Upper Union Launches ‘Seven Colours Sunday’-Inspired Summer Menu
This summer, Upper Union is bringing a fresh, spice-led interpretation of the South African Seven Colours Sunday to its shared table.
For chefs Amori Burger and Jason Jonker, the starting point for the Cape Town restaurant’s new summer menu is the food they grew up eating: the colourful, abundant tables prepared by mothers, grandmothers and the women who fed their families. Think South Africa’s familiar “seven colours”, reimagined through the bold, spice-led lens that has become Upper Union’s signature.
The result is summer and Cape Town on a plate: Lamb takes centre stage, while a distinctly fruit-forward approach brings sweetness, acidity and freshness to the menu. Pineapple, spanspek and crisp Granny Smith apples sit alongside an abundance of fresh herbs, as the deep, warming flavours of winter give way to food that is brighter, cleaner and lighter on the palate.
“We kept coming back to the food we grew up with and those Sunday tables where there was never just one thing on the plate,” says executive chef Amori Burger. “There was colour, abundance, meat at the centre, vegetables, salads, relishes – and everything was made to be shared. For summer, we wanted to capture that feeling but make it unmistakably Upper Union: lots of herbs, freshness, acidity and, of course, a bit of a kick.”
It is a natural fit for Amori, whose own cooking philosophy has long been shaped by family gatherings and the pursuit of the “perfect bite” – something she traces back to childhood weekends spent carefully constructing sandwiches with her sisters so that every mouthful contained a little of everything.
That nostalgic starting point, however, is only half the story.
True to Upper Union form, the chefs have taken familiar South African references and sent them travelling. North and South African flavours meet Turkish, Mexican, Cuban and Indian influences, while a new collection of condiments brings the chilli, acidity and complexity that characterised the restaurant’s winter menu into decidedly sunnier territory.
Among them is salsa macha, the Mexican chilli condiment that brings heat and texture to the menu; bright, citrus-driven Cuban mojo; North African matbucha and chermoula; and a South Indian sambar transformed from stew into a punchy tomato topping.
“We haven’t lost the intensity of flavour that people associate with Upper Union,” says head chef Jason Jonker. “We’ve just changed the balance. The food is fresher and cleaner, with more herbs, fruit and acidity, but then you’ll get a chilli crunch, a fermented mustard or a really punchy relish that changes the whole bite. It should feel exciting without feeling heavy – the kind of food you want to eat outside on a Cape Town summer afternoon.”
It is an approach well suited to Jason, whose cooking is grounded in flavour first and particularly influenced by the interplay of spice, acidity, sweetness and heat found in Indian cooking.
A braai favourite, a Lowveld classic and a three-day lamb jus
One of the clearest expressions of the new menu is the Pork Oepsie, Upper Union’s playful take on a South African braai favourite. The nostalgic maraschino-cherry-and-bacon combination is reworked using pork belly and pomegranate molasses, still cooked over fire, before adding fresh chilli and pineapple.
Then there is Pofadder, the lamb kidney-and-liver sausage associated with the Lowveld. Amori and Jason make their own version with a house blend of spices and serve it with fermented mustard made with Black Label.
The charred beefsteak tomato illustrates just how far a vegetable can travel on a single plate. It is served with tomato sambar, North African matbucha and green chermoula, then finished with a fresh herb salad and Belnori Kilimanjaro cheese from Bapsfontein.
The same root-to-leaf thinking drives the beetroot: smoked beetroot is joined by pickled stems and fresh leaves, salsa macha and a four-month-old Paardekraal Tomme from Graaff-Reinet.
Lamb provides one of the menu’s centrepieces. A rolled lamb saddle is stuffed with a Turkish kebab farce and served with a pomegranate molasses jus that takes three days to prepare – an example of the considerable work happening behind a dish that arrives at the table looking deceptively simple.
Fruit is used throughout not simply for sweetness, but to bring acidity, freshness and contrast to the menu, often playing against richer elements such as lamb and pork. Alongside generous handfuls of mint, dill and parsley, it helps shift Upper Union’s flavour profile into its lighter summer register.
At its heart, though, the new menu remains food designed for a shared table.
Upper Union’s approach to communal dining grew from Amori’s memories of Sunday lunches with her own family – the moment when food arrives, glasses are raised, conversation starts and people linger around the table.
“This menu feels joyful,” Burger adds. “It has all those memories of South African summer lunches in it, but there are also flavours from all over the place. That’s how Jason and I like to cook. We can start with something we remember from childhood and then ask: How do we make it fresher, punchier, more interesting? How do we make you want another bite?”
Dine with us: WomenStuff’s favourite bites
Upper Union’s summer Seasonal Chefs Shared Menu is a masterful example of culinary nostalgia. While it’s easy to think the flavours, ingredients, and dishes we grew up with the in 80s and 90s were best left in the past, this modern reminiscence proves that in the right hands there’s plenty to savour about the past. The menu offers a ‘Pasture Menu’ for carnivores and a ‘Garden Menu’ for vegetarians.
Special mention must go to the Pasture Menu’s Smoked Mussel with Grana Padano, nduja, and sherry vinegar. This hearty seafood dish presents a spicy umami bite you’ll be dreaming about for days to come. You’ve never had mussels quite like this and if you’re a seafood lover you’ll be back for seconds.
Then there’s the Lamb Rump with port jus, broad beans, snap pea, mint, and spanspek. This dish was a skip down memory lane for me; growing up with an Afrikaans mother, spanspek was a staple in our home. It was served at breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a main meal, dessert, or side dish… As the Afrikaners see it, there’s no time of day where spanspek doesn’t shine. Surprisingly this was my first time having this majestic fruit paired with lamb. 10 out of 10. No notes.
When it comes to dessert, they make you choose between a Chocolate Nemesis (with bottega Fior de latte liqueur and mascarpone ice cream, hazelnut praline, and coffee malt syrup) and Portokalópita (with yoghurt ice cream and orange blossom caramel). This isn’t the time to order flippantly; it’s very important that you discuss strategy with those joining you for lunch or dinner to ensure you have the opportunity to try both desserts. The Portokalópita offers a chance to dig into a traditional Greek syrup cake while the Chocolate Nemesis would make Willy Wonka bow in defeat.
Another must try, for any teetotalling guests, is the non-alcoholic pairing menu to go along with the Pasture and Garden menus. It’s absolutely exceptional.It’s a must for anyone who has ever watched on enviously across the table as your smug wine-quaffing friends enjoy a food and wine pairing.
The series of alcohol-free cocktails are expertly paired with the same care and attention to detail as any wine pairing and compliment each dish beautifully. The Midnight Bizaar (a non-alcoholic take on the espresso martini) was my favourite of the bunch, proving to be the ideal end to the meal when paired with either dessert.
Upper Union is located in a heritage building at 3 Upper Union Street, Cape Town, and is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Bookings are recommended; walk-ins are welcome.
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