Kong Roast
The restaurant in question is intriguingly named Kong Roast and is actually two eateries, each with its own distinctive personality. It’s not surprising that the siblings are causing something of a stir as their pedigree is impressive coming from the stable that introduced Orient, Saigon and Wangthai to eager diners.
Fusion isn’t new but here it’s been turned on its head and presented completely differently – purists will be pleased to note that it’s not on one plate and not in one restaurant either!
The dual Kong Roast is a meeting of East and West with two distinctive dining areas reflecting their culinary inspiration. There’s also a fabulous terrace with stunning Highveld views.
Roast is contemporary and soothing with a breezy neutral palette. The menu is western and offers steaks, roasts and pies with modern takes on old favourites like chicken liver parfait, steak tartar, oxtail and coq au vin. Roast’s signature dishes include pan-fried fillet and bone marrow in Bordelaise sauce as well as duck and black cherry pie.
Kong is dramatic and sensuous with black and purple hues and is dominated by life-size terracotta warriors. It looks to the east with Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese-influenced dishes on offer. There is also an extensive sushi menu. Apparently Feng Shui principles have been deployed in the design of Kong to promote prosperity, good health and well-being.
We booked for Kong one busy Saturday night and were presented with the menu from that restaurant only. On enquiry we were told that when the place is busy they prefer you to eat from one restaurant only as they cannot guarantee that dishes come out at the same time. However, our superb waitress did bring us Roast’s menu and not begrudgingly either. In the end we settled for all dishes from Kong – that night we just wanted to eat foreign!
We were thinking of ordering wine by the glass to match the food but were disappointed that a restaurant, where there is much attention to detail, only offers four varietals by the glass – all from the same estate. It’s certainly time for a rethink given that more and more people are experimenting with food and wine pairing and opting for wine by the glass. In the end we ordered a bottle of Springfield Life From Stone at R165 from what was otherwise a comprehensive wine list. We shared one of the specials – salty oysters in a crisp coating of light tempura which were presented like a work of art. There are some delicious dumplings and pot-stickers on the Kong menu and we opted for the light yet flavoursome prawn and pork dim sum.
Kong is famous for its seared salmon and there are two options on the menu – salmon teriyaki and a seared salmon on black sticky rice served with ginger butter cream sauce. We opted for the first which was simple but fantastic – best quality salmon slightly undercooked in a sweet soy sauce marinade. We also went with prawns stir-fried and served in a piquant sweet and sour tamarind sauce. Both dishes were excellent.
The Kong experience certainly was a pleasant one. The service was expert and unobtrusive while the toilets are worth a visit on their own. We’ll have to report back on Roast – it’s a restaurant in its own right!
Average cost of a three-course meal without wine: R150.
By Janine Walker
Address: Shop 26, The Buzz Shopping Centre,
Corner Witkoppen and Douglas
roads,
Tel: 011 658-0080/1
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
