Saturday, July 13, 2024

Winter Special lunch at Fyn



We love good food; it is a passion, so we follow all the top restaurants on social media

Reading their menus is a guilty pleasure, and we admire the awards they garner, if we think they deserve them!
We also find following food trends interesting.
We have a background in food having run a successful business selling unusual ingredients and fine wine
and Lynne is a passionate cook who has a very wide repertoire
However life on a pension does not make for regular visits,
so we have respect for top restaurants who offer winter specials for the locals each year
This means we can at least sample one or two of our favourites
While we write about food, we do not get invited to complimentary meals
FYN in Parliament Square is run by very talented chef Peter Templehoff and his excellent staff
and, this year, it moved from 90 to 60 on the list of 100 Best restaurants in the world
Fyn is running a season of winter specials and as it is one of our favourites we grabbed this with both hands,
found the money and booked for lunch. We certainly were in need of a cheer up this year

 The entrance on Parliament Street
There is paid garage parking right opposite which the restaurant can book for you

Lovely fresh arrangements of proteas

Bonsai spekbooms on every table

Fine glassware and an Asian style table setting
The food uses fresh local ingredients and "is tempered by the style of contemporary Japanese cuisine"

Something new was poured for us to begin the meal
A complimentary glass each of Japanese sparkling Fukumitsuya Kagetobi Saki
They had a battle to get it into the country and now it is here after some sterling work by their group CEO
The brewery uses only two ingredients: high-quality sake rice from contracted farmers and "Hyakunensui,"
which means one-hundred-year-old water sourced from Mt. Hakusan

The back label, it is only 11% alcohol

It is like a good Cap Classique at first, with a fine crisp mousse, then you get the flavour of toasted rice,
a hint of dry sherry and then a faintly fruity apple and naartjie peel flavour and warm spirit
Really enjoyable served ice cold. It really works as an aperitif

Their wine and drinks list is epic,
they have a seriously good list and we especially liked their perfectly aged selection of older wines
which you can order, at a fair price...  Many of which we covet

The By the Glass section suited us this year and we chose a glass each of white wine to start with

We had booked for the Winter Lunch Menu
You need to pay a deposit up front when booking and it is then deducted from your final bill
Sadly needed as some rude guests book five top restaurants,
decide where they are going at the last minute and only turn up at one!
If the restaurant is popular they can fill every seat and do not want "no shows"

The Tsukemono, Onion Kakiaga and Hokkaido milk bun


Van Loggerenberg Trust Your Gut Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc 2022 has smoke,
then richness of ripe golden fruit on the nose which follows through on the palate with lime and lemon zest

Rebel Rebel Colombard from a small single vineyard on Kaapzicht in Stellenbosch
Earthy petrichor on the nose then perfumed apricot and fresh apple peel
Rounded, rich and full on the palate with more ripe cooked apple and lime, it calls for food
They were both good matches for the food that was to follow

Japanese pickles (漬物, tsukemono) are an important part of the Japanese diet,
served with practically every traditional meal alongside rice and miso soup
We were invited to eat them before each course to cleanse our palates
Pickled daikon radish, smoked daikon is very unusual, it looks like a slice of truffle, carrot, cucumber
and a tiny, very sour pickled plum that draws your cheeks in
Very enjoyable as they did indeed enliven the palate  

Second course Onion Kakiage, Tentsuya, Ginger Kakiage is tempura vegetables
and Tentsuya is its classic four ingredient dipping sauce: Dashi, Soy, Mirin and sugar
The ginger went in the bottom of the dipping bowl
The super crisp and excellently crunchy tempura onion, sweet potato and spekboom lit our palates
We found the dipping sauce light and therefore it worked very well as a miso soup which we make often

Cheers! Lynne does not like having her photo taken...
but the new hairdo is fabulous

The open kitchen and the industrious chefs preparing everything fresh
The Manager and the waiter Tandeka Taetenda gave us superb service as did all who we came into contact with,
it is seamless service and very professional. That is why they are on the list of the world's top restaurants

Next came the course that everyone was raving about and trending on online food pages
Burnt Mushroom custard with an Oh, so soft Hokkaido milk bun to tear apart and cover with the custard
It comes with a dark caramel burnt sugar crust like a creme brulée
and is creamy, deep and unctuous with lovely mushroom and truffly flavours. Delish

Because John is allergic to mushrooms, he was served a very good subsitute
A red pepper romesco sauce with paprika, pistacio and hazelnut paste

There was a large party at an adjoining table and they were having the full lunch menu
This was their next course. Tuna sashimi, bichotan grilled obsiblue prawn, seaweed salad, pomelo emulsion
The chef carefully carved off each a portion of the very fresh tuna sashimi

and our next course came from the same fish
Very fresh Tuna sashmi checkerboard, squares of raw and seared tuna with a pomelo emulsion to pour over
Chokka (squid) and octopus rice, seaweed salad,
a wild garlic and ink aioli and shards of nori to scatter on the sticky rice which was reminiscent of sushi
We liked the pomelo emulson and cut sections but did miss a bit of umami flavour with the fish


A surprise from the sommelier of a glass each of Thamnus Chardonnay from the Overberg
between Stanford and Caledon made by experienced winemaker PJ Geyer
Tim Atkin scored this highly
He also makes a Pinot Noir. Golden fruit, perfume and smoke on the nose,
wonderfully succulent on the palate, with crisp layers of good fruit

and added to that was also another gift, a surprise and a treat, a course off the main menu,
which sang with the Chardonnay

Perhaps not terribly visually appealing for some,
 but when you unwrap the local kelp seaweed foraged by the chef ....

... it reveals pefectly steamed kingklip fillets covered with a flavourful saki espuma with spekboom and spring onion
The very fresh local fish is firm and flakes well, the flavours were excellent
We love eating locally sourced kelp; this lived up to expectations with sea flavours and iodine
A triumph of a course. Thank you chef for the experience

The dish is balanced on hot stones gathered on the beach. 


and with the next course which is the main course, a choice of Kock locally made Japanese style steak knives
We could chose which one appealed. Not that they were needed for the very tender Wagu beef

Karoo sourced tender Wagu Beef which was served rare with braised Shiitaki mushrooms,
tiny squares of delicious soft pickled tongue in a rich dark umami dashi sauce, wasabi mustard
and a side serving of Ohitashi mixed vegetables
Lynne would love the tongue as a seperate course and enjoyed the beef
John did not get the shiitaki, instead he was served celeriac

We were now feeling the effects of all the courses and so, after a nice pause, it was time for the dessert
Titled The Honey Guide. A circle of delicious set creme fraiche parfait with the sharp flavour of a lemon posset,
rolled in honeycomb dust, with a lemon gel
It is accompanied by a traditional warm and sticky malva pudding
topped with honey, fresh ginger and rose geranium petals
Applause to the Pastry Chef Ellen Harris

We arrived at 12.30 and left at nearly 5, a long luxurious and extraordinarily good experience
We are saving for next year

Looking from our table over Parliament Square

The talented Pastry Chef Ellen Harris

Marcus van der Spuy, son of Mike van der Spuy, whom many will remember as the owner of Peddlers on the Bend
and other Cape Town restaurants, was one of the very friendly waiting staff

and before you go, rich chocolate Bon Bons on a bed of dried sour figs are another excellent spoil

Fyn is a member of the Relais and Chateaux group

Their other restaurant on the ground floor, Ramenhead. A visit is planned to this soon

The bill

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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Sunday, June 23, 2024

In MENU this issue - Trophy Wine Show Feedback Session & Awards, Grape Escape, Decanter Awards, Concours Mondial, Siris & Raath trade tastings, Oldenburg & le Riche tastings, Jos Baker memorial

This month has seen the opening of what one could call the Wine-tasting season and wine events are the main focus, along with a memorial for a lady who was a doyenne of fashion, fine dining, wine and, in her special way, history. Enjoy the experiences! We did

The Trophy Wine Show Judges' Feedback Session at the Grande Roche


The Trophy Feedback session was held this year at Grande Roche, where it was held several years ago. Grande Roche has been through a renovation. This is where we hear a report back about the judges' findings after tasting the various categories of wines, but we are given no information about the brands as they are all tasted blind. The Feedback session is held in their conference centre. Read on….

The 2024 Investec Trophy Wine Awards at Glen Carlou


The venue for the 2024 Awards was Glen Carlou estate near Paarl on the road to Franschhoek. Several good Cap Classiques were on offer as we arrived. Canapés and bubbly were served in the Art Gallery which gave us all a chance to admire the art and chat to friends. Head Judge and originator of the competition Michael Fridjhon welcomed us and got things going. Read on….

Wine Concepts Grape Escape wine festival at Moyo, Kirstenbosch


Michael Bampfield Duggan of Wine Concepts' annual tasting of unusual varietals really appeals to us. Our winelands are becoming more diverse; it's where we have to go if we are to grow and prosper. while Global warming takes its toll of traditional vineyards worldwide. And we love tasting diversity. However, this was a huge tasting of many different wines so, sadly, we could only manage to taste a selection of them. There were so many tempting white wines that, regrettably, we could only taste a very small sample of red wines. It was held, this year, at Moyo Restaurant at Kirstenbosch. It is a superb venue, wide and spacious and accommodating all the farms comfortably who wanted to show off their diversity in wine. It was raining and the mountain streams were in full spate when we arrived. Read on….

The 2024 Decanter Awards - South African Gold and Silver Medallists


The results of the 2024 Decanter Awards competition have been released. 530 South African wines earned medals. Of these, two were awarded Best in Show, 1 Platinum, 28 Gold, 220 Silver and 282 Bronze. There are many wine competitions, several in South Africa, but this is one of the most highly respected and it judges the wines blind against their peers from all the wine-producing countries. While respecting their opinions, it must be remembered that all wine judging is subject to many influences - emotion, atmosphere, personal prejudice, national pride and taste preferences.... Some of the results in the table below tally quite closely with results in South African competitions such as, most recently the Investec Trophy Wine Show, and others have quite large differences. That is the nature of the beast. Read on….

The 2024 Concours Mondial. Gold and Silver medals awarded to SouthAfrican wines


The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Is an international wine competition which has run since 1994. Judging is done by more than sixty panels of five to six tasters over three mornings. The International panel of tasters comprises more than 300 full-time wine industry professionals of whom three were from South Africa in 2024 – Carrie Adams of Norman Goodfellows, WOSA Communications Manager Maryna Calow and Jean-Vincent Ridon who is Head Sommelier at the South African Sommeliers Academy. Judging is blind with the only information given to the tasters being the vintage. Four categories of wines are judged separately: Red & White Wines, Rosé Wine, Sweet & Fortified Wine and Sparkling Wines. The Concours’ primary ambition is to single out wines of irreproachable quality offering a truly pleasurable drinking experience, wines from across the globe and all price points Read on….

Siris trade wine tasting at the Mount Nelson


Trade tastings are coming thick and fast this year, with little time to recover! But we love what we do and this is always a chance to catch up with our winemaker friends and meet new ones. The Siris Trade tasting was held this year in the Mount Nelson Ballroom. We arrived early as Lynne had to attend another event that evening. Read on….

Raath Promotions trade wine tasting at The Winchester


This is the time of the year when many wine, beer and spirit trade tastings take place and we enjoy tasting the new products, vintages and, usually, something new. The Raath Trade tasting took place at the Winchester Mansions in Sea Point; a good venue for this. Read on….

Tasting the wines of Oldenburg


An invitation to visit and taste the wines at Oldenburg from Stefan Reinmuth, their Private Client Manager and head Sommelier, was quickly accepted. The farm is in Banghoek, eight kilometres from Stellenbosch, on the road to Franschhoek. To quote them "Off the beaten track, a winding road leads deep into the Banghoek Valley. Our unique location benefits from the confluence of 8 Natural Elements, creating a distinctive terroir and allowing us to make wines that truly reflect their Place". We know they produce wines of quality that are often awarded and it had been a while since our last tasting on the farm with winemaker Nic van Aarde, shortly after he had he first joined them. Read on….

Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Tasting at Upper Union Restaurant


The Le Riche Vintage tasting was held at new venue to us, in Upper Union Street, just off Kloof Street in Oranjezicht. Christo Le Riche is very happy with the new vintage and invited us to taste its wines and some older wines from Le Riche. It is always a treat, as they really do know how to make the very best of Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon. Read on….

Gathering in memory of Jos Baker at Den Anker

Jos Baker was something of a polymath. Starting with a career in fashion, she turned her love of food, wine and décor into a long, successful career as a journalist. She also had a lifelong passion of maintaining, Klein Zoar, the historic 18th Century house she lived in. Klein Zoar is said to have been the home of Wolraad Woltemade, a Cape Dutch dairy farmer, who died while rescuing sailors from the wreck of the ship De Jonge Thomas in a storm in Table Bay on 1 June 1773. Read on….




All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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The 2024 Concours Mondial. Gold and Silver medals awarded to South African wines


The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Is an international wine competition which has run since 1994. Judging is done by more than sixty panels of five to six tasters over three mornings. The International panel of tasters comprises more than 300 full-time wine industry professionals of whom three were from South Africa in 2024 – Carrie Adams of Norman Goodfellows, WOSA Communications Manager Maryna Calow and Jean-Vincent Ridon who is Head Sommelier at the South African Sommeliers Academy. Judging is blind with the only information given to the tasters being the vintage. Four categories of wines are judged separately: Red & White Wines, Rosé Wine, Sweet & Fortified Wine and Sparkling Wines. The Concours’ primary ambition is to single out wines of irreproachable quality offering a truly pleasurable drinking experience, wines from across the globe and all price points. 

Results are not given in points, but in medal ratings: Grand Gold, Gold and Silver with a special addition to the Grand Gold, Revelation. The cost of entry is graduated according to the number of wines submitted by the producer, from €185 (R3554) for a single entry to €168 (R3227) for ten or more.

Here is the list of medals awarded to South African Wines in the 2024 competition. One wine achieved a Grand Gold - Revelation, 5 Grand Gold, 34 Gold and 9 Silver. In many cases, the results tally with awards given to the same wines in other competitions, which is a good indication of consistent judging.

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

If you do not wish to receive e-mails from us, please email menucape@gmail.com with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in your email


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Saturday, June 22, 2024

The 2024 Decanter Awards - South African Gold and Silver Medallists

The results of the 2024 Decanter Awards competition have been released. 530 South African wines earned medals. Of these, two were awarded Best in Show, 1 Platinum, 28 Gold, 220 Silver and 282 Bronze. The whole story can be seen HERE 

There are many wine competitions, several in South Africa, but this is one of the most highly respected and it judges the wines blind against their peers from all the wine-producing countries. While respecting their opinions, it must be remembered that all wine judging is subject to many influences - emotion, atmosphere, personal prejudice, national pride and taste preferences.... Some of the results in the table below tally quite closely with results in South African competitions such as, most recently the Investec Trophy Wine Show, and others have quite large differences. That is the nature of the beast.

Entry into the Decanter Awards costs £170 (R3862) plus 20% VAT per entry and four sample bottles are required per wine entry. This is obviously a very serious consideration for producers, especially the smaller ones, and that is without the cost of getting the entries to the publishers of the magazine or the cost of buying bottle stickers for winning wines - £55 (R1250) per roll of 1000.

On the subject of scoring, the current favourite system is scoring wines out of 100. We are, perhaps, old-fashioned, but we agree with the opinion recently expressed by Tim James that it is too exact for something which is subject to the influences above. The Decanter site shows scores out of 100. In the table we show here, we have added a column in which the scores are converted to scores out of 20.

Not many years ago, a wine scoring 90 (18/20) would have earned a Gold medal. The standard has risen, Gold is in a narrow band between 96 and 95 (19/20) and a score between 94 and 90 is only worthy of Silver. The bottom line is that any wine which scores 90 or above is worthy of consideration. Two of the Gold medallists, Spier Albariño at R85 and MAN Family Vintners Essay Red Blend at R115 (ex cellars), have an additional note that they are Good Value which, in Britain, means that a bottle sells for less than £15 (±R330). British retail prices are taken into consideration in the judging.

Stellenbosch wines were the best performers, obviously with the most entries, and they scored 181 medals in all categories but there was a good spread of Gold and Silver medals across our principal wine producing regions. It was good to see one of our favourites, Oak Valley's Groenlandberg Chardonnay earning a Platinum medal. We were pleased to see how many MCCs won medals.

You may notice some unfamiliar labels such as wines with the names of British supermarkets, Aldi, Asda and Marks & Spencer may or may not be available here (such as M&S Creation Chardonnay).

You can see the Gold and Silver medallists here:

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

If you do not wish to receive e-mails from us, please email menucape@gmail.com with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in your email



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