Dégustation – do you know what that means? It’s a French word meaning ‘the careful, appreciative tasting of various food, focusing on the gustatory system, the senses, high culinary art and good company’ – and it’s this concept that underlies the tasting menu. The trend dates back many centuries, but it’s most recent incarnation came about in the 1980s as chefs out of France introduced smaller portions of their signature dishes as part of multiple courses for the ultimate culinary experience.
Putting the chef in complete control of what was served and at what pace, tasting menus became status symbols for the affluent and elite, with some menus famously offering forty courses, spanning three-hour-plus sittings. Today the tasting menu has evolved to cater for more mainstream tastes (and pockets) and can be anything from seven to thirteen courses, but according to renowned French chef, Alain Ducasse, it remains a great way to ‘understand the world of the chef – the vision, the philosophy and the cuisine. It's a summary of what a chef can offer.’
And it seems that South Africa is leading the charge, as earlier this year a Paternoster restaurant, which serves only a seasonal tasting menu, was named ‘Restaurant of the Year’ at the inaugural World Restaurant Awards.
Wolfgat is the brainchild of Chef Kobus van der Merwe and it offers a unique dining experience showcasing a selection of indigenous ingredients specific to the Paternoster location. ‘Drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscape and its dramatic seasonal transformation, van der Merwe’s signature Strandveld food menu comprises a series of tasting dishes presented in seven courses. Sustainable seafood, local lamb and venison, and seasonal veldkos is featured, enhanced by wild herbs, seaweeds from the local rock pools, and pickings from the garden.’
The restaurant surprisingly can only accommodate 20 diners per sitting, but according to van der Merwe ‘by keeping it small, we keep it sustainable’. Reservations are made online on a continuous 90-day roll, and it’s already fully booked well into January 2020, so if you want to sample this world-class cuisine, you’ll have to plan well ahead.
In the interim, you can dine on equally sumptuous fare courtesy of N1 who offer the best quality wholesale meat Western Cape and Johannesburg has to offer. To create your own tasting menu and for the best in non-Halaal and Halaal certified meat, Halaal fish and other frozen food products, be sure to call N1 today!
