Roberta Thatcher enjoyed a birthday party with a difference at Chef Marthinus Ferreira’s dw-eleven-13 restaurant in Johannesburg recently where he prepared seven different courses for his seven-year-old eatery. Humble and chefs are two words that aren't usually thrown around together, but chatting to Marthinus Ferreira of dw eleven-13 I am struck by his affable, almost shy, manner.Considering his restaurant has been among South Africa's top 10 four times in its seven-year history, there's a lot he could be arrogant about. But listening to him speak about his dishes, it's clear this man is in the game purely for a love of food and a passion for his craft.The occasion is the celebration of the restaurant's seventh birthday and Ferreira has prepared a novel concept of a seven-course tasting menu featuring his seven favourite dishes from over the years.block_quotes_start I've been a chef for 18 years, and all my life I have thought and dreamt about food block_quotes_endThis is a serious treat - not only because we get to enjoy what are among seven of the top dishes in the country, but also because we have the luxury of the chef talking us through each one, why it was selected and what stories and memories it holds.The defining character of dw's menu is that it is constantly evolving, and Ferreira is glad that South African audiences are too. "The food world is completely different now to when we first opened," he says."The food bubble has finally exploded. When I first opened, guests would walk in and expect oysters, burgers, pizzas. Now they're much more trusting and understand that they're here to taste something new."mini_story_image_hleft1The first dish on our tasting menu happened to be the first on dw's menu too. Ferreira devised the curry-cured salmon with pickled apple and cucumber.In fact, it was while he was working at Heston Blumenthal's Riverside Brasserie in London. Blumenthal was so impressed with the young chef's combination of flavours that he added the dish to his menu.It is in this dish that the first hint of Ferreira's signature style emerges - there is a constant play between texture and temperature, a balance between sweet and savoury and, of course, a masterful ability to turn his ingredients into visual artworks. This is smart food, subtle but bursting with flavour.The journey continues with dishes from across the years, a highlight being the polenta with cauliflower espuma, sultanas, pine nuts, kale and brown butter. "It's the best dish on the menu at the moment," says Ferreira. "It's the only dish that's been on for more than a year," he adds, confirming the constant thought and evolution that goes into his restaurant."I cook food that I like to eat myself," says Ferreira, reflecting on the menu. "I've been a chef for 18 years, and all my life I have thought and dreamt about food."..