The Tasting Room

For dinner tonight, we are off for a gastro experience at the restaurant named "Best in Africa" and one of San Pellegrino's Top 50 restaurants in the world.  Kudos to La Residence staff who worked the wait list and got us in tonight! 

Dutch-born chef Margo Janse prepares a 9 course African-inspired menu which can apparently change each day. Janse is immensely talented and heavy into presentation and showmanship. The result is a visual and gastro treat that is unlike anything we have ever experienced. As if preparing one 9 course menu like this is hard enough, she actually prepares two as there is a different one for both man and woman. It borders on the insane.

Tonight's first amuse-bouche including foie gras wafers.

The second amuse-bouche was an amazing onion chip with "black pepper" or "cocaine" as one of the wait staff joked.

Delicious corn bread in a very creative presentation.

In an attempt to rein in the drinking, we declined the wine pairing and ordered a single bottle of wine, a delicious 2013 Ataraxia from the same Hemel-en Aarde valley as last night's Hamilton Russell. 

The first official course was "Eugenia, pistachio and fig" with a showtime presentation including frozen eugenia powder.

Next, Mrs. SFO had the Tomato Confit and potatotumble wood, buchu.

While I had "broccoli, broccoli, broccoli".

Next, we both had the delicious Octopus, radish, cucumber, sorrel nori.

Margot's humor with a glass of unfiltered Bandito. Fun label.

Next, Mrs. SFO had the lovely salmon trout, red cabbage, spansek.

While I was stuck with the "Paternoster", salted farmed kabeljou, black mussel, charcoal. Prepared souvide. Yikes. Not my cup of tea.

Mrs. SFO had the Joostenberg vlatke duck in salt, boere kinders, buckwheat, kapokbos.

While I enjoyed the Paradyskloof quail's nest, buffalo yoghurt, braised seeds.

At this point, I joked that I'm sure that "game is coming really soon". To which Mrs. SFO stated "I ain't eatin' no skippy-doo". Next up for me was a Baleni salt and kapokbos peach, peached roasted in a salt crust

Which then became part of the confit pig with mung bean, sunflower, artichoke petals and fynbos caramel. Where does she come up with these??

Naturally, Mrs. SFO was promptly served "skippy-doo" and the rather strong version. LOL. Her mushroom and cocoa nib eland, brinjal, parsnip, sorghum. I was forced to trade plates. Happy wife, happy life.

And finally, our cheese courses. Dalewood languedoc custard, vinegar flings, leeks.

And "Udderly delicious caciotta", quince, fermented turnip, smoked honey.

Dessert including the incredible "Snow globe", num num, ginger, coco pops.

And the amazing Baobab, coconut, honeybrush, caramel.

And a second or third dessert.

What a amazing show, delicious food and some of the most creative, spectacular and indeed insane presentations and combinations I have ever tasted. But this is not a restaurant where you go back on a regular basis. It is an over the top once in a lifetime experience. But worth the experience if you are in the Cape Winelands.

At the end of the evening, we were presented with our menus documenting what we had just experienced. Simply wow. And all for roughly $90 per person including wine.