The 12 Apostles Hotel in Cape Town is launching their own sushi menu. Sushi by 12A is the brainchild of Chef Sarawut, who makes his own unique Dashi, with kelp foraged from the Atlantic Ocean right below the hotel.
Spicy tuna at Sushi At 12A.
Every seaweed has its own flavour and character profile that makes it unique and once dried, it releases nutrients and intensifies in flavour (Kombu). Dashi is the base for many of Chef’s sauces and glazes.
Sushi fish taco at Sushi At 12A.
“Using produce that is both local, as well as sustainable is key to our menu choices at The Twelve Apostles,” says Executive Chef Christo Pretorius, a SASSI ambassador. “All our fish is sustainably sourced and SASSI /ocean-friendly. Our Oysters (a twist on the Japanese version) and Sea Trout come from Saldanha Bay and the cold-caught Yellowfin Tuna from the Cape Atlantic area. The freshwater Trout is sourced from Fizantakraal in the Du Toitskloof Mountains.”
Sushi roll at Sushi At 12A.
Chef Sarawut shares insight into tips on the right etiquette when eating sushi:
- DO NOT put wasabi directly into your soy sauce - the sushi chef has already placed the proper amount of wasabi for the fish in the nigiri.
- DO dip your nigiri into soy sauce fish-side down - otherwise, the rice may fall apart.
- DO enjoy the pickled ginger as a palate cleanser - eat it between different kinds of nigiri.
- Don’t eat the ginger in the same bite as the nigiri.
- DON’T rub your chopsticks together - It’s considered an insult, suggesting the quality of the chopsticks is poor.
- DO ask for a new pair of chopsticks if you see a splinter in the wood.
- Placing your chopsticks across your bowl during a meal tells the chef (and everyone around you) that you no longer want your dish. If you haven't finished eating, then this can be rude. It's also good manners to keep your chopsticks straight instead of having them cross while they're resting.
- DON’T douse the sushi in soy sauce. It overpowers the flavour of the fish. Make sure you are just dipping, rather than soaking the fish. Also, people often make the mistake of adding too much wasabi to their soy sauce and it becomes a paste. To avoid this, put a little wasabi directly on the sushi, then dipping it in the soy sauce
- DO eat with your fingers. Chopsticks are okay, but you have to be careful with how you use them. You’re not going to appreciate the temperature or the texture if you don’t use your hands.
Sushi By 12A is served daily in the Café Grill restaurant, from 1 November 2018; 12h00 to 21h00.
For more information and to make a booking, contact [email protected]