A world-class culinary collaboration worth remembering at Fyn restaurant

As I stay home and do my bit to flatten the curve, I've been dreaming about all the restaurants I can't wait to visit once lockdown ends. I've also been reliving some of the most memorable meals I've been lucky enough to enjoy in the past.

One of these was during a visit to the award-winning Fyn restaurant in Cape Town in early March. For two nights only, Fyn's chef patron Peter Tempelhoff teamed up with Japanese chef Shinichiro Takagi to offer a collaborative multi-course tasting menu.

Tempelhoff first met Takagi when he visited the chef's kaiseki restaurant, Zeniya, in Japan.

Zeniya, which was awarded two Michelin stars in 2016, is known for pushing the boundaries between tradition and innovation in Japanese cuisine. Fyn, on the other hand, is famed for serving up a unique fusion of Japanese and South African fare.

“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," said Tempelhoff.

For their collaborative dinner in Cape Town, the friends devised a tasting menu that showcased each chef's individual strengths as well as the contrast between their two worlds.

Tagaki brought the quiet confidence and subtlety of traditional Japanese cuisine, while Tempelhoff delivered the more modern and robust flavours that have become a hallmark of Fyn's food.

The best courses were those that compared the chef's different styles, never competing but merely showcasing what each had to offer.

The canapés were a wonderful example of this. Takagi’s delicate nigiri of tuna and sea-bass was served alongside Fyn's signature bento boxes, which included Tempelhoff's blue prawn nigiri with seaweed and sesame soy gel. Each dish was outstanding in its own right.

Takagi’s goma tofu — made from sesame paste rather than the usual soy — was another highlight. This gorgeous tofu-like creation reminiscent of panna cotta was served simply with salmon roe, soy sauce and a dash of wasabi. An exercise in restraint, this dish delivered the most incredible taste and textural sensations.

The menu, so fantastically balanced, proceeded with each chef layering upon the base created by the previous dish. Conscious, considered and collaborative in every way.

The evening would not have been the same had it not been for the seamless service and  stellar drinks pairings offered by Jennifer Hugé, Fyn's co-owner, sommelier and front-of-house extraodinaire.

Hugé's opening move was a stunningly clever Asian twist on a whisky sour made with Nikka whisky and Japanese plum wine (umeshu). This was followed by impressive array of both local and international vintage wines, including a glorious 2002 Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes.

Needless to say, the event was a resounding success — and one that acted as a reminder that despite our country's lack of a Michelin guide and hence starred restaurants, our local eateries are more than capable of serving up Michelin-worthy experiences.