Grand Provence
Published: 09 Jan 05
Category: Contemporary
There is the 300-year history being carefully, and expensively, maintained by the new owner, Alex van Heerden. There is the echo of the PR release, which speaks of a "y
ear long refurbishment
by a celebrated New Zealand interior designer, Virginia Fisher". There is
the experience of driving onto the estate on a cold winter's night, not even the
rain and darkness obscuring the imposing nature of the venue. And then there is
our destination - The Restaurant.
Industrial chic is the term for the design concept, I believe. This is a place where the imprint of the designer is still very strong, not yet softened by the tracks of people in search of, and finding, good times and excellent food. That will come, no doubt, because the menu is conceived with love and passion and skill. It will attract people whose laughter and warmth will soften the hard, almost sterile, edge that presently predominates.
The creative intelligence behind the menu belongs to Vanie Padayachee - Durban-born and trained, but whose culinary philosophy was forged during seven formative years working just down the road at Le Quartier Français. She's returned to the valley after two years as executive chef at Phantom Forest in Knysna, and she now has an approach to food that is both very personal and intriguingly eclectic. She calls it "complicated simplicity" and it's redolent with the flavours and smells of her childhood home allied in inventive ways with the techniques and conventions of contemporary cuisine.
The four of us shared 11 different items and all gave pleasure to the eye, to the palate, and to the soul. There was the colourful simplicity of marinated cherry tomato, crumbled Danish feta with chorizo and crostini; there was the unexpectedly piquant marriage of warm pickled baby calamari with a pomegranate dressing; there was the crispy melange of tempura prawns with caper berries and sweet chilli sauce. The sea and orchard partnership continued with a roti-wrapped seafood curry with passion fruit dressing; we diverted into the farmyard with a perfectly tender grilled rib-eye steak with fried chive and olive oil polenta with blackened Roma tomato and basil custard; and we paid tribute to our wildlife heritage via a sumac rubbed springbok loin with a baby marrow pancake and fennel and celery salad.
Finally, we unashamedly indulged with the decadent magnificence of the chef's chocolate fantasy - a fondant oozing rich, delicious dark chocolate; and almost licked the plate to clear up every last crumb of the marshmallow brownie with spiced fruit sorbet and butterscotch sauce.
The menu is littered with items that threaten to be too much; that at first blush threaten to be mixing ingredients for the sake of being different rather than for intrinsic reasons of flavour compatibility.
But every dish we put to the test passed with flying colours. The only (mild) disappointment was the slightly over-reduced balsamic syrup accompanying the sesame seed roasted fillet.
The service was full of smiles and willingness to please, which more than made up for the occasional moment of gaucheness. The winelist has been very carefully compiled with a commendable spread of the familiar and the less well known but equally deserving. Jean Daneel's excellent Chenin/Sauvig-non Blanc blend (R65) is there, as is the Dornier Donatus white blend (R100). The valley's wines, like the Lynx Xanache (R100) and Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon (R300), are favoured but not to the exclusion of other gems like Le Riche Special Reserve (R250). Vintages aren't given on the wine list, and aren't known by the waiting staff.
There is an excellent dining experience waiting to be born here once the starch disappears, and it all just gets a little bit more lived in.
Average cost of a three-course meal without wine: R150.
By John Maytham
Address: Grande Provence Estate, Main Road, Franschhoek. Tel: 021 876 8600. Open Monday - Saturday for lunch and dinner, and Sunday for lunch only. BYO: no charge.
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
There is the 300-year history being carefully, and expensively, maintained by the new owner, Alex van Heerden. There is the echo of the PR release, which speaks of a "y
Industrial chic is the term for the design concept, I believe. This is a place where the imprint of the designer is still very strong, not yet softened by the tracks of people in search of, and finding, good times and excellent food. That will come, no doubt, because the menu is conceived with love and passion and skill. It will attract people whose laughter and warmth will soften the hard, almost sterile, edge that presently predominates.
The creative intelligence behind the menu belongs to Vanie Padayachee - Durban-born and trained, but whose culinary philosophy was forged during seven formative years working just down the road at Le Quartier Français. She's returned to the valley after two years as executive chef at Phantom Forest in Knysna, and she now has an approach to food that is both very personal and intriguingly eclectic. She calls it "complicated simplicity" and it's redolent with the flavours and smells of her childhood home allied in inventive ways with the techniques and conventions of contemporary cuisine.
The four of us shared 11 different items and all gave pleasure to the eye, to the palate, and to the soul. There was the colourful simplicity of marinated cherry tomato, crumbled Danish feta with chorizo and crostini; there was the unexpectedly piquant marriage of warm pickled baby calamari with a pomegranate dressing; there was the crispy melange of tempura prawns with caper berries and sweet chilli sauce. The sea and orchard partnership continued with a roti-wrapped seafood curry with passion fruit dressing; we diverted into the farmyard with a perfectly tender grilled rib-eye steak with fried chive and olive oil polenta with blackened Roma tomato and basil custard; and we paid tribute to our wildlife heritage via a sumac rubbed springbok loin with a baby marrow pancake and fennel and celery salad.
Finally, we unashamedly indulged with the decadent magnificence of the chef's chocolate fantasy - a fondant oozing rich, delicious dark chocolate; and almost licked the plate to clear up every last crumb of the marshmallow brownie with spiced fruit sorbet and butterscotch sauce.
The menu is littered with items that threaten to be too much; that at first blush threaten to be mixing ingredients for the sake of being different rather than for intrinsic reasons of flavour compatibility.
But every dish we put to the test passed with flying colours. The only (mild) disappointment was the slightly over-reduced balsamic syrup accompanying the sesame seed roasted fillet.
The service was full of smiles and willingness to please, which more than made up for the occasional moment of gaucheness. The winelist has been very carefully compiled with a commendable spread of the familiar and the less well known but equally deserving. Jean Daneel's excellent Chenin/Sauvig-non Blanc blend (R65) is there, as is the Dornier Donatus white blend (R100). The valley's wines, like the Lynx Xanache (R100) and Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon (R300), are favoured but not to the exclusion of other gems like Le Riche Special Reserve (R250). Vintages aren't given on the wine list, and aren't known by the waiting staff.
There is an excellent dining experience waiting to be born here once the starch disappears, and it all just gets a little bit more lived in.
Average cost of a three-course meal without wine: R150.
By John Maytham
Address: Grande Provence Estate, Main Road, Franschhoek. Tel: 021 876 8600. Open Monday - Saturday for lunch and dinner, and Sunday for lunch only. BYO: no charge.
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
