt

 

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whaletalesblog.com www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide