The adventure at Wilderkrans was over 2 days and no folks, we did not eat the chef out of kitchen and restaurant either. Wilderkrans is a wine estate and Forage is the restaurant on the estate. Our visit to South Africa was spent predominantly in Hermanus, the Western cape of the country. We were kinda hoping to catch the whales but alas it was not to be! Guess this means we just must come back at another time.
Our first visit to the Widerkrans happened by chance, well not entirely. We hired a car for the day and decided to explore the surrounding areas and used Wilderkrans as a yard stick. Very glad we did, the landscape is just gorgeous and with several vineyards dotted around, there is lots to taste and drink! We rocked up to the vineyard to confirm our reservation as this never came via email but the restaurant was closed. However, the good folk of the estate invited us to visit the wine tasting room. The tasting room is in the cellar building, which has been restored to the original built in 1936! It was sooo pretty! Even though the tasting room was not open for business, we still got to taste a couple of their wines – chenin blanc, pinot noir, pinotage and my goodness these wines were just lush! I do not like red wine, especially the kind that is oaked in a barrel. I don’t know, but there is something about the ‘oaky’ taste which I equate to dry cardboard that I just can’t hack, and this is typical of French or Italian reds. The dark, intense taliny and heavy taste of these wines don’t do it for me, so yeah guys, the struggle has been REAL! The South African pinotage has been a revelation for me, HALLELUJAH! This red wine even though oaked in a barrel tasted nothing like their counterparts! The cardboard taste was gone and was replaced by a dark plum and mixed fruit taste which was not heavy, easy to drink on its own without a meal and just lush! I could argue that I had the perfect setting for tasting these wines, beautiful vineyard landscape, sun was out, absolutely gorgeous day! You know we could not wait to come back and dine at the restaurant. I mean if the wines are anything to go by, I reckon the food would be LIT. Plus, we were very eager to see if any of the wines we tasted would make it to the table.
Forage! Forage!! FORAGE!!! I have said this before and I cannot stress it enough, it is the little things that can turn an ordinary experience into an unforgettable one! First off, the restaurant is called forage because well the products and ingredients are foraged! Yep, food is only sourced within a 100km radius- from local artisans, picked wild and / or harvested, I mean Hellor *said in Madea’s voice* At the beginning of your meal, as part of the welcome, a ritual is performed. Now! now! no need to panic, we didn’t have to do a rain dance or nothing. The team presented to us burning sage which was placed at the table. It is believed that burning sage increases alertness, promote healing and ‘cleanse’ a space of negative energy. Even though it was simply done and non-intrusive, it was humbling and spiritual at the same time.
The taster menu was an 8-course affair paired with wines from the vineyard. The menu split into 2 sections; first section called ‘in the beginning’ and the second ‘Foraged findings’. Every dish on the menu was superb, not only were the dishes uniquely named in Afrikaans; each dish had a date signifying the origins. Essentially an ode to the person, place or thing – details folks! D E T A I L S!!! Our first course ‘Die Cloevernmaker’, (1740) which comprised stone pine seared ox liver and slaphakskeentjies – honeybush beef tea. This dish references Sir Lowry’s Pass who began the art of battering in that time. Yep, I know what you are thinking ‘slaphakskeentjies’? it’s pickled onion and honey bush tea. The ‘Gouga’, Botrivier (1700), was a beef dish – chicory butter short rib served with wild wheat granola, whipped beef tallow, sweet corn textures – butterskorsie all with a glass of red wine from their barrel select cape blend 2014. This dish did not look like what I expected, considering the number of combined elements required. Instead, presentation was clean, focused and precise and this was truly the theme of all the dishes – each dish had at least 4 elements but none of the plates presented were ‘busy’ you know. Every element was presented and placed exactly where it was meant to be.
I particularly loved the chef’s introductory dishes – these, usually, are dishes that the chef is experimenting with which may or may not make the cut. The presentation of this dish was dope. The dish came with a cylindrical lid filled with smoke, so you really could not quite tell what it was. You lift the lid and as the smoke disappears, you nose is filled with the most mouth-watering aromas that you can only imagine! It almost hurt to eat the delicate little pieces of delight that has been presented! But when you dig in? jeeezzz!
You know pudding was on POINT!
This experience was not only a foodie delight, but it was also a cultural and spiritual journey. Dankie Forage, Dankie Widerkrans.
Gesondheid
Ndidi & Neal