Our Editor-in-Chief Liezl Vermeulen was invited to Arlechinno. Here’s what she made of the elevated eatery. 

It’s in the detail for me. Throughout my entire meal, I kept noticing the thoughtful planning behind the design, the tableside service and the staff’s attentive care. 

Arlecchino at a glance 

The décor drew me in even before the menu could steel my attention.  The playful harlequin theme echoes elegantly throughout the spacious eatery with its thoughtful, quality décor. Trending ruffled design, akin to a clown collar, creates large lighting displays that crowns the roof. Diamond patterns are seen on the silky sleeves of the waiters, umbrella detailing and marble mosaic floors.  

There’s a bold colour scheme of bright-green and peacock blue hues on the furniture, crockery and tabletop details. This is offset set against natural tones of wooden tables and 70’s woven cane chairs. It all comes in subtle variety that has the tasha’s touch of bespoke, high-end eatery.   

Table-side service  

There’s an element of old school charm: a drinks trolley is rolled in by a suit-and-tie’d mixologist, there’s family-style table salads and sharing platters, and – a personal highlight – the subtle theatrics of tableside service.   

A vibrant house salad is assembled and dressed table side, the Sgroppino cocktail mixed next to you, and tiramisu features madeleines that get dressed and doll(op)ed up in front of you. An applause seems fitting. 

Have a seat at our table and see our experience first-hand. 

 

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Light and decadent menu 

The menu, designed by culinary director Jill Okkers, has distinct Italian flair, following the style of the wider Mediterranean, rather than strictly following the region’s culinary rules. (By this I mean the branzino caldo, for example, marries ingredients like Ponzu and soy without screaming Asian, seamlessly blending in next to the rest of the antipasti.) 

With all-day dining, the restaurant shifts, much like a Capetonian, quite effortlessly between business and leisure, light and decadent.  

What I’ll be back for 

To start, the memorable Carpaccio Caccio e pepe (R282) combined paper-thin beef with the temperamental Pecorino-pepper pasta exquisitely. The Crema di feta (R98) – read whipped feta – is made to share and an absolute must.  

It has to be said that the seemingly simplest of plates, the Amalfi lemon bucatini pasta (R172), with smallest price tag on the pasta section was the most memorable to me, showing that the price range of the entire menu shouldn’t stop you from visiting.   

On the sweet front, I’ve seen the hype of the tiramisu – it did not disappoint, finely balancing the bitterness of coffee with a touch of dulce de leche – but it was the pannacotta (R118) that stood out most, perhaps in part because I wasn’t expecting it to shine so bright. Firstly, the contrast of frozen, bitter-sweet grapefruit and orange granita on top of the creamy pannacotta wowed my senses. Secondly, serving it in a glass means they could use less gelatine, which created a just-set texture that really melted in your mouth. The Zabaglione (R138) deserves an honorary mention here for its balance of fresh-meets-sweet and the closest taste of a cloud you could imagine. 

It all screams sophisticated, understated and timeless luxury, but perhaps even louder, it says stay a little longer.   

Words: Liezl Vermeulen
Photography: Adel Ferreira  

The post A table at Arlecchino: Here’s what to expect appeared first on MyKitchen.

From the sandy Karoo to the shores of Kalk Bay – travel through the Western Cape in a single sitting at Urchin Restaurant when visiting Hyatt Regency in Cape Town. 

Chef Marcus Gericke travelled the Western Cape province of South Africa to get to the root of its flavour, meeting the people, seeing the terroir, and experiencing heritage firsthand.  

 

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His 1 627-kilometre journey took him from the shores of Kalk Bay and Paternoster to the sandy Karoo and lush Garden Route. Finally, he ended back in Cape Town in the bright and bustling Bo-Kaap. 

Now Chef Marcus pays homage to this journey by serving up a nine-course menu that encapsulates different parts of the province. Working closely with the farmers and butchers he met along the way has resulted in a menu shaped by the stories heard and flavours tasted along the way.  

 

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“Urchin has always been about connection to source,” says Chef Marcus Gericke. “This season, we have evolved the menu to tell a deeper story of the Western Cape through dishes that hold a sense of place, memory and the people behind every ingredient.” 

What to expect  

Start off with a voorhappie of snoek, meebos (pulped apricots) and curry leaf that is inspired by his visit to Aunty Ashmita in Kalk Bay). The bread and preserves that follow take you to Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands. Then, back to shore, a Paternoster crayfish in a seemingly simple lemon-garlic sauce will remind you of the simplicity of the unspoilt West Coast.   

For mains, there’s the unmistakable taste of braaied Karoo lamb chops paired with a tomato-bredie sauce (tomato stew sauce), plus the comfort of oxtail and samp being served in new, unexpected ways.   

Naturally, it would be remis to not include some sort of milk tart for a sweet touch – and that’s just one of the various options. Then, as if you haven’t travelled enough already, you get sent home with some padkos to take back to your own home: a small taste of peppermint crisp tart, klapperys (coconut ice) and a Hertzoggie.  

There is also the Navigator, which is a more relaxed à la carte menu for those who prefer to choose their own route.  

Who’s behind the pass? 

Chef Marcus Gericke heads up the team. You’ll likely recognise the name from foodie news: He won the Global Chef Africa & Middle East 2022-23 award and also won the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought award for his dish Remembrance (Quail Consommé) at the 2020-2021 S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy competition. In 2024, he also added SA Chef of the Year to his string of accolades. 

Of course, there’s an entire team that also took the road trip journey with him and are hard at work to dish up nostalgia and adventure. “The spirit of the team’s Western Cape road trip lives on the walls through striking large-scale photographs of moments and landscapes captured along the journey that inspired the menu. Wines are chosen with the same consideration, deepening the expression of terroir.” 

Words: Liezl Vermeulen
Photography: Dale Herbst 

Also read: Enjoy a seaside soirée at Brunch by The Ocean

The post Journey through the Cape at Urchin Restaurant   appeared first on MyKitchen.

In Vusi Ndlovu’s kitchen, fire is an ingredient. It’s a living thing, something that needs to breathe. Most of all, it’s something to have fun with. Christi Nortier asked him about his food and fire philosophy. 

What to do when there are 50 guests seated outside, hungry for a fine dining meal in Franschhoek, but the kitchen’s hired equipment isn’t working? Cook over fire, in the stable’s fireplace, of course. Assistant chefs stood back as chef Vusi Ndlovu calmly set up four stations on the ground, divided by stacked bricks. The five-course meal started to come together: venison on the coals, chicken and cabbage in a simmering stock pot, scallops. To him, it was the most natural way he knew to feed people.  

The meal was a knock-out and his business partner, Absie Pantshwa, wouldn’t let him forget it. After spending time in hotel kitchens, local and international fine dining restaurants and various pop-ups, it was time for Vusi to cook his own menu. That Franschhoek event sparked the creation of Edge, his culinary project which has included a TimeOut market stall, Bree street rooftop restaurant and the African Culinary Library. What underpins it all is one of his strongest culinary beliefs: fire is an ingredient.  

The kindling 

Making and sharing food created safe spaces for Vusi, at home during Sunday family gatherings as well as in the home economics classroom. He didn’t think much of it at the time, but when it came to planning for life after school suddenly the thought of studying engineering brought on boredom. Instead, he put his cooking skills to work at the five-star Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria, taking command of the egg station. “I became interested in the complexity of eggs: There’s so much you can do with them,” he says. But when you’re 19, you start to get arrogant. I was doing like six orders at the same time. The days were long, from SAM to 8PM, and it was getting monotonous.”  

He became intrigued by the country’s top restaurants, fascinated by things like goat’s cheese panna cotta, so started experimenting at home. After a while, he’d just call up the restaurants and ask to work in their kitchen. And it worked. “I focused on learning as much as I could about that kitchen and that way of working. Once I understood a place, I would move to a new one to keep learning. It’s about being curious,” he explains. His curiosity took him far, through the kitchens and mentorship of Michel Morand’s Auberge Michel, Peter Tempelhoff’s Greenhouse and David Higg’s Five Hundred.  

One of the most influential kitchens was In de Wulf, a Belgian Michelin star restaurant known for dishes made of only a handful of regional ingredients. “I came across In de Wulf on Instagram and I was like: ‘What is this place? It was run by Kobe Desramaults, this cool guy that’s like Bob Dylan in his prime. And he’s putting things in the charcoal’. In our sense, fire was a braai. But there it was something else,” he reflects. Vusi interned there for what was meant to be two weeks. He stayed for a year and a half.  

“I was always close to the guys by the fire. I found fire so interesting. It can be delicate and harsh. They’d put everything on or in the fire, even small things and feathers,” he recalls. He was often sent to Kobe’s other restaurant where they cooked over huge grills. “That was more fun and engaging, because there was no real temperature control. There’s no button. The wood and charcoal are themselves an ingredient. It was second nature to me because that’s just what we did and it became my preferred way of cooking,” he explains. 

On returning to South Africa, he collaborated with Luke Dale-Roberts to open and lead the Marabi Jazz Club. There, he was adding fire to all kinds of things, from cabbage to mussels. “It was exciting, but again you’re cooking other people’s food. Other people’s ideas. At that time, I was awarded the San Pelegrino Best Young Chef award for Africa & Middle East and placed in the international top seven, so it meant I had to be doing something right with fire,” he grins.  

Blazing bright  

And then he teamed up with Absie. She encouraged him to keep playing with fire and work with African ingredients, which led to that first event together in Franschhoek. “The rest is history”, Vusi smiles. Edge roamed as a pop-up, his exploration of how to make fire complicated but sophisticated, until it settled high above Bree street in 2024. He designed his own grills so he could cook in the fire, on a grid as well as high above the flames.  

“I like to keep things interesting by trying new stuff. We got vine leaves the other day and we burnt it, adding tomato and fish, just to see what would happen,” he says. “The idea is to always have fire as an ingredient and a vehicle, not to just have it be this macho big guy thing slapping on steaks. I’m not a big person. Absie teases me that I have small hands, but I’m just built for speed and delicacy. That’s what I want to do with the fire: I want to show you that it can be as delicate as it can be robust.”  

Very soon, fire-loving people around the world will have access to a brand-new recipe from Vusi. He was approached by Phaidon to contribute to their new book, Barbecue: Smoke & Grilled Recipes from Across the Globe, filled with recipes collected from some of the world’s best-known chefs in live fire cooking. “At first, I thought they got it wrong contacting me. They assured me it was correct and gave me a week to create the recipe. I wondered what I was doing in a book next to legendary chefs. Eventually, I just did it. It was an honour to contribute”, he shares. 

When it comes to global inspiration, the Senegalese continue to wow Vusi.  “They make fire pits from cinder blocks to dry and smoke their fish, cook a whole goat or make lamb dibi. When they make lamb dibi [flame-grilled lamb served in a baguette with caramelised onions and mustard], the guys don’t use firewood: they use a tree trunk. They just keep pushing the tree further into the fire. It burns really, really hot. And the guys cooking are completely relaxed: earphones in, slops on, chilling in a chair, chatting to their girlfriends. Here in South Africa, we’re losing our minds spinning with our tweezers,” he laughs. “They’re having the time of their lives — and that’s what I like. They cook on high heat, but it’s absolutely perfect. They only open at 10pm, that’s when the party kids go out, and they just don’t stop. I asked for a t-shirt because I liked it so much and the owner didn’t understand why I was so excited. To him, it’s just meat but to me it was so cool.”

Vusi’s curiosity doesn’t let him sit still for long. His next rabbit hole? Maybe pig farming. “We’re going to keep building the restaurant, but I’d like to have a project to supplement the business. I would like to have a little pig farm. Good pigs are very scarce in the Cape. We’ll take it slowly and have a good time with it. It’s something fun. Something different. Something away from the usual.”  

But restaurants remain his true love. Get him chatting about things he’d like to cook over fire and he will share vivid ideas, dreamt up on the spot. “I often think about what I would cook if I had the biggest pantry in the world, in the forest, and all the fires,” he muses. “I would just have fun with it…”  

Cook by fire 

We asked the fire master for a few take-home lessons on making and cooking with fire. 

Braai bring-alongs 

 I don’t often go to braais, because people end up asking me to do the cooking! But when I do go, I take drumsticks —very underrated. Or chicken thighs or lamb sausage. I’m doing a deep-dive into Afrikaans cooking right now: The Afrikaans chefs are doing something right, so I’m finding out what that is. Lots of spice, fat —and too much sugar! So I’m very into skilpadjies right now. And always a good chakalaka.  

When it comes to wood 

Every wood has its own character. Don’t complicate it by having seven types of wood to use — no need for that. Our staple is kameeldoring, a very dry hardwood, which has a longer and hotter burn than most woods and makes nice charcoal. But if you want to be a bit fancy and experiment with smoke or a long cook, then try blue gum which is a sweeter wood. We’ve also used black jack before, which is an easier wood — tasty, but it burns quickly and doesn’t make for good charcoal. Mopane wood is nice for smoking. If you’re from the villages, you smell that wood burning and it’s like you’re back home.  

Try some seasoning 

You can season your fire at the end of cooking by adding different things to burn and produce a specific smoke. This is great if you’re cooking multiple things, so that people don’t get palate fatigue. Grape vines make a sweet smoke. If you have a lemon tree, take some leaves and add them to the fire so they release their oil. Take some ash or coal, put it on top of rosemary or hay and place it on the side of the fire. Just let it smoke nicely. But don’t go crazy with seasoning the fire – like with food, it’s something you do at the end. And please don’t put whole spices in the fire. They will explode!  

Fire alternatives 

I think it’s perfectly fine to braai over gas or briquettes. They have their place. I have a gas braai at home, because no open wood fires are allowed in my building, and that’s fine. Briquettes should be used for slowing cooking only, though.  

Keeping the heat on 

Fire is like a person — it needs to breathe. We always have a main fire and a feeding fire, made from wood only, on the side where we make coals to bring into the main fire as needed. And just watch it. Building a fire is easy once it’s going – but it’s harder to build a fire offal like liver, brain or heart, you just need to focus because its delicate. You can make the most awesome banana bread: Leave some bananas on a used fire, in the skin. Just let them do their thing. Then use that pulp to make banana bread or butterscotch. What would you not put in the fire? I’d do anything on the fire…  

The order of things 

Start by cooking things on the bone (since they need more time to cook) and your moist vegetables like mielies. Do the leaner meat cuts towards the end. Then go crazy – do your lamb choppie or rump steak, whatever you want. Don’t be scared to experiment with cooking in the fire, either. Some underrated things to cook on the fire are fruit. Or wrap some chopped liver and brie in foil and do that over the fire. When you do  

A moment on marinades 

There’s no need for wet, sticky marinade. It’s a nightmare for the person who has to clean up later and it often has too many sugars in it. Instead, do a dry marinade and season it properly.  

Take it up a notch 

You can elevate your home braais by being curious with curings, seasonings and brining. You might have your Sunday favourite, but change it up and try new things. I think it makes things a bit more interesting. Don’t overthink it, either. That makes you forget why you are doing it in the first place. Have fun with it and remember that the best things are often the simplest things. 

 

By: Christi Nortier
Photography by: Cipher media, Getty images, Zhann Solomons
Text courtesy of MyKitchen magazine

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From hidden gems to hearty classics, these were the MK team’s go-to spots in and around Cape Town this chilly season.  

Busisiwe Rooibaard, Social Media Manager 

Upper Union, Cape Town 

Upper Union was hands down my favourite restaurant this winter. We went just before my birthday, and it felt like the perfect way to kick off the celebrations. The atmosphere was quiet, intimate and cozy with a fireplace that added such a warm touch. It felt like a little winter escape right in the city. 

Their small plates were actual magic; creative, beautifully presented and packed with flavour. The staff were also very welcoming and attentive, which made the whole evening feel relaxed and genuinely special. 

 

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Lichelle May, Food Editor 

De Eetkamer, Stellenbosch 

My top restaurant this winter must be De Eetkamer in Stellenbosch. The atmosphere was incredible and we were treated with so much love and kindness by the owner and staff. Not to mention the food, which was incredible. I can hardly choose, but if I had to, I’d say my absolute favourites were the Japanese milk bun with whipped biltong butter (to die for, I mean who does not love bread and butter?). Then the mussel and nduja butter flatbread as well as the line fish tartare with fermented garlic honey, chilli crunch and sourdough. Chef’s kiss!  

 

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Gaynor Siljeur, Content Creator 

Hacienda, Cape Town 

Hacienda is the cozy (and seriously delicious) winter escape I didn’t know I needed. The dishes are packed with bold, smoky flavours but it’s the moody interior and dim lighting that really seal the deal for me, creating an intimate vibe that’s made for date night. If you go, don’t even think about skipping the Corte Duro – a 10-hour braised adobo brisket with rich beef mole, creamy corn purée, ancho honey and crispy papa asada. It’s the kind of dish that makes you want to pause after every bite and say, “Wait… how is this so good?” 

 

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Shantel Peskin, Account Manager

Iron Steak and Bar

The lighting inside Iron Steak and Bar creates a cosy and relaxed vibe, yet lively energy remains.  The steak was fantastic; it was cooked exactly how I liked it, and the salad on the side perfectly matched it. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the popcorn prepared in wagyu beef oil – absolutely delicious!

 

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Chilly days call for crackling fires and mouth-watering food. These restaurants across South Africa are serving up both. 

Cape Town 

Ëlgr 

Winter in Cape Town is rainy season, and there is no better way than having a cosy meal next to a fireplace to warm up your body and soul. Ëlgr, situated in the Mother City’s popular Kloof Street, is the perfect escape from any cold front. With dishes served in tapas-style shared-plates, it’s the perfect spot for a culinary experience with a group of friends. The best part? The fireplace is in the middle of the restaurant, so everyone is guaranteed a warm and toasty evening with fabulous food. 

 

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Johannesburg 

Fireroom

The atmosphere at Fireroom is just as toasty as it sounds. Ignite your senses while feasting on steaming stir-fry, to a scrumptious sushi platter all by keeping warm and comfortable dining by the fireplace. It’s the perfect weekend spot for Joburg’s chilly winter evenings.   

 

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Durban 

The LivingRoom at Summerhill Estate

An elegant fine dining establishment with the crackling sounds of the cosy fireplace? Yes, please! The LivingRoom at Summerhill Estate is located in Pinetown Durban and serves up a wonderful garden to plate culinary experience. Enjoy exceptional food, premium wine and great service all white relaxing by the fireplace. It’s the perfect date night setting!  

 

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How two young entrepreneurs turned their passion for healthy eating into Cape Town’s favourite conscious living destination – Wildsprout! 

What started as a tiny café on Loop Street has blossomed into something much bigger than Candice Coles, a young entrepreneur, could have imagined. “There were little to no restaurants available that offered genuinely healthy food made using wholefoods, offering a decent sit-down experience,” Candice reflects. So, they created one. 

From that first small space, her brother Dean joined, and Wildsprout has grown into three bustling restaurant-delis across Cape Town (Kenilworth, Constantia, and Sea Point), plus a factory churning out healthy frozen meals and baked goods that you’ll find stocked in retailers across the Western Cape and beyond.

 

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Wildsprout is not just about the food, it’s about creating a space where conscious living feels accessible. “Young customers have loved this offering,” Candice says about their unique café-grocery hybrid concept. “They could trust that no matter what they were ordering from the restaurant or grabbing from the grocery store, they would be getting a healthy, local and quality product.” 

Dean and Candice believe that young people are driving South Africa’s sustainable food revolution. “The younger generation has often shown a deeper understanding of healthy food and willingness to educate themselves,” Dean notes. And their customers prove these daily – young patrons are the most adventurous, often discovering “hidden gems” like the Superboost drink or matcha lattes, and sharing them on social media. But it’s not just about what’s trending. It’s about a generation that asks questions: Where does my food come from? How was it made? What impact does it have? This curiosity is reshaping how we think about food entirely, and how we consume it.

 

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The future looks bright (and green) for Wildsprout, while they are focusing on growing their online presence, don’t be surprised if more physical locations pop up. “Interacting with our amazing customers is always enjoyable, so who knows, maybe another branch or two,” Dean muses. Their product range keeps expanding too, from their popular frozen meals like Beef Bolognese and Chilli Non-Carne to eco-friendly homeware and personal care products. It’s all part of their mission to make conscious living accessible to young adults starting their environmentally aware journeys.  

Dean and Candice’s advice for young entrepreneurs is refreshingly practical: 

• Back yourself, with confidence and research. Have faith in your vision but ground it in solid business fundamentals. 

• Never stop learning. The information is out there, so use it. Network actively and continuously upskill. 

• Build community. Support your peers and create an ecosystem where everyone can thrive. 

• Blend passion with pragmatism. Trust your gut, but don’t ignore the numbers. 

• Partner with the right payment and point of sale service provider, like Yoco, to take your business to the next level.   

Wildsprout has become more than just a place to grab lunch. It’s proof that young entrepreneurs can reshape entire industries when they combine passion with purpose. 

Photography: Supplied

The post The Wildsprout blueprint for conscious success   appeared first on MyKitchen.