Around the World in 80 Dinners - Bill Jamison [109]
Our table provides a view through an open door of Camil and his bustling small staff at work in the kitchen, equipped with an old wood-burning stove that was one of the main attractions for the couple when they purchased the grand house, built as a missionary’s residence in 1888. They installed a modern exhaust system above the stove, but altered nothing else, using its oven, grill, and burners of different heat levels for all the cooking. The choreography of the constant movement delights us, as Camil and his assistants juggle gumwood logs, pots, pans, and even a wok that goes over the hottest burner.
The set dinner consists of five courses, with options in a couple of cases, including two starter choices, one for each of us. The sashimi comes with wasabi mayonnaise and a scattering of ginger, and the salad of baby greens features crispy duck confit shreds, roasted pine nuts, and a fig wonton. Neither sounds novel for a contemporary menu, but the caliber of the ingredients and the care taken with them bring the dishes to their full potential.
Next up is the pasta of the day, a remarkable gnocchi, better flavored and lighter than any we’ve enjoyed in Italy or elsewhere. It’s accompanied by roasted yellow tomatoes and a few Lilliputian mushrooms. The main course offers a selection between two fresh local fish, a panga in the snapper family with a Szechuan peppercorn sauce and a butterfish with curried basmati rice, melting baby leeks, and a sweet chile sauce. As usual in these situations, we get one each and share tastes. They contrast with each other smartly, with the butterfish living up to its name in richness and the panga hinting of citrus.
The cheese course continues the counterpoint theme, providing tastes of three different styles, an aged crottin chèvre melted over a baby brioche, a hearty blue, and a semisoft Tomme with applesauce. Ingrid suggests a break before our marzipan tart dessert, encouraging everyone to take a brief stroll through the garden, where tiny frogs are making a big racket. On our return to the table, Chef Camil excuses himself for the evening, explaining he has neighborhood security duty tonight. With a wine pairing for each course, including a private bottling in one case, the cost of the dinner for two is about U.S.$125. In New York or Paris, for similar food quality and intimate atmosphere with limited seating, the bill would soar above $500.
The next morning—after a tasty breakfast at La Petite Ferme of farm-fresh eggs, smoked trout, ripe fruit, and warm-from-the-oven breads and pastries—we take off in our rental car to visit wineries around Stellenbosch. The first stop is Thelema Mountain Vineyards, where the matriarch of the estate, the witty Edna “Ed” McLean, welcomes us and pours tastes. She and her husband became partners in the business with the winemaker, Gyles Webb, after he married their daughter Barbara, an accomplished triathlete who now handles the marketing end of the trade. Mrs. McLean is particularly proud of Webb’s two Sauvignon Blancs, which she offers us along with samples of Riesling, Merlot, a vigorous Cabernet, and a beautifully balanced Muscat. Cheryl buys a bottle of the signature Sutherland Sauvignon Blanc for afternoon sipping.
Rustenberg Wines takes some effort to find and requires signing in at a gated residential area, but the historic farm, dating back to 1682, makes everything worthwhile. Lush pastures of rye and clover greet you at the entrance, providing sustenance to a herd of pampered Jersey heifers who the Rustenberg publicist calls “long-lashed ladies of impeccable pedigree.” The cows graze across from and around the tasting room, the masterfully renovated former stables. Two servers barely beyond adolescence, Cindy Attwell and Florie Rossouw, attend us, pouring partial glasses of several whites before suggesting we try a newly bottled Cabernet Sauvignon. When Cindy asks us