La Colombe in Constantia, Cape Town
La Colombe offers 2 menus: a reduced 8 course, and an 11 course. I opted for the 8 course but after a serious case of food envy, I strongly recommend you take the 11. Napkin nestled and champagne poured (a fabulous rosé produced on their own Estate), the food-meets-theatre experience begins shortly after.
I loved the opening gambit: The amuse bouches arrived like film set miniatures: dinky plates of meticulously presented ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet potato bread with a smoky fish pâté topped with curried flavours. Snoek is an oily fish of the mackerel family more than capable of handling the smoke, and the sweet Malay spices on top made for a spectacular pairing. The beetroot added to the theatre – you must dig your fork into a pit of leaves, crumbs, and pastry to unearth the diced beets – only just cooked and flavoured with plenty chilli. The little cherry parfait was less successful (I’ve had superior incarnations of this type of thing many times, and the truffle served only decorative purposes) but was nonetheless a tasty mouthful and beautiful to look at.
The smoked tomato was of 2 Michelin standard and the best plate on the menu. A course that sings with the vibrancy of a thousand tomatoes in each mouthful. This thing is wonderful: served under smoke and topped with black olive crumb, filled with aubergine and surrounded by croutons that float in the clearest of consommés spiked with chive and smoked tomato oil. You are advised to spoon on the perfectly diced croutons, which add texture and balance to this light and pillowy plate. The flavours are loud and Mediterranean: a tomato that manages to be so much more than a tomato. You’d expect Clare Smyth to create a thing like this, it is so brilliant I rudely abandon dinner conversation to focus on each mouthful. Then comes mussel with passionfruit and tom yum, which bothered me deeply when I read it on the menu – I could think of nothing more disturbing.
But to taste is to believe: I don’t know how they’re balancing shellfish with warm passionfruit and tom yum but it’s a stunning combination, served in a whole passionfruit to be cut open by the diner. Inside are fat mussels with a passionfruit, sweetcorn, and tom yum sauce that I found to be almost addictive. Another 2 star plate – if only the Michelin Guide could be bothered to come here. Next, Tuna “La Colombe” arrives in an unassuming tin can, sealed and to be opened by the diner – revealing raw yellowtail seasoned with chipotle and a spritz of citrus. Canned happiness – a lively plate bursting with spice, micro herbs and acidity.
A snow cone is prepared tableside to clear the palate (this is not on the reduced menu but I asked for it after jealous glances at nearby tables). Ice is shaved and pressed into cones; the diner choses their flavour. I picked pineapple and rum, which I’m not sure cleared my palate but most certainly excited it. The beef arrived next, blushing deeply as if scandalised by it’s own deliciousness. I enjoyed the brief return to normalcy: meat and 4 (or so) veg, including buttery potato, caramelised onion, turned carrots and broccoli. I’d have liked more sauce, but the flavours were all there with each element perfectly cooked. Dessert was a rambling bowl of strawberry, orange and pistachio. A shard of meringue, a lump of floral orangey cake, a quenelle of sharp strawberry sorbet, a sprinkle of pistachio crumb: a dessert that evokes memories of birthday parties, summer holidays, sunshine. Finally the petits fours, all using honey produced on the Estate. Little honey éclairs, chocolates and meringues, my favourite being the éclair – something one could easily see in the window of any top Parisian patisserie.
The verdict:
If the Michelin Guide expanded in the direction of South Africa, rather than wasting resources in Michelin Green stars and Michelin You’re a Nice Person stars – or whatever next – La Colombe would be awarded at least a star and quite possibly, (dare I say probably) two. This restaurant is most definitely worth detouring for, and many of the ideas I haven’t seen or tasted anywhere else. The menu reaches wherever it wants: to Asia, to France, to Italy, in pursuit of inspiration, and as a result you have a menu that isn’t confined by convention: on planet Colombe, shellfish and warm passionfruit collide, snow cones become sophisticated, and a tomato can change your life. This was an excellent tasting which could have only been improved by indulging in the longer menu (two of the more theatrical dishes are on the “Chefs Menu” – I noticed the Rose with Coconut and Cashew being served to a nearby table and deeply regretted not having experienced it). A very special experience produced by a creative and intelligent kitchen – a must visit for any fine dining lover, and a strong recommendation from me.
