La Petite Colombe is turning up the heat this season with a hot new winter lunch menu.
A visit to this fine-dining restaurant in the beautiful town of Franschhoek is worth the one hour drive from Cape Town.
Not to be confused with the award-winning La Colombe at Silvermist in Constantia (although from the same restaurant group), this culinary gem is every bit as exquisite and elegant.
The decor is simple, elegant and effortless, allowing the food to take centre stage.
The winter lunch menu is a weekday four-course offering (except public holidays) and is a great occasion for client meetings or a casual lunch date with friends.
The menu has a wine pairing option where each dish is paired with a specially selected wine.
The first course is a thin layer yellow fin tuna topped with colourful splashes of pureed aubergine, miso, kalamansi and avocado.
The second course is a choice between an Asian glazed pork belly and a springbok tataki.
The pork dish comes with Mozambican prawns, sweet potato, smoked garlic, bisque and umami custard. It’s topped with pork crackling to add texture to a dish with great flavour.
As part of the dining experience, guests get to meet the chef and watch as he prepares a dish at the chef’s table. You also get a peek into the kitchens and watch the kitchen staff in action.
The third course is a choice between pan-seared line fish, cauliflower risotto, cauliflower fondant, smoked mussels, velouté, herb pure and crispy squid, or the second option of chalmar beef fillet with beef brisket, pickled carrot, caponata and porcini café au lait.
I enjoyed the line fish and cauliflower risotto very much.
Dessert is a difficult choice between Foxenburg’s goat’s cheese with poached figs, brioche, burnt thyme, lemon and hazelnut or Valrhona itakuja crémeux, pineapple, mango, macadamia, passion fruit and lemongrass.
I preferred the Foxenburg’s goat’s cheese as a winter dessert, although both were absolutely amazing.
The winter special costs R395 per person and R795 with a wine pairing and valid until 3 August 3.
For reservations contact +27 21 202-3395 or [email protected].