Meloncino and Cape Colony from www.48hours.co.za
PEOPLE talk about great Italian restaurants like La Perla in its heyday and Magica Roma, but it wasn’t until 95 Keerom opened with its Milanese offering that regional cuisine came into its own.
With the opening of Meloncino in the Victoria Wharf at the V&A Waterfront (where the Sports Café was previously) diners have an opportunity to explore Romanesque dining - one of the most ancient and yet contemporary cuisines.
We shared two mixed starter platters with the most exciting and delicious on the Antipasti Misti being tortino di zucchini, a soft round of baby marrow. The snail-shell spiral shaped rotollo di mozzarella and salmone marinato with a yielding bite and tronchetto melanzana (baked eggplant) are all delicious. The four portions are sufficient as a starter to share.
The mixed platter of cheese and meats was more pedestrian but when eaten with Focaccia Bianca con Rosmarino (pizza with rosemary) could have been a meal of its own.
Prosciutto cones filled with ice cream of Parmesan and Mascarpone cheeses which takes its a cue from sushi hand rolls scores an A+.
In keeping with the Roman feasting tradition, we ordered a pasta before our main courses. Many years ago I was taught to make Carbonara by a great Venetian cook with egg yolk, cream, black pepper and parmesan cheese.
Meloncino, however, prepares it with bacon, egg, black pepper and a Pecorino sauce that gives it an intensely rich flavour. As I’d enjoyed the Saltimbocca alla Romana (sliced veal with Parma ham in a sage, white wine and black pepper sauce on previous visit), JP ordered it.
My Tagliata di Manzo alla Righetto is a subterfuge of a dish as it has the innocence of a simple rocket salad bejewelled by cherry tomatoes and crowned by slices of parmesan until you probe deeply to reveal slices of warm, perfectly grilled sirloin. We barely managed to share the melon sorbet to end.
The Protoulis Family own the excellent City Grill and Greek Fisherman restaurants also at the Waterfront and are in partnership at Meloncino with the Carrara’s who own Piatta Ricco and Righetto al grappolo d’oro in Rome.
Alberto di Grisostomo is your wonderful host. Providing you’re not keeping an eye on the budget, allow him to order for you.
www.meloncino.co.za
021-419-5558.
Ian Mancais, The Mount Nelson Hotel’s executive chef shared more than his culinary skills at a media chef’s table in his kitchen recently. His pedigree is well known having launched major hotel projects across the globe.
What is less well known is that the reason he moved abroad so frequently while growing up was that his father worked for the British Secret Service.
This new intrigue, and an impressive collection of tattoos he was coaxed to reveal, makes him even more likeable.
The champion dish is Vietnamese lacquered rack of karoo lamb. I asked for second portion as if begging for the last puff of a heroin pipe. The delicate aniseed lifts the lamb’s own herbaceous flavours and the accompanying braised daikon (radish) and bok choi makes the dish a wonderful East meets West experience.
As a starter we were served a smoked salmon consommé in a Martini Glass with slices of smoked salmon at its base and a few slices of spring onion that looked like seaweed floating in a fragrant sea when looked at from above.
The accompanying lollypop - a crisply fried mouthful of salmon added another texture layer to the experience.
A wild mushroom risotto (with heady truffle scents) created a yearning only eventually placated by the lamb.
King scallops with carrot puree was the only dish that didn’t wow. Although I enjoyed the firm marshmallow texture of the scallops and the spicy carrot and cumin notes, I would rather have saved myself for a third helping of the lamb.
The wine selection, especially the luminous FMC 06 Chenin by Forrester/Meinert wrapped the entire evening in a delicious fug of culinary addiction.
The Cape Colony. 021-483-1737.
[24-Oct-08]
Brian Berkman
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