JANIS KINNEAR
Staff Reporter
MASALA steak may not be everyone’s first choice as a breakfast food, but it was part of the meal that Proteas star JP Duminy started his day with this morning.
Duminy was among a group of six “experts” tucking into one of Cape Town’s most iconic creations: the famous gatsby, variations of which are available at restaurants and cafes around the city.
Nineteen gatsbys were delivered to the Kfm studios this morning, and the judges, selected by the station’s breakfast show host Ryan O’Connor, got down to business, sinking their teeth into the sandwiches, which were piled high with various combinations.
The gatsbys were supplied by Bona, Cosy Corner, Golden Dish, Aneesa’s and The Farm Stall, and the taste test was conducted on air at the station’s Green Point studios.
Cape Argus executive editor Gasant Abarder tested his culinary mettle alongside Duminy, and said this morning that, before 9am, he had eaten eggs, cheese, chicken, steak, lettuce and tomato, among other tasty ingredients.
The other judges were Finance, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Alan Winde, comedian Kurt Schoonraad, Ryan Purcell – an American who had never eaten a gatsby – and Dr Darren Green, a city surgeon who was also on hand to ensure nobody suffered a “gatsby overdose”.
Purcell, a “gatsby virgin” from Michigan, said the sight of the mammoth meals terrified him.
Green said he hoped the feast would not come back to haunt the judges tomorrow.
Duminy said that as a sportsman he was well-placed to advise the other judges that they were about to embark on a “proper carbo-loading” session.
The gatsbys were judged on presentation, texture and taste.
O’Connor said he had initiated the search for Cape Town’s best gatsby because he believed the food was part of the city’s heritage.
Winde agreed, saying the gatsby was a vital part of the tourism industry.
So, after a solid hour of nibbling, chewing – and, in the case of some judges, getting so stuck into one gatsby that there was none left for the others – it was time for the verdict: where can Capetonians go to find the city’s best gatsby?
There was no winner because, the judges declared, any gatsby is great.