Shoga
The original plan was to have a bar above the highly successful Ginja, to keep diners happy as they waited for a table. But chef Mike Bassett and partner Gary Wright decided instead to offer a separate menu, so Shoga (Japanese for ginger) became a bistro bar.
It's an attractive room, long and narrow, with the dominant feature the bar counter that runs down one side. There are two distinct sections: a dining area and a lounge with comfortable armchairs and sofas. Décor is eclectic. There is a Japanese art deco feel to the skylights, a Tudor suggestion through the vaulting beams overhead, loft chic influences via the window-framing of the rough, open-brick wall that runs down the other long side of the room. The fusion in design works as seamlessly as the fusion of east and west on the plate.
Mike Bassett had his tandoor ovens custom-made. Slightly smaller than normal, they give off a more intense heat, allowing dishes to be served medium-rare - not normally possible in tandoor cooking. Rack of lamb with Indian spices and fresh coriander is meltingly tender and offers a glorious amalgam of spicy sensations on the palate. Equally good are garlic tiger prawns, gently spiced and perked up with the addition of lime leaf; and lime-dressed salmon with wasabi and dill. Vegetable side orders, cooked to perfection in a brick oven, include pumpkin with glazed orange and cinnamon, and baby vegetables with sweet basil, olive oil and sea salt.
And who would have thought the humble pizza could aspire so successfully to gourmet status? Shoga's pizzas are the best I've tasted. The base is satisfactorily thin and crisp, and the 50% rye flour eliminates the doughy quality that besets so many pizza bases. Toppings are unusual and delicious: try chilli shrimp, crème fraîche and avocado; or smoked ham, pineapple, cilantro and red leicester. Many are variations on dishes Mike has served at Ginja or in previous kitchens - Thai green curry, chicken, sprouts and coriander started out life as a soup, and is entirely comfortable in its new guise.
Dessert options are limited to four. The impossibly decadent macadamia nut chocolate chunk brownie would feed a large family; peppermint tiramisu is smaller and less sinful, but no less tasty.
The winelist is small, but well-chosen with reasonable mark-ups. Whites range from Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc at R60 to Hamilton Russell Chardonnay at R280. Du Toitskloof Shiraz is good value at R75, and you can splash out on Haute Cabrière Pinot Noir at R160. There is also a wide selection of intriguingly titled cocktails like a Village Bicycle, 3 Fat Dogs and a Well Hung Monkey.
I have two complaints. The tables are ridiculously small. Hardly room for more than two plates on top, and very little space for knees underneath. And the whole room is treated as a smoking area on the grounds that Ginja on the ground floor is totally non-smoking.
Those caveats aside, I absolutely loved Shoga.
Average three-course meal: R120
By John Maytham
Address: 121 CASTLE STREET, CAPE TOWN. NOON TILL LATE, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. TEL 021 426 2638. BYO R20, BUT DISCOURAGED. SMOKING PERMITTED. CAR PARK WITH CAR GUARDS.
Food: 4
Wine list2
Ambience: 4
Service: 4
Value: 4
