Flavours of the East

Go East!

Know your korma from your thom-kha gai? The WINE team, together with Jean-Pierre Rossouw, sifted through the broad spectrum of Asian restaurants in SA to find their favourites.

 

South Africa has inherited a plethora of food traditions from all corners of the globe. Of these traditions, Asian food has had a particularly significant influence on our cuisine, seasoning bland European dishes and lending its traditions to Cape Malay and Indian diaspora cuisines.

Still, very few restaurants serve 100% authentic Asian cuisine, which has inevitably been adjusted to suit Western palates, intermingled with other food traditions and modernised and refined by creative chefs. Ingredients are also difficult to come by; specifically certain fresh ingredients such as herbs and coconut milk that need to be substituted with dried, tinned or South African equivalents.

Despite this, some very authentic Asian cuisine can be found, often in some rather obscure locations, like dodgy takeaway outlets and street-side vendors. On the other end of the spectrum, some very high-end restaurants (with prices to match) offer everything from sushi to green curry in serene settings, but the food is often not as authentic as one would hope, with many chefs leaning to fusion food. What you're looking for then is a balance between great atmosphere, attentive service and superb food...

Cape Town
Wang Thai (Lagoon Beach)

With spectacular views of Milnerton beach, Table Mountain and Robben Island, Wang Thai Lagoon Beach (pictured left), which is part of the greater Wang Thai group that also includes Chai Yo and Simply Asia franchises, is a popular spot for scoffing sushi and sipping cocktails while watching the sun set over the Atlantic ocean.

Meang kum, a dish which captures the essence of Thai cuisine, is a favourite on the menu. Eaten with your hands, the plate consists of spinach leaves to be filled with a selection of Thai ingredients, including peanuts, roasted coconut, chillies, freshly cut lemon pieces, ginger, onion and lemongrass, and drizzled with palm sugar sauce.

Other favourites among regulars are the green curries, crispy honey chicken and the aromatic beef basil. Although the wine list could do with some improvement, it features some old classics, like Paul Cluver GewÜrztraminer and Beyerskloof Pinotage.

The restaurant is trendy and draws a well-heeled crowd. Still, it's also a popular spot for beach-goers in their slops and swimming costumes who are looking for a quick bite.

The best tables are outside, but the wind can get particularly gusty, so book a table near a window to take in the stunning setting. EO

Lagoon Beach Hotel, Lagoon Gate Drive, Milnerton, tel 021 551 9254

Nobu

Master chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa combines classic Japanese cuisine with some local influence at Nobu. It's a fine-dining experience with dramatic architectural background; the huge hall and entrance are impressive, although the atmosphere created is fairly imposing with the sweeping theatrical space.

The menu is laid out for the conservative as well as more adventurous food lovers, allowing diners to explore many different flavours and combinations in one sitting, yet there are still so many intriguing dishes left to try. Sashimi variations include seared yellowtail, salmon and scallop with a three-sauce complement; citrus, soy or wasabi.

The wine list is comprehensive; a good pairing is the Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc. Other dishes of interest include rock shrimp and scallops in yuzu sauce, pork belly and even fish and chips! To finish, there is a chocolate fondant with green-tea ice cream, and it is worth trying out a glass of Plum wine alongside: sweet and smooth, and apparently good for the digestion. CH

Dock Road, One&Only Hotel, V&A Waterfront, tel 021 431 5111

Sawadee

Chef Yospon Vanichargorn, or Chef Pons, as the locals like to call him, of Chef Pons' Asian Kitchen fame, is now enticing diners at Sawadee in the City Bowl.

Like the original Chef Pons (under new ownership), Sawadee offers food from China, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Mongolia and Japan, and favourites include the Mongolian beef and crispy duck pancakes, all at very reasonable prices. But unlike the original Chef Pons' Asian Kitchen, Sawadee serves sushi - and Capetonians it seems can't get enough of it!

The limited, but also very well-priced, wine list includes a number of ‘usual suspects', but the Haute Cabrière Chardonnay/ Pinot Noir blend is a good option to go with your angry duck curry. The ambience is relaxed and bustling and the service quick and competent. EO

Rheede Street Mall, tel 021 422 1633

Chandani

Although Chandani may seem odd-placed among a mix of Japanese, Thai and Chinese restaurants, Indian food still falls under the broader spectrum of Asian cuisine and this spot serves some of the best curry in the city. Chandani prides itself on serving two very different menus.

By day it presents a buffet offering, a fusion of Western and Indian cuisine. By night it transforms into an authentic Indian curryhouse. Vegetarians will feel very much at home here, although meat-lovers are not neglected - think machchi hariyali (grilled kingklip marinated in mint) or seekh kebab (minced lamb with herbs and spices cooked on a skewer).

A surprisingly good wine list includes pairing suggestions and features the likes of Rietvallei Rhine Riesling and Jean Daneel's Initial White. EO

85 Roodebloem Avenue, Woodstock, tel 021 447 7887

Joburg

Yamato

Functional, rather formal and certainly minimalist in the Japanese tradition (but not particularly warm), Yamato is, on the other hand, home to Joburg's best sushi as well as a selection of traditional Japanese dishes that you won't easily find anywhere else (like donburi mono).

Superb tempura, very good noodles, textbook shabu-shabu - all these prove that the restaurant's excellent sushi is not the only reason that Yamato has been a long-time favourite for expats, and a great place for the rest of us to learn more about the real dishes from the Far East, before the arrival of conveyor-belt cuisine. Set menu bento specials at lunch offer great value, and on Sundays there are many special menus in platter form that are geared to families and sharing.

The wine list is extensive and well-thought-out and includes sake, which is an obvious pairing with traditional Japanese cuisine. JPR

196 Oxford Road, Illovo, tel 011 268 0511

So Yum

How brave is this: an Asian restaurant that does not serve sushi! So Yum is a yum cha (tea) house in very sexy modern blacks and dark wood. Straddled over the walkway of the shopping mall, one side is a dramatic, dark backlit bar, then tables that straddle the pedestrian walkway, and then over to a more conventional restaurant space with tables in wood and very uncomfortable banquettes along the wall, Chinese tea paraphernalia on the shelves.

Trendy music imbues. In fact, it's all pretty trendy, though on close inspection the quality of the fittings is not the highest, giving it a ‘franchise' feel. At the same time, the kitchen is ‘fitted' with skilled Asian chefs. The floor is less skilled, however, and easily overwhelmed.

The drinks menu includes teas and cocktails in the main, plus a small generic wine selection. The menu leads with dim sum (the heart of the yum cha experience), also noodles, spring rolls, stir-fries, salads, and a few curries. Great set menus allow diverse sampling of the wide-ranging offerings. Portions are very generous, and the pleasing range of flavours and textures of the menu make this a welcome alternative to another half-price sushi den. JPR

Hyde Park Corner, tel 011 325 4360

Red Chamber

Emma Chen's been running this famed Chinese restaurant since 1989 - it's where many Joburgers learnt their Asian ropes. And happily the space manages to create its own slightly exotic ‘island' in this upmarket but still very suburban mall.

Decorated in reds and blacks, but gracefully without too much chintz, it is, on the other hand, visibly feeling its age; old crockery and cutlery, linen that's a little tatty... so it's better to go at night. Big tables with Lazy Susans are ideal for groups, the back areas are tucked away and private for business whispers.

The menu is typically Chinese in its diverse choice, with good vegetarian options and also a ‘health' section (they are also proudly non-MSG in their cooking). One of the notto- be-missed dishes is the Peking duck., while the wine list plays it safe with the tried-and-tested, including the likes of the La Motte Sauvignon Blanc. Great value in the fair prices, and though visually the dishes can sometimes lack lustre, this is one of the most consistent Chinese options. JPR

Hyde Park Centre, Jan Smuts Drive, tel 011 325 6048

Orient

The space is arrestingly modern: multiple rooms with dazzling textures and diverse seating options for couples or groups, it's all very trendy and rather ahead of its time, though the acoustics can be poor and the ‘boom-boom' music strident.

A masseuse walks the restaurant offering free neck and shoulder work, but I am not sure about having a massage while watching your dinner companions drop maki rolls into their soy sauce - or while negotiating a business deal.

The downstairs lounge is fantastic, you could well be deep in a hip corner of Shanghai, and the restrooms are among the most sophisticated I've seen in South Africa.

The menu here ranges the whole of Asia, and it prides itself on its dim sum, which is decent; while sushi is average to good, the tempura is merely average, and other options are a bit of a mixed bag - though the bang-bang duck is great. Poor wine selection by the glass, but an okay list. JPR

Melrose Arch, tel 011 684 1616

Koi

Another trendy and buzzing pan-Asian option with hip music and fashionable fittings: blond wood, mosaics, multi-coloured clusters of lights (creating a pleasant low-light effect) wicker chairs, and packed stone all coming together to create a cool ‘city-chic' vibe that's really a whole lot of fun - with the welcome addition of slick service.

The menu is extremely diverse: dim sum, creative salads, tom yum, sushi (also with brown rice as a trendy - or is that healthy - option), duck specialities, wok dishes and stir-fries, their ‘famous' curries.

Good dim sum, tasty noodle dishes and great desserts, but skip the curry dishes - they're actually not very exciting at all. Koi is a great meeting place right in the heart of Sandton, and I've been told the sushi really can hit the high notes. The wine list is about as extensive as the menu, including French Champagne for special occasions, while a Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc or Grande Provence Chardonnay will complement many of the dishes. JPR

24 Central, Fredman Drive and Gwen Lane, Sandton, tel 011 883 7247

Durban

China Plate

It may have rather incongruous and brassy ‘Asian Vegas' décor and be in a less-thansalubrious spot, but this Chinese may well be the best in Durban, with food ranging from Cantonese to Szechuan as well as the ‘American Chinese' dishes that are still hot favourites (the likes of chop suey). Excellent choices are the sautéed garlic langoustines, calamari and leek, BBQ pork belly and the hot and sour soup as well as prawn spring rolls.

The wine list may not be much to write home about (think about taking your own), but the service is warm and friendly and owner-led - George Hu in fact used to cook for President Arap Moi, so if it was good enough for him... JPR

Park Boulevard Centre, Browns Drift Road, Riverside, tel 031 564 6437

Daruma

A sea-side Japanese restaurant on the ground floor of a big beachfront hotel, but happily with a separate street entrance. The interior is rather ‘hotel lobby' in feel, though neat in blond wood, while the piped Japanese music is quite loud and sometimes quite spaced-out...

Choose to sit at a regular table (many with dividers for a more private feel), at the sushi counter or at the many group teppanyaki tables.

The menu is a ‘best-of' from Japan also with quite a few set menu options for good value. The sushi quality is very good indeed, the rice fresh and textured, the nori crisp. The tempura is also textbook, as is the teppanyaki. A very good option for Japanese classics...

The wine list is not long on exotic options but rather safe-and-sound with a reliance on traditional workhorses. Best to go in a group and order food widely (and create your own vibe). JPR

Holiday Inn Elangeni, Snell Parade, tel 031 337 0423

Spice

A colourful house is home to one of Durban's most exciting Asian-fusion restaurants, where you'll find all the colour, flavour, fruit, herb and spice you could imagine.

The dishes tend to be led by the curry flavours of India, but then fruits and salads and often Amarula Cream take you to another dimension. Notably, the final results are often a little ‘tamer' than the description, but the cooking is deft and accurate, making this a justly popular spot.

The restaurant is set in a free-standing house with a lovely patio and ‘outside' lounge - the interior is elegant and modern, parquet floors, artworks on the coloured walls, a notable feature being the classic styles of chairs all mixed and matched. Friendly, professional service too; so a fun option, with lots to try on the wild menu, even if the flavours are safer than the colourful adjectives suggest. JPR

362 Windermere Road, Morningside, tel 031 303 6375

Mo Noodles

If it's a quick hit of Asian street food that you crave, look no further than this trendy ‘hole in the wall' on fashionable Florida Road. It's a great anytime noodles and salads spot with a hip and friendly young crew running the show.

It is all in a rather open and nondescript space in a shopping centre, but there's always a fun buzz and a good local turnout. From the paperplacemat menus, sample bowls of soups, noodles and Thai curries or mix and match from the tasty starters - the chilli and limeseared calamari is a must.

Quality is good and for the price this a certain square meal with lots of flavour, plus vegetarians are well catered for. The wine list is short, so consider bringing your own. JPR

275 Florida Road, tel 031 312 4193

WHAT TO DRINK?
Is it possible to match wine with Asian food, specifically the highly spiced varieties, with any degree of success? There are many who think that it's simply impossible - stick to beer, they say.

Matching wine with Eastern cuisine can be tricky, especially if you are eating a spicy curry. Aromatic white wines may pair well with curries, but tend to be overwhelmed by richer Indian food. In the case of curries, one can also opt for a red wine, but anything with high tannins will appear bitter. Try to opt for soft and juicy.

GewÜrztraminer is wise choice for spicy Asian dishes, while the richness of Viognier can similarly match the intensity of flavour. Chardonnay, often a popular choice at Asian restaurants, may not display sufficient acidity. The best wines for Asian foods are those with moderate levels of alcohol, soft tannins, crisp acidity and a judicious amount of residual sugar.