SA brandy gets wheels

The SA Brandy Foundation pushed the trolley out yesterday at Luke Dale-Robert’s Test Kitchen in Woodstock at a blow-out lunch. While Michelin *** addresses boast chariots de frommage, you may hear Tenashe Nyamudoka ring the chirpy bicycle bell of his delivery trolley loaded with SA brandies next time you’re in the kitchen. Not Hell’s Kitchen, but Gourmet’s GalleyTM.

trolley

Several brandies were showcased during the course of a six course meal. Van Ryn 12yo was muddled into a cocktail as aperitif along with crispy crackling and a mayonaise dipping sauce served in a pewter tankard. I’m not convinced a mixer is necessary for a spirit hailed as best brandy in the world at one or other blind tasting in London, but hey, I’m not a MW or even a CWM.

It would have been nice to hear Tenashe extol on the various food pairing options of the spirits he’s presumably curated to match Luke’s theatre of food. Or maybe he did, but I was too entranced by the cauliflower cheese w. fresh truffle and black garlic salsa that was almost as perfumed as the Oude Molen XO.

duck

The best dish was pan-seared duck breast, sous vided to perfection and served with an orange emulsion (not shown above), turnip and cashew puree and bbq turnips. Or braaied, as we say in SA. Speaking of which, WOSA missed a free lunch or did braiis leave along with Andre Morgenthal who has popped up as a Chenin Blank talking head at their upcoming Breedekloof symposium.

ldr

Selling Luke and Tenashe on SA brandy could be the breakthrough the industry needs. For Luke vouchsafed a couple of diners only booked their trips to SA once their reservations at the Kulinere KombuisTM have been confirmed. Let’s hope their full and unabridged birth certificates and other immigration niceties are in order.