When offered the chance to interview the man behind La Colombe, a restaurant that consistently grabs top spots at global award ceremonies and boasts the highest 3 Star Rating the Rossouw Restaurant Guide can offer, I was in the car and shooting off to Constantia Uitsig in the southern suburbs with copywriter in crime, Tamlin, in a heartbeat.
I had dined there before. It was an evening of pan-seared scallops and confit pork belly with a langoustine glaze, black forest ham velouté, smoked parsnip purée with a lemon and tomato and pea dressing followed by a rolled ‘sous vide’ lamb loin, braised lamb neck and sweetbreads on an onion and garlic purée, pea and asparagus salad, fricassee of pan-seared wild mushroom and celeriac, fondant potato with a fennel jus. Impressive, to say the least.
The man currently responsible for one of South Africa’s most admired restaurants, La Colombe, is Executive Chef Scot Kirton, previously Sous Chef for the restaurant. La Colombe began under the classic French influence of Chef Franck Dangereux, followed by Chef Luke Dale Roberts when the restaurant caught the public’s eye with an Asian-Classic fusion technique applied to South African products.
Though leaning more towards classic techniques, Scot has maintained the Asian touches that add an exotic flair to La Colombe. The daily chalkboard menu, accompanied by the bible of wines, displays items such as beetroot cannelloni, champagne poached oysters, warm parsnip cake and a seared tuna sandwich.
We took up chairs outside under a canopy at a table with Scot to learn more about the man behind one of Cape Town’s most sought after menus…
Q&As
Q: What is your favourite ingredient?
Jerusalem artichoke! It is found on this estate and is a perfect addition in soups and with cheeses.
Q: What is your favourite dish to eat at home?
Roast chicken. (This seems to be a favourite among all our top chefs of Cape Town.)
Q: What is your favourite hobby outside the kitchen?
Golf, when I get the time. I play at estates like Steenberg and in Rondebosch in Cape Town.
Q: Which dish sums you up as a chef?
The scallop and pork belly starter. (I felt very ‘in’ for having chosen this dish on my visit.)
Q: What current food trend can you not stand?
There is too much molecular cooking going around currently. Some of the ‘greats’ can do it, but there are too many people who don’t actually understand the technique. All you end up with is some sort of rubbery jelly. You can make great food without all that fuss.
Q: How has La Colombe shaped your career as a chef?
When he was working here, Chef Luke Dale Roberts introduced me to a lot of Asian influences. In a restaurant like La Colombe you always have to be learning and developing yourself. I love getting guests involved so that it is a more interactive dining experience.
Q: How are you going to maintain the high status that La Colombe has built over the years?
We plan to increase that level of interaction with our guests – with palette cleansers that you mix yourself, making your own cocktails at the table. We will soon introduce a new tasting menu which will be a journey through the Western Cape, using local produce from the Western Cape regions paired with wines from that region. It is a challenge but I love the creativity of new ventures like this.
Q: How to do you ensure spectacular presentation of your dishes?
We also try to add a WOW factor. For example, some dishes will come to your table smoking from dry ice. Each and every dish is meticulously designed. (I have to say, each dish I tried was a piece of edible art.)
Q: Do you try and maintain the Asian influence introduced by Luke Dale Roberts?
Luke taught me a lot about Asian food and influences and I love that part of creating a dish. What he taught me will always stay with me. The Asian influence makes La Colombe different to other restaurants and it’s what the guests we have want too.
Q: How do you think South African dining compares with the rest of world, in particular from your time in London at Gordon Ramsey’s Savoy Grill?
Dining in this country has improved so much in the last five years. I really think that we are on par with what diners are getting in cities like London. I am so proud of where we are.
Q: What do you love most about Cape Town?
It is beautiful, especially here on the Constantia Uitsig Estate. We really have it all here – beaches, sun and a beautiful landscape to enjoy. And great restaurants like La Colombe, dare I say… What else could you want?
Q: What are your top 3 dining recommendations in and around Cape Town?
The Test Kitchen. The Greenhouse. The Pot Luck Club.
Scot initially planned to enter into a career with computers after school but he had second thoughts and went to spend a day in the kitchens of Franschhoek‘s Haute Cabriere Wine Estate. He loved it so much, he was employed there a few days later and so began his cheffing career. After time in London working at the Savoy Grill he made his way home, and entered the La Colombe kitchens under Luke Dale Roberts. At the young age of 30, he moved up the ranks to Executive Head Chef.
Scot shows, as he told us toward the end of our lunch interview, that through determination and unshakeable dedication and passion, any dream is within reach!
- There are two other restaurants on the estate such as the Constantia Uitsig Restaurant and the River Cafe (read a review here), so there is plenty to fill your tummy with after a stroll through the vineyards. You can also stay overnight at the Constantia Uitsig Hotel. Contact one of our expert travel consultants for more info and to start planning your great Cape Town city escape!