Menage a deux a Sauvage

 6 April 2024

 

SAUVAGE

Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa, 16 Minor Road, Franschhoek

 

We went out on a second successive dark and stormy night for the postponed slap-up birthday dinner. I had somehow envisaged my birthday weekend getaway as a warm and pleasant one, and not only because of our culinary destinations, but driving along a winding, dark country road in a howling gale seemed quite Gothically romantic.  The imagery, and high pitched warbling, of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Hights” came to mind.

 

We misunderstood the hotel receptionist’s directions to the restaurant and continued straight were we should’ve turned left, entering a large, brightly lit dining room, very devoid of patrons. Our hearts sank. Were we the only people foolish enough to  venture out to Sauvage in these inclement conditions? 

 

A staff member took pity on us, palpably distraught and confused, and directed us to Sauvage. This empty room was not it.

 

Sauvage is more appealing, with dim lighting,  semi-circular booth banquettes with dark upholstery in the centre of the room and smaller tables, around them all laid with crisp white linen table cloths and premium glassware, but even here it seemed that we would be glorious in our isolation.

 

There were no other diners in the room. 

 

We were either very unfashionably early for the party or chose the wrong night.

 

We decided, stuff it, if this were to be our desert island, we’d be the happies castaways in the ocean.

 

We ordered pro secco, studied the menu and chatted amongst ourselves.

 

Sadly, the mood was spoilt when other diners, presumably hotel guests, did arrive.

 

I chose Sauvage, from all the possibilities Franschhoek offers, because it’s restaurant week offer was a 3-course meal (with intriguing dishes) for R545,00 and my thinking was that we’ve so often done the multiple-course tasting menu thing, where one almost feels palate weary by the end, that I wanted a simple, good, no fuss meal where each course doesn’t require a lengthy recitation of elements I can’t even recall by the time I stick my fork in.

 

The options on the menu were varied, sufficiently intriguing and offered something for both the wife and me. Best of all, there was an absence of fashionably “Asian influenced” food.

 

The bread course of two freshly baked rolls and flavoured butter was good (the wife asked for more) and served sans ridiculous theatrics. 

The amuse bouche, surprisingly not showcased in an elaborate setting that’s 99% inedible show-off, was a home-made crisp and kale concoction.  The plating (bowling?) was elegant and the morsel was tasty. Off to a good start.

 

My three courses were the smoked baby beets, seared sea bass and mfula mfula dessert. The wife went for baked Camembert

, steak and the deconstructed Hertzoggie dessert. Clean, simple and sufficient.

 

The smoked baby beets were the earthy, savoury yin to the yang of the more ethereal, sweeter Camembert dish. (I suppose you can see a metaphor in the respective selections).

The sea bass portions were generous and were perfectly cooked and well complemented by the smoother elements of puree, velouté an oil with the subtle al dente of the gently tart pickled cucumber.

My adorable wife absolutely loved the succulent, juicy, perfectly medium rare steak brilliantly elevated by the other elements on the plate (other than the somewhat bitter turnips that she promptly transferred to my plate). I chomped them with gusto.

The Hertzoggie is one of the wife’s favourite traditional South African pastries and the dessert expertly showcased the characteristic, tastes and flavours she loves.

 

I preferred the light, almost palate cleansing mfula mfula, a flurry of pineapple and coconut elements, both sweet and slightly sour at the same time. My only criticism of a delightful dessert was that the two chunks of grilled pineapple should’ve been halved and given more grill time to extract maximum flavour.

My birthday was acknowledged by a rectangular, black slate with dark chocolate script and two moist, rich chocolate brownies. Always a nice touch, especially when the waiting staff don’t also come around with some rousing celebratory chant.

The bill, including a bottle of water, 3 glasses of Prosecco and a glass of red wine, came to R1308,00 before tip.  

 

The service was friendly and efficient, the room is elegant , warm and luxurious and the food was excellent.  In the end, we weren’t the only diners but even if we had been, it would still have been a superlative, highly enjoyable evening.