Eclectic dining experience

POT LUCK CLUB: TASTE EXPLOSIONS AND VISUAL TREATS

Food combinations that may seem incongruous at first are mind-blowing.

Life, so the saying goes, is a journey and you should enjoy the ride. In a similar vein, you might say food is more than just nourishment or taste – it can, and should, be an adventure.

You can do your meat and three boiled vegetables at home all you like, but when you go out to dine, you should make it an occasion to remember. And, long after you’ve left the Pot Luck Club in Johannesburg, you’ll remember the adventure and will nod in wistful reverie as you wonder: How on earth did they come up with that?

On the night we visited the “who thought this up?” moment came for me when I looked at the menu and saw “Smoked Wagyu

Beef Fillet with Black Pepper and Truffle Café au Lait.”

Beef fillet. Yes indeed. Best cut in my opinion. Wagyu? Yes indeed. I had never before experienced the uber-pricey meat which originated in Japan (there are breeders raising wagyu cattle here from imported biological material – not a subject for the dinner table, methinks). Pepper? Yes, indeed. Truffle? Yes indeed. I first tasted this tuber (again ultra expensive) in the home of truffles, in the mountains of the Midi-Pyrenees in France … and can see why it is sought after.

But, Café au Lait? Coffee with steamed milk anywhere near a steak… dude! What were you thinking? Of course, zagging when everyone else in the culinary world zigs is how master chef Luke Dale-Roberts rolls. He has built up a dedicated following among foodies and his restaurants consistently get rated among the best in South Africa. And one thing you’re guaranteed, at any of his establishments, is that you’re not going to get run-ofthe-mill or anything which anyone else is doing.

Ebi du Toit, the head chef at Pot Luck Club Johannesburg, told us that is why he loves what he does… pushing the boundaries and seeing the delight on the faces of patrons when they unexpectedly get blown away by taste combinations which seemed incongruous at first.

The wagyu, when it arrived, was two smallish pieces floating in the pepper/truffle/café au lait pool. Verdict: Undoubtedly, the best piece of beef I have had anywhere… and I’ve been around.

The menu is tapas-style, with small dishes featuring flavours from around the world and paired in a unique way. Not only are the dishes a taste explosion, they are a visual treat, as we discovered with the beetroot tartare with “Hoisin Dressing, Coriander Pesto and Ponzu Mayo”.

There are interesting “turn it upside down” takes on old favourites like mini-burgers (sliders) and baby tacos with filling which can best be described at eclectic.

As the name implies, the menu items are shuffled around regularly and you really take “pot luck” when you arrive. But the food is anything but thrown together… and that’s what makes the Pot Luck Club so special.

It’s not mere eating out. It’s an experience.