Terri Dunbar-Curran
THIS winter at Steenberg’s Bistro Sixteen82 you don’t have to fret about whether the courses you choose will all work with the bottle of wine you’ve ordered for the table.
Not only has executive chef Brad Ball re-worked his menu, but he’s also suggested a wine to complement each of the dishes, by the glass. So you can happily enjoy a glass of Steenberg Semillon with your sweetcorn velouté, followed by the Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc with a dish of smoked trout tartine and something different to wash down your dessert.
Ball’s new menu is far more concise, allowing him to focus on specific dishes, while also having the freedom to change it depending on what is available on any given day.
“I always said I became a chef to cook the kind of food I like to cook,” he says. “This menu is based on bistro and brasserie dishes, but zhoozhed up. People struggle to put us into a category and I’m happy with that.” If pressed, however, he describes his style as contemporary bistro.
His new approach to the menu means that he gets to focus on more than just the food. When dreaming up a new dish he often starts with a wine. “I cook around the wine, I come up with a dish that goes with it, because Steenberg wines work for me.”
So diners can rest assured that the dish was made specifically with the wine in mind. “It’s about the full experience. I don’t want people to walk away thinking they could have done it themselves.”
The pared-down menu offers just a handful of starters, mains and desserts, but with plenty of variety. I opted to start with the creamy mushroom risotto with shimeji, a sprinkling of crispy puffed rice, porcini and shoots. Although after the first forkful I instantly regretted not having ordered the larger portion. This winter is definitely going to feature an abundance of risotto. The Steenberg Nebbiolo was not only the perfect partner to the moreish starter, but my favourite offering from the wine farm, so I was all smiles.
Resisting the urge to order another portion of risotto, I opted for the roast fillet, braised rib, crushed peas, garlic cream and veal jus as my main. It comes paired with the Steenberg Catharina, but as it was lunchtime I sipped my Nebbiolo slowly. The rich meaty flavours were ideal on the decidedly wintery afternoon.
After two decadent courses I decided I might as well go for a full house, and ordered the devilish blonde chocolate tart with cinnamon ice-cream and dulce de leche. It was a sticky, sweet treat with the consistency of very soft toffee. And even when the sweetness threatened to overwhelm me, I pressed on; to send any back would have been unthinkable.
Another feature is the exciting tapas menu. While the traditional Spanish dishes have proved popular, Ball has branched out with a different theme for each month. May was Italian, June features tapas from Turkey and diners can look out for Scandinavia, Asia and Mexico in the near future. He’s even had requests for a month dedicated to South African-themed tapas.
Ball’s plan to give greater attention to fewer dishes is going to pay off as his team work on creating culinary masterpieces.
l Bistro Sixteen82 will be closed for its annual break from July 1 to 24. For more information, call 021 713 2211.