A magical combination of fantastic food and fabulous views at Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia
Southern Suburbs fans of Liam Tomlin’s Chefs Warehouse in Bree Street were over the moon when he announced he’d be opening a second Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia wine estate. The news that Ivor Jones, after three years as head chef at the Test Kitchen, would be heading up the new restaurant set the seal. Ivor had been planning a break to travel the world but couldn’t resist this opportunity and has embraced the concept with infectious enthusiasm.
“Simple tasty good food is what I love about Liam’s concept at Chefs Warehouse,” says Ivor. “It’s produce driven; we’re getting seriously involved in using our garden here.” There’s a 0,5ha vegetable garden above the restaurant and a small herb garden below, which is lovely to stroll through after lunch. “We’re getting loads from the garden: cauliflower, jalapeno, tomatoes, kale. We’re pickling and preserving, and drying; the garden’s really keeping us on our toes. It pushes you as a chef. I’m having a lot of fun.”
The Chefs Warehouse “tapas for two” format is the same, but the frequently changing set menu with three rounds of sharing plates is under Ivor’s creative control, and he’s putting his own stamp on it. Simply decide on your wine and sit back, soaking in the incredible views of vineyards cascading down the Constantia Valley, or watch Ivor at the helm of the open kitchen busy working his magic.
We didn’t wait long for our first dishes and were wowed from the start: linefish sashimi on crispy vermicellli noodles was set off by a creamy lime and coconut dressing and pops of roe; the seared tuna came with fresh Mediterranean flavours, tomato dashi, olives, garlic plus basil and jalapeno peppers from the garden; the coal-fired beef tataki added depth with a fermented black bean salsa and slow-dried tomatoes. We voted the assiette of mushrooms as the overall winner; with shimiji, shitake and king oyster mushrooms, a treat of contrasting textures and subtle tastes. The variety and inventiveness continued through the final dishes, each bringing different spices and textures to the party. If you can only manage one dessert after this feast, make it the wild honey and lavender crème with cassia ice cream; topped with crunchy light honeycomb, it’s the essence of summer and sunshine – poetry in a bowl.
Taste for yourself:
- Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia | 021 794 8632 | beauconstantia.com/eat
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
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