{"id":5207,"date":"2009-11-12T09:08:25","date_gmt":"2009-11-12T07:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=5207"},"modified":"2010-06-01T00:34:05","modified_gmt":"2010-05-31T22:34:05","slug":"restaurant-review-camils-out-of-the-ordinary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/restaurant-review-camils-out-of-the-ordinary\/","title":{"rendered":"Restaurant Review: Camil’s out of the ordinary!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>When one experiences a new restaurant, one likes to have a handle on it, to define the restaurant, to place it in a box.\u00a0 Camil’s Restaurant\u00a0defies definition and categorization, its menu being unique, and is likely to evolve over time.<\/p>\n

Camil and Ingrid Haas started Bouillabaisse in Franschhoek, after owning Klein Oliphantshoek guest house for a number of years and cooking for their guests.\u00a0 They sold the guest house, concentrated on Bouillabaisse, and at the beginning of this year bravely opened Bouillabaisse in\u00a0the Rockwell Centre in De Waterkant in Cape Town, as well as the creperie Crepe Suzette.\u00a0 They were major tenants in a centre that was designated to become the Epicurean Gourmet Emporium, under the guidance of Conrad Gallagher, a great concept in that various small shops would surround the restaurants, all selling organic products.\u00a0\u00a0Nothing materialised when Gallagher left the country under a cloud of debt shortly after the restaurants opened.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 After nine months the Haas’ closed shop and announced that they would re-open at\u00a0a new location.\u00a0\u00a0 Quickly word spread that\u00a0the new location\u00a0would be the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel on Main Road in Green Point, diagonally opposite the Cape Town Stadium.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

The restaurant opened last week, and a surprise was that the Haas couple have decided to start from scratch, bravely throwing away their two Rockwell brands, and renaming\u00a0it Camil’s Restaurant.\u00a0\u00a0 Bouillabaisse Franschhoek remains as it is.\u00a0\u00a0 New too is that Camil and Ingrid have entered into\u00a0a partnership with Jochen Buechel, who used to own the Place on the Bay in Camps Bay.\u00a0 The Haas’ will run the operational side of the restaurant, while the Buechels will look after the marketing.<\/p>\n

The first impression on arrival was not a positive one, in that parking is difficult to find on Main Road.\u00a0\u00a0 Outside the hotel most of the parking was blocked off with traffic cones, and an attempt to park in the garage\u00a0underneath the hotel was rudely and abruptly denied, despite a previous dinner at 1800 giving one access to this parking garage.\u00a0\u00a0 It was a wet and rainy evening, and the person at the parking entrance waved his arms and pointed to the opposite side of the road for parking.\u00a0 On summer days parking availability, or lack off, could be a major problem for the restaurant.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Each of the two restaurants in the Cape Royale (1800, Camil’s) has its own entrance off the street, and it was hard to see\u00a0how to get into Camil’s.\u00a0 Three glass doors give access to the restaurant, but the main entrance door is the middle one, at the bar.\u00a0 It could leave the clients stranded outside if one does not have a staff member at the door, as the bar counter blocks the staff’s ability to see someone arriving.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The interior was a surprise, if one is expecting a Bouillabaisse.\u00a0\u00a0 The restaurant space has been divided into two sections, the smaller section recognisably containing the lovely Crepe Suzette furniture, giving\u00a0it a relaxed and welcoming feel.\u00a0\u00a0 The larger area only has one recognisable feature – the ‘fishy’ light fittings from Bouillabaisse.\u00a0\u00a0 The space is open and uncluttered, as opposed to its neighbours 1800, and has a light peppermint colour on the walls.\u00a0 All tables have brown tablecloths, and square tables have a white sheet of paper on the tablecloths, over which a red or a brown cloth is placed.\u00a0\u00a0 All benches against\u00a0one wall are covered in a\u00a0brown fabric,\u00a0and an attractive\u00a0green and brown striped fabric covers the wall, to dampen the echo in the space.\u00a0 The same colours are replicated in the cushions on the benches.\u00a0\u00a0 Two strong red columns are visible in the middle of the restaurant.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The kitchen is\u00a0open and visible, but one cannot sit at the food preparation area as one can\/could at Bouillabaisse.\u00a0\u00a0 One can hear chef Camil instruct and guide his staff, some new, some old.<\/p>\n

One receives two menus – one lists all the cocktails and 13 wines-by-the-glass : the Graham Beck Brut costs R 35, the Ordine Merlot R 45, Brampton Shiraz R 27, and R 45 for the Neil Ellis Elgin Sauvignon Blanc and the Haute Cabriere Chardonnay Pinot Noir.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Overgaauw is the house wine, costing R 25 for a 200 ml caraffe of white and R 29 for the red wine.<\/p>\n

The creperie section is called ‘Crepes and Things’, and the menu lists sweet crepes ranging in price from R 35 for a cinnamon to R 65 for a Swiss dark chocolate and apricot crepe.\u00a0\u00a0 The Crepe Suzette is still on the menu, at R 62.\u00a0\u00a0 Only three savoury crepes are served, ranging in price from R 48 – R 68.\u00a0\u00a0 Pancakes are also offered, and a crispy duck salad will be tried on a next visit.<\/p>\n

The second menu\u00a0welcomes one to Camil’s Kitchen, and one senses branding confusion – is the name Camil’s (on the bill), Camil’s Restaurant (on the website)\u00a0or Camil’s Kitchen (on the menu)?\u00a0\u00a0 The menu states that “good food and wine should not cost the world”, and therefore they have introduced “prix d’ami”, the menu says, defined as a “mix of flavours from around the\u00a0globe, priced for friends”.\u00a0\u00a0 The opening hours are stated as being from 12h00 – 16h00 for lunch, and from 18h30 – 22h00 for\u00a0dinner.\u00a0\u00a0 The creperie is open from 11h00 – 23h00.\u00a0\u00a0 Interestingly, the exchange rate is listed for the Rand against the Dollar and the Euro, but surprisingly not for the Pound.\u00a0\u00a0 A service charge of 10 % is added automatically, the menu says, for tables of 10 or more, and corkage of R50 per bottle is charged.\u00a0 Children under 10 are not welcome, unless they are restaurant-trained!\u00a0\u00a0These house rules precede the menu, and should prevent any problems.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The second menu has a full wine list, but is restricted to about two or three wines per variety.\u00a0\u00a0 The Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc costs R 160, Brampton Shiraz R 97, and the Mont Rochelle Shiraz R 158.\u00a0\u00a0 The food follows the wine listing, and refers to a chef’s menu, a type of surprise menu, subject to one’s dietary restrictions, at R 295 for 3 courses, R 350 for 4 courses and R 395 for 5 courses.\u00a0\u00a0 Twelve unique oyster starters are offered, each with a catchy name, e.g. Beauty and the Beast (citrus and basil), China Town Fireworks, etc.\u00a0\u00a0 Five starters include Zucchinni carpaccio at R 42 and a prawn burger at R 59.\u00a0\u00a0 Seven unique salads are served, ranging in price from R 48 (tatsoi salad)\u00a0– R 89 (wonton layers and scallops).\u00a0 Two soups are offered: Mulligatawny (R 28) and Red paprika and goat’s cheese crumbs (R 35).<\/p>\n

Main courses are divided into eight “Medium Mains”, costing R 52 for quail’s legs to R 97 for seared scallops, and “Serious Mains”, ranging from R 65 for a lamb skewer to R 125 for a halibut with foie gras.\u00a0\u00a0 An oven-roasted rib of veal can be shared between two persons, at R 250.<\/p>\n

An amouse bouche was brought to the table,\u00a0together with tasty crispy rolls, cleverly presented in a basket with Southern Right olive oil, Camil’s branded balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.\u00a0\u00a0 The crayfish tail sandwich was meant to be served with sourdough bread, which was not in stock yet, so Camil asked permission to substitute the bread\u00a0with rice, which was lightly curried and included chopped nuts, served with a garlic mayonnaise and a small salad of green leaves and grapefruit – an unusual combination that worked wonderfully, and it defines Camil’s – it is Camil’s choice, with a touch of something different and unique.\u00a0\u00a0 Camil says he purposely cut himself off from the previous Bouillabaisse by not putting any of its dishes on the Camil’s menu.<\/p>\n

Camil’s needs to focus on its brand name and stick with one name, it needs to address its parking problem (a meeting with the new Cape Royale GM is imminent), and it needs to build brand awareness for Camil Haas, an introverted chef well-known in Franschhoek but not in Cape Town, and for Camil’s.\u00a0\u00a0 The website is thin on information, only providing the address and contact details.<\/p>\n

The cost of the glass of Graham Beck Brut, the crayfish tail sandwich and\u00a0a capuccino\u00a0was R 175.\u00a0\u00a0 Camil’s is located at the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel, 47 Main Road, Green Point. Tel 021 433 1227. www.camils.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n

POSTSCRIPT 31\/5<\/strong>: Camil Haas, chef and co-owner of Camil’s, left the restaurant three weeks ago.\u00a0 Read the story here<\/strong><\/span>.<\/a><\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When one experiences a new restaurant, one likes to have a handle on it, to define the restaurant, to place it in a box.\u00a0 Camil’s Restaurant\u00a0defies definition and categorization, its menu being unique, and is likely to evolve over time. Camil and Ingrid Haas started Bouillabaisse in Franschhoek, after owning Klein Oliphantshoek guest house for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[3,124,14,20,21],"tags":[1908,315,1910,2640,2638,1903,32366,32378,2067,471,2701,474,2698,32369,2696,2699,2695,2702,2697,2700,2660,252,2070,457,32373],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t