The Hornygrazer in the Hidden Valley – Overture Restaurant

Our Hornygrazer restaurant reviewer Ross Bowers has ventured to Overture in Stellenbosch before, but as a rival grazer I had to try this Hidden Valley treat for myself. Plus, after listening to my chef boyfriend recounting tales of his own exceptional experiences in the Valley and at Overture, for hours, I knew it was time for a visit.

So last Sunday, Boyfriend and I delved into a five hour, boozy lunch and indulged in dish after dish of what can only be described as truly good food. This is not a place for people who want to taste extraordinary combinations of exotic produce, eat red cabbage three ways or have each incomprehensible element of every dish explained to them by overdramatic theatre students. In short, it’s a restaurant that avoids ‘frog foam’, as my mother likes to describe the dollops of flavourless air typical of most award-winning restaurants around the world.

Overture is an establishment that values fresh, local produce, evident in their ever-changing seasonal menu. Don’t expect the menu on the website to replicate what you get on the day, but the standard is for it to be split into four sections from which you can choose four or, as we did, five courses.

If you are the tasting menu type, there is an eight course tasting menu. I am not the type. And really, quite strongly, advise against the monotonous process of miniscule portion after miniscule portion of often surprisingly similar tasting dishes on any occasion. Whatever you choose, you can add a wine pairing to every course but I really prefer to pick a wine I like.

It’s not like you’re going to stick to one, or even three, bottles anyway…

We were seated at a table outside with a spectacular view over the vineyards of Stellenbosch. I think a lot of the magic of Overture would be lost on a rainy day or an inside table. Which is true of many places. We were presented with olives from the very farm Overture is on, as well as an amazingly decadent smoked aubergine pâté accompanied by seed loaf and spongy olive focaccia. The wine list was very reasonably priced and we agreed on one of my favourites for a hot day with rich food – a Chardonnay Pinot Noir.

1^st Course

A salad of green beans, Duck ham, soft Usana boiled egg & puffed barly

Raw Yellowtail, Asian flavours, avocado & sesame

Terrine de Campagne, pickled cabbage, carrot & brioche

Between us, all three of these found their way to our table. The duck salad is an excellent dish which succeeds in producing individually strong flavours without them overpowering each other. A chef’s opinion was that more seasoning was needed, but all in all the contrasting textures of Rice Crispy-like puffed barly, the freshness of the egg and the melt-in-your-mouth duck was outstanding.

For someone who favours all food raw, the yellowtail was overpowered by the abundance of other flavours on the dish and it would have benefited from a separation of the fish from the salad. Otherwise, the fish was of exceptional quality and the avocado mousse and fresh greens made the perfect dish for a hot day.

My personal favourite was the terrine, a rich dish paired with a fresh salad and vegetable purees, plated up with colours worthy of a work of art. The brioche sounds like an unlikely companion to the dish but the contrast of the salt terrine and the sweet, toasted bread provided the perfect addition.

Be warned – portions are not small. You may have ordered five courses, but this is no tasting menu. Each course is the same size as a dish at a ‘normal’ restaurant, when ordering simply one starter and a main. Also, note that dishes like the terrine require a recovery period before venturing onto the second course of the day.

2^nd Course

Tomato ravioli, basil & parmesan

Sweetbread nuggets, pickled beetroot, gremolata mayonnaise & gorgonzola mousse

Simply due to the rather boring sound of the ravioli, we both ordered the sweetbreads. However, after my curious scanning of the surrounding tables and growing food envy, I think that this was more the fault of an undescriptive menu, rather than the dish itself. The pickled beetroot was the best I’d ever eaten and perfectly paired with the other elements of the dish. I’m almost inclined to say that the sweetbreads had no place in the dish. Unlike the extraordinary sweetbreads of La Colombe, where my addiction began, these breaded nuggets exhibited more of a resemblance to a Spur chicken schnitzel – as my boyfriend pointed out very loudly for everyone to hear.

3^rd Course

Cob, parsley pomme puree, squid, fennel & saffron dressing

Springbok loin, pumpkin, sage & baked potato

We both chose the cob to avoid the heavy meat in the hot weather, and it was cooked to perfection. There was only one downfall, which had been a theme throughout the meal… Why on earth would you omit brussel sprouts from a menu and then throw them all over the dish? No one likes brussel spouts, except one rather strange member of our Marketing Team who can’t be trusted. I fail to understand how the minimal quantity of fennel, for which I had to hunt to find, deserved a mention over the sprouts.

My boyfriend and I frequently debate the depth of menu descriptions, but on this occasion we agreed. Omission of key ingredients is a significant factor for consideration and in the end we decided that it seemed as though perhaps the kitchen wasn’t quite sure if they would always receive their deliveries.

Dessert

Passion fruit soufflé & lime ice cream

Chocolate ‘cookies & cream’ vanilla ice cream

Stilton, Matured Cheddar, Brie, brandied figs and korrel konfyt

After spending a good deal of time ogling desserts on other the tables in an attempt to make a decision, we set our hearts on the ‘cookies and cream’ ice cream. A dish I actually think, for once, deserves the title of ‘deconstructed’ often thrown about menus the world over. We decided against the soufflé because of its enormous size – we were stuffed enough – and steered away from the cheese plate – since the cheeses hailed from elsewhere in the country and were thus hardly a representation of the restaurant’s abilities.

Quite honestly, it was the chocolate that made the dessert for me. It managed to be light but indulgent at the same time and featured three perfect little cookies dotted around the plate on chocolate ganache and slabs of caramel – another omission from the menu. The chef’s opinion was that the caramel should have added that bitter burnt flavor but really, to me, it’s a dessert, so you can’t go too wrong in my eyes.

Bertus Basson, TV star and Head Chef, came over to chat to us about some good, value-for-money places to visit in the city. We finished our wine in a boozy haze until we felt it time to leave this little winelands haven and venture back to the reality of the city.

Overture’s service was ideal – attentive without being the star of the show, a common issue with some top restaurants. Though I may seem critical, I was extremely content with my meal and would happily return. You can turn up for a wine tasting or simply go for a casual lunch and pick one or two items off the menu. The product is good food, and that’s what we were after. Quality and quantity in the perfect setting.

Don’t forget to book.

*4 course Chef’s Menu (select one dish per course): R385, with wine R535

*5 course Chef’s Menu (select 2 first course dishes and one dish per course there after): R445, with wine R585

*8 course Tasting Menu (available only for the whole table): R660, with wine R860

Location:

Hidden Valley Wines
Annandale Road
Stellenbosch

+27 21 880 2721