Cape Town’s best address, The Table Bay Hotel, has brought tantalising new flavours to its menus as it welcomes an eclectic mix of tourists from upcountry and around the world for the summer holidays.
The five-star luxury Sun International property is staffed by a team of 32 chefs who have welcomed creative encouragement by Executive Chef Lindsay Venn to contribute to the new all-day dining, lounge, pool and high tea menus, which offer a smorgasbord of flavours, all with a local African twist that will please even the most discerning of palates.
The menu changes resulted after a year of conversations with guests and careful consideration of “a new era of food”.
The Table Bay kitchens have prepared a food showcase which uses the best seasonal ingredients, sourced locally with sustainability in mind.
When the sun is high in the sky, guests head to the pool bar where they can watch the chef in action while sipping a cocktail, or gaze out across the Indian Ocean while their lunch is prepared.
“Our flatbreads are absolutely flying out of the kitchen, with toppings including harissa chicken with hummus and sumac, Moroccan roast caramelised onions, falafel, mango salsa and mozzarella or pulled smoked barbeque beef, grilled corn and coriander with coleslaw. While we are offering fresh and exciting new dishes, we have kept the old favourites like burgers and chicken mayonnaise sandwiches.”
“The classic high tea is gradually changing, away from that egg and mayo sandwich to something more modern, offering more refined flavours.” The three-course high tea starts with savoury dishes of Yorkshire pudding with beef carpaccio and caramelised onions, smoked duck and Asian slaw bao buns and balsamic glazed beetroot fondant with feta and pumpkin seeds.
“But traditionalists need not fear, we still offer buttermilk scones with clotted cream, jam and cheese, and cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches, but you’ll see a twist with an additional berry scone.” High tea, which includes two TWG* teas, finishes with a selection of macarons and cakes – think mouth-watering sweet treats including hazelnut opera cake matcha and strawberry entremets, lime parfait, salted caramel and dulce banana brioche, Brazilian coconut entremets macarons, cheesecake and carrot cake. High tea is offered in The Lounge from Wednesdays to Sundays, from 2.30pm until 5.30pm.
The Lounge, with a relaxed setting overlooking the V&A harbour and Table Mountain, also boasts a new day time and evening menu, which has endeared itself to guests since being introduced in November. “It offers fantastic variety, with portions of all sizes. We’ve answered guest calls for more pastas, introducing a spaghetti carbonara and a seafood linguine with salmon, mussels, dill and capers,” Venn said. Dishes such as smoked cauliflower soup, deep fried baby cauliflower salad and fried spinach bhaji with tamarind and coriander dressing will appeal to vegetarians and veggie-loving diners, while the Asian flair is present once again with a corn and coconut soup and prawn dim sum.
“Our linefish of the day depends on what our fishmonger has for us, served with baby bok choi, sweet potato, dashi tea and sago puffs for a playful touch.”
The 500g T-bone steak served with Café de Paris butter, bordelaise sauce and hand cut fries remains a menu favourite, especially for guests from the United States who like a prime cut of meat, Venn said. “Dishes like our tempura crayfish salad, fresh cucumber and nori salad, toasted sesame, pickled ginger, soya aioli and nuoc chum dressing will take locals out of their comfort zone, serving seafood in a way they might not previously have experienced.”
The Table Bay’s adventurous young kitchen brigade has worked in some of the Cape’s top restaurants, and have a collective wealth of experience spanning over 100 years in the hospitality industry. Together with some old hands who are eager to learn new tricks, they are leading the hotel’s dining into a new era, said The Table Bay General Manager, Joanne Selby. “We are happy with guest feedback so far as we push the envelope on fine dining in keeping with the luxurious surroundings of The Table Bay.”
