George Jardine has been a busy bee of late, opening a restaurant on the Jordan winery in Stellenbosch, while keeping his eponymous city restaurant on the go. Not only that, he has been harvesting eucalyptus pollen: usually the work of bees and Pygmy Possums (who, clever things, dine on it with brush-tipped tongues).
But how does Jardine get the fine powder? Does he shake the gum tree hoping something will fall out (an arduous task even for someone with his undeniable talents that include a supremely sensitive tongue)? Does he simply buy it in from Australia? Or is he just taking the piss out of gullible foodies, a species defined by its pathological desire for one-upmanship. And use Peel’s Honey, letting the bees to do the work.
The waitron at Jardine is none the wiser.
The use of pollen in cooking is rare, though not undocumented. According to Mark Vogel fennel pollen was first used to flavour food by the Romans and remains expensive in Italy where it is known as “the spice of angels”.
It is in my companion’s two figs and fresh cheese starter that the gum tree powder is listed as an ingredient, setting it apart from this traditional combination. I would never have known and can’t identify it. There certainly is a honey-like sweetness to the figs, pared down by the hint of sour in ricotta. The combination is well executed (now if only he could bottle the first fragrance of baby fig on the tree).
My mussels en papillote (steamed in a cooking bag, in this case in lemon grass, ginger and coconut) are just what I desire. But the molluscs on top are not those that inspired Hieronymus Bosch to paint Garden of Heavenly Delights and cry out for the promised fragrant liquid. Only when I get half way through them do I spot the juice at the bottom. I miss the salty butter of mussels in white wine. More than that I miss them being bathed in a broad bowl so each shell can be used to scoop up the stock with the meat.
For mains a fat piece of yellowtail is juicy from being poached while at the same time tender yet firm. A triumph sitting on a subtle puree of a green that may be sorrel. Breadcrumbs and nuts give it a bit of crunch. Yes there are other things too, like pickled squid and micro puddings of something, but they add more to visual appeal than anything else.
A sweet potato side has no tricks to it (promises honey and delivers) though is more for someone whose sweet tooth comes into play before dessert.
My partner, despite not being the companion of champignon, orders mushrooms with tofu. The porcini mushrooms are cooked but only barely. Raw they are a waste of money. Fully cooked in butter they are deliciously rich, sometimes too much so. These are done just enough to draw out the flavour but there’s no hint of oil. No idea how they do them. The blandness of tofu gives the porcini a stage to stand on though to my partner they sink in similarity. Glistening tapioca bubbles are gently curried to seal the dish with a pop.
For dessert a citrus tomato minestrone with ginger ice cream and a cake of sorts sounds enticing to those that seek a bit of savoury with their sweet.
Earlier we enjoyed a white tomato consommé (the red whisked out of it with egg white) amuse bouche with a deep-fried basil leaf standing to attention in the middle.
Out of four dishes one is excellent (the fish), one very good (mushrooms), one good (figs and cheese) and the mussels below par. A few tricks in the kitchen if that’s your thing. Just don’t allow the Dutch World Cup team here: the gum tree pollen is said to cure altitude sickness.
The wine list is extensive with many French options if you win the lotto and can drop up to R7 000 for a bottle of bubbly. I am a tad more parsimonious ordering a glass of Lammershoek Roulette Blanc 2007 for R40 after the Raats Chenin Blanc is out of stock, following it up with the quaffable South Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (R30).
Two courses are R230 (excluding side dishes) and for an extra R30 you get pudding too.
Décor dominated by picture windows so go for an early dinner and ask for a table with a view of Lion’s Head fading away into the dusk. Good kitchen view too if that grabs you. Service attentive and out of your face.
Tom Robbins
March 2, 2010
Jardine Restaurant
+27 (0)21 424 5640
Email: reservations@jardineonbree.co.za
www.jardineonbree.co.za
185 Bree St (corner of Bree and Bloem St)
Central Cape Town
Tags: altitude sickness, amuse bouche, basil, bees, Cape Town restaurants, coconut, consomme, Dutch World Cup team, egg white, en papillote, eucalyptus pollen, fennel pollen, figs, foodies, George Jardine, ginger, gum tree, honey, Jardine, Jardine Restaurant, Jordan restaurant, Jordan winery, Lammershoek Roulette Blanc, lemon grass, minestrone, mussles, Peel's Honey, pickled squid, poached, porcini mushrooms, Raats Chenin Blanc, ricotta, sorrel, South Hill Sauvignon Blanc, spice of angels, tapioca, tofu, yellowtail
