On Fri eve I headed over to Myoga at the Vineyard Hotel & Spa in Newlands for their R195 7 course tasting menu special.  My friends Grant & Darryn joined me for this “out-of-this-world” dining experience.

First off, the restaurant is truly spectacular:

Then the food & service is absolutely amazing.  They have a full a la carte menu, but the real deal clincher is this 7 course “tasting meal” menu which they do all year round – just changing the menu options to suit the different seasons.

Now this 7 course challenge should NOT be taken lightly.  The first time I attempted it, I failed miserably.   I put it down to 3 key reasons:

1. I chose badly!  I pretty much went for the heaviest, richest option for each course.
2. I had been starving myself for my pending Italian hoiday, which meant my stomach couldn’t take more than a handful of peas.
3. I was wearing tight pants. haha.

By the 4th course I was seriously battling. And my friends ended up finishing my other courses for me.   This time around I was way better prepared.  I was not going to fail again!

So let me take you through the menu…

1st course – Mouth tickler.  The options:

• iced oyster, lemon tobasco snow
• salt & pepper prawn, sweet chilli, coriander spuma
• sticky pork riblet, bircher muesli, yoghurt
• cappuccino, artichoke soup, froth
• éclair, beef tartare, truffle cream

2nd course – Starter. The options:

• trout textures, melba toast, radish, grapefruit, smoked snoek, jalapeno olive oil emulsion
• duck terrine, pistachio crust, sticky red cabbage, chicken liver, crispy pancetta
• dijon mushroom duxelle, scotch style egg, toasty soldiers, tarragon cream
• cider pork belly, butternut puree, poached shrimp, bisque fluid gel
• chorizo risotto, porcini mushrooms, truffle oil, winter pods, lemon butter, chorizo

3rd course – Soup or Salad.  The options:

• green curry mussel chowder, whitefish, thai coconut, lime, truffled sweet corn roast  pepper salsa
• lamb and lentil soup, flecked shoulder, barley, split pea
• mushroom vichyssoise, potato, leek, smoked teriyaki snoek
• ceasar salad, parmesan croutons, romaine lettuce, pancetta
• vegetable salad, grilled, roasted & crispy veg, gorgonzola beignet, mustard seed viniagrette

4th course – Pasta. The options:

• lamb bobotie lasagna, cape malay tomato pesto, banana chutney
• calamari noodle, sauteed squid, crispy tentacles, angel noodles, mild chilli curry
• oxtail canneloni, beef short rib, horseradish, smoked shallot froth
• pad thai omelette, thai style sticky pork, noodles, peanuts, coriander
• crispy ravioli, butternut, goats cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds, coffee soubise, persimmon salsa

5th course – Cleanser.  The options:

• ginger and honey sorbet
• lemon and lime sorbet
• naartjie and clove sorbet
• rooibos green tea
• spicy tom yum soup

6th course – Mains. The options:

• pan roasted whitefish, truffles orzo risotto, creamed petit pois, seaweed veloute
• mexican inspired duck, rice pilaf, refried lentils, char grilled salsa, red mole sauce, citrus gastrique (** additional R25 cost for this one **)
• oven braised pork belly, sweet potato puree, apple, beans, coriander, peanuts, mushroom soy
• duo of lamb, slow cooked shoulder, loin chop, lebanese beans, borokopita, pomegranite jus, mint jelly (** additional R25 cost for this one **)
• beef fillet, rosti, cabbage, parsnip puree, smoked marrow jus, cafe de paris
• buddha’s delight, asian veg, noodles, tofu, fried bean curd (vegan)

7th course – Sweets. The options:

• sticky date pudding, knob creek, vanilla pecan fudge ice cream
• bread and butter pudding, brioche, vanilla ice cream, creme anglaise
• chocolate assiette, bittersweet fondant, double chocolate pannacotta, black forrest gateaux (** additional R15 cost for this one **)
• crepe suzette, blood orange rose water creme brulee, orange syrup
• gorgonzola cheesecake, pear granita, pickled walnuts, celery

Ah man, some of the best food I’ve had in a loooooong loooooong time!  Didn’t want it to come to an end…

Our waitress was also brilliant and the pace at which they brought out the different courses was totally spot on.  They gave us enough time to rest beween courses – getting some time to enjoy some wine & have some great conversation.  The flow for the evening just seemed seamless.  We ended  up spending a good 3 hours there, but it didn’t feel that long at all.  Time flies when you’re having fun hey.

My Miss K Kiss-o-Meter ratings for Myoga would be as follows:

• Vibe:
• Price (for the 7 course special):
• Food:
• Service:

Yup, that’s right.  Top scores!  I’m already planning my next visit.  I want to work my way through all the options before they change over to their summer menu. Lots of gym ahead for me then as well.  Bring it on.

xxx