It has taken three days for me to get back down to earth after experiencing the Secret Supper Club at Homespun by Matt in Bloubergstrand on Monday evening, a unique Magic Music Food Wine Theatre experience which places this restaurant amongst the best in our country. Sadly it has never been recognised by Eat Out in any of its awards, and I too had never previously visited Homespun.

Chef Prim Reddy of Indian Chapter, whom I only met very recently, is around the corner from Homespun, and has been a good friend of Chef Matt Schreuder, owner and Executive Chef of Homespun. She suggested a Media evening for his Secret Supper Club to Matt, and extended the invitations, with representatives of Eat Out, OneFM, and Independent Newspapers and their partners attending, together with Cocktail Guru Kurt Schlechter of Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen in the Waterfront, making it a cosy table of ten.

I had to find Homespun via Google Maps, set slightly back from the magnificent Blouberg beachfront  with the iconic view of Table Mountain, visible from the front window of the restaurant. The exterior of the building does not reflect the world of magic that lies behind the entrance curtains, the first thing that I noticed being the long table set up in its centre, with a number of lit candelabras, giving a first romantic welcome. The welcome drink was a 9-week barrel-aged Homespun Gin, made by the Homespun team, consisting of ten Botanicals, most grown in Chef Matt’s garden, including pink peppercorns, Buchu, coriander, and Artensia Afra, in addition to juniper and cloves. Not only is the gin home-made but the tonic water is too, made with the bark of the quinine and cindoin trees. with lemon grass, lime, and lemon. The gin and tonic making was a welcome benefit of Lockdown, a first for the Homespun team.

Chef Matt is a fantastic welcoming host, and found time to brief me individually on his gin and tonic. He also gave me a background to his career, having been influenced to enter the restaurant industry by his father who had Dale’s Place for 28 years, in Blouberg too. A German interior decorator mother encouraged him to travel, and he joined Pret a Diner, a pop-up restaurant moving between Frankfurt, Berlin, and Hamburg, at which chefs from Michelin Star restaurants in Germany came to cook, including the well-known Tim Raue in Berlin, whose restaurant is on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant List.  On his return six years ago, he opened Homespun. He recently added Sous Chef Chris de Jongh from the former Exhibit A to his team, the chefs making magic together.

The staff was dressed in black and wore masks throughout, whereas we were allowed to take ours off. They were a super efficient team, silently making this happen, bringing dishes and removing glasses and dishes, and filling up our water glasses. Our table setting consisted of a napkin with a first set of cutlery on it, red wine, bubbly, white wine and water glasses, and a stand with a wax-sealed envelope containing the 15-course Tasting Menu for the journey we were to embark on. Each dish on the menu had a title, the only information we received, not giving away anything about what to expect from each dish, keeping it a secret!

We were welcomed by Prim, singing Chef Matt’s praises, describing his work as Food Art which touches one’s soul, and as a chef who thinks global but acts local.  We were introduced to Marné Gelderbloem and Carla Louw of MyOh!My Entertainment, sitting behind an impressive looking DJ sound system, not quite understanding yet what role they would play in the dinner. Each dish was introduced by either Chef Matt or Chef Chris. And so the Magic Journey began, after our glass of Bon Courage Jacques Bruére 2012 bubbly was poured by Sommelier Flora Jost, from Reunion, who studied hospitality in Switzerland, and then fulfilled her dream to come to South Africa. She told me that she has seen me dance at La Parada Constantia Nek. To set the scene and to ’cleanse & open the space to get the guests in tune for what they’re about to experience’, Tibetan Singing Bowl sounds were played. ,

Course 1. Serengeti

The African music, sung by Carla with a choir humming, introduced the dish and with it the sounds of the bush, including birds and other sounds to project thecwarmth of ‘I’m here, I’m present & I’m home’. Chef Matt dedicated this dish to his uncle who made a superb venison stew, with a unique touch of adding cinnamon to it, it being an annual family ritual to meet to eat his special stew.  The dish was presented on a tree branch, the acidity of the bubbly balancing the dish, Chef Matt explained. We were to eat it in one bite, being ostrich carpaccio, cauliflower purée, smoked Chili sauce, crispy onions, and edamame beans. This course was paired with the Jacques Bruére Cap Classique Brut Rosé 2012. Sommelier Flora’s pairing note: ‘The nutty notes of the bubbly pair beautifully with the nuts inside the pani puri. The bubbles enhance the crispy/crunchy/creamy texture of this dish ‘

 

Course 2. Onion

A red onion was presented to us, cut in half and connected with a hinge, a wow. The centres of the two halves had been hollowed out, containing  onion three ways:  emulsion, marmalade, and ash with smoked paprika, served with a brioche. On the table stood a jug with a lit candle of Boerewors and wagyu fat, which was to be poured in the other onion half, so that one could dip the brioche into it too, a delicious and most unusual bread course. This course was paired with the Jacques Bruére Cap Classique Brut Rosé 2012. Sommelier Flora’s Pairing note: ‘The acidity of the bubbly balances the bitterness of the onion ash, the sweetness of the onion marmalade and compliments the tanginess of the onion emulsion. The bubbles are bringing freshness to the wagyu & boerewors fat candle.’ The Music Pairing was a guitar and trumpet piece, and further African Bush sounds.

 

Course 3. Pot Plant

This course was presented on top of a glass box containing lit fairy lights, served in mini terracotta pot plant holders. A pea shoot completed the impression of a pot plant. Inside was a Jerusalem(a) artichoke velouté topped with mushroom ‘soil’, a very pretty presentation, and a tasty combination. This course was paired with Nitida Semillon 2019. Sommelier Flora’s Pairing note: ‘The bitterness of the semillon stands out to the bitterness of the jerusalem artichoke. The wine makes the dish lighter overall, helps with the creamy heavy aspect of the dish’.  The Music sounds took the diner to the forest, with tropical birds chirping, singing, and dancing up in the tree tops, ‘giving the same feeling as the dish you’re looking at from above’.

 

Course 4. Life is a picture

On top of a picture frame containing a drawing of celeriac was served the dish of Celeriac three ways: cannelloni, pickled with yuzu, and a velouté, to which was added mushroom chips. Two fine chocolate sticks completed the …. picture. This course was paired with Nitida Semillon 2019. Sommelier Flora’s Pairing note: ‘This pairing came to life first with the aroma. The mango/ peach aromas together with the aroma of the celeriac made the experience for us. On the palate, the hints of oak of the wine bring another dimension to the dish and makes it slightly smoked’.  The Music Pairing was a piano piece, to add sophistication and elegance to the dish.

 

Course 5. Avant-Bubble

The first palate cleanser was an ‘Avante-Garden’ made with buzz button, being a bubble on top of an espresso cup, which popped after a while. The liquid was a mix of lemon, yuzu, orange, cucumber, coconut water, basil, and elderflower, an unusual refreshing taste. This course was followed by a 15 minute interval. The Music Pairing was the sound of bubbles, recordings of the sound of various fish tanks.

 

Course 6. Fish & Chips

Chef Matt presented this dish, reminiscing about the time his dad would take his family to Mariner’s Wharf to eat what he described as the best fish and chips. The fish of the day was hake, and it was served with potatoes four ways: pomme dauphine, molecular chips, gnocchi, and purée, with a lemon parsley emulsion and vinegar gel. The wine pairing was clever, with Spier Seaward Chardonnay 2019. Sommelier Flora’s Pairing note: ‘The Seaward has slight sweet notes that balance the vinegar/salt flavours of the Fish & Chips. The mouthfeel & freshness pair beautifully with the different potatoes components’.  The Music Pairing was Harbour sounds, including seagulls, soft waves, and people chatting, taking the diner back to their memories of a local harbour.

 

Course 7. Prohibition G & T

This course was an edible equivalent of a Gin and Tonic, served with two containers, one with gin sherbet and the other with tonic syrup, one dipping an elderflower and lime lollipop into either one or both, sherbet and lollipops bringing back childhood memories. The Music Pairing was intended to ‘create a palate cleanser for the ears’, with the type of Jazz music one would hear at a local Gin or Cocktail Bar.

 

Course 8. The Pancake

This was a tasty eat-with-your-hands dish, based and presented on a pancake, made with orange water and rum. Presented on top of the pancake was Char Sui confied pork belly with salsa verde, miso aubergine purée, and pork crackling. This course was paired with Rustenberg Grenache 2015. Sommelier Flora’s Pairing note: ‘The grenache being a subtle and easy drinking wine allows all the components of the dish to shine. This pairing is a focus on the food. The spices of the wines make the char siu stand out’.  The Music Pairing was a mix of popular tunes.

 

Course 9. Ons gaan nou Braai

Each diner received his/her own mini table braai stand with coals inside it, with a slice of fillet on top of it. The chefs did the quick braaiing at the table, placing the medium rare fillet onto a plate with the chef’s Signature truffle sauce, sweet potato fondant, and a wagyu fat and smoked potato purée. The Braai at the table was a different way of experiencing the food preparation, and the fillet was deliciously melt in your mouth butter soft. This course was paired with Rustenberg Grenache 2015. Sommelier Flora’s Pairing note: ‘The dish makes this everyday wine a premium wine. The pepper in Chef’s signature truffle sauce make the wine bolder, give it length and make this light bodied wine a full body wine. The transformation of the wine is the main focus.  The acidity of the wine makes the dish slightly lighter’.  The Music Pairing was a live performance by Carla of campfire songs, overplayed with the sounds of the Braai fire crackling.

 

Course 10. Lick Me

This course was our second palate cleanser, and was made of a medley of fruit juice gels, each coming up in a different bright colour when activated by the overhead UV lights switched on especially for this course: Kiwi, Blueberry, Granadilla, Naartjie, and Raspberry. Having added.Vitamin B2 to the fruit gels, the UV lights activavated them, giving the dish the unbelievable colours. The candelabras were removed at this stage, and all the lights were switched off for this course. We received no cutlery for this course, and were told to lick it with our fingers. To add further effect to this course, the staff masks and aprons came ’alive’ too, a most dramatic effect. The Music Pairing was a ‘recording what a psychedelic experience can feel like’ without the use of  magic mushrooms.

 

Course 11. Not Spaghetti

Chef Chris presented this dish, which looked like Spaghetti and meat balls. The ‘spaghetti’ was made with oak-smoked Stanford Catalan cheese while the ‘meat balls’  were made from pecan nut ice cream. While I found the design of the dish to be very clever, it was too rich for me to finish the cheese ‘spaghetti’ part of it after the ten previous courses. This dish was paired with Glen Carlou The Welder Chenin Blanc 2016. Sommelier Flora’s Pairing note: ‘The wine brings a new dimension to the dish.  From a dish that is mainly salty/sweet – together with the wine, it becomes a Salty/sweet/tangy dish. Such an interesting change! ‘  The Music Pairing was Italian Music with Italian steeet sounds.

 

Course 12. The Cry Baby

This dish was introduced by Chef Matt, describing it as every child’s worst nightmare: one’s ice cream cone falling out of one’s hand and landing onto the pavement! The ice cream cone was made with Cornflakes. It was filled with ice cream, chocolate torte, and a berry gel, together with a strawberry, yuzu and fennel sorbet. A wow! This dish was paired with Glen Carlou The Welder Chenin Blanc 2016.  Sommelier Flora’s Pairing note: ‘Because the wine is sweet initially, with the torte which is a sweet dish, the wine actually becomes more acidic. The Strawberry/Fennel/Yuzu sorbet is highlighted a lot!’ The Music Pairing was the sound of an ice cream truck, as well as ‘cheerful ice cream inspired beats’. 

 

Course 13. Oriental Express

Here the theatre really got going, Chef Matt putting on a Train Conductor cap and wheeling a trolley into the room. On our (non-edible) decorated plate a dragon was placed, with an item we were told to chew. The minute we did so, smoke came out of our mouths and nostrils, a lovely party trick made with liquid nitrogen, hence the alternative name of this dish being ‘Dragon’s Breath’. Very clever! The Music Pairing for the Homespun Express was the sound of a train, transporting the diner to the Street markets of China, with traditional Guzheng instrumentation.

 

At this stage we were invited to walk to the Garden of Eden, a creation made by Chef Matt and his team, with an apple tree bearing forbidden fruit, magic mushrooms, a snake, and other visual elements.

 

Course 14. Unicorn Poop

This dish had the oddest name! A dish bowl had been made with a unicorn head in the middle of it, and a red ‘poop’ placed on each side. It was made with pecan nut praline with raspberry white chocolate, placed on top of raspberry candy floss, the latter being another childhood memory. The Music Pairing was Celtic-inspired music.

 

Course 15. Forbidden Fruit

This was our last course, and the forbidden fruit in the shape of apples was made with apple, elderflower, and CBD (cannabis) as a liquid filling, eaten in one bite, a fun naughty ending to our mind-blowing dinner experience. The Music Pairing was a ‘Nutcracker’-inspired beat, ‘leaving you in complete euphoria’.

 

Chef Matt provided me with a List of the dish descriptions, as many of them were spoken too quickly for me to record them all, and afterwards let me have a list of the paired music to each dish. He welcomed further questions and answered them promptly in the past few days, a professional in all respects.

It was close to Curfew time, yet Chef Matt invited the guests to share in another glass of wine or a Tequila. I left as I had to drive back home to Camps Bay, my mind spinning on my drive in trying to assimilate the experience of the past five-hour Magic Music Food Wine Theatre. In the past three days it struck me that this is a Restaurant, led by Chef Matt, that exudes his creativity, passion, exuberance, humility, generosity, perfectionism, and magic, making it a world-class restaurant, one of the best in our country.

 

Secret Supper Club, Homespun by Matt, a 15-course Dinner for a group of ten diners, R1150 per person, R395 extra for the wine pairing. Tel (021) 556-2824 Porterfiel Road, Table View. www.homespunbymatt.co.za Instagram: @homespunbymatt @chefmatt_homespun

 

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein

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