Be a restaurant critic, they said. It will be fun, they said. “They” were not wrong about the fun part, but in truth no one told me to do it. As a new reporter for Cape Argus Tonight, I saw an opportunity to eat out as part of my job description, and I begged for it. How marvellous!

That was 23 years ago, when I knew a smidgen of what I’ve learned about food, wine and restaurants since then, and should I see one of those immature reviews from the late 1990s, I’d cringe with embarrassment. 

At least I learnt a bit along the way, and it’s been one of my favourite things to write about… and then came Covid-bloody-19 and shut down all the restaurants. Having been absorbed (and let’s be honest, becoming slightly obsessed) with all manner of meal kits to cook myself, boxes of baked goods, and ready-made frozen things to stash in the freezer, it wasn’t until the other night that I realised how much I’ve missed sitting down to a posh meal.

This epiphany manifested itself as I began the first course of five in the Experience menu from FYN at HOME. Peter Tempelhoff’s Cape Town restaurant has offered diners an unparalleled Japanese-South African food experience since 2018, which can now be enjoyed in your own home. 

The Experience menu – like its partner Family Menu – is set to change, but this is what I had. To begin, a California sourdough rye roll with smoked binchotan butter (that’s a type of charcoal, which I had to look up – an action which in itself is a joy); and an amuse bouche of pickled daikon, Japanese rice bran cucumbers, and daikon radish roll with sancho mayo, chilli and aged soy gel.

My appetite suitably whetted, I move on to the “Kaseki Style Starter” (Kaiseki or kaiseki-ryōri is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner, thank you Wikipedia). This comprised gamefish tataki with Ishikawa rice, and spicy (not too spicy though) chirizu sauce; seared wagyu beef with coriander romesco, pickled mushrooms and herb vinaigrette; and replacing the perlemoen because of a possible allergic reaction which could have completely ruined my night, Tempelhoff sent me free range chicken with the buckwheat risotto, lemon miso and sago dashi.

Now, here’s an unexpected advantage of doing this at home: feeling rather full already, I could take a break and sit outside in the garden for a bit, and drink my wine. Later, I returned for my main course of sustainable fish, soba noodles, Pacific blue prawns, and miso wakame sauce, which needed to go in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

Then another break to watch MKR The Rivals (if anyone else is watching this, hit me up with an email – I want to gossip!) before the dessert – Tempelhoff’s famous Camembert cheesecake with yuzu quince and pine nut biscotti. A chocolate truffle, dusted in cocoa powder, completed the meal. 

The First World problem? I had to clear and wash my own dishes, and top up my own wine, quelle horreur.

A few of the dishes have been adapted from the menu FYN closed with, to keep the consistency going, said Tempelhoff. Examples include the aforementioned cheesecake and the springbok main course.

It was fantastically delicious and I was hugely impressed with the effort that went into the creation and presentation. I felt it was well worth shaving my legs and putting on a bra for. It costs R595 a person, but there is also the Family menu for R295 a person. I had that the following night, beginning again with the roll and butter. The main course was the cutest little Beef Wellington with roasted carrots and shallots, and truffle jus. This course needed baking and the instructions said to egg wash. “Oh heck,” I thought. “I’ll have to crack open an egg.” But no – even this was supplied. Everything was clearly labelled, and a printed menu indicated which dressing and sauce went with what.

A note on the packaging: the meals were accompanied by an explanatory letter, pointing out that, while not all the containers are biodegradable (it’s a work in progress), 90% of the plastics used are PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) and fully recyclable. Extra happiness is the recycling company I use has been cleared to collect under level 4, so that’s a win.

The family dessert was a dark not-too-sweet chocolate mousse on top of slivers of strawberries and topped with whipped cream and teeny tiny flowers.

Naturally, there are always issues to consider when it comes to delivering food to destinations farther than the immediate dining room. Temperature, for one. Presentation for another. 

“We put the menu together using the same philosophies we normally use at FYN, bearing in mind that it is now winter and that we only have a local market to tap into,” says Tempelhoff. “Having said that, I believe it really is a perfect opportunity to launch our winter specials, something we never got a chance to do properly last year. The menu also had to be designed to travel well and to reheat easily, hence only one warm dish – the next menu however, has two warm dishes because of the change in weather – winter is coming!”

Each delivery service is being treated the same as a normal dinner service would be, and the kitchen is set up accordingly, said Tempelhoff. “We have to be ready by a certain time and we communicate the same as we usually do – so a little shouting out of orders and replying with a ‘oui chef’ now and then is the norm now. 

“Our orders are broken down into delivery times. So each half an hour or hour we will be sending a wave of food that gets packaged by our packers and then delivered by our waiters and barmen to the diner. It really is a shift from what we have been doing, but we have accepted the challenge and are trying to make the most of it.”

The choice to employ the waiters and barmen to deliver is to be commended; not only does it provide jobs but it adds an element of care to the procedure. The food is still going to look lovely when you unpack it, and it’s amazing how you can tell a person is smiling behind their mask, a bottle of sanitiser in their hand.

“We want to keep the menus moving and changing as much as possible,” said Tempelhoff. The new Family Main course is wagyu lasagna done the traditional way with a pulled beef ragu and flavoured with fennel and juniper; the upcoming new Winter Experience menu will include a miso roast pasture-reared Overberg chicken stuffed with wild mushrooms and a truffle jus, as well as a perlemoen savoury rice starter. 

“Launching FYN from HOME has brought in some needed revenue which has allowed some of our staff to receive an income, ensured that our landlord is paid something and has got us back in the kitchen to be able to cook meals for the needy people in the informal areas,” said Tempelhoff. “Although the revenue is not what we need to operate on a permanent basis, at least it is something and I am extremely grateful for, as there are many businesses that can’t operate at all.”

The relatively low cost – around half of what it would cost at the restaurant – can be accounted for by adjusting the menu and cutting back on the most expensive ingredients. “We have also had to decrease the menu size (so fewer courses), and lastly we priced the menu without the overheads needed to run the dining room,” said Tempelhoff. “It has allowed us to give some of the savings back to the diner, which I know is very welcome and appreciated in a time like this.”

After a slowish beginning (apart from the surge in Mother’s Day orders), orders are picking up fast. “I attest this to word of mouth marketing, as the feedback has been nothing short of amazing – I am very thrilled about this. I believe there is a market for ‘Gourmet-to-your-Door’ – we just didn’t know about it, as we had no reason to try it before,” said Tempelhoff.  

To order and for full details, call 021 286 2736, WhatsApp 071 559 0304 or email [email protected]. The service is available Tuesdays to Saturdays and bookings close at 5pm for next day deliveries. 

Now, what if I told you that Ryan Cole (Salsify at The Roundhouse) has set up an operation called Essentials By Ryan Cole – which he runs from his Sea Point home with partner and sous chef Nina du Toit – and will deliver a three-course meal to your door… for R395 for two?

The menu changes weekly. This weekend it’s homemade fettuccine salad with baby spinach and feta with yoghurt and dill dressing to start, Balinese roast pork with roasted parsley root and cabbage slaw, served with house made apple jelly, and tiramisu “their way” for dessert.

An example of what you can expect from Essentials By Ryan Cole. (Photo: Supplied)

Deliveries – at R50 – are understandably focused on the Atlantic seaboard, as Cole and Du Toit run the whole business themselves, but on one of the three delivery evenings (Thursdays to Saturdays), they’ll do a southern suburbs run.

“We are doing this in a personal capacity as it’s not viable to open Salsify because of the massive expenses,” said Cole. “We’re supporting our specialist small suppliers we used before lockdown. It’s just the two of us, so as not to put anyone else at risk. This is basically keeping us alive and letting people know we are still here, still busy, trying to make a difference and supporting our suppliers.”

Because everything is made to order it trims wastage and allows Cole to keep his costs down – a saving passed on to the consumer. In addition to the dinners, Essentials By Ryan Cole will bring you a selection of scrumptious pantry items. “Star performers” of the week – those that are most popular in terms of sales – will earn charitable donations. “Last week we were able to donate R1,000 to Food Flow SA, and R1,000 to Ladles of Love,” said Cole. “It’s not a lot but it’s something.”

One of these winners is the rosemary and garlic aioli, and other items include thyme and parmesan mayo, sunflower and rocket pesto, fruit cordial, speciality coffee, muffins, tarts, quiches. Order via [email protected]

Chef Kerry Kilpin from Steenberg’s two restaurants, Tryn and Bistro Sixteen82, is whipping up some of her finest signature dishes for home diners – either ready to heat and serve, or semi-prepared.

Tryn’s pork belly is available for home delivery. (Photo: Supplied)

Delivered straight to your door in the southern suburbs, Steenberg @ Home, dishes include Asian-inspired beef tataki, roasted pork belly, braised lamb neck or mushroom, truffle and Emmental tagliatelle from the Heat, Plate and Serve options. Extras include gluten-free bread, candied after-dinner treats and children’s meals. If you can tolerate the gluten, I highly recommend the freshly baked soft rosemary ciabatta, which can only be eaten one way: by tearing off chunks, slathering with butter, and shoving in your mouth. Give. Me. The carbs.

The decision as to which dishes to offer from Tryn’s menu was firstly based on those that would best reflect the style and taste of not only Tryn but Bistro1682. “From there, since we were finally back in the kitchen again, I wanted dishes that required intense preparation but were simple to heat up and finish cooking at home without compromising the quality of the meal and still providing that restaurant experience,” said Kilpin.

“For travelling purposes and to not slack on quality, we are not sending any warm food. The dishes are delivered cold and uncooked or semi-cooked with ice packs to maintain the freshness.”

With the semi-cooked meals, customers receive the full recipe and for those who prefer to watch and learn, a link to a video of Kilpin making the dish is included.

A risotto of the day, with changing flavours, is one of the semi-prepared dishes from Steenberg @ Home. (Photo: Supplied)

“All the base prep is done by us and the amount of cooking time will vary depending on your dish of choice,” said Kilpin. “As an example, the Risotto of the Day, you would need to cook from scratch. However, the vegetables have been prepped, the garlic chopped and the cheese grated.

“For the Sirloin Box, the pepper jus is made. However, the steak and potatoes have both been left uncooked. The garlic and salad ingredients have been chopped and prepared but still need to be assembled.”

Kilpin said she is happy with the meals selected for delivery but hopes to increase the offering over the coming weeks. 

“I think it is so important to keep ourselves and our minds busy too; these are challenging times we find ourselves in,” said Kilpin. “What better way to do this than to do what we love by continuing to cook and serve our guests, offering them the Steenberg experience in the comfort of their home?

“It also allows us to keep Steenberg alive in the hearts and minds of people – this is very important.”

Deliveries are handled directly by Steenberg, and cost R40 with complimentary delivery for orders over R350. The delivery fee further afield to Noordhoek, Bishopscourt, Claremont and Kenilworth is R60.

Place an order by visiting SteenbergAtHomeInfo. For queries, email [email protected] or call 021 713 7178 Mondays to Fridays between 8am and 5pm.

Until it was named as the best in the world at the inaugural World Restaurant Awards in 2019, who had heard of Wolfgat in Paternoster? 

Said head chef Kobus van der Merwe on Facebook: “This is entirely uncharted territory for us, but if we are to stay afloat, we’ll absolutely have to  give it our best shot…so we have decided to create an interactive hamper for two giving you some iconic Wolfgat flavours to enjoy at home.”

A four-course Wolfgat At Home box for two is R800, containing sourdough bread and homemade butter, seasonal snacks (such as piekelvis, snoek tartlet, stuffed soutslaai leaves), a black mussel or white mussel soup starter, a main course of Verlorenvlei lamb, mushroom and kelp and a DIY dessert for you to bake at home. Contents may vary slightly depending on availability of produce.

The interactive part comes in the form of a map of the Strandveld, a quick study in acrylic of the view, painted by Van Der Merwe; and a Wolfgat winter playlist for you to listen to while savouring some Strandveld ingredients. It’s all jolly thoughtful. Delivery is to Paternoster and surrounds, including St Helena Bay, Vredenburg, Jacobsbaai, Saldanha and Langebaan. Order here. 

Luke Dale Roberts is a name synonymous with fine dining. Having made the decision to close his restaurants’ doors ahead of lockdown, Dale Roberts has now launched delivery of gourmet food hampers in Cape Town, the surrounding winelands – and Johannesburg from 18 May, 2020.

Cheap they are not, so take a deep breath now. There are three options, ranging in price from R1,800 to R5,000 (plus R100 for Cape Town delivery), and the hampers are filled with products stamped with the LDR seal of approval. 

He will feature some of his favourite classics like duck and pork belly country pâté, beef bourguignon, juniper and citrus cured salmon gravadlax, navarin (ragoût) of lamb shank along with various cheeses and sweet options, with rose scented meringues, Dale Roberts’s trifle and chocolate fondants.

“The current lockdown has engulfed many special events, with birthdays, anniversaries and more having to be spent at home. As we continue along this indefinite path, we have tried to create hampers that combine both the everyday, as well as unique and speciality items that will serve to make every meal a little more special, for any occasion,” said Dale Roberts.

“As we all know, the hospitality industry has been wrecked by Covid-19 and its subsequent economic fallout, and we at LDR are doing everything in our power to keep people employed, starting with our employees, and continuing along our supply chains. As such, this venture is a not-for-profit endeavour, with the sole purpose of keeping our employees’ livelihoods intact and buying time until we find out what the new normal of the South African restaurant industry will become.”

Apart from keeping his considerable staff complement employed, says the press release, Dale Roberts also prepares an evening meal, daily, for 40 people at The Haven Night Shelter in Cape Town. More info here.

Light some candles, put on some Barry White, and tuck into something deliciously special. Bra optional. DM/TGIFood