1 Corinthians 13:13: And now these three remain: Sevruga, Beluga and Blonde. But the greatest of these is…
Even the mighty Corinthians would have had a devil of a time trying to decide between these three Cape Town institutions.
Each of Sevruga, Blonde and Beluga has a unique charm. One for every mood or occasion. Beluga was the final stop in the portfolio for the Horny Grazer. There’s a distinctly edgy, industrial feel to the location, tucked behind the pink strip in Green Point. The Foundry is a 100 year old red-brick building that once housed one of the city’s oldest metal works (and Rhino Africa HQ for that matter). Now converted into a modern interior design and office centre in the heart of Cape Town’s film and advertising district. There’s also a fantastic courtyard for summertime al fresco dining. It’s a huge, dark and brooding restaurant with a sleek and sexy bar that is still a favourite among Cape Town’s beautiful cognoscenti.
Thankfully they made space for Cape Town’s ignorant and less attractive patrons on a busy Tuesday night. As summer creeps up on the Mother City it’s about time for the Horny Grazer to shed the extra pounds acquired over the winter months in an attempt to avoid a harpooning on the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay.
But not just yet! First we had a banquet to get through. My dinner companion and I are getting slowly further apart with every review dinner – wedging ourselves twixt table and tummy.
It’s an awful lot easier to write a derisory review than it is to be effusive. Platitudes grow tiresome and maudlin. Sadly however there is nothing really bad to say about Beluga. The wine list is perhaps on the pricey side, but it’s extensive so you’ll be able to find something to fit your budget. There are a few hidden gems. I was particularly excited to find a cheeky little Neil Ellis ’97 Shiraz for R220 – unfortunately 13 years was a bridge too far – DOA. The cork simply disintegrated in the two bottles we tried before opting instead for a Rupert & Rothschild Classique for R230.
Aside from that little farcette, Beluga was as slick and polished as its Capetonian brethren. Beluga is much vaunted for its Sushi and there is in fact a completely separate Sushi menu – we tried a few pieces and they were indeed delicious. Far too slimming for us though. We kicked things off with the Panko-crumbed calamari – probably not the healthiest option, but meaty, tender and delicious. Healthy though in comparison to the double-baked cheese soufflé, dusted with a fine biltong powder – now that’s my kind of starter.
Mains included a fillet of beef Rossini and a scrumptious beef Wellington. The beef was fantastic -perfectly cooked and rolled with duck liver pâté, puff pastry and a rich marchand de vin sauce.
Of course it wouldn’t be a proper review if we didn’t try the puddings, so in the name of professionalism, we tucked in to the Lindt white chocolate beignets with vanilla bean ice cream and butterscotch sauce, as well as a zesty lemon tart and a decadent Belgian chocolate truffle cake. The wise words of Oprah haunted my every mouthful – ‘Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.’ She clearly hasn’t tasted the beignets…
Check out the Samurai Platter Sushi Special – R89 and it consists of Samurai Rolls, Salmon Roses, Prawn Nigiri and Tempura Prawn rolls!
Beluga
The Foundry
Prestwich Street
Green Point
Cape Town
8001
Tel: 021-418-2948/9
info@beluga.co.za