Playing with Good Food
Bright red caramelised goats’ cheese lollipops peek out from a patch of wheatgrass like two festive flowers. A small clay flower pot showcases crudités “planted” in edible soil, created from herb mousse and breadcrumbs. The Greenhouse seems to be a suitably named restaurant for such imaginatively themed canapés. They also provide some clues as to why Chef Peter Tempelhoff has been graced with multiple awards lately.
One of these accolades is particularly honourable. Achieving Grand Chef status from Relais & Chateaux is a lifetime achievement for Peter. He has been working towards the award for the last 15 years: “As a young chef I didn’t realise how much was involved, but I wanted to emulate the Grand Chef I was working with at the time, Franck Zlomke. I felt that South Africa could do with another Grand Chef.”
It takes only one bite of the first course during a dinner at The Greenhouse to agree. The warm sweet potato mousse with crayfish and leeks melts in the mouth and sustains the expectations set by the appetisers. Served in egg shells, the dish is a fun and playful experience. Peter points out that these are the type of unique creative touches that make all the difference: “It has to be an experience, not just a dinner. We want to make our food unique; do something that no one else is doing.”
Peter Tempelhoff is South Africa’s third Grand Chef, and its first for Cape Town. The elite title involves a strict set of criteria, which includes spending a lot of time at Relais & Chateaux hotels and buying into the whole lifestyle and ethos of the brand. While we do not have the Michelin star rating in South Africa, achieving Grand Chef status also means having to adhere to Michelin one or two star standards, as well as having international appeal: “A couple of years ago we had an anonymous Michelin inspector at our restaurant who advised us to work on the style, the service and the food. Then, last year, we hosted 70 Grand Chefs in South Africa and managed to wow them. We focused on detail, added some fun elements and they were impressed. The whole process is like joining a prestigious club.”
While working towards the title, Peter spent his time studying the chefs he admires. “I spent seven years in England and decided to stay no longer than one-and-a-half years per restaurant. All the different kitchen scenarios and influences helped me to grow in different ways. Marco Pierre White from Quo Vadis in London taught me kitchen efficiency and how to make things run seamlessly behind the scenes. Aaron Patterson from Hambleton Hall in the countryside taught me all about combining tastes and textures. This is what I believe defines me as a chef today.”
The salmon trout mi cuit served with asparagus, corn, smoked potato, chorizo and sweet corn chowder is a case in point. Simple food, prepared well and masterfully combined has earned The Greenhouse at the Cellars Hohenort property in Cape Town another award. Besides Grand Chef status for the five restaurants that Peter oversees within “The Collection by Liz McGrath” for Relais & Chateaux, The Greenhouse also recently won the top spot as best restaurant in South Africa at the Eat Out Top Ten awards.
“Aiming for perfection is the most important thing to me. It’s about managing the kitchen well and crafting the menu. Everything needs to be just right, otherwise there’s no point doing it. I still travel a lot to work with other chefs and learn from them in their own kitchens. This way I draw inspiration from New York to Tokyo,” explains Peter.
Peter believes in sustainability and old fashioned food romance. It all started with churning ice cream as a child and picking apricots to make jam with his father. “I really like the old agrarian way; a lifestyle based around a central market. It’s where we feel natural as human beings. We build social bonds. I would very much like to see a fantastic fresh fish market in Cape Town.”
This romantic notion of food is expressed clearly at The Greenhouse, both in terms of its gourmet delights combined with simple ingredients (such as foie gras with lentils), as well as its setting. The glass venue personifies the idea of a greenhouse, with bright early evening light spilling through the leaves of large trees and into the dining room, where tables are set with white tablecloths and fine white porcelain.
At the end of an evening there is not one thing less than perfect to point out. From the smell of garden roses on entering the property, to the perceptive service and Vin de Constance pairing with smoked chocolate and peanut gateaux, it is all just… Delicious.
Story by Lize de Kock
