Timeless elegance
Craig Cormack
When you take the expertise of legendary wine maker Kevin Arnold, the timeless elegance of the Waterford Estate in Stellenbosch, and the fabulous cooking skills of Craig Cormack, what do you get? You get SALT the new eating experience at Waterford, which the cognoscenti are finding out about as we speak. The drums are beating and the other day when I was there I discovered a few socialites from the area who are already experiencing the delights of this new restaurant. When the weather is good, dining tales place in the iconic courtyard and otherwise in the cosy, elegant comfort of the interior adjacent to the Tasting Room.
Lamb shank
Crispy pork belly salad
Craig and his cooking partner Beau Du Toit produce the most delicious dishes which are continually evolving as the seasons do, featuring some interesting vegan options like Black Sesame crusted tofu, with confit fennel, tarragon and lime, a taste and texture sensation. Then there is a braised Hantam lamb shank with lamb bacon, fermented clementine, harissa dressing, minted labneh and lentil stew—heaven, and a crispy pork belly salad with pork cured, dried and fried. This is served with pepino melon, Japanese mayo, radish and mebos chutney which takes the dish to whole new level. The dessert we had was the Pear Tart Aux Fin, with almond and black pepper dacquoise, Amaretto and pear puree with red alaea—a type of Hawaiian salt–and Black Pepper ice cream which was sensational. I could have eaten another one like the Belgian tourist who immediately ordered two more and ate them right there. The dishes are beautifully plated and smell irresistible but are not so precious you dare not eat them–on the contrary. Of course, the superb Waterford wines are served with each course beautifully paired. If you are not up for lunch then try the fabulous High Tea experience or the Salt and Wine Tasting—check their website for details. So get there and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.
www. waterfordestate.co.za
Phone 021 880 5300