The Taj Cape Town has been bringing the winelands into the heart of the city showcasing a different area through their food and wine. Each month, a top chef from a chosen wine region in South Africa was invited to present a four-course dinner paired to local wines from estates in the specific area.
The Day I ate Heart
The Taj invited me to the 9th session of their Expressions Series held at the Mint Restaurant. This time the Swartland and Darling wine region was being showcased and Ros B. from the Bar Bar Black Sheep Restaurant was invited to take over the kitchen. Participating vineyards included Tres Estrellas, Wildehurst, Annex Kloof and Babylon – none I had previously tasted.
Before the food & wine pairing began, all guests were gathering outside where we were able to taste wines from the various vineyards and chat to the winemakers. It was a very relaxed setting where people were encouraged to be social and experience the wines of the Swartland & Darling region. This continued into the food & wine pairing as well. Before each course arrived the chef walked us through the preparation process and explained to us what makes every dish unique and special. The hotel’s sommelier then continued introducing the wines and explained why it had been paired with the dish. It was a very detailed approach which I found very enjoyable and interesting.
I will concentrate on two dishes of the evening that I absolutely loved.
The evening started with the Bar Bar Lamb Hearts stewed in wine, onion & herbs served with beetroot & yoghurt chutney along with home-made bread. I’ve never eaten heart before and our table had quite a few reservations about it. Some decided to rather go with a tomato soup. But I was exciting to try something new. The lamb hearts were slow cooked for over six hours and were absolutely sublime. The beetroot worked fantastically well and brought the entire dish together. It was paired with the Tres Esterellas El Pervertido (2010). It’s a full bodied red wine which seemed slightly odd to drink while eating a starter; but its fruity taste and hint of cinnamon paired perfectly with the lamb heart.
The 2nd dish I want to highlight has to be the dessert. I was in heaven – as was everyone else. The Riebeek White Chocolate Cheese Cake with Grape Syrup drizzle has to be the best cheese cake I have ever eaten. I didn’t want it to stop. Every bite filled me with happiness. The dessert was paired with Babylon’s Peak Viognier (2009). It’s a very aromatic white wine with strong fruity flavours. It was very floral on the nose which made it a perfect pairing for this wonderful cheese cake.
One of the other courses was snoek viskoekies with soetpatat and pineapple. I’ve never been a big fan of fishcakes and I only like pineapple on very rare occasions. This wasn’t one of them. It was followed by a very hearty Chick ‘n Bacon Pie which was lovely but lacking on presentation.
I enjoyed my evening at The Taj very much. I spend nearly 4 hours at the restaurant. Time just flew by – we were having so much fun. I am very thankful to The Taj, Mint Restaurant and Dummet & Co for inviting me to this fantastic event.
The last session of the Expressions Series is coming up on Thursday the 6th of December. This time around the Durbanville wine area is being showcased with the De Grendel Restaurant having been invited to introduce their signature dishes. D’Aria, De Grendel, Diemersdal, Hillcrest, Meerendal and Nitida will also be joining on the evening. Tickets cost R350 per person and booking is essential. You will find more information on the poster below (click to zoom). If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Taj Hotel or Mint Restaurant directly.
This will be the last chance you get to experience the Expression Series at The Taj. If you love good food; if you love good wine – I can only recommend that you go. Call 021-819-2000 to reserve your table now!