Next beef tartare on toast with parsnip crisps and an artistic array of avocado cream blobs of varying sizes which made a smooth counterpoint to the raw meat (texture colour and flavour are so skilfully combined here). Then a spectacularly original take on a tartare, this time intensely umami: miso-cured trout, ginger tahini, teriyaki-braised sweet potatoes under a dome of fine slices of radish (also great with the wine) what? Mooli, I think …salad leaves and edible flower petals brought us back to sweet (it was lovely with the 2009 bottle of Ashbourne Sandstone, the lush blend of Sauvignon and Chardonnay, we were drinking) The warm freshly baked ciabatta on the bread board (South African bread boards are incredible) was also made with masa flourĪ dazzlingly pretty plate of springbok carpaccio ( right) with smoked pinenuts and burnt honey and soy dressing topped with wafer thin slices of.

Frugally the carrot tops were used as a garnish.įish tacos were two crisp little discs of fried tortilla sandwiching a filling of marinated fish, avocado and refried black beans The chef obviously likes Mexican flavours. I’m not sure it was particularly umami but it was a lovely contrast of sweet roots, creamy cheese and crunchy seeds - almost like a deconstructed carrot cake. It started with a plate of ‘Pepe’s’ carrots (have you noticed how on-trend carrots are?) with goat ricotta and roasted sunflower seed brittle. The menu is divided into different sections - salty, sweet, umami, sour and bitter and sweet ending. You need time to appreciate both the beauty of the plates and the myriad flavours and textures of the food. It is - pause for a groan - based on a small plates formula but at least they have the nous to not bring them all at once and deliver them in some kind of logical order from lighter flavours to more intense ones. You may fare better with its younger, more laid-back sibling The Pot Luck Club which is situated in the same former industrial complex called the Old Biscuit Mill but on the top floor with dramatic views over the cityĮven then we had to pull strings to get in but admittedly that was on a Saturday night. Which is not a wholly practical suggestion as it’s almost impossible to get a table.

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on Februat 08:09Īll discussions on where to eat in Cape Town tend to end up with a recommendation to eat at what is still generally regarded as the city’s best restaurant, The Test Kitchen.

The pot luck club cape town