What’s a way to spend a Saturday, it’s sunny and hot and there’s just the slightest breeze. Myoga is lush and green and can be found in Newlands at the Vineyard Hotel. You would never say you were in sprawling suburbia while sitting on the patio overlooking a dramatic backdrop of treetops and mountains.
The lunch menu really does leave one spoilt for choice, as there were 9 starter courses to choose from with prices ranging from R95-R195. But before I get into that, we were served the amouse-bouche or tickler which consisted of butternut and onion marmalade topped with a Catalan or Spanish custard made of pumpkin ginger and gruyere cheese topped with mushroom shortbread and elderflower…delicious!
MENU
tickler
something unique from the kitchen
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Begin
Taco, Hot Smoked East Coast Hake, Avocado Mousse, Marinated Tomato,
Broken Massa Harina Taco, Radish, House Made Crème Fraiche, Coriander
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Ceviche, Farmed Red Drum Sea Bass, Soy Kombu, Wasabi Tobiko, Tiger’s
Milk Ice Cream, Pickled Jalapeno
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Scotch egg, Prawn And Pork Scotch Egg, Pickles, Potted Shrimp, Roasted
Tomato Vinaigrette
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Indian Bowl, Coconut Cooked Yellow Dahl, Roasted Cauliflower, Tandoori
Spiced Paneer, Onion Pakora
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Temple Bowl, Freekeh, Ponzi Beetroot, Tempeh, Roasted Mushrooms, Raw
Mushrooms, Nasturtium Top Pesto, Edamame Dressing
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Gyoza, Prawn & Chicken, Myoga Xo Sauce, Apple, Celery, Kohlrabi
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Spaghetti, Swede, Warm Lemon Butter, Grilled Scallop, Chive Oil, Wild
Garlic
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Ravioli, Carbonara, Leek Miso Veloute, House Made Botarga, Crispy Leeks,
Shaved Turnip And Coffee
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Cannelloni, Calamari, Hake Mousse, Dashi, Sea Lettuce, Umami Crisp
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Break
Buchu Lemonade, With Warm Chai Jelly
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Main
Sustainable Fish, Local Sea Vegetables, Stuffed Courgette Flower, Sauce
Au Vin Blanc.
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Duck, Roasted Duck Breast, Confit Leg Croquettes, Liver Crème Caramel,
Rhubarb Textures, Puffed Grains, Gizzard And Hibiscus Jus.
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Beef Tender Cut, Slow Cooked Chuck, Charred Aubergine, Roasted
Onion, Sauce Charcuterie.
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Petit Pois A La Francaise, Pea Puree, Slow Cooked Duck Egg, Baby Leeks,
Chargrilled Barigoule Artichoke.
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Ostrich Fillet, Grilled Ostrich, Dates, Baharat Spice, Glazed Carrot, Pickled
Rose, Brik Pastry, Ostrich Neck Jus
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Pre-dessert
something unique from the kitchen
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Finish
Chocolate Parfait, Valrhona Chocolate, Choc Chip Cookie, Fizzy Blueberry,
Burnt Chocolate, Dried Blueberry, Chocolate Fondant, Blueberry
Pastille.
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Strawberry Neat Mess, Mascarpone Cheesecake, Strawberry Elastic,
Compressed Strawberry, Meringue, Shortbread, Strawberry Sorbet,pectin
Jellies.
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Sago, Creamy Sago Pudding, Passion Fruit Curd, Passion Fruit Sorbet,
Grilled Litchi, Coconut Crumble, Dehydrated Coconut.
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“ South Africa”Rooibos And Lemon Posset, Bee Pollen, Salted Honeycomb,
Malva Pudding Ice Cream, Orange Peel Preserve, Poppy Chard.
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Forest Phantom Crème, White Peach Sorbet, Radish And Peach Sweet
Pickle, Parmesan Crumble, Fruit Leather, Leek Ash, Beet Micro Greens.
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For the starter course, there was:
Ceviche which consisted of farmed Red Drum Sea Bass (shipped from Mauritius), Soy Kombu, Wasabi Tobiko, Tigers milk ice cream and pickled jalapeno which was fantastic.
Then there was the Scotch egg, which was a combination of pork and prawn meat, pickles, potted shrimp and roasted tomato vinaigrette. I found the prawn and pork a little weird, but it was tasty.
Next was the Temple Bowl which consisted of freekeh, Ponzi beetroot, tempeh, roasted mushrooms, raw mushrooms and nasturtium top pesto with edamame dressing. Apparently freekeh is the new supergrain, which is highly nutritious a bit like Bulgar wheat.
Lastly there was Gyoza, which consisted of prawn and chicken, myoga xo sauce, apple celery and kohlrabi.
Before we got stuck into our main courses, there was the palate cleanser which consisted of Buchu lemonade with warm chai jelly.
For the main course our party chose:
Linefish with local sea vegetables, stuffed courgette flower and sauce au vin blanc which is really just adding a white wine reduction to a hollandaise sauce, which was superb I might add.
Then there was the duck (three ways) which consisted of Roasted duck breast, Confit leg croquettes, liver crème caramel, rhubarb, puffed grains with a gizzard and hibiscus jus. This course got a mixed review as there were some very good elements; the liver crème caramel wasn’t a firm favourite.
The beef tender cut was superb, slow cooked chuck with charred aubergine, roasted onion and sauce charcuterie. I’ve had beef fillet a few times recently and this course really gave a good account of itself, cooked to perfection.
Ostrich fillet which was grilled with dates, baharat spice glazed carrot, pickled rose, brik pastry and ostrich neck jus.
For Pre-dessert, a course soon to be a staple at my house, a lemon and orange Catalan (Spanish custard) with lemon marshmallow , orange preserve, vanilla shortbread and burnt sugar typical of crème brulee. I adore all things custard, so there was no need to convince me…excellent!
For Dessert, there was…
Chocolate parfait with Valrhona chocolate, choc chip cookie, fizzy blueberry, burnt chocolate, dried blueberry, chocolate fondant and blueberry pastille which was amazing, this course was definitely for the chocolate lovers.
Then there was the Strawberry Neat Mess with Mascarpone cheesecake, strawberry elastic, compressed strawberry, meringue, shortbread, strawberry sorbet with pectin jellies.
Lastly there was the Creamy Sago Pudding with passion fruit curd, passion fruit sorbet, grilled litchi, coconut crumble and dehydrated coconut. Not quite in the traditional mould, but I quite enjoyed it. The purists in our group disagreed with me, but I thought it was a good take on a classic South African dessert.
Overall a really enjoyable afternoon and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a beautiful summer’s day. The venue is perfect and the food was really good.
For the full album click HERE
Restaurant Info:
Vineyard Hotel
60 Colinton Rd,
Newlands,
Cape Town,
7700
Tel No: 021 657 4545
Email: eat@myoga.co.za.
Written for JAR PHOTOGRAPHY by Mario Arendse
Photography for JAR PHOTOGRAPHY by Jason “Dubbz” Petersen
