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<\/a>Utopia Cape Town co-owner Chef Pavel Dimitov has opened his first own restaurant, called Zest, on the second floor of the newkings boutique hotel in the Piazza da Luz in Sea Point. The focus of Chef Pavel\u2019s new restaurant is that local and fresh is best.<\/p>\nThe opportunity to collaborate with the 42-room newkings boutique hotel presented itself. A refurbishment of the hotel by its owner Romao da Luz was accompanied by the creation of a brand new restaurant space and kitchen, with an Events and Meeting venue linked to the restaurant.The Background<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n Landy Walker did the interior design of Zest Restaurant,\u00a0as well as the hotel room upgrade. \u00a0Her Gaia Gift and Decor Boutique is on the second floor of the hotel. Now being able to offer a restaurant service for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, combined with the Hotel room upgrade, earned the Landy explained the collaboration of the hotel and restaurant as follows:<\/p>\n<\/a>hotel a 4 star grading from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa earlier this year, for the first time.<\/p>\n<\/a>natural, neutral, strong and bold yet always with a little splash of green. We have always loved the organic and masculine signature of rusted, aged metal which was to be the canvas we would start building on. Our reclaimed, recycled copper wine racks and door handles were another important choice of metal to us. Our bar counter top we sourced and made from Namibian\u00a0teak, which still always takes our breath away. We introduced a granite stone wall finish to specific walls. We chose oversized, metal, Moroccan style pendant lights for our main dining areas while showcasing knitted, black mesh shades, outdoors, we hung three glorious marble slabs as an <\/a>over exaggerated back drop to our open plan kitchen, this bringing in a hint of sophistication and splendour. \u00a0<\/i><\/div>\n<\/a>local weavers, introducing a hint of leather in our strapped\u00a0bar stools, while delicately marrying elements of wood, brass, copper and bold metallics. Our ‘Piece de Resistance’ was our super imposed, tribal face, wall art. For us it immediately captured serenity, calm, youth, Africa\u2019.<\/i><\/div>\n<\/a>in Johannesburg, stepping into the kitchen of its popular Vilamoura Restaurant in Rosebank, and at one in Gold Reef City. \u00a0Chef Pavel followed Victor \u00a0Gonsalves to Cape Town, helping him to open Pigalle in Green Point, following on to the opening of NV-80 in the Point Centre in Sea Point. When The Vue changed to Utopia Cape Town, Chef Pavel became the co-owner of the restaurant and its Executive Chef almost three years ago. \u00a0Chef Pavel speaks highly of Victor Gonsalves, regarding him as one of the best restaurateurs in the country, one who is honest, and keeps his word. Chef Pavel too holds these values, a person with soul and no ego.<\/div>\n<\/a>When asked what his favorite cooking tool is, he chose his brand new wood-fired Grill which has been installed at Zest. \u00a0The coals of the Kameeldoring wood give a wood smoked aroma to the meat, fish and vegetables. A good chefs knife is essential too, a Swiss or Japanese one being a priority. \u00a0Chef Pavel believes in Fresh is best, and that less is more. \u00a0He does not use smoke, gels, foams, or smears in his dishes. He does not use more than three ingredients per dish, to give texture and flavour. \u00a0Fish is a favourite, which he prepares with some salt and olive oil. Ingredient sourcing is important for a restaurant, buying the best quality at a good price. He uses a small olive oil producer for the extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, for example.<\/div>\n<\/a>, and Chef Scott Melvin at Zest, originally from Scotland, worked at Gordon Ramsay\u2019s maze in London, and then followed Chef Jason Atherton to Shanghai for most of his career, recently moving to Cape Town with his South African Pastry Chef wife. Nelson Ferreira is the GM, having worked with Chef Pavel when Utopia opened. Wayne Newman is the Head Waiter, having worked with Chef Pavel at four restaurants to date. \u00a0Micaela Luke is the Manager. Chef Kyle Contad\u00ede is the Sous Chef, moving across from Helena\u2019s Restaurant in Stellenbosch.<\/div>\n<\/a>Oyster & Cure Bar.<\/div>\n<\/a>in the main. Central to the design of the menu is the focus on freshness, no frozen products being used, and the wood-fired grill on which most of the dishes are prepared, the Kameeldoring wood giving the meat, fish and vegetable dishes a unique smoky aroma and taste. \u00a0As one is seated, the waitron brings\u00a0a ciabatta roll or a focaccia bread to the table with butter and delicious smoked tomato chutney, unusually presented in spoon-shaped containers. Zest is Halaal-friendly.<\/div>\n<\/a>served plain at R15 each, or with a choice of three toppings at R18 each: Chardonnay vinegar (note not wine-based) and shallots, an Asian dressing, and a Dark beer Ponzu dressing. \u00a0I tasted the Chardonnay vinegar variant, usually preferring to eat oysters plain, sharing them with Gary.<\/div>\n<\/a>What I loved eating and its presentation even more, my favorite dish of those I have eaten so far, is the cured beetroot salmon, six slices served with horseradish cream, crisp toasted sourdough bread, and soured onions, at R95.<\/div>\n<\/a>spinach, feta, roasted walnuts, and raisins dish, a Small plate costing R65, and a Large plate R130. I had only previously eaten cooked sweet potato, but the Fire-Grill preparation adds a difference to the taste and texture of the roasted sweet potato. \u00a0The crunchy nuts and sweetness of the raisins added extra layers of taste and texture. (R65\/R120)<\/div>\n<\/a>mussels, and tomato fondue. Being allergic to mussels and not partial to lentils, I was served my fish with an unusual caper salad, loving it this way. \u00a0(R90\/R180)<\/div>\n<\/a>and felt that flour-dusted squid would have been crispier and tastier. (R80\/R160)<\/div>\n<\/a>Wood fired grilled beef is available in two fillet sizes (R85\/R190), ribeye (R200), and Wingrib (R320\/R500). I\u2019ve had the small plate fillet, beautifully presented with grilled mushrooms, broccoli stems, roasted tomato and confit onion plated on top of the fillet, which comes with one side, I choosing the roasted sweet potato. Brian had the Large plate size fillet with fries, while Gary ordered <\/a>the Ribeye, saying its the best steak which he has ever eaten, the kitchen making him a special mixed roasted vegetable side.<\/div>\n<\/a>The two desserts are superb, both designed by Executive Chef Scott Melvin:<\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n