Quentin at Oakhurst: Feels like a Cape Town throwback.
A rustic, cozy restaurant in Hout Bay that feels like Cape Town restaurants used to feel in the 2000s.
A glimpse of the interior of Quentin
Growing up in the Southern suburbs of Cape Town, I am no stranger to those suburban farm stalls which are scented with woody smoke and where you can be sure to find a vegetable soup served with whole wheat bread and butter which was always so delicious and nourishing after playing on those wooden rocking horse or swings in the playground. To cut a long story short - I appreciated the bread. It amplified the somewhat 2000s cape town quality dining experience.
Whole Wheat bread and butter
The bread was soft and fluffy yet savory with a good crust and a satisfying swallow sensation that feels like a lump of butter and bread is blessing your esophagus. I was satisfied with the amount of butter and that it was a slice taken from a block and so was clearly not old butter. My only issue is that during the times of covid maaaybe the butter should be covered or given in individual plates. Same with the sea salt finishing flakes and black pepper which was put in little dishes which seemed to be reused between seatings or at least talked over for the majority of the evening.
Fiercely charred snails (with a walnut and garlic butter gratin)
These snails really were searingly hot and I loved it. Tender and obnoxiously garlicky little mouthfuls. Possibly bordering on too much garlic in the case of one person consuming the entire dish themselves, that being said any less in any of the elements and the garlic would have been sorely missed. The gratin was golden and the entire dish topped with little buttered white toast dippers. The dippers became saturated very quickly and in that way it didn’t provide the best vessel for consuming a lot of the garlic butter. These were really good as they didn’t increase the heaviness of the dish however some crusty french loaf could have made this dish sufficient and satisfying as a main dish. In the good old days when cruise ship food was less commercialized, I grew to love snails as a toddler. So due to my nostalgia for the dish, my standards are high and these snails definitely met those standards. Love the fresh parsley.
Roasted loin of kingklip (with our signature hazelnut and lemon zest crumble. Served with sautéed greens, fennel-seeded baby tomatoes and deglazed butter-pan juices.)
Firm, fresh and perfectly cooked Kingklip. The vegetables were generous and fresh. It was refreshing to have al dente greens without the addition of peppers. And the absence of a starchy side complemented the freshness of the dish. The soft but firm fish went so well with the crunchy and fattier crumble. The butter-pan juices were certainly buttery but also intensely lemony. Which was delicious but also possibly lacking in a mellowing element. While the crumble could have played that mellow role it rather just made the dish richer without much more flavor. I added some salt which fish needs and that improved the satiety of the dish. It just felt lacking in something not sure if it was garlic or onion or salt or herbs. That being said, the dish delivered quality, freshness and allowed the beautiful fish and vegetables to be the star of the show. I would order it again but it was not the most mind-blowing fish dish or a dish which I would go home and crave or suggest it to someone going.
Pink rose, pistachio, apricot, date, pomegranate, fig and toasted sesame frozen nougat (Served with candied fennel seeds.)
I love the idea of this. Generous studdings of decadent, gooey sweets and a frozen nougat which I imagine would be made of whipped egg whites and sugar and then frozen. It did taste as if it was more of a crumbly ice cream and was forehead numbingly sweet as every element was very sugary. The candied fennel seeds scattered over the slice of frozen nougat brought a somewhat oriental element to it - similar to those colourful candied spices and sweets they pour into your hand as you leave an Indian restaurant. This followed the theme of pomegranate and pistachios and sesame and rose and dried fruits (!) to make this a very Turkish-french fusion dessert. That being said it was slightly too rich and sweet for me to enjoy. I was searching for something refreshing and craved more fresh pomegranate seeds. The rose was intense so if that's not a flavour you like then I wouldn’t suggest this dish. This was a creamily rich but crumbly Turkish style semi-frozen nougat. It was just too sweet and was mind-numbingly rich when coupled with the creamy ness of the dairy in the nougat and the intensity of the fennel and rose flavour.
Drinks trolley
I just greatly appreciate the traditional hospitality of this and it ends the evening on a good note. I’m not sure the quality of ages of the liquors that were offered but that seems neither here nor there as it is complementary and enjoyable to pick your digestif. I enjoyed a glass of white port.
I have been to Quentin a couple of times for a family dinner and always leave feeling well-fed, full of good wine, and nostalgic. For a warm and rustic environment with good food which you can taste has been made with butter and love - come here. Head chef Quentin Spickenell has had an extensive and very successful career across the world. I definitely recommend going to Quentin for a delicious meal.
Menu items I ordered from the Spring a la carte menu:
Fiercely charred snails R 115 ; Roasted loin of Kingklip R229 ; Frozen nougat R122
3 Dorman Way, Hout Bay, Cape Town, 7806 https://oakhurstbarn.com/
