With winter finally in full swing, I figured, what better activity is there than eating some delicious food to distract myself from the icy weather we have been having? I mean, surely a full and satisfied belly would make me better equipped for the cold? Maybe, maybe not. Best believe I was going to test this theory. Since I was in the mood for testing things, I thought The Test Kitchen would be rather fitting. The ideal case study for my experiment (I do love a play on words). Like I always do, I did some research and to my delight, I saw they had a special prix fixe menu. It was meant to be! With utter joy and excitement, I made the booking. 

Fast forward to Thursday afternoon, it was time to eat, and time for my experiment. Luckily, and unluckily for me, Thursday just so happened to be the coldest day of the year thus far. To leave my heater was a struggle, but I got dressed as if I was going to go skiing, and picked up my business partner. I am not exaggerating about my outfit. Tumi is a very polite person. He looked over at me and said, “you look, um, cosy?” I said, “yes, it is FREEZING.”

Anyway, moving on… We arrived at the much anticipated lunch, and we were greeted by the most welcoming hostess. She was full of life and just radiated joy and light. The music was blasting some of my favourite throwbacks, and everyone had big smiles and genuinely looked happy. The energy of this restaurant is truly impeccable. Before even getting to the table, the warmth of the people and the atmosphere made up for the breezy air outside. 

We were shown to our table, and were left to browse the menu. Of course, I had already dissected it on their website, but it’s always nice to be reminded of the delicious food you’re about to eat. We ordered some sparkling water, and took the opportunity to look around. The interior is just stunning. The best way to describe it is industrial chic, laced with elegance. I love how the exposed brick and pipes contrasted with the white tablecloths and leather chairs. It was all very well balanced. My favourite part was the open kitchen. It felt like I was watching one of my cooking shows, the best kind of entertainment.

“This is honestly a spiritual experience, I cannot find the words to describe how insanely tasty this dish is”

Now, let’s get into what brought us here in the first place, the food. As I mentioned before, they are running a prix fixe menu which is R590 per person that consists of five courses. Starting off strong with my favourite food group (bread), we were served vetkoek with snoek pate. The crisp, golden balls of perfection were steaming hot and were finished off with flakes of sea salt. As I tore it apart, I breathed in the beautiful yeasty aroma. This is when my mouth started to water. I lathered a generous layer of the smooth pate and it just melted into the bread. Finally, it was time for me to bite into it. The vetkoek was nice and crunchy on the outside, not oily at all, and light and fluffy on the inside. The subtle sweetness from the dough was the perfect companion for the savoury, umami pate. I also really enjoyed the sea salt on top. It enhanced the flavours of both elements. All I can say is, this course didn’t last very long.

After an amazing introduction, it was time for our next course, the oysters. They were beautifully presented on a bed of ice. What really caught my attention was the dressing. Why? You might ask. Well yes, it was indeed vibrant and colourful, but what I was really focused on was the precise brunoise vegetable cuts. Before, I probably wouldn’t have spent much time staring at a knife cut, but since I am now a culinary student and learning a thing or two, I was in complete awe of how uniform they were. It took me hours to get these right, so a big round of applause to the Chefs! Another thing I noticed is how large the oysters were, normally when dining at the more high end restaurants, they tend to be quite small. These ones were definitely on the meatier side. These oysters were just sublime. They were incredibly fresh and delicate, the dressing was tangy and refreshing, and I really enjoyed the burst of flavour coming from the zingy pickled vegetables. Overall, this went down swimmingly… See what I did there?

For our next course, there was a choice between tuna tartare and a heirloom tart. I opted for the tart because I am a complete sucker for pastry. I am not too sure what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised. The plate placed in front of me was truly a work of art, it honestly could have been a painting. I would definitely hang it in my apartment. It gave off the sense of summer, and it tasted like it too for a matter of fact. Visually and in terms of flavour, this dish was layered with texture and freshness. The buttery pastry paired so well with the juicy tomato, and I absolutely loved the luscious taste and smoothness from the burrata. Underneath the cheese, there was a lightly marinated zucchini salad that brought in that necessary freshness to balance out the richness from the two main elements. This might sound odd, but the star of the show for me was the garnishes and drizzle. The reduction was tangy and brought about so much flavour and sharpness. The pomegranates, dried fruits, pine nuts, and even the rocket played a crucial part here. Trust me, you have to get a little bit of everything on your fork. You will not regret this! The flavours and textures married so well.

The next choice was between fried chicken or oxtail. I went for winner, winner oxtail dinner… Surprised you there. This dish was really fun to eat, and once again, every element plays a crucial part and it is best to get a little bit of everything in one bite. The dish was thoughtfully layered. There was a fresh pasta sheet on top, tender braised oxtail beneath it, followed by another pasta sheet, then earthy mushrooms, then one more pasta sheet, and a base of lightly pickled vegetables. Fun, right? I cut into it, and at first I didn’t eat it correctly. I just ate the top layer, which I found good, but not out of this world. This is before I discovered the other layers. Once I did, I gathered everything onto my fork, and then that’s when the game changed for me. The umami richness from the mushrooms complimented the meaty intensity of the oxtail, and then the slightly acidic flavour from the pickled vegetables really lifted the dish. The pasta was perfectly al dente and well seasoned, bringing a good amount of saltiness and chew factor. This course was very comforting, it reminded me that we were still in winter.

This brings us to the last course, and yes, the last was most certainly the best. I went with the beef fillet. This is honestly a spiritual experience, I cannot find the words to describe how insanely tasty this dish is. Everything was absolute perfection, but what really takes it to the next level is their famous sauce. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, this is your sign to go find out. If that sauce was single, I would take it on a date. Let me first tell you about what’s on the plate. First of all, the steak was cooked to perfection, it was buttery and melted in your mouth, just as it should. I thoroughly enjoyed the silky celeriac puree, it acted as the perfect vessel to scoop up that godly sauce. The golden potato gratin was crisp yet soft on the inside, which too was the perfect vessel to scoop up that heavenly sauce. Then, the charred broccoli also brought more depth and freshness to the plate. Okay, okay, okay! THE SAUCE. Speechless. Just trust me, it is going to change your life. It’s everything. Rich, glossy, umami, full of flavour… All the good things. I would and I could drink it. 

This brings me to the end of the most delicious and indulgent afternoon. I had an absolutely amazing time, from the atmosphere, to the flavour journey I went on, it was all curated beautifully. I can highly recommend treating yourself to a one of a kind dining experience to distract you from the icy weather we are currently experiencing. I can confidently say I concur with my initial hypothesis. Yes, a full belly does make you better equipped for the cold. Thank you TTKF for a truly memorable afternoon.

Till next time!