Manna Epicure
Published: 11 Jan 05
Category: Contemporary
Manna makes no bones about being a "place of refined taste" and aims to please curious palates. Perfect for Mother City restaurant-goers who waste no time in tarti
ng up to the nines and flocking en masse to high-profile new eateries.
No one seems to mind that it's only open for breakfast, lunch and in-between times.
The place has burst onto the scene like a breath of fresh air, which isn't surprising, given the creativity of the owners: Maranda Engelbrecht (consulting Food Editor of Woolworths Taste magazine), chef Jacques Erasmus (ex-Serenite in Mouille Point) and Hennie Andrews (master baker). Each gives their inimitable stamp in terms of mood, food, flavour and atmosphere.
The elderly Victorian home has been all flossied up in shades of pale, with crisp napery, gleaming glassware, sparkly crystal chandeliers, Wonki Ware crockery and designer blooms, with background music from the '50s and '60s. Doors are flung open onto the front stoep, from where you can eyeball passing traffic and Table Mountain.
The smell of oven-hot bread leads you in (and dieters astray), and this turns out to be a yummy array of ciabatta, rye breads and country loaves (a personal favourite involves dates and thyme, a new creation by über-baker Ismael Dysel). There's also a display of cakes (works of art) to munch on site or take home .
Even the menu breaks the mould: none of this "starters", "mains", "desserts" nonsense, but an "all day" list that teases the tastebuds under headings of Sweet (Belgian chocolate terrine; crème brûlée with caramelised caper berries; toasted brioche with poached pears and milk jam), Savoury (Caesar salad; scrambled eggs with avocado and coconut bread; seared peppered beef carpaccio with marjoram and parmesan pesto), Sour (new-style avo Ritz; rolled Greek salad; beetroot and buttermilk soup), Bitter (grilled aubergine with chevin, walnuts and tapenade sauce; chicory, fennel, grapefruit and gorgonzola salad with toasted walnuts). More substantial seafood- and meat-inspired "mains" (calamari; salmon trout; chicken breast; beef fillet; ostrich; rack of lamb) are available too, with sauces and accompaniments listed separately.
If you're fond of sharing - passing plates around and pausing for chat-breaks - there's a chalkboard selection of mini-portion tapas. The list changes daily and includes the like of fried haloumi, marinated arti-choke hearts, imported chorizo with red peppers, marinated mushrooms, Spanish Serrano ham with caper-berries, roasted aubergine with balsamic and garlic, and guacamole.
In a word, a heavenly culinary journey that obviates the same-old, same-old premise of beginning with starters and ending with pud.
Drinks range from healthy juices through decadent hot chocolates to cocktails and the whole alcoholic thing. Though the winelist is brief, it's well priced with revealing descriptions, and everything - including house wines (Nabygelegen Chenin Blanc-Sauvignon Blanc 2005; Andreas 2004) - is available by the glass.
Everything was so scrumptious - and we were so well looked after - that we were entirely unfazed by a couple of culinary shortcomings (not-quite-ripe avocado and tough-ish chicken strips in the Caesar salad). Minor quibbles in an otherwise sensual occasion.
Oh, and don't leave without checking out the loos, which set new standards to tongue-in-cheek décor individuality.
Average price of a three-course meal: R80.
Manna makes no bones about being a "place of refined taste" and aims to please curious palates. Perfect for Mother City restaurant-goers who waste no time in tarti
The place has burst onto the scene like a breath of fresh air, which isn't surprising, given the creativity of the owners: Maranda Engelbrecht (consulting Food Editor of Woolworths Taste magazine), chef Jacques Erasmus (ex-Serenite in Mouille Point) and Hennie Andrews (master baker). Each gives their inimitable stamp in terms of mood, food, flavour and atmosphere.
The elderly Victorian home has been all flossied up in shades of pale, with crisp napery, gleaming glassware, sparkly crystal chandeliers, Wonki Ware crockery and designer blooms, with background music from the '50s and '60s. Doors are flung open onto the front stoep, from where you can eyeball passing traffic and Table Mountain.
The smell of oven-hot bread leads you in (and dieters astray), and this turns out to be a yummy array of ciabatta, rye breads and country loaves (a personal favourite involves dates and thyme, a new creation by über-baker Ismael Dysel). There's also a display of cakes (works of art) to munch on site or take home .
Even the menu breaks the mould: none of this "starters", "mains", "desserts" nonsense, but an "all day" list that teases the tastebuds under headings of Sweet (Belgian chocolate terrine; crème brûlée with caramelised caper berries; toasted brioche with poached pears and milk jam), Savoury (Caesar salad; scrambled eggs with avocado and coconut bread; seared peppered beef carpaccio with marjoram and parmesan pesto), Sour (new-style avo Ritz; rolled Greek salad; beetroot and buttermilk soup), Bitter (grilled aubergine with chevin, walnuts and tapenade sauce; chicory, fennel, grapefruit and gorgonzola salad with toasted walnuts). More substantial seafood- and meat-inspired "mains" (calamari; salmon trout; chicken breast; beef fillet; ostrich; rack of lamb) are available too, with sauces and accompaniments listed separately.
If you're fond of sharing - passing plates around and pausing for chat-breaks - there's a chalkboard selection of mini-portion tapas. The list changes daily and includes the like of fried haloumi, marinated arti-choke hearts, imported chorizo with red peppers, marinated mushrooms, Spanish Serrano ham with caper-berries, roasted aubergine with balsamic and garlic, and guacamole.
In a word, a heavenly culinary journey that obviates the same-old, same-old premise of beginning with starters and ending with pud.
Drinks range from healthy juices through decadent hot chocolates to cocktails and the whole alcoholic thing. Though the winelist is brief, it's well priced with revealing descriptions, and everything - including house wines (Nabygelegen Chenin Blanc-Sauvignon Blanc 2005; Andreas 2004) - is available by the glass.
Everything was so scrumptious - and we were so well looked after - that we were entirely unfazed by a couple of culinary shortcomings (not-quite-ripe avocado and tough-ish chicken strips in the Caesar salad). Minor quibbles in an otherwise sensual occasion.
Oh, and don't leave without checking out the loos, which set new standards to tongue-in-cheek décor individuality.
Average price of a three-course meal: R80.
By Lannice Snyman
Address: 151 Kloof Street, Tamboerskloof. Tel 021 426 2413. Open for breakfast, tea, coffee and lunch. Tuesday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm, Sundays from 8am to 4pm.
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