jardine restaurant
* * * * *
Pushing culinary boundaries; tantalising taste buds
Andringa Street, Stellenbosch
Tel: 021 886 5020
e-mail info@restaurantjardine.co.za
www.restaurantjardine.co.za
GPS: 33° 56’ S / 18° 51’ E
For her final review in the series Jos Baker visits George Jardine’s quaint new restaurant, which offers low prices, stunning presentation and friendly service.
THE essence of George Jardine’s cooking distilled on a plate. That’s what you’ll find at his newly opened restaurant in the heart of Stellies. For George’s fans (and who isn’t?) it’s an absolute must.
Tucked away in Andringa Street, on the corner of Dorp Street, the quaint premises have taken kindly to their soothing new look: tones of white and grey, with floors of polished wood or rough bricks. George has had his eye on the spot for six years, and snapped it up as soon as it came on the market. His instinct was unerring. It exactly suits his pared-down, simple menus.
Billed as a fine-dining venue, the only visible fine-dining touches are the white table cloths – and of course the seasonally inspired, assured food with its characteristic George touches. But neither the unbelievably low prices nor the ambience suggest top-end dining.
The mood is relaxed, casual and as appealing to students as connoisseurs. Service is smiling and well-trained, but never intrusive, and the lunch menu (tweaked daily) consists of just three dishes plus a salad, with two alluring desserts. For those who remember the original Jardine’s above Jason’s in Bree Street, both food and mood are reminiscent of that popular venue.
George will not be neglecting Jardine’s which will remain in the capable, creative hands of head chef Kyle Burn and restaurant manager Janine Hoggins, but will divide his time between the two venues. Sous chef Brendan Thorncroft and head waiter Dennis Mncube will head up Jordan’s Restaurant, with George’s wife Louise charming front-of house. We lunched on a day George was at Jardines, and the saying that a true chef can leave his restaurant to his back-up team was amply proven by the standard of food and service. As Louise says proudly of her husband, “he’s a good staff trainer”.
While dinner offers more complexity, the lunch menu, though limited in choice, is stunning in execution, presentation and taste. And portions are more than enough for lunch – plus a St Bernard-sized take-home tidbit.
Hot rolls, straight from the oven, with addictive aioli titillated the palate for the delights to come, while the simple salad offset the crunch of fresh endive leaves with a delicate, creamy gorgonzola sauce. And as we couldn’t decide what to order, we opted for an overview, sampling the whole roasted carrot – which neither of us could picture – and each choosing another course to share. Most original was the aromatic carrot, with parsley gnocci, hazel nut butter, carrot cake purée and taleggio cheese – a colourful taste triumph , the touch of sweetness from the hazelnut melding with the carrot and making the dish.
For her follow-up main, my Cordon Bleu friend chose the aged chalmar sirloin, celeriac purée, with wilted kale, mustard dressing and veal sweetbreads, which proved a surprisingly light dish and as expected, perfectly cooked. My baked line-caught silverfish, a fish unknown to me, was a happy choice: a delicious flavour mix of compatible ingredients, combining a soft gruyere crust, creamed spinach, crunchy broad beans, confit garlic and pommes dauphine.
The dessert options could have been designed for us: my friend (a panna cotta fan) fell upon the coconut milk panna cotta with aromatic sago and air-dried and fresh summer fruits, professing it all – and more – it should be, while I feasted on a sliver of valrhona chocolate terrine with summer strawberries, white chocolate mousse, and vanilla-pod ice-cream.
The winelist is well-chosen, with a mix of interesting and predictable labels, but I’d have liked a larger selection of wine by the glass.