Last night, I felt incredibly privileged walking into the Relais & Châteaux Multi-Hands Dinner at AtholPlace Hotel & Villa for two reasons: This is one of my favorite restaurants in Johannesburg and the evening encompassed all my passions past and present into one perfect memory that I will find it hard to beat.
Onto the gastronomical evening that awaited us…
The evening started with ‘East Meets South’ by Chef Virgil Kahn of Indochine, Delaire Graff Estate:
Tarts with smoked eggplant, green curry & green pepper.
Cookies & cream-shrimp, red curry prawn & biltong.
Choux craquelin-cauliflower and miso, bonito.
Delaire Graff Sunrise MCC paired with ‘From the Zambezi’ by Chef Sungani Phiri – Royal Chundu: sweetcorn brioche, lemon grass, & olive oil powder.
‘Memories of Japan’ by Chef Peter Tempelhoff – Greenhouse at The Cellars-Hohenort: Atlantic tuna tatami, home-fermented kimchi, Elgin apple, beet kobucha radish & sesame dressing.
Delaire Graff Coastal Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc 2017 paired wit ‘Home Sweet Home’ by Chef Alex Van As – Camp Jabulani: Springbok shank ravioli with spicy Asian broth, brunoise vegetables, panko crusted shimmy mushrooms, parmesan foam, Thai lemon-dressed morogo and micro coriander.
Delaire Graff Shiraz 2017 paired with ‘The Art of Sharing’ by Chef Willie Malherbe – AtholPlace Hotel & Villa: Lamb Rogan Josh, Creme fraiche pastry, rainbow carrots, spiced yoghurt and a curry leaf jus.
Delaire Graff Botmaskop 2015 paired with ‘An African Sunset’ by Chef Anna Ridgewell – Londolozi Private Game Reserve: Amarula and white chocolate creme.
‘It’s Simple It’s the Cederburg’ by Chef Charles Hayward – Bushmans Kloof: Rooibos panna cotta, spiced cake, caramelized banana and toasted coconut.
We finished up our feast for the evening with the Delaire Graff Sunburst Noble Late Harvest 2015.
What I took away from the evening? The individual passion and story told by each Chef in everything from conceptualizing their dish to their plating the finished result. This exquisite meal and expert pairing goes down as one of my best.
