La Mouette delivers on taste, flavours and service
I FIND the most unexpected spaces deliver on the best taste experiences. You wouldn’t expect to find a fine-dining venue among the overcrowded restaurants in Sea Point, but it exists and you will thank me.
Not only is La Mouette generously affordable for the quality cuisine they serve up, they also offer a few options on their menu.
You can choose between a more affordable three-course meal or the six-course for the heartier appetite, with or without a wine pairing. There is also an à la carte menu for the less adventurous.
The decor is warm and woody, mostly because the restaurant is an old, restored home. Wooden floors, high ceilings and big fireplaces, it invites you in and keeps you toasty.
Opting for the six-course, I mopped through each dish with vigour.
The first dish of onion soup set the tone for the rest of the courses. Loved it! It was the perfect balance of sweet and savoury, and an arancini added texture and elevated the flavours.
Masterfully plated, on crockery of all shapes and sizes, you can tell much thought went into the preparation and display. Through the experience of each delectable serving was crispy ham hock, artichoke truffle purée and mustard frill. And then there was the delicately prepared line fish with garlic cream, sago crisp, charred leeks, lentil crust and edible mussel shell. The shell was crafted to look exactly like the real thing; it is almost impossible to believe it wasn’t.
The dish designed with my palate in mind was the lamb neck, with black garlic paste, buffalo milk yoghurt, baby gem and a Moroccan rub. It was brilliantly prepared, melted in your mouth and each element complimented the next effortlessly. A well-tuned dish.
Then there was the well-constructed conclusion in the form of dessert. The names, Milk and Honey and Melting Ferrero Rocher give you an idea of what to expect.
Artfully presented and enjoyed with gusto, it made for the perfect finish. The service was on par with the quality of the food, which says a lot about the establishment.
Chef and co-founder of La Mouette, the talented Henry Vigar, finds inspiration for his dishes in the wonderful produce the country has to offer.
“My food is influenced by everything around me. But I feel your life experiences, travel and views really define your cuisine.
“A dish I worked on for a long time was the melting Ferro Roche. I spent a while tasting different percentages of chocolate to get the dessert just right. It’s a dish I am very proud of,” he says.
And rightfully so. It is a great “special occasion” restaurant. Sea Point is a weekend favourite, make sure you try this gem out.