I’ve eaten at about 16 restaurants in the last two weeks. Mercifully just a taste sample in each of them in preparation for an international travel guide to which I’m contributing a chapter on local restaurants.

It has been educational. I’m a regular eater-outer but never before have I visited so many restaurants in such succession, nor seen and tasted so many dishes.

 

The desserts stand out for me. At the fine-dining Buitenverwachting  (021-794-3522) in Constantia, chef Edgar Osojnik's Raspberry Souffle (R52) almost brought tears to my eyes. It was so beautiful. It seemed to be created by Dr Seuss after taking happy pills. There was a pastry stairway up to a cone of raspberry parfait on the left while the soufflé, pink and soft looks like a pouf that one of the powder puff girls would sit on after a ka-pow battle. .

 

Unexpectedly, it was the Angel’s Dark Delight (baked chocolate mousse cake with cherries in Kirsch (R29) at The Black Marlin (021-786-1621) that I enjoyed the most followed very closely by Constantia Uitsig’s (021-794-4480) chocolate marquise served in a pool of crème anglaise (R60) appropriately decorated like a spider’s web that traps you with its calorific splendor. The smooth texture stood out for me with not even a hint of graininess I sometimes see in mousses. 

 

As baked chocolate fondants (R45) go – 95 Keerom’s owner Giorgio Nava (021-422-0765) claims his is the original. I remember noting the muscles in my shoulders relax when I first tasted it. It is still as good.  I wished I’d had the capacity to eat the full portions I was offered as Pigalle’s answer to the baked choco with molten chocolate inside was as delicious. Roberto de Carvalho at Azure at the 12 Apostles prepares his in a ring instead of the more traditional dariole mould. I’m still dreaming about their 70’s chic crayfish and prawn cocktail but that is the subject for another story.

 

The 12 Apostles also serves a beautiful fruit platter (R40) which helps counter the chocolate excess as does Paranga but they charge a whopping R70 for theirs!

 

Aubergine’s Harald Bresselschmidt (021-465-4909) serves a Surprise du Chef which is indeed a surprise. Four mini desserts are presented on a purpose-designed platter. The melon soup with wine gelee and rhubarb sorbet is amongst the most elegant dishes I have tasted. A little less abstemious is his chocolate fondant with cherry ragout, the crème brulee, the magnificent apricot linzer tartlet and the passion-fruit ice cream with a deep-fried chocolate heart. I was impressed with his reworking of traditional dishes. (R65)

 

Wakame in Mouille Point (021-433-2377) serves a white chocolate parfait with sesame seeds (R28) while their warm chocolate torte is a dense cashew nut cake (R28) that isn’t as sweet as other chocolate desserts and consequently more enjoyable.

 

Lemon is the hero at Au Jardin’s (021-657-4545) where chef  Alexandre Coupy prepares it in a classic lemon tarte, white chocolate mousse and and lemon verbena ice cream (R55) that tastes like I imagine frolicking through the Swiss Alps while trampling on lemon verbena underfoot smells.

 

Luke Dale-Roberts’ fig dessert at La Coloumbe (021-794-2390) is delicious. The figs are poached in verjuice and muscatel wine flavoured with cardamom pods and served with a pink pepper syrup (R55).