After reading that Salsify had been awarded Eat Out’s restaurant of the year, I found it only fitting to make the earliest booking so I could try it out for myself. I must admit, I didn’t do much research on the restaurant beforehand like I normally do, but I was pleasantly surprised by an unforgettable experience, a few personal touches, and exceptional food. The best way to describe it is an elevated trip down memory lane.
On Thursday afternoon, my business partner and I took the beautiful scenic route to The Roundhouse, located at the top of Camps Bay. We arrived, and were greeted by the host who directed us to our first unexpected gift, a hand washing ceremony. This consisted of getting a spritz of cleansing essences on our hands, scrubbing them with a herbaceous salt mix, then rinsing it all off with warm water that was poured from a large jug. Once we dried our hands with the soft towels, we were escorted to a waiting room. This room was so intriguing, there was graffiti and artwork all over the walls. Half of the room had shelves of jars filled with all types of interesting ingredients. Next to the shelf was a mini kitchen type area where a bartender was busy concocting a welcome drink for us. It looked like he was whipping up a magic potion, I was in awe of how quickly and precisely he worked. He had special tweezers and everything! He remained in the corner of my eye, while our host explained the history of the building to us. Since it is a heritage building, they are not allowed to change the structure of it. Hence the attention to detail in the interior of the restaurant.
“An elevated trip down memory lane.”
Our drinks were ready, and they were accompanied by a little gift from the kitchen. The drink was a rich, vibrant green colour. It tasted as fresh as it looked, it wasn’t too sweet, but delicious and well balanced. It was gin based, but I could hardly taste it. Although I couldn’t taste the alcohol, it definitely gave me a little buzz which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am not sure what the little bite was, but it was beautifully presented in a polished shell. It complimented the drink perfectly, it was slightly salty and very fresh too. Overall, a very good, interactive introduction to begin a wonderful afternoon.
Once we finished our welcoming festivities, we were shown to our seats. The most elegant, tables draped in white tablecloths, overlooking the Atlantic Seaboard on a gloomy day. I couldn’t think of a more exquisite setting, I mean, can you? I sat down in the most comfortable velvety chair, and put my bag down on its smaller chair, which too, looked comfortable. We ordered some sparkling water, and browsed through the menus. We decided on the lunch tasting menu, which consists of seven courses for R1240 per person. This brings us back to my overall description of my experience being “an elevated trip down memory lane”. Somehow, each course reminded me of a dish from my childhood, and of course, in a more sophisticated way. It was kind of like honouring my inner child, while remaining my adult ‘old soul’ self. If that makes any sense. Apologies for getting spiritual for a moment, let’s get back down to earth and straight into the nostalgic journey.
For our first course, we were served two amuse bouches, a roasted oyster, and a chicken skin tart. I started with the oyster, I must be honest, it was a bit of an interesting experience. I have had many cold, raw oysters, as well as hot, cooked ones. But never somewhere in between. It was the texture of a raw oyster, but warm. This reminded me of the first time I ate one. I was about seven or eight at Dunes and my mom dared me to try one. Of course, as a young foodie, I accepted the challenge. I remembered chewing, and chewing, and being unsure what to do from there. Similar experience here, I obviously know now not to chew, I am more cultured than I was back then, but I found myself unsure how to tackle it. Overall, an interesting experience. I did enjoy the flavours though. Moving on, the tart was light and crispy, yet well filled. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavours and textures. This tasted like a cross between two of my favourite snacks as a kid. The original lays chips, and the chicken flavour two minute noodles. Absolute genius. How I never sprinkled the crispy chips over ramen, I’ll never know, let’s just say I had years of missing out. It was salty and savoury, all encased in a perfectly crisp tart shell. That was over way too quickly, I enjoyed every crumb.
The bread course was next to arrive, 12 hour sourdough served with milk stout butter. It smelt amazing! Now, I normally don’t like butter, but this one was fantastic. I think the hops sweetened it slightly, and it was dusted with just the right amount of rosemary, combining the sweet and savoury flavours. I lathered it onto the warm, freshly baked bread and took my first bite. I was transported back to my grandma’s house. She used to bake the best treats. The taste actually reminded me of her wholewheat rusks, before the second bake to dry them out. The sweetness from the hops butter mimicked her rusks, minus the rosemary, of course. It was utterly delicious. Once again, I enjoyed every crumb that didn’t land on the table… or my lap.
Next, we were served a rather eye-catching dish. A sunset coloured baked golden beetroot, served in a pool of cashew nut cream, topped with a walnut pesto, and pickled guava. It was decorated with a pristine leaf shaped tuile. This dish had very delicate, wholesome, and earthly flavours that were then contrasted with the sweet and sour guava on top. This tied everything together beautifully. The fruit reminded me of my favourite juice as a kid, Woolworths 100% guava juice. I used to drink it by the liter, I would highly not recommend doing that since it is rather thick and sweet. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of flavors and textures of the dish. I loved that every element had a part to play, even the tuile added a good amount of salt and crunch. The beetroot was cooked to perfection, exactly how my mom used to make it.
The next course was my favourite bite of the day. “Autumn Impressions”, this was cheesy and full-bodied potato dumplings, topped with all sorts of deliciousness. Unfortunately, I cannot recall exactly what was on the plate, but I do know that the mushrooms were foraged in Newlands Forest. This course was served to us by the most enthusiastic person, Duncan. I could tell he was incredibly proud of this dish, and all him and the team had been cooking up in the kitchen. Rightfully so, they were producing absolute masterpieces, both striking and delicious. I couldn’t wait to tuck in. I crafted the perfect fork full of food, getting a little bit of everything to fit on it. Oh. My. Word. Stunning! It tasted like a warm, loving hug. It was rich, creamy, with a glossy finish. The dumplings had a good amount of chew factor, and the mushrooms were rich and fleshy. Though indulgent, it was the perfect size with a beautiful harmony of flavours. I don’t think I spoke a word, or even looked up for that matter during this course. I engulfed it, it engulfed me. A match made in heaven, if you ask me.
It was time for the main course, where I chose the beef fillet. It was accompanied by chakalaka, jollof rice, and dombolo. I must admit, these sides were not a part of my childhood memories, but I now know they would have made a good addition. Once again, the plate was picturesque, each element was perfectly constructed, and finished off with a rich coloured jus. In true South African fashion, this reminded me of one of my staple summer dinners as a kid, the famous braai. I was never a fan of the fattier cuts of meat, so there was always a fillet medallion on the fire with my name on it. Just as back then, the steak was medium rare, and cut like butter. Incredibly good quality, and cooked to perfection. It was well seasoned without overpowering the natural flavour of the meat. The jus just enhanced it further, and the sides brought the dish to life. The jollof rice and chakalaka both added a bit of heat and tang, while the dumpling absorbed all the delicious juices and flavours. This was a very well thought out course, once again, I polished my plate.
After a bit of a flavour journey and time travelling, we were served our palate cleanser. I thought I would be given a break from the influx of memories I had been experiencing, but boy was I wrong. This dish took me to two places. The pandan cake tasted exactly like the cupcakes my mom used to make me for my birthdays. It was light and fluffy, while this time it wasn’t covered in sprinkles, but rather a chamomile mousse that offset the sweetness from the cake. The second element of this course was a lime and pineapple salsa, which tasted like a granadilla lolly you would eat on a hot summer’s day during school holidays on the beach. This course was pure nostalgia, and utter joy to eat.
Last but certainly not least, it was time for dessert. I chose the Salsify chocolate bar. This was like a coming of age dish. Why you might ask? While the chocolate bar reminded me of my ultimate favourite chocolate as a kid, it was served alongside a boozy, whiskey ice cream. Which, of course, is not part of a child's diet, well, one would hope anyway. The chocolate had several layers to it. If I am not mistaken, there was a shortbread biscuit base, a peanut butter brittle filling, all coated in dark chocolate. This reminded me of the Black Cat Chocolate Peanut Butter bar. It was decadent, and totally indulgent. There were so many different textures and flavours, it was honestly just so much fun to eat. The ice cream was quite strong, so it cut through the richness from the multidimensional chocolate bar beautifully.
Overall, I had an absolutely fantastic afternoon. Not only was the food exceptionally delicious, it took me on a journey, and for that, I am forever grateful. It takes real talent to invoke so much emotion into an experience. Thank you Salsify for your pure magic, I truly understand why you were voted the restaurant of the year. Till next time!