International Michelin chefs team up with SA’s best for once-off dinners

Cooking and eating have always been social affairs, so it makes sense that cross-continental collaborations between top chefs are on the rise.

In line with this trend, acclaimed chefs Peter Tempelhoff and Chantel Dartnal have invited international multi-Michelin-starred cooks into their restaurant's kitchens to provide local dinners with world-class culinary experiences like no other.

FYN AND ZENIYA

Tempelhoff’s restaurant Fyn has been the talk of the Cape Town since it opened in late 2018. This is no surprise considering its breathtaking design, sleek service and impeccably curated menu, which sees the unusual fusion of Japanese cuisine with South African fare.

In line with the restaurant’s Asian inspiration, Tempelhoff has asked chef Shinichiro Takagi of Japan's renowned kaiseki restaurant, Zeniya, to join him in the kitchen at Fyn for two nights only.

Zeniya was awarded two Michelin stars in 2016. It has a strong focus on seasonal ingredients and plays with the balance between tradition and innovation in Japanese cuisine.

Tempelhoff and Takagi have conceptualised a menu which pays homage to both chefs’ commitment to provenance, minimal intervention and attention to detail while cooking.

Speaking about the collaboration, Tempelhoff muses: “Although our cooking styles are different, we share common values, such as a focus on the purity of local ingredients. More importantly, though, we became friends.”

WHEN: March 13 and 14
PRICE: R3,500 per person (price includes wine)
WHERE: Fyn Restaurant, Cape Town
BOOK: info@fynrestaurant.com

RESTAURANT MOSAIC AND FLOCONS DE SEL

Dartnall of Gauteng's critically acclaimed Restaurant Mosaic will welcome three-Michelin-starred chef Emmanuel Renaut of France's Flocons de Sel into her kitchen in April. The collaboration is part of the Goût de France initiative which sees thousands of chefs across five continents celebrating French gastronomy.

The pair will present 'Four Hands' dinners inspired by the theme “mountains and valleys”. This theme is a nod to their respective restaurants' locations: Flocons de Sel is set in the Megève Mountains in France, while Mosaic is nestled in the Crocodile River Valley in Pretoria. The dishes on offer will highlight the contrast between the two locations, while celebrating the similarities between the chefs who are both known for drawing inspiration from the nature.

Dartnall, who is excited about the collaboration, says: “Dining together transcends borders and the sharing of food cultivates friendship. The Four Hands initiative is the hallmark of the friendship between South Africa and France, between two chefs sharing the same passion in their cuisine to feature the bountifulness of nature and our surroundings in the dishes we create, and to share this with the patrons of Restaurant Mosaic.”

WHEN: April 17 and 18
PRICE: To be confirmed (dependent on final menu)
WHERE: Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient, Pretoria
BOOK: reservations@restaurantmosaic.com

• This article is adapted from one originally published on Wanted Online. Visit wantedonline.co.za for all the latest in luxury lifestyle news.