Restaurant review: autumn tasting menu at La Mouette

La Mouette is doing a six-course autumn tasting menu, and it was time to figure out what all the fuss was about. I’d heard a lot about this French restaurant in Sea Point (and its cheese croquettes) and, as it turns out, it’s completely worth the hype.

1.  Sweet potato and harissa soup, with lavoche and truffled cheese croquettes (Môreson ‘Miss Molly’ MCC)

Miss Molly and I are already firm friends, and her crisp appley flavours are always welcome at my table.

The soup was great, but once I’d tried a croquette, suddenly nothing else mattered. A crunchy coating gave way to warm, melting, smoky filling, and my senses of sight and hearing grew dim. I’d have been perfectly happy with a bowl of them alone. I’m not known for my stomach capacity however, and decided to exercise some restraint so I’d be able to finish the meal. This was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made. I still think about that poor abandoned croquette all the time.

Recommendation: Eat every one of the croquettes. Ask for more. Be ruthless.

2. Butternut and fontina ravioli,  butternut purée, pickled apple, sage noisette (Alvi’s Drift Viognier 2011)

The pickled apple added a nice crunch-and-punch to the buttery noisette and soft ravioli. We were only just getting to know each other and then it was suddenly finished. Luckily, the wine was still there: this might have been the first pure Viognier I’ve ever tasted (as opposed to a blend) and its buttery-fruity flavour has made me an instant convert.

3. Pan fried line fish with fricassee of gnocchi, carrot emulsion, capers, aubergine puree, braised beef croquette (Villiera Merlot 2010)

or Beetroot tartare with smoked goats cheese, hazelnuts, and toast (Vondeling Petit Blanc [Chenin/Viognier/Chardonnay] 2012) 

Line fish fricasee

Between these two, I have to recommend the line fish. The fish itself wasn’t the best I’ve ever tasted, but the sides! Oh, lord, the sides were heavenly. I could have been satisfied with the gnocchi and aubergine puree on its own. The red wine paired here was unexpected, but the smoky flavours in the fricasee could withstand it.

4. Roasted chicken with caramelised onions, wilted spinach, mash potato, thyme jus  (Journey’s End ‘The Haystack’ Chardonnay 2011)

or Mushroom risotto  with parmesan foam, mushroom ‘caviar’ and crispy mushrooms (Tokara Shiraz 2010)

I have been subjected to so many boring mushroom risottos that I thought I’d never touch one again (thanks, years of vegetarianism). This was utterly different though: the different textures saved it from the awful baby-food mush that sometimes happens, and it had a deep, complex flavour that hinted at more than a spoonful of garlic and old wine. It was much better than the chicken, according to my dining partner. I mean, who hasn’t eaten roasted chicken before? The Shiraz was a little distracting here though: Spice! Fruit! Lots of fruity spice! I had to keep the wine and risotto separate, like naughty kids on a long roadtrip, because they kept interrupting each other.

5. Waldorf salad of gorgonzola, celeriac puree, green apple jelly, candied walnuts, grapes

Deconstructed Waldorf salad

Alright, confession time: I’m a bad foodie, because I’m very, very cautious about mixing sweet with savoury. I can just about manage watermelon with feta, but this deconstructed Waldorf salad pushed too many buttons for me. After tasting the merest slice of a green apple jelly cube, I was content to admire its colour against the slate it was served on, and it sat forlornly with the candied walnuts. The gorgonzola, however, was excellent, and there was a nice generous hunk of it.

6. Chocolate orange: chocolate ganache, orange sorbet, almond finaciers, orange puree (Delheim ‘Spatzendreck’ 2012)

The dessert: Chocolate Orange

This collection of colourful blobs looked like a crazed artist’s palette. I’ve never understood chocolate soil (so, crumbs from the bottom of the Romany Cream packet, then?) but the chocolate ganache was particularly impressive, standing up like a macro-image of a raindrop.  It played ever so beautifully with the cold, sour orange sorbet. By this point in the evening, however, my wine critic abilities were at an all-time low. My notes from the evening confirm that the Spatzendreck was “very, very nice indeed.” Clearly, what I meant was notes of apricot and orange peel.

This was my first outing to La Mouette, but it certainly won’t be my last. This menu will be on offer for the next two weeks, after which it will switch to a new winter menu. I’ll be the girl with the bowl of truffled cheese croquettes and a blissful expression.

La Mouette is in Sea Point, Cape Town.  The tasting menu alone is R185, and with wine pairings  you’ll pay R295 per person. It really is worth it to splash out for the wines too: some of the pairings were expected, some were surprising, but all were delicious. On second though, maybe the pairing is too expensive: you’ll want to invest in six bottles immediately afterwards!

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