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» F1 Columns » Restaurant Reviews
| RESTAURANT REVIEWS ZEST
Maytime Centre, Kloof The Kloof and Hillcrest areas have burgeoned over the last few years to house some really great restaurants. At the forefront of this revolution has been the Black family who can confess to owning some of the best. Zest is the newest filly in the stable. Situated in Kloof’s Maytime Centre the restaurant is small but I wouldn’t use the word intimate. The décor is very much in the retro style with stripes and circles being dominant influences. Some of the tables offer booths which allow you to just sit back and relax against the brightly coloured cushions. The tables are very close together which makes intimate conversation a near impossibility unless you’re a bit of a voyeur and are happy to let everyone hear your darkest secrets. I also found the lighting a bit harsh – an investment in a good dimmer switch may be a wise choice. Gripes about the interior aside, I was here for the food not for design ideas. The menu changes daily and is made up entirely of ‘specials’. The menu itself takes the shape of a single A4 piece of paper detailing the starters and mains with the desserts etched on a blackboard. The fabulous thing about serving specials is that the produce tends to be at its seasonal best so the food practically sings to you. I opted for the langoustine and cape salmon fishcake as a starter whilst my partner took the grilled calamari. A solitary fish cake cut in half and placed on a bed of rocket greeted me. I wasn’t exactly bowled over by the presentation nor was I too impressed with my first bite which is about the same place that my animosity evaporated because the second bite was food’s equivalent to a Mozart symphony. It was so very delicate yet lost none of its flavour. The spicy red pepper sauce that was dolloped on top added another dimension and depth to the flavour. I only wish that the portion was more substantial so that I could continue my euphoria for a little longer. The calamari was grilled and served warm with a Nam Jim vinaigrette. I can honestly say that I have absolutely no idea what it comprises but it was aromatic and fragrant but had none of the acidity of vinegar-based dressings. The calamari was another star performer so much so that the gentleman seated at the table next to ours ordered a double portion! Other starters include a few salad options, tomato soup (great for winter evenings) and risotto. Mains available on the evening consisted of a good choice of fish dishes. The fish of the day was kingklip and it was served in a variety of imaginative ways. The carnivores were given choices ranging from beef fillet to pork with grilled apples to duck legs. The vegetarians were not met with much choice but this is a specials menu so the meals on offer are a little less varied than a traditional full menu. I ordered fish with a New England chowder sauce. I was presented with a plain white bowl of a steaming, creamy concoction. The fish was expertly seasoned eliminating the blandness often associated with kingklip. The sauce, a gorgeous combination of sweetness and the dulcet flavour of pink prawns and all this on a great big blob of velvety mash. This was a magnificent dish but it’s not ideally suited for someone with a small appetite – it is a more than generous portion. My partner also opted for a fishy choice but this one was served with an olive and herb butter. Olives have a notoriously strong flavour so when teamed with fish the effect can be a little overpowering. The balance here was perfect – the saltiness of the olives exquisitely teamed with herbs providing an intricate plethora of Mediterranean flavours. The pudding selection is bound to break even the staunchest dieter. Strawberry cheesecake, chocolate brownie (seems to have replaced chocolate mousse), bread and butter pudding with mixed fruit soaked in Stroh rum, steamed ginger pudding, chocolate terrine and mom’s choice for the evening – orange scented crème brulee. A daffodil-yellow, buttery soft interior hidden under a thin layer of honey-coloured caramel which shatters under the pressure of a hungry diner. A beige, wafer thin biscotti was on hand to use as an alternate to a spoon thus providing the perfect mixture of crispness and luxurious decadence.
The food was of an impeccable standard but I do have to whinge about a couple of things. By 10pm the restaurant was starting to hit a bit of a lull with many satisfied patrons having left which is about the time that the staff proceeded to clean the silver for the next day. Problem is that it was being done at a table which served as a focal point. A chef coming to have a chat to his ‘subjects’ is great but parking off at a corner table in full view of the patrons still present with other mates from the kitchen is just not really professional. So now that I’ve finished complaining I will be back for the food because it was without a doubt one of the
finer meals I’ve had.
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