La Colombe, Cape Town, South Africa

Food is our theatre. Hope you enjoyed the show!! That was the message inside our bill fold when we had lunch at La Colombe.

La Colombe

The show began with the drive up to the top of Silvermist where we parked our car and walked into the reception area of La Colombe. We were warmly greeted and taken straight down the stairs where there is a podium. On it is a garden arrangement with palate cleansers placed on plates. We were told to carefully lift the white chocolate and cocoa butter orb as it is fragile. We popped it into our mouths and bit into it. I opened mine a little too violently. But the verjuice centre did its trick and I was left with a sense of anticipation of what is to come. While we were waiting for Lara and Clinton to join us, Jean, our waiter, brought us a bottle of sparkling mineral water.

The reduced menu

Between the four of us we decide we cannot eat 8 courses and we choose the reduced menu. While we were deciding which wine to drink, and which courses to eat, a pot of sourdough bread was brought to the table. With it was a plate of spiced lard, salsa verde butter, home-made chorizo and parmesan bread sticks. I don’t usually eat the bread but the lard intrigued me and I had that on the sourdough bread. It was spicy and a great idea for home. But I much preferred the salsa verde butter and finished off my bread, and the parmesan crisp for good measure.

The signature tuna

I had seen a photograph of this the day before on Instagram and could not wait for this amuse bouche to be served to us. Jean recommended that we try to work out the flavours in the dish which are printed on the label. I won’t spoil it for those of you who are going to eat there, but I will say that the umami flavour is exceptional. At this stage Dave ordered a bottle of Thelema Merlot so that it could breathe before we started on our meal.

Prawns or Wagyu

Lara and I chose the prawns which are sourced from Mozambique and served with sweetbreads dusted with Kerala curry powder. The prawn is served cold and the sweetbreads are super soft and delicious. Dave and Clinton had the wagyu tataki which is flavoured with orange and miso.

Scallops

The scallops are sourced from the United States and are perfectly cooked. On the side is sous vide pork belly and sweetcorn. A match made in heaven. I am going to work on perfecting my pork belly recipe after this tasting how soft the texture was in this course.

Theatre

A bowl is brought to the table with 4 ceramic egg shells. The dry ice effect is pure theatre and the scent coming from it is so enticing. This course is a combination of flavours and textures resembling an egg. White lemongrass mousse, a kalamansi ‘yolk’ and pieces of compressed watermelon infused with ginger.

Line fish or Lamb

Again we are split down the middle. Lara and I are intrigued by the combination of sea bass, chicken, mussels and Black Forest ham.. The line fish is perfectly cooked and the taste combination is sublime. The men go with the lamb loin which is served with broccoli, turnip, pickled red onion and a jus.

Boerenkaas or Nemelaka

I am the only one who chooses the sweet dessert. The flavours are interesting but the dish is slightly too savoury for my palate. For dessert I want something sweeter. Lara, Dave and Clinton have the cheese course which is not as you would expect it. The roast peaches look amazing and I might have to steal this idea for the next time we have visitors. Thankfully my sweet tooth was satisfied with the petit fours.

Petit fours, coffee and more

The espressi were served with a selection of petit fours. There was a blueberry financier, and the most delectable salted caramel truffles. Service was impeccable with each course explained to us in detail. Lara asked how I would remember everything that we were told, and I don’t. But the memory of the food will linger for a long time. The water was kept topped up without us being asked each time we finished a bottle if we wanted more. This was suggested at the beginning of the meal at the same time as we were asked if we had dietary requirements. The view is spectacular and I would suggest you add La Colombe onto the list of places to visit.

Bookings and what to expect

Bookings are essential and a deposit will be charged. Expect to pay R1390 for the gourmand menu (R2290 with wine pairing) or R990 for the reduced menu (R1740 with wine pairing). The wine list is extensive and there is also a choice of cocktails and a good selection of whisky, gin and other hardtack. A service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill. Contact them on +27 21 794 2390

Take a look at what was previously posted on Lavender and Lime on May 9:

• • 2016 – Baked Apple Pie
  • 2013 – Roasted Butternut Soup
  • 2012 – Pink Champagne Jelly
  • 2011 – Mint Chicken Tagine

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