Magic on the Menu at Dash Restaurant & Bar! [Review]
There’s a reason Dash restaurant at the Queen Victoria Hotel in the Waterfront, is currently rated one of the best in the city. The contemporary black and white decor elegantly sets the scene for what can only be described as culinary magic. Yup magic, because how else do you explain food that’s this delicious other than sorcery? The boyfriend and I popped in to try new Executive Chef, Germaine Esau’s 4-course tasting menu experience and (spoiler alert!) from the very first bite up until the last sip of wine it was nothing but magical. And, when it comes to a dining experience such as this what’s a mere R375 for the privilege of going on a 4-course gastronomic journey you won’t soon forget? For me, it’s worth every penny – especially when celebrating a special occasion.
One of the things I love about visiting Dash restaurant & bar is the service, the Queen Victoria Hotel is renowned for its impeccable service and dining at the hotel restaurant allows you to feel like royalty for an hour or two. When we arrived our waitress greeted us with a smile befitting of a beauty pageant finalist before guiding us to our table and showering us with the most delicious freshly baked bread. Served with an array of different flavoured butters, the bread alone is a taste experience. But don’t fill up on the bread because by the end of the night, when all you want to do is fit JUST. ONE. MORE. BITE into your mouth you’ll be berating yourself for your lack of self-control when it comes to saying no to more bread (surely it’s not just me?).
As if I needed any more excuses to devour more bread the first of the four courses was a Parsnip Soup served with a slice of olive toast with bacon jam. The soup in itself was a rich creamy taste sensation and after finishing my generous helping I decided to take advantage of the fact that the boyfriend doesn’t eat soup and finished half of his as well. I would have gulped down the whole thing but half-way through shovelling soup into my mouth I reminded myself that it’s a marathon, not a sprint and that more food was indeed on its way. Next up was a Kingklip Carpaccio, Avocado Mousse, and Salmon Tartar which all worked together beautifully to create a remarkably fresh fish course to entice any seafood fan. For me, it was the creaminess of the avocado mousse coupled with the crunchiness of the mini scotched quail egg on the plate that really took this dish to a new level of wonderful.
Our third course was a beautiful medley of Seared Duck Breast and Confit Baby Chicken with cranberry jus and carrot purée. The sweetness of the cranberry gravy paired so well with the duck and chicken while a splattering of mushrooms gave the dish a rich umami flavour that brought back memories of Sunday roast dinners and the joy of hearty home cooked meals. By the time this main course came I was already wondering how I was going to fit in the dessert (the chef’s decadent chocolate surprise) and it got me thinking that people, myself especially, really do underestimate the idea of tasting menu. The 4-course menu at Dash is oh-so-generous and definitely won’t have you stopping off at your favourite takeaway spot for a top-up on the way home.
We also paired our meal with the suggested wines on the tasting experience menu and in the end enjoyed three delicious wines. The menu offers a wine suggestion for each course and the pairing is a great way to take the tasting menu to the next level. The wines are also well priced and you can expect to add on about R140 to the price of the tasting menu ( which is R375 per person) if you’re thinking of including all three suggested wine pairings. If wine isn’t your thing then I’d suggested you try one of the delicious cocktails from the bar. Dash makes some of the best cocktails in town and a fresh cocktail is a great way to start your meal at this chic spot!
Dash is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Find Dash restaurant & bar at the Queen Victoria Hotel, Portswood Ridge, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. For more information on Dash say Hi to Dash Restaurant & Bar on Facebook or visit the Newmark Hotels website. To make your reservation at Dash call them on 021 418 1466 or email res@queenvictoriahotel.co.za.
