It’s been
a while, but my recent experience at La Colombe makes me want to indulge in
some serious gastronomic bragging. If being Cape Town’s oldest wine estates (founded
in 1685) wasn’t enough by way of claim to fame, Constantia Uitsig has outdone
itself having La Colombe as it’s ghar
jamai. The setting is picturesquely pretty, but what else can you expect
from a vineyard?! The menu on the other hand….. oh my, oh my, oh my!
Chalmar beef tartare in shiitake mushroom dressing, topped with
an avocado puree, pickled shiitake mushrooms, fresh radish and sesame with a
nori seaweed puff
*******
Uitsig cocktail: Constantia Uitsig Sauvignon Blanc granite,
shaken rose geranium, lime and candied rose petals
*******
Lemon verbena cured trout, compressed apple, kalamansi gel,
lemon verbena espuma and hazelnuts
********
Umami rockpool, miso-cured scallop, soy caviar, langoustine,
pickled shitake, samphire, fennel and corn salad
*******
Foie gras and caramaelised fennel terrine, pan-fried escalope
of foie gas, macadamia and lavender crumble, sous vide smoked quail breast,
rhubarb butter and lavender brioche
*******
Ostrich tataki and tartare, pickled daikon, salsa verde, sesame
dressing, pickled ginger, avocado and nori puffs
*******
Medallions of pan-seared springbok loin on wilted baby spinach,
crisp apple and turnip springrolls on smoked pomme puree with pan-fried Shimeji
mushrooms and cherry wood jus
*******
Poached stone fruit on honey, vanilla & lemon, beurre
noisette & honey cake, blood orange puree yoghurt foam rolled in puffed
rice, oatmeal ice cream, granola crisps
*******
It may
well be the happy coincidence of an unexpected easing up of work right after
this trip, but honestly, the first taste of the amuse bouche had me salivating
for more and by the time I got to the Umami spectacle, I was moaning with
pleasure and wanting to share…. My favourites, the Umami Rockpool and the
Ostrich Tartare.
The
former, was a production worthy of a MJ video, complete with samphire draped
over mysteriously smoking dry ice, a glass globe daintily littered with
succulent marine morsels – tantalizing bit of langoustine, slivers of scallop,
mini marbles of caviar garnished like a painting. Once the oohing and aaahing
pauses, the Umami rockpool broth is poured into the globes, a warm, jeweled
toned topaz liquid that makes you hold your breath at your first sip. The taste
is unique, and beautiful and makes you think of a Japanese Haiku. Since I don’t
do Haiku’s or poetry of any description, I lapse into gastrorgasm mode and moan
my way through the rockpool with utter pleasure. I have never tasted anything
this delicate, complex and refreshing in a single mouthful and think of the
Chef’s shock if I were to ask for a bucket of it to take away and freeze.
What’s odd, that it’s a very sophisticated dish, but somehow manages to convey
a sense of comfort food in a oddly bizarre manner.
The
latter, was an uplifting shock. While I enjoy the flappy ostrich running around
as much as the next person, I find their flesh singularly insipid and rather
stupid. But having already asked the Chef to replace the pork loin with the
Springbok (cheetah’s et al clearly have exquisite palates!), I resigned myself
to whatever bland offering was to be the ostrich. The tataki, I cannot
remember, but the tartare! Like a slap on the face, the first bite made me sit
up with wide eyes and respectfully give my undivided attention to the offering
in front of me. Piquant and bursting with flavour the ostrich tartare was
vibrant and felt like a celebration in your mouth. Unreservedly delicious, I
struggled to choose between this and the umami rockpool, and I think in a
paroxysm of bliss, admitted that this was number one.
While
these two overshadowed the rest of the meal, I cannot leave without mention of
the amuse bouche of beef tartare with shiitake and avocado which really set the
anticipation of the meal at stratospheric levels, and the cured trout which was
quite exquisite (eliciting the comment that we’d need to go for a cheeseburger
after this meal!). I could have eaten these four several times over and then
taken a doggie bag to last me for the next six months and died happy.
Dessert
unfortunately was deconstructed and disappointing and the less said the better.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the staff. The restaurant only employees super
enthusiastic staff that love food and drink and say ‘my plaayshar’ with panache,
covering tables so that you’re never ignored even when the restaurant is full.
Amy, (our server and unholy fodder for a Bollywood blockbuster as Archana’s
long lost twin sister!!) stirred our imagination with her vivid descriptions
and the kitchen didn’t let her down.
We ate our
body weight in good food in and around Cape Town, but it’s after a long, long
time that I’ve enjoyed an evening of superb cuisine and service and would say that
any visit to the city by aficionados of food would be grossly incomplete without
experiencing La Colombe.
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