PLAGUED by dim memories of inedible food and snail-paced service, I decided to check what our recently revamped tourist mecca offers visitors – and prepared to make allowances for the challenges inherent in catering for a volume market.
Picture being faced with 1 000 hungry customers over four and a half hours. It’s a mind-boggling, intimidating scenario, but it’s all in a day’s work for executive chef Adrian Schreuder.
While the recent R3 million refurbishment has transformed the 16-year-old venue into a stylish, inviting space, geared to make the most of the view, management’s answer has been just as creative. Sophisticated software has been installed, including digital displays that replace cumbersome dockets, allowing orders to be checked for time and delivery. Just nine minutes a table is standard, perhaps stretching to a maximum of 19 in high season.
Unquestionably, the Two Oceans Restaurant deserves an A for effort and kitchen control. It cares. Service is welcoming and informed, the food fresh, tasty and consistent. If you’re after a succulent langoustine, opt for the speciality platter. Chefs less pressured should take note: I’ve seldom been offered such a perfectly cooked crustacean.
Formerly executive sous chef at the Table Bay – “where 60 covers at dinner was pushing it” – Schreuder has taken to his new environment like a marine species to the sea. He describes the challenge as “brilliant” and says he’s happy to be losing weight. At this rate, he’ll soon be ordering smaller uniforms.
He faces not only the problem of producing appetisingly plated dishes for the tourist hordes on demand (the menu is à la carte), but, given the scarcity of fresh fish, of sourcing enough sustainable varieties to ring the changes.
Right now, menu options are sea-fresh, and range from saffron and tomato soup bursting with Cape seafood, through trad fish and chips, to Cape Point paella and platters.
Schroeder is punting fresh oysters. Thinking in terms of picked fish and snoek, he reminisces about his grandmother’s recipe for snoek topped with crumbed buttermilk rusks. He’s also experimenting with fynbos, playing with possibilities while bearing in mind the pre-prepping necessary to meet serving deadlines.
The sushi bar is already a popular attraction.
Fifth-generation sushi chef Sarawut Sukkowplang deftly showcases his skills in slicing. dicing and rolling every possible sushi combination – including one with condensed milk.
When we lunched, there was no sense of rush or pressure to eat or go. The friendly staff encourage a relaxed, view-rich experience.
Families are welcome, and children can feast on treats like hot dogs and calamari. Tell them the ceiling represents the rib cage of a whale and they can play at being Jonah.
Set high on the cliffs above the south-westerly tip of the Cape Peninsula, the restaurant overlooks the panorama of False Bay, framed by steep cliffs stretching to the ocean. The view is spectacular – and free, though you pay an entrance fee at the Table Mountain Point National Park gate.
l The average price for a meal is R150.