A starter of calamari salad with curry leaves.
Image: Quinton Meijer
The Chefs’ Table
Where: Protea Mall, 1 Chartwell Drive, uMhlanga
Open: Monday to Saturday lunch and dinner
Call: 031 001 0200
I love their wines. And when I heard Graham Beck bubblies were on the menu at a tasting at The Chefs’ table, it didn’t need much cajoling to get me there. Nor did the Glass Guy need any arm wrestling.
Consistently one of SA’s top Cap Classique producers over the last 20 to 30 years, I’ve been to the estate and used the wines as a go to for many a festive occasion. In fact when we toured the Robertson wine route some years back, the beautiful estate on the banks of the Breede River was the highlight. It might have something to do with us chatting to the lady in the tasting room, and while we were chatting away, she was happily pouring.
Paired with a five course meal by head chef Matthew Armbruster (R845 ahead), and with wine maker Peter Ferreira in attendance it was something to look forward to.
Dry-aged beef tartar on a crisp waffle.
Image: Quinton Meijer
Salmon with black rice, avo, and a Thai broth.
Image: Quinton Meijer
The Chefs’ Table has had a thorough make over since my last visit and it’s looking very spruce. The arrangements around a new bar area are also a big improvement. We were warmly welcomed and soon had a glass of the estate’s classic brut in our hands. Good as always.
The first course was two beautiful canapes - a lovely dry-aged beef tartar with smoked cashews and spring onion of a crisp waffle and an exceptional octopus salad with lime zest, preserved apricot and crispy deep fried curry leaves. The use of curry leaves at the restaurant has always been its signature but these just lifted everything to a new level. In fact the Glass Guy would have quite happily sent a raiding party into the kitchen to scoop every last one up.
Torched Norwegian salmon was next with sticky black rice, avocado, crispy carrot, confit lemon and a Thai broth. This was essentially a deconstructed sushi, but way more interesting. The lemon flavours came out nice and strong along with ginger from the Thai broth, while the sashimi grade salmon was perfect and finished off with a piece of crispy salmon skin. It was paired with the Brut rose, another estate classic.
Chicken thigh with king oyster, cauliflower puree and jalapeno sauce.
Image: Quinton Meijer
Springbok loin with sweet potato, beetroot and a rose geranium jus.
Image: Quinton Meijer
A lively 2019 blanc de blancs from Graham Beck’s vintage collection was up next, paired with a deboned sous vide chicken thigh, crispy king oyster, cauliflower, baby onion and jalapeno sauce. This was a lovely dish in its own right, the chicken succulent and tender, the cauliflower puree brilliant, it was just the jalapeno sauce flattened the wine somewhat. It might have benefitted from a light chicken jus rather.
The sorbet was a refreshing mango, lemongrass and yoghurt popsicle spiced with cardamom and star anise and served with lots of dry-ice drama. This was a lot of fun.
For mains it was a nice lean cut of springbok loin, cooked beautifully rare with a lovely thick rose geranium jus. It was paired with sweet potato, beetroot, labneh and salsa. This joined the wine of the evening, a 2018 pinot noir rose, which was exceptional.
Popsicle of mango, lemongrass and yoghurt.
Image: Quinton Meijer
Dessert of citrus and honey custard and rooibos ice-cream
Image: Quinton Meijer
We finished with a nice light dessert, citrus and smoked honey custard with dacquoise crisp and rooibos sorbet. Delicious. And again The Glass Guy wanted to take the rest of that sorbet home with him. It was paired with Graham Beck’s Bliss Nectar. Never a fan of dessert wines, I did give the winemaker his due. It’s not as sickly sweet as some I’ve had.
We finished off with a lovely crema rich espresso and a home-made salted caramel choccie.
What’s not to like.
Food: 4
Service: 4 ½
Ambience: 4
The Bill: R1811
Salted caramel chocolate
Image: Quinton Meijer
