A Perfect Night at Ember & Oak
- Location: Constantia (Southern Suburbs Winelands)
- Cost: Approx R400 pp including alcohol and tip.
- Vibe: Intimate bistro with farm-to-table influences in a rustic-chic space.
- Service: Excellent. Some of the best in Cape Town, I’d go so far to say.
The first time I went to Ember and Oak I visited with 5 of my friends, which meant lots of talking! I recall the food being very good, but I wasn’t able to give it the level of attention I like to when enjoying a meal.
Wanting to return, I visited on Friday night with my childhood friend, Mel, as she lives in the Deep South. Uitsig made for the perfect meeting point between our two homes. Booking via Dineplan, it was Mel’s first visit while I was happy to be back to try the updated menu.
It was the most beautiful evening at Uitsig. No wind, the last of the hazy summer light filtering over the contours of the mountain top as the pink roses of the rose garden retired for the evening.
While Mel started off with a glass of Uitsig unwooded Chardonnay (R85). All wine is from Constantia.
I enjoyed an Aperol margie (R110). I’m not the biggest Aperol fan (don’t like bitter flavours), but I love the texture of slushies so I had to indulge.
Combined with tequila and orange, it was very refreshing and, honestly, I thought the server had said, “Apple Margie” not Aperol, so I was surprised when I realised it was Aperol.
DINNER FOR TWO
Our server, Tino, recommended we had 2 plates each, but knowing they were small plates we ordered 3 each. We were happy to have them “as they come out”, so that we get the best version of the food opposed to wanting all 6 at the same time and allowing some to cool while the rest were cooked, etc. Following the pace of the kitchen tends to result in better quality meals.
The 6 dishes we ordered included:
- Tuna Tataki – seared with jalapeno dressing, furikake (Japanese condiment) crumb, teriyaki sauce, citrus salsa – R100
- Cape Malay Cauli – coconut, curry, apricot – R95
- Pit-roasted sweet potatoes – braai’d leeks, creme fraiche, garlic oil, chives – R85
- Pork belly lollipops – Smoked pork belly skewers, kimchi dressing, sesame – R115
- Sausage – Smoked brisket and boerenkaas sausage, jalapeno salsa and crispy onions – R95
- Dirty Steak – Carpaccio-style seared fillet, braised mustard seeds, guasacaca (avo salsa), radish Mexican crunch – R120
Our REVIEW
Mel’s husband likes to fish so she eats a LOT of fish, and still loved the Tuna Tataki. I would classify the Dirty Steak as a large plate as there was more than enough for both of us. The Porkbelly Lollipops get rave reviews online (and they are very tasty), but they come in 3’s, which is an awkward sharing number. So we both ordered them and didn’t skip a beat!
The absolute standout dish is the cauliflower. I love cauliflower, some people hate it. This dish is vegan and absolutely divine as it combines Cape Malay flavours (so a soft curry flavours with sweet apricot) topped with crunchy, toasted coconut shavings. I’ll never stop ordering this as it’s a great example of produce elevated with local flavours.
The last two dishes were the sweet potatoes and sausage. I actually hate sweet potatoes, but this is a delicious iteration as the pit-roasted char and creme fresh tone down the sweetness. It’s a good filler dish to accompany the other dishes with bold flavours.
The sausage is rich and reminded me of late night food in London for some reason. Salty, cheesy, indulgent. (I doesn’t taste like traditional smoked brisket so don’t order it if it’s what you’re expecting.)
After dinner, chef Tim came to greet us (as he did with all tables) and treated us to a shot of Shanky’s, an Irish liquor, which I would equate to the adult’s version of caramel vodka – a nice way to end the meal. I wanted to get to desserts, but got distracted by the Mexican Mule (R110). It was hot – definitely competing with Bodega’s Mule!
WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE
In the spirit of transparency, I want to start adding one negative thing to each of my reviews. This really was the perfect night out for two ol’ gal pals, but if I had to find one thing to critique is that the tables are a quite close together.
This wasn’t a problem for us because we were having a whale of a time! But the couple next to us probably weren’t that interested in us rehashing our childhood trauma’s! They left relatively soon after we arrived. (And the metal chairs could do with some cushions.)
What It Cost
We decided to split the bill and paid R700 each for the 6 sharing plates, 2 drinks each, a 20% tip and Mel’s R20 parking (I have Admyt which was R5 cheaper). The service was excellent and we really had the most perfect evening catching up on years gone by (we’ve known each other since we were about 8).
We loved our visit at Ember & Oak and are already looking for another occasion to return. The menu will be changing again with the seasons so there’s always something new to try. Book via Dineplan.
