Restaurant Review: On Earth, as it is in heaven

24 June 2015 - 02:07 By Daisy Jones

Not only is Kobus van der Merwe one of South Africa's most progressive and interesting chefs, he cooks like an angel. The simplest things - a single warm oyster or a poached pear - are cooked to heavenly perfection. And Van der Merwe invents new combinations, often using ingredients we've never tasted before.Van der Merwe is famous for his foraging. He limits himself to the Saldanha Strandveld area of the West Coast, collecting coastal plants and shellfish.Anyone, theoretically, could tramp around the Strandveld plucking sprigs of fynbos from bushes and indigenous molluscs from the shallows. But how many chefs have the skill and inspiration - the artistry, really - to turn such ingredients into gourmet dishes? Van der Merwe does.A single plump Saldanha oyster is lightly roasted with a touch of home-made farm butter. The oyster is so sweet and tender it can't have been out of the water more than a few hours. On top, a square of sea lettuce adds cool salt and more-ish umami; a single dune spinach leaf is ever-so-slightly fat and sticky - a cool and refreshing contrast to the warm, sweet richness of the oyster - and a single, just-picked gooseberry spikes the dish with sweet acid.For the second course, Van der Merwe adds thin strips of oven-dried "klipkombers" (similar to Japanese nori seaweed) to black mussels in a wine and cream sauce. A shard of the crackly seaweed is placed atop the dish as garnish.The fast-cooked mussels are plump with sealed-in sweetness, the cream and wine are luxurious and sophisticated. But instead of fresh French or Mediterranean herbs, the reconstituted seaweed adds seawater salt and deep green flavour. The crisp garnish offsets the silky textures of the dish.The springbok course is familiar and exotic: thin slices of deep red meat with grassy !nara shoots, creamy olive oil and dried sprinkles of snoek roe. The dehydrated roe acts like Parmesan in this dish. Together, the roe, game, oil and greens mirror an Italian carpaccio.Van der Merwe's dessert doesn't disappoint: half a pear poached with Strandveld fynbos vermouth (made on the premises), served alongside buchu ice cream. There are citrusy flavours - orange oil in the vermouth; grated lemon zest on the ice cream - to contrast with the rich cream and earthy buchu in the ice cream. I loved the wooden bowl. How better to underline pudding comfort than with a bowl that won't be scraped or clinked? The ice cream was topped with three-leaf clovers.I don't think Van der Merwe would be as good a chef if he wasn't so inspired by his process. He engages with the landscape, then sets himself the challenge of creating a gourmet dish with humble ingredients. To persuade us of his vision, every element must shine. Every element does shine, but the whole is even brighter.Save the dateWhat to eatHave the five-course tasting menu for Saturday or Sunday lunch. Expect West Coast fish and shellfish, local game and foraged plants prepared by a truly remarkable chef of the region. Alternatively, book for the breakfast experience.When to goSupper is not an option. Lunches are served from Wednesday to Sunday.Who to takeSomeone from the area who will tell you stories prompted by ingredients like sea urchins and three-leafed clovers. Alternatively, an art lover.Whatever you doKeep an open mind. Eat everything you're served - a small scoop of pickled onion in a wild sage soup; masala heerenbone (beans) with a tea-smoked tomato; herb and bokkem (dried, salted fish) butter. it doesn't matter what's in it, it's going to be deliciousWhat to drinkMost beers and wines on offer are from the area. The wine list is short but good, with bottles arranged according to three regions: Darling, Swartland and Kelp Coast.What not to doDon't make a booking and not turn up. Van der Merwe forages for the exact number of people who book. Failing to turn up may lead to online shaming.How muchR295 per person for the five-course lunch, excluding wine and coffee.The verdictThis is groundbreaking SA cuisine, impressive and delicious.Where to find itOep ve Koep is in Die Winkel op Paternoster, St Augustine Road, Paternoster, 022-752-2033. Booking essential...

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