I love all things seafood. There’s just one problem: my husband is allergic to shellfish.
If I’m in the mood for prawns or mussels, I don’t have the luxury of cooking up a quick dish at home.
So when I was invited to review the latest addition to the Kove Collection, I literally jumped at the opportunity.
Situated in the bustling V&A Waterfront, Firefish is the new kid on the block. Open for less than two months, the eatery was enjoying a fairly busy dinner service when we were seated at our table.
Billing itself as a “sophisticated harbour-side eatery”, the restaurant is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the tourist season.
The rest is up to management and staff to ensure a memorable experience.
The modern contemporary decor maximises the natural light, making the seating area appear large and roomy.
We were seated in the outside area while the sun was setting behind Table Mountain and were gifted with majestic views of the harbour - now that’s a marketing move no money can buy.
The menu is simple and unpretentious, which I like. One of my pet peeves is visiting a restaurant and not knowing how to pronounce half the dishes listed.
Firefish’s biggest selling point is most probably its menu - a seafood restaurant by design, which also caters for herbivores and meat eaters.
The rainbow trout is served with charred baby leeks and Yuzu Hollandaise.
The clever layout is one I’ve never seen before, with each item listed according to For The Love Of Animals (vegetation), From The Ocean (seafood), From The Land (meat) and Happy Endings (dessert).
There’s also a separate menu for sharing dishes, which I see is the trendy thing many eateries are latching on to.
For starters we tried the Little Bao’s (mini sliders) with fried chicken, spicy aioli and pickled cucumber; and the vegetable dim sum, from the sharing menu.
The outdoor seating area comes alive as the sun sets.
The chicken was crispy on the outside with a tender inside, a simple feat that sometimes even the best of chefs get wrong.
I’m not a fan of dim sum but it did not disappoint. For my mains I chose the grilled tiger prawns served with a side of crispy miso fries.
Hubby opted for the rainbow trout with an accompaniment of charred baby leeks and Yuzu Hollandaise.
The prawns were grilled to perfection and smacked of the ocean. Hubby managed to wolf down his trout in record time and assured me that it was one of the best fish dishes he’s had in a while. I’ll take his word, as he refused to share.
Dessert was chocolate macaron pie - strawberries, raspberry cream and strawberry coulis - between two layers of delectable chocolate-covered macarons.
Prices for mains can be a bit steep because Firefish is in the middle of a tourist enclave, but don’t let this deter you from eating there just once.
If you want more bang for your buck, try the sushi platters and sharing dishes.
Visit www.firefishrestaurant.co.za to make a reservation