Sunday lunch at The Cellars Hohenort

 23 June 2024

 

THE CELLARS HOHENORT

93 Brommersvlei Road, Constantia Heights, Cape Town

 

When I think of “Sunday roast,” I think of roast leg of lamb and gravy, roast potatoes, rice and a medley of vegetables, like caramelised sweet potato, sweet carrots, bean stew and cauliflower with a white sauce, and a cold or hot pudding depending on the season.   

 

It’s a happy memory.

 

I also think of a very British Sunday roast carvery at Hanbury Manor, a five-star hotel in Hertfordshire, where all the food, from proteins to vegetables, was overcooked and the unspectacular gravy was vital for rejuvenating the dry beef.  I don’t even recall the dessert.  

 

It’s just a memory.

 

The Sunday lunch at The Cellars Hohenort is in a different class altogether; very much a contemporary, upmarket take on a traditional meal, showcasing quality ingredients and treating them with respect.

 

This is how you make a new happy memory.

 

We met three friends, one of whom has become The Pork Chop Prophet because of his enthusiastic response to a particular protein after a couple of visits to Guardian Peak restaurant outside Stellenbosch, to experience the gustatory delights of a Sunday roast in one of the most luxuriously opulent dining rooms in the city in one of the best hotel settings too, with a campus of Cape Dutch buildings amongst ancient trees and lush gardens and the backdrop of Table Mountain.

 

It's kinda nice-like.

 

The Sunday lunch menu is priced at R325,00 a person, for a choice of one of two starters, a “Sunday Roast” and dessert.  Obvs, drinks are extra.

Booking is essential, going by how popular the lunch was, but there’s no requirement to pay a deposit when booking a table.

 

One friend drank coffee, I drank a couple of glasses of Aperol Spritz and the other three shared a bottle of red wine and the wife and I had coffee with dessert.

 

The bread course consisted of various bready items with herbed butter and hummus.  As good as bread should be.

There was nobody bold enough to sample the velouté and so it was the double cheese soufflé all round.  

 

The soufflé was absolutely brilliant; lighter than air and gorgeously cheesy with a delectable sauce.

I asked for my roast beef to come to table on its own two feet and the chef complied. The other three were okay with medium rare and I believe they were equally satisfied.  There was a good quantity of al dente vegetables; surprisingly for a lover of the potato, the wife felt there was an over-abundance of them but that wasn’t an issue for anybody else. She also generously shared her beetroot with me. For me, the Yorkshire pudding was thinner and drier than I would’ve liked, given that it was the one item on the menu I really looked forward too. We were promised a rich jus and this deeply flavourful jus was richer than Midas and elevated my beef and lubricated the Yorkshire pudding.

The malva pudding was a proper malva. I can’t give it any higher praise than that.

The bill for us five, inclusive of water, alcoholic drinks and hot beverages, came to R2409,00 before tip.

 

The food was excellent, the service was efficient and friendly and the dining room is truly magnificent.