Fresh simplicity at the Mount Nelson

If I were given the opportunity to design a restaurant that would meet both high culinary and healthy-eating standards, it would be one where diners could select from the freshest ingredients prepared in the simplest way. Fortunately, diners no longer have to wait for me to do so, as Stephen Templeton, The Mount Nelson Hotel’s executive chef and creator of the updated Oasis restaurant, has beaten me to it.

Existing Oasis customers will remember the plentiful buffet and the gluttons among us will not be disappointed with the quantity at the new Oasis. As before there is a fixed price option (R165) but now there are also lesser priced options for just the cold (R75) or desert buffets (R65).
 

Sun-room

Five of us dined together for the purpose of this review – Baran Kalay, the owner of Mesopotamia was one of the guests and remarked that the beaten-copper trays on the wall inside at the Oasis had been sourced through his restaurant. I lack the design language to accurately describe the interior, but it seems that Graham Viney has captured an exotic Colonial sun-room vibe complete with wicker chairs, palm trees, brass-studded dark woods and a black paisley wallpaper. The bar – resplendent with black barber-pole stripes and a recipe for Pimms No 1 painted on the canopy, acts as a conduit between the inside and outdoor spaces.
 

Distinguished by choice and quality

At the cold buffet select from more than 48 single ingredients that include a selection of delicious baby vegetables such as I’ve not tasted before – butternut, squash, parsnips, gem squash, vine tomatoes, asparagus and broccoli-shoots mostly lightly grilled or roasted. I like the assemble-at-will Caesar salad too and tappenades and dips that conjure images of deliciously sweaty Mediterranean beach bodies.

I’d associated the Nellie’s guests with those lobster-coloured English folk who visit the Colonies for the summer, wearing mosquito nets over their pith helmets. Regrettably, other than the Vodacom Lifesavers keeping guard over the pool, the only eye candy was next to the koeksusters on the buffet. It did seem as if the vast majority of guests were trendy young couples with children and not a zimmer-frame in sight.

The hot selection is where the Oasis distinguishes itself from others. A selection of flesh – duck, Springbok, sirloin, kassler ribs and seafood: prawns, tuna steaks, salmon, calamari, soles and mussels are prepared as you wait and served with a selection of sauces. I loved eating chorizo sausage with my prawns and calamari and then having a piece of salmon with my Springbok. The prawns on the Saturday were among the best I’d ever tasted.

I like the dessert concept too – big robust offerings like Lemon Meringue cake (I found the pastry too hard to cut) fabulous koeksusters and a berry–mascarpone trifle that is the Oasis’s signature sweet.

As much as I like the cuisine concept, I found that conversation was punctured as people left the table for refilling – especially if waiting for hot food which sometimes meant people were away from the table for 10-minutes at a time.
 

Motherly affection

I’ve been critical of service at the Cape Colony, The Nellie’s other restaurant in the past but now think that the much maligned Haley must have been a casual staffer rather than a dedicated team member.

I have observed the vast difference between staffers – there are stalwarts like Margaret who are older and bring a motherly affection to service while slick newcomers like Brad are jaunty. Between those excellent poles you might have to be satisfied with potluck. I found the cooking vapours a little smoky when sitting inside and the muzak annoying. Rather sit outside. The Oasis is, after all, a pool-side eatery and the restful view over the pool and gardens in the middle of a city is much more an oasis than palm trees and wicker chairs ever will be.

Lunch from 12.30-3pm and dinner (until March) from 6.30-10pm.
The Oasis, Mount Nelson Hotel, Gardens. 021-483-1000.