Freshline Fisheries, Knysna

23 September 2019

FRESHLINE FISHERIES

Railway Siding, Dockyard, corner of Long Street and Waterfront Drive, Knysna.

This one is a tale of redemption and restoration of balance to the cosmos in the seafood sector, which, in this country, is generally no more than a wasteland of overpriced, mediocre at best, scraps of the bountiful harvest of the ocean. Or, perhaps, what should be the bountiful harvest.

A couple of years ago the extended family had one of the worst seafood experiences ever at the Sea Gypsy in the Mossel Bay harbour, which served us irredeemably crap food and where the manager was almost comically astonished that we questioned the quality of the meals. After that I had a dismal seafood meal at a Knysna Waterfront eatery and then kind of gave up on this part of the world.  The family still has a catch phrase from the Sea Gypsy manager who tried to exculpate his cook by suggesting that my excessively over cooked Dorado, with the desiccated texture and look of a bokkom, was presented as it should be, because “Dorado is a dry fish.” Humbug.

Eat at the Sea Gypsy at your peril. Don’t say I sent you, because I absolutely don’t.

The Dorado I ate at Freshline today went a long way towards restoring my faith in seafood in Knysna.

The In-laws often eat at Freshline, just outside the causeway to Thesen Island, and we met them, and some other family members, there for lunch today. Normally, apparently, there is no need to book but today, and it must be because it was school holidays and a long weekend for many anyway, the joint was jumping. We were fortunate to find a table in an alcove off to the side instead of in the more sheltered centre of the space. It was warm but the breeze off the water was just a tad too cool.

It seems, for authenticity in this part of the world, that a seafood restaurant must be situated next to an unsightly parking lot and be constructed of wood, bamboo and sacking and that seating must be bench tables. The somewhat tired-looking brick-and-mortar building, where the cooks toil away in a tiny kitchen, also houses the fresh fish counter. If you’re looking for sleek and chic, don’t come here. If you want earthy authenticity, or a close approximation, do pop in. It’s not quite the place where crusty fisherfolk cook freshly caught fish as the produce comes off the boats but in a tourist town, it’ll do for now.

There is an extensive menu of all manner of seafood, and a surprisingly large selection of types of fish to choose from, though it seems, from what the waitress told us, that not all the menu items are available all the time. There is even a corner that offers sushi and poké bowls, to cover the millennial demographic.

Freshline is not licensed, so bring your own booze.

Of course, I chose the Dorado, a fish I really like, and the waitress assured me it would be perfectly cooked and not come out looking like a weathered piece of driftwood. (Aloha! Sea Gypsy)

Perhaps because the restaurant was so busy, we waited more than an hour for our food. When I popped into the main building to look for the loo, and saw the cramped kitchen I understood the pressure the cooks were under and why a delay was inevitable today.

The wife wanted an avocado Ritz starter, served a few minutes after her main course, which was four Mozambique prawns. That niggle aside, she was quite happy with her meal.

The generously portioned fillet of Dorado (served sans garnish) was indeed properly grilled though it lacked seasoning and came to the table at less than optimal temperature, from loitering on the pass, I guess.  The add-on was a selection of vegetables: broccoli with a white sauce, green beans and sweet potato puree. The latter also lacked seasoning, but there was plenty of the well-cooked veggies that went a treat with the fish.

As far as I could tell, everyone else was quite happy with their respective choices.

We didn’t eat dessert.

There is a good variety of seafood to be had at Freshline, the quality of the cooking is good, and the prices are comparable to Cape Town prices for less satisfactory meals. I’d rather return here for lunch, perhaps on a less busy day, than venture to the Knysna Waterfront, but I can’t tell you Freshline offers the best seafood I’ve ever eaten. If you like rustic simplicity and decent pescatarian nosh, it’s probably the best place in Knysna.