A fine trip for the tastebuds
Another
restaurant opens up in Melville - but it’s like no other. It’s a tiny,
exquisite slice of a place and it is fine dining – degustation et al. It’s
called La Petite Maison and that may sound French. You’ll be surprised.
Chef Tyeya
Ngxola is South African, Michelin-restaurant trained. Chef Tim Stewart is South
African, Michelin-restaurant trained. They met in Italy while training in an
ancient castle. This restaurant with the French name is the resultant
restaurant with the South African ingredients, the French-method cooking.
Their menu
is a map of South Africa, each one of the seven dinner courses inspired by a different
South African place. It’s a delicious gastronomic journey across our beautiful
country. The current seasonal dinner menu’s journey begins in the Kalahari of
the Northern Cape with a dish inspired by what the local Khoi San people do - and
ends in Ficksburg with a gasp at the beauty of what these two chefs have
created from semi-bitter Guanaja chocolate and the berries of cherry country. The weekday lunch menu currently features a platter
of South Africa-produced charcuterie, paired with a special glass of wine.
Having been
open in the ‘soft’ practising way since late January, the two owner-chefs
declare they’re ready to launch for real now.
Both owners contribute
to their wine cellar stocked with the very unusual, all from South Africa. Most
of the labels are relatively unheard of, with tiny production lines: exciting,
excellent wines you need to taste to believe.
The décor is
deeply romantic, maybe a little French, in dark greys and blues, with a glowing
yellow velvet sofa that usually gets taken first. The restaurant only seats 21
guests downstairs and six at another counter alongside the kitchen.
Find
La Petite Maison at the top of 7th Street, Unit 4 of number 1. Bookings:
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