In celebration of food writer Ingrid Shevlin’s birthday, our little lunch club met at the Chefs’ Table in uMhlanga, where executive chef Mark Armbruster treated us to a culinary journey of interesting food and unusual flavours.
The Chefs’ Table, located at Protea Mall, 1 Chartwell Drive, uMhlanga, is open for lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday, offering a range of creative dishes that will tantalize your taste buds. From baby crayfish with saffron risotto in a rich seafood sauce to prawn ravioli with grilled prawn in a rich prawn bisque sauce, the menu is a testament to the chef’s innovative approach to cooking.
Unique Flavours and Combinations
The menu has been expanded since my last visit, with new additions including steak, grill, and seafood options. However, the interesting combinations remain, making it difficult to choose just one dish. We started with delicious little warm milk bread rolls with whipped butter and baba ganoush, which set the tone for the rest of the meal.
The nibbles section of the menu includes prawn toasts, chicken liver pate, and oysters, either natural or with lime ponzu, red onion, and pickled ginger foam. Starters include crispy squid with green curry, yoghurt, fruit chutney, and curry leaf, or wood oven king prawns with saffron risotto, Iberian chorizo, and lumpfish caviar.
Standout Dishes
The ladies were so enthralled by the starters that they ended up having two of them instead of a main course. The Korean barbecue squid with cucumber ribbons and lime curd was a particular favourite, as was the beef tartare with smoked yolk and garlic bread. The prawn ravioli with roasted prawn, crispy squid, confit lemon, lumpfish caviar, and shellfish extraction was also a hit, with the seafood bisque adding beautiful depths of flavour to the dish.
Ingrid raved about her artichoke salad with black truffle, grana padano, and porcini dust, which was loaded with artichokes. I enjoyed the coal roasted octopus with Korean BBQ, compressed cucumber, lime curd, kimchi, and peanuts, which had a real bite to it. The octopus tasted like it had been grilled over charcoal, and the cool cucumber ribbons and lime curd added a nice contrast to the dish.
- Baby crayfish with saffron risotto in a rich seafood sauce
- Prawn ravioli with grilled prawn in a rich prawn bisque sauce
- Korean barbecue squid with cucumber ribbons and lime curd
- Beef tartare with smoked yolk and garlic bread
For more information on the KwaZulu-Natal region and its culinary offerings,
