Bringing a taste of Paris to Key Largo
EAST London residents are in line to savour authentic French cuisine at the 2017 So Chef! dinner to be held at Key Largo in Hemingways this weekend.
Cooking up a storm will be internationally-acclaimed Sowetoborn chef Wandile Mabaso, who trained in the art of French cuisine during a four-year stint in New York.
Mabaso – who works in Paris at Le Meurice, legendary chef Alain Ducasse’s two-star Michelin-graded restaurant – will be assisted by the Key Largo chef to prepare the fourhand (two chef) masterpiece.
On the menu this weekend is a three-course meal: Amuse-bouche to start, which will comprise a summer baby vegetable garden; marinated sardine in garlic confit; calamata and anchovy puree as well as coriander and cumin salsa verde.
Main course will be lamb loin with French lentil ragout cooked in raz al hanout spice (a spice mix from North Africa), a saffron potato case, caramelised artichoke with lamb citrus jus.
Dessert features a lemon sculpture, paired with citrus parfait, white chocolate soil and enhanced with a charcoal smoked salted caramel. The dinner is being hosted through a collaboration by nonprofit organisation Alliance Française and the French Institute of South Africa.
Alliance Française East London director, Aline Driessel, said the dinner would be a gastronomic experience no one should miss.
“This is sure to be a wonderful culinary experience which is not usually available in South Africa,” Driessel said. “Wandile has drawn up a wonderful menu which will feature dishes prepared in a unique, French style. This will not just be regular dining; it will will be fine dining. This dinner is all about good, quality food paired with a wonderful presentation so it will be a feast for the mouth and the eyes. The taste is going to be out of this world,” she said.
So Chef!, now in its fourth year, is aimed at highlighting the diversity of French cuisine, while also spicing it up with the flavour of local produce. The colourful dishes are served to as wide an audience as possible. As part of the initiative, a total of four chefs with French cuisine training are to travel to different cities including Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Maseru, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria, to give South Africans a taste of their unique dishes.
For last year’s dinner, French chef Jean Alexandre Galmar served his guests fish sourced from Oceanwise fish farm at the EL IDZ, Purdon Wagyu Angus beef from Stutterheim and Smiling Valley freshwater marron from Kei Road.
According to a story which appeared in the Daily Dispatch, this was in a bid to marry the best local produce with aromatic flavours and ingredients, like blue vanilla and lime found only on the island of Réunion.
Galmar prepared the meal with popular Sanook chef Jamie Hogg.
Last year saw Réunion chef Daniel Grondin spin his culinary magic for East London audiences.
This weekend’s dinner kicks off with pre-drinks at 6pm followed by the sit-down meal served at 7pm.
Tickets cost R450 excluding drinks, which will be provided at an additional cost. Tickets are available by e-mailing
Reservations are essential and no tickets will be sold at the door. —