Pot Luck Club: Cape Town, South Africa
This was the best meal of the entire trip. Seriously.
When I was planning our South African adventure, I was lucky enough to be given the heads up about this incredible restaurant from my friend Catherine - who described it as one the best meals she's every had. Considering she's incredibly well travelled and has excellent taste, I knew right away that this was not to be missed!
Located in the Woodstock neighborhood, the restaurant was about a 15 minute drive from our hotel. The area is considered "up and coming" and therefore can seem a little rough if you aren't sure where to go. Our Uber driver even commented that he wouldn't drive away until he saw us actually enter the building. However, his concern was unnecessary - the Pot Luck Club is located in the Old Biscuit Mill, which has been converted into a small business park of shops and other restaurants. There is a safe parking area with a guard and the restaurant actually employs their own guard to assist guests with getting taxis etc. When we were leaving, we gave him our Uber driver's info and he went out to direct him into the parking lot. It was really helpful, made us feel completely safe, and was a lovely end to an already incredible evening.
The restaurant itself was smaller than I'd expected but really dynamic with an open kitchen, a small bar where we waited for our table and incredibly friendly staff. You know that feeling when you walk in to a new place and immediately get a good vibe? That's what we felt when we arrived and we weren't disappointed! The menu is laid out according to taste sensation (sweet, salty, umami, bitter and sour) and you order like you would in a sushi restaurant (by writing the dishes on a slip of paper). Our waitress then took this away and worked out the best order for the dishes. We went with seven main savory dishes and then two desserts, which ended up being the perfect amount for us.
Fish Tacos:
These were served with fresh ceviche, black bean puree, avocado and sour cream. The pastry was more like poppadoms than taco shells and we were instructed to squish them down a bit before eating. What a way to start - full of flavor but still really light and airy, these went down a treat. The fish used changes from day to day depending on what is available but we were lucky enough to have tuna, which worked perfectly with the cilantro flavors.
Shredded Confit Duck Leg:
Of course, something had to be the least favorite dish of the night and unfortunately, this was it for us. Don't get me wrong, served with a plum vinaigrette, plum hoisin and Chinese 5 spice crisp, this dish was very tasty but it just didn't live up to the amazing flavors of the rest of our meal. I think part of the issue was that the asian flavors didn't come through as intensely as I expected.
Peri Peri Chicken:
When in South Africa, you have to get the peri peri chicken! Portuguese in origin, this is a very popular dish within the country so we knew this would probably be a good place to try it. This dish really surprised me with how much flavor they were able to pack into a relatively small serving. The feta and roasted peppers were also a nice addition and really helped to soften the spice!
Parmesan and Buffalo Mozzarella Arancini:
I'll be the first to admit that arancini are generally a disappointment. Dry and flavorless, I've learned to steer clear in more situations. However, these were accompanied by smoked garlic and apple mayo, aged balsamic vinegar and burnt leek - which, considering these are some of my favorite ingredients, made them impossible to resist. And... these were delicious! I think the small size helped because they were nicely crisp on the outside without being too dry while the buffalo mozzarella added a nice saltiness.
Fish Sliders:
I had seen this dish mentioned in several glowing reviews so we were keen to give them a go. While the cod was tasty and the buns were nicely soft and chewy, I ended up giving half of mine to Matt since I was still dreaming of the fish tacos we had tried earlier. I did like the addition of the pickled onions though!
Springbok Rump:
This was the third or fourth time we'd tried springbok on the trip and to be honest, it's very similar to venison back in the UK. However, this was definitely the most elevated version as it was served with beetroot ketchup, ash baked beets and tomato xo dressing. I particularly liked the beets since they added a nice sweetness without overpowering the springbok.
Smoked Beef Fillet:
Our waitress definitely saved the best for last with this dish. The fillet was served with black pepper and truffle cafe au lait sauce - which I had never heard of before and am now completely obsessed with. Slightly sweet with an impressive truffle hit, the sauce was perfection. The beef was also perfection - seared to medium rare with just the right amount of salt. We're both seriously still dreaming of this dish!!
Braaied Banana Risotto:
Being slightly greedy, we of course couldn't resist dessert! The first was this braaied banana risotto which was served with mango, litchi and avocado ice cream. I'd never heard of avocado ice cream before and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. It wasn't too sweet but added a nice softness to the dish. The banana flavor came through nicely in the risotto and I can never say no to mango so was very pleased overall. However, our final dish of the night was pretty special...
Heaven's Bacon:
This dish had it all: almond and apple tart, burnt peanut butter, popcorn ice cream, apple gummies and maple glazed bacon. How can those components not equal an incredible dish? I have to admit I'm a bit of a sucker for maple glazed bacon and am very pleased that it seems to be popping up on menus more frequently these days. The apple gummies were another nice touch since they weren't too sweet and added a different texture to the dish.
Overall, I think it's safe to say this was one of the best meals I've ever had and definitely the best one of this trip. Our total bill came to about 1000 rand (60 GBP) and that included three alcoholic drinks each. To be honest, that would probably be the per person cost at a similar restaurant in London!
Restaurant Info:
Website: https://thepotluckclub.co.za/menu/
Address: Silo Top Floor, Old Biscuit Mill, 373-375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town,
