Eat! On Keyes: where tomorrow's hot chefs are cooking today

It’s all very well dreaming of being the next Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, but the reality is that every would-be chef entering a professional kitchen for the first time feels he or she has more in common with a mom forced to bake something for the school fete than a Michelin-star winner.

That’s why the Capsicum Culinary Studio and The Private Hotel School have introduced Eat! On Keyes, a restaurant in Rosebank where students get to do the cooking. Not that patrons would realise their dishes have been whipped up by people still working towards their chef’s whites.

That’s because executive chef Tyrone Kleynhans, who heads up the restaurant, has created a menu that’s all about sophisticated techniques that are very much in line with international food trends.

“I’ve spent a lot of time watching social media trends and digesting what’s happening on cooking shows,” he comments.

The result is a selection of interesting dishes that include the likes of Peruvian chicken bao buns, Moroccan Eggs Benedict and poutine (loaded French fries).

“We don’t want to duplicate anything that’s available at other restaurants in the area. At the same time, I want to show customers that South Africa isn’t the culinary backwater that many people think it is – we’re well in line with food trends.”

He insists on all menu components being made from scratch, and plans to redesign the menu every six months to provide a new challenge for students.

Tyrone also included input from the students when compiling the menu. “One of the reasons for opening this restaurant was to give them a chance to experiment with their own ideas,” he explains.

Again, there’s a sound rationale behind this approach. “The reality is that even the greatest of our students will probably find themselves in positions below commis (junior) chefs once they enter the industry. They’ll be chopping onions and peeling potatoes, and it’s hard to sustain interest and energy when you’re doing menial tasks like this. We want to show them the possibilities, give them a glimpse of what they will go on to achieve if they just keep at it.”

• Eat! On Keyes is located at the Capsicum Culinary Studio's Campus at 3 Keyes Avenue, Rosebank.

This article was originally published in the Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Property and Lifestyle guide. Visit Yourneighbourhood.co.za