Umami - the fifth taste
If he has his way, there’ll be fewer franchises in Stellenbosch and more restaurants like Umami. He’s put together a contemporary menu, chosen some superior Stellenbosch wines to put in his cellar, hired a young and passionate kitchen team and, wonder of wonders (on the basis of my experience there anyway), employed waiting staff who are really knowledgeable and passionate about the menu. They do a lot of things right.
The restaurant is on two levels – it’s simple and uncluttered with money being spent on important things like glassware and tableware. There’s a five-course tasting menu at R240, or R330 if you have it with their wine pairings. Van der Merwe is passionate about foodand- wine matching and has infected his staff with his enthusiasm – I was offered a very spirited and insightful explanation into the decision to pair Jonkershoek trout grilled with truffle-tarragon and served with orange cream, steamed asparagus and horseradish pommes purée with Vriesenhof Pinot Noir. And it worked!
We ordered from the à la carte menu and were served a very professionally cooked and enjoyable meal. The biggest criticism would be that the plates are too busy – the venison doesn’t need all of the “sweet potato fondant, courgettes, mushrooms, carrot-orange purée and berry jus”. The simpler the dish, the more it was enjoyed. Earth soup – a mixture of shiitake, king oyster and brown mushrooms with ciabatta – was sublime. Praise also for the glossary which is part of the menu – it’s helpful to know when considering choices exactly what a sauce albufera is (creamy chicken stock with foie gras butter), and what the difference is between a beurre blanc and beurre noisette (the former a white wine butter emulsion, the latter made from slightly burnt butter, which gives it a nutty flavour).
The biggest criticism would be an old bug-bear of mine
– why, in a restaurant that places so much emphasis on
specific wines with specific dishes, are so few (little more
than 10%) of the wines available by the glass?
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