A bite out of the chef’s pantry

The first thing you notice on entering Merchant Bar & Grill is the larder. It is very much the centrepiece of the new project by chef Dave Schneider and his long-time collaborator and co-owner, chef Liam Tomlin. The warmly lit glass display, visible from almost every corner of the restaurant, is packed with a fascinating array of ingredients. Some will make their way onto your plate while others will only be used in the months to come.

There are fruits and vegetables — jars of guavas, olives, artichokes, garlic, lemons, and more, all pickled, sugared, or fermented by the chef and his team. A host of winter produce, preserved to be used in dishes throughout the year, has been added to the impressive pantry. Then there are the ingredients that take longer to prepare.

Schneider and his team began working on these months before the restaurant’s launch, particularly the meat. The in-house charcuterie is artfully displayed among the colourful fruit jars. Saucisson sec is bunched in strings and coppa hangs heavy in butcher’s netting, curing and drying until ready for serving.

Next come the more experimental elements — the koji ferments, misos, kombuchas and the like — alongside simpler components such as beautiful wheels of cheese, as well as the preserves and pickles that will accompany them.

For Schneider, it’s all about returning to the basics: making everything from scratch, using time as an ingredient, and building an ever-evolving pantry that is wholly and uniquely his own. This, paired with produce provided by a selection of like-minded suppliers, forms the foundation of Merchant and its menu.

The cooking appears simple but is executed to a superb standard. Top-notch ingredients are paired with house-made components, all with the aim of showcasing the ingredients at their best.

“There’s nothing to hide behind,” says the chef.

“It’s all about taking two or three beautiful ingredients and putting them together in a way that allows them to really shine, with dishes that celebrate the produce, the producers  and the process.”

Schneider has executed this mission remarkably well with his opening volley — a tasting menu that serves as a multi-course feast of simply beautiful food. An equally impressive à la carte offering is available too.

It begins, as more meals should, with a stick of pork crackling. But not the dry, pale, lacklustre kind — this crackling is golden, with a firm, crisp rind that gives way to a layer of equally crispy fat below. It is served with house-made aioli and a fresh, zesty salsa verde. The aioli complements the fattiness while the salsa verde provides a fresh contrast. It’s a dish worth visiting for alone.

From here, it’s on to the larder board: slices of in-house cured meat, a dollop of parfait, a block of brawn, a smear of lard and a gorgeous little pickle, all to be layered atop freshly toasted sourdough.

The starter selection follows. Grilled seabass arrives with a rich velouté of saffron, sourced from Stellenbosch, while a delicious morsel of fatty pork cheek is served with a deeply flavourful gooseberry compote and a mustard-seed pickle, with the sweet, salty, and tangy components working so well together. A beetroot tarte tatin, topped with house-made ricotta and fresh herbs, rounds off the course.

Next is the flat-iron steak. Cooked rare and thinly sliced, it’s served to be dipped in a koji café au lait, accompanied by chunky, tender shiitake mushrooms and crispy kale for added texture. It’s rich in umami goodness, though the tender meat remains the star of the show.

Bridging the savoury and sweet courses, the cheese course features slices of Karoo blue cheese atop lavash crackers with kumquat marmalade.

Once again, simplicity done well. The same applies to dessert — a celebration of citrus and honey with layers of flavour and texture in the form of honeycomb crumble, naartjie mousse, honey ice cream and citrus rind.

The menu is a true representation of the chef’s ethos and intention. Each bite champions a supplier, an ingredient, a process or a producer. It’s beautiful food that goes back to the basics of classic cooking, and it couldn’t be more delicious. Well worth the time spent in the larder.

Merchant Bar & Grill, 91 Bree Street, Cape Town

• From the October edition of Wanted, 2024