It's not a diet, but a lifestyle in which you eat in a certain way. But the menu left the writer unshaken, unstirred and turning to a fan for feedback
NO stars this week.
Why? Because I'd be accused of bias. I don't bant and on the strength of this experience, won't. But then, I don't need to. So to be fair, I found a happy diner who was celebrating her birthday, plus the loss of over 70kg. And looking round, the restaurant - based on the widely publicised, controversial Tim Noakes diet - was packed with slim people, bent on healthy eating.
I follow a simpler food philosophy: eat less. Spending much time in France, I adopted the Frenchwoman's attitude to eating, delightfully explained in the best-selling book Why French Women Don't Get Fat, by Mireille Guiliano.
The basic rule is to enjoy meals, slowly, with wine, and not to deny yourself treats. It's a matter of moderation and cultivating taste: to relish one square of chocolate, rather than a bar. No snacking. Making eating a fresh, seasonal pleasure to be savoured, rather than a mindless rush that can result in unwanted kilos. As Guiliano points out, the first three bites will tell you all you need to know about a dish; the rest is just filling up - advice that helped me as a critic, particularly in the days of 14-course tasting menus.
Prof Noakes's high-profile eating plan, oversetting previous dietary rules, seems to have caused a similar stir in 1861, when William Banting, undertaker to the royal family, battled obesity. He and his doctor came up with the idea of a low carb/high fat diet. Meticulously recording his food intake and weight, Banting published a pamphlet called The Letter on Corpulence, so popular that it was reprinted three times.
"To bant" made it into the 1863 Oxford dictionary, marking the food revolution of its day.
The 21st century revolutionaries who opened The Banting Kitchen - a consortium led by Lindsey Hughes - aim for a chain around SA, even world-wide. "We believe in going back to basics and what is good for one's body," explains Lesley. "This is not a diet, where you need to deny yourself or go hungry. This is a lifestyle where you eat in a certain way."
She has found Banting helps control the blood sugar levels of her two diabetic sons.
While steak is on the menu and helpful, well-trained staff will go out of their way to accommodate non-Banting requests, I was determined to sample the specialities. Best-selling wild mushroom caulisotto (cauliflower risotto) left my tastebuds unmoved. Though the accompanying home-made tomato jam was delicious, the crustless, under-seasoned baby marrow quiche, served cold, was a pale substitute, and the home-cured salmon was ruined by oversalting. If you can't stomach the Banting high fat, avoid the oxtail stew.
So back to my happy birthday banter, given a new lease of life by a controversial eating pattern. She and her guests - revelling in dishes you'd find on most bistro menus, but LFHC - loved the calamari; found the oriental spiced cream cheese chicken supreme succulent; and seemed set on ending on a sweet, wine-poached pear with lemon curd mascarpone.
l Basic winelist with limited, overpriced wine by the glass. Starters from R57; mains from R95; steaks 200g from R145, 300g from R155; desserts from