The change of season often inspires a menu that aligns with it.
As such, Sandton Sun recently invited a group of media and influencers to sample its new winter offerings at its San Deck Restaurant, which is celebrated for its panoramic views of Africa’s Richest Square Mile.
With the sun offering a reprieve from the cold, we were treated to a sumptuous feast of everything, which was paired with a selection of wines, starting with Stained Glass Rose by Ken Forrester on arrival.
While I’m no wine connoisseur, it was interesting to learn that the bubbly wine was made through the méthode ancestrale or ancestral method.
In layman's terms, it means that no sugar or yeast is added in the fermentation process. It’s completely organic.
Now for the food, which was served in sample-sized portions, so we didn’t need to be rolled to our cars. For starters, we were served the grilled chicken chowder soup and a plum tomato bruschetta.
The soup was comforting and the lemongrass, celery and leeks added a lightness to it.
The bruschetta, which comes with heirloom tomatoes, garlic butter, basil bocconcini and a poached egg, I would recommend to anyone looking for a yummy breakfast option. It has a delicious tanginess to it.
The mains included a potato and butternut gnocchi, served in a neapolitana sauce; a seabass with lime spaghetti, saffron veloute, oven-blushed tomato and olives; grilled sole with mussels, beurre blanc, warm potato, cauliflower and caper salad; and, a grilled salmon with pea risotto, bok choi, apple fennel and a lemon butter sauce.
The other two dishes were the rich wine braised oxtail, on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, and the chalmar beef rib-eye. The meals were paired with Swartberg Wingerde Holism Piekenierskloof Palomino wine.
For me, the standout dishes were the grilled salmon, the seabass and the oxtail. It was prepared to perfection and the flavour profiles of the dishes seduced the taste buds.
If I could have one of the dishes again, it would be that oxtail. It’s the ultimate comfort meal. With time getting away from me and deadlines beckoning, I had to take my desserts in a doggy bag.
But I did have a quick sip of the De Krans Cape Vintage dessert wine that it was paired with, first.
They were sticky toffee pudding, a raspberry and mango panacotta and chocolate marquise. The pudding was served with a vanilla poached pear and ice cream.
The panacotta was on the fruitier side. And, living up to its name, the chocolate marquise was a decadent dessert served with a bitter orange jelly to cut the sweetness.
If you have a sweet tooth, any of the desserts would be a treat, depending on what flavours your palate was craving.
Overall, the menu tasting was a gastronomic feast. It helped have the experts on hand to unpack the menu as well as the choice of wine for it.
Chef Shimmy said: “Revamping these menus has been a passion project for our team. We’ve curated dishes that not only taste fantastic but also look stunning and are perfectly paired with exceptional wines.
“We can’t wait for our guests to savour these new offerings.”