White. That was all we saw – and really, what did we expect? It is called The White Room.
Capetonians are good at sticking to their favourite spots, but this newcomer is creating waves. Usually not one for tasting menus, I tend to prefer restaurants that have an a la carte option, but the hype was too much for me to resist. And so I ventured off to Dear Me on 165 Longmarket Street. Dear Me is open for breakfast and lunch, Monday to Friday. On a Thursday night they serve dinner in the White Room.
Arriving at a very unassuming café, it was hard to believe we were here for a 9 course fine dining experience. Little do most diners know that they are entering into a restored 200 year old Heritage building. We went upstairs past the all-day deli on the ground floor to the White Room.
The White Room lives up to its name providing a blank canvas to display the intricately designed dishes to come. Each of the 9 courses is paired with a wine and it was one of the best wine pairings I have ever encountered. The flavours made sense, complimenting the food without stealing the show and in the perfect proportions that you feel neither cheated nor that you’ll leave with little memory of the experience you paid for.
The entire experience is centered on the element of surprise, so I will only give a hint of what to expect. But you only really need to know one thing – the food is extraordinary.
Rather than a menu, there is a small flip book on the table between diners. Each course spans two pages – the first providing instructions on how to best sample and taste your dish, the second describing the elements of each dish. A much classier and simpler way than a theatrical waiter presenting every dish down to the last peashoot and sprinkle of garnish.
Each dish was a delight. Sometimes classic dishes are given a modern twist, other times, contemporary techniques are used to create surprising combinations of flavours and textures adding excitement to each bite. You’ll find yourself straining your neck to catch a glimpse of dishes emerging from the kitchen, anticipating what’s to come – which is everything from garnished oysters on ice to Australian marron and herb infused tomatoes to a modern interpretation of steak and eggs on chips.
We even had a chance to play chef, creating our own sesame Japanese broth in a pestle and mortar in which we’d cook slices of raw Kob, flavoured with baby tatsoi.
The icing on the cake is that sustainably sourced produce is paramount to Dear Me’s identity. They only present fish featured on the SASSI Green List and stress their use of seasonal, fresh produce, ensuring the quality of each and every plate that emerges from the kitchen of Chef Vanessa Marx.
There was very little to fault about this tasting menu – food and wine were presented with a friendly face. This is probably Cape Town’s best value tasting menu.
And if you aren’t ready to go home, as we weren’t, head up to the bar one floor up, called Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar. With a completely different atmosphere to the isolated White Room, the bar is the perfect contrast and well worth indulging in a cocktail or few at.
Book Dear Me’s 9 episode dining experience in the White Room on Thursday evenings:
Price: R380pp (R610pp inc. wine pairings)
Location: 165 Longmarket Street, Cape Town
Contact: + 27 21 422 4920, info@dearme.co.za