We were going to be in Cape Town for four nights before our safari and I had just read the list of 50 best restaurants in the world – and low-and-behold, Cape Town was home to the 37th best. And the best in Africa! A restaurant called FYN. So one night had to be there. As luck would have it, we were visiting during the low-season – at the end of July and so scoring a reservation was doable.
Location
Cape Town is a major city, and this restaurant is in the middle of what is called the Cape Town City Centre – essentially downtown. Its on the top floor of an 19th century silk factory, which gives it great views of the city at night. And while Cape Town isn’t really good for walking around at night, we had no problem grabbing an Uber from our hotel and returning late at night.
The entrance in the lobby has an concierge who escorts you to the elevator. Once you step out of the elevator you are transported to an incredibly warm and modern ambience. Hanging from the ceiling are what best can be described as a three-dimensional abacus. With an open kitchen concept, two levels of tables are in a U-shape around the kitchen. The tables are spaced nicely apart, keeping the noise levels to a comfortable background, allowing easy conversation with your table mates.
The restaurant is a modern fusion of Japanese kaiseki and African flavors, with waitstaff with the subtle attentiveness of a French restaurant. The menu changes with the seasons, ensuring the best ingredients are available at just the right time. The tasting menu has each course with an inventive presentation, making the overall experience something long-remembered.
The Culinary Adventure
The winter menu started with a trio of hyper-fresh seafood: Yellowtail nigiri with kosha salsa and aged shoyu, Mozambican crab with seaweed salad and furikake, and Lambert’s Bay abalone with truffle koeshi. Each bit was a delight – Japanese yet not. Just enough to taste the fish enhanced with unique flavors. And did I mention – fresh. And the presentation was wonderful – just don’t eat the stones.
Next came the first of two mushroom dishes. Now I’m not generally a fan of mushrooms – however who ever heard of mushroom brulee? The menu listed it as “Burnt mushroom custard with Hokkaido milkbun”. Creative and delicious! I ate every bite.
Third was the Binchotan seared gamefish with tempura dune spinach and pomelo chirizu. The chirizu is made at the table by the waiter. Another good dish with just a few bites.
I should mention the pacing of the meal was excellent – not too fast and not too slow. We had time to relax, converse and savour the course before the next arrived.
We are in Africa – so you would expect at least one local game – in this case the springbok. Robata grilled springbok leg with peppadew, black cardamom mealie pap and Cape mountain sage. I was hesitant about this because I’ve had impala in an earler trip and found it to taste very “grassy”. But the springbok was tender like a filet minion and flavorful – not gamey, not grassy – just like good deer or antelope meat.
Next up was the poached Bream with rock seaweed, crayfish espuma and black caviar. It was a stronger flavor, as we have had a good progression from mild to strong flavors, with the caviar adding just the right amount of saltiness.
And my second mushroom dish – wild mushroom fregola with globe artichoke, hazelnut and nasturium and jibuni sauce. Excellent interlude before the main event. The jibuni sauce is from traditional Japanese Kanazawa cuisine – a wasabi-based curry designed to bring out the umami (from the mushrooms).
And then the main event – Cape Wagyu and kabocha with black truffle and pumpkin hollandaise. The presentation starts with the waiter setting on the table a rack of custom Japanese knives – you get to select one to use with your steak. Each knife is beautiful – each an artwork by itself. The wagyu is cooked the way the chef knows it should be cooked – don’t expect to select the temperature.
And to top the meal off, a sweet kaiseki. Madagascan chocolate with mascarpone and pumpkin seed, Rice ice cream with shoyu syrup and burnt pineapple and yuzu. Just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth without over-indulging.
Overall – a delightful evening with world-class food, unique flavors and artfully presented. We’ve already recommended this place to our friends who are visiting next month.
The Details
5th Floor, Speakers Corner, 37 Parliament Str, Cape Town, 8001
Reservations: + 27 21 286 2733