Cape Town original, Chef Guy Clark, has done his rounds across the globe to master his trade in fine dining. Now, he’s back home as Executive Chef at Tintswalo Atlantic to serve Cape Town a taste sensation of his signature blend of exotic and unique dishes.
Clark is entirely self-taught and only took his passion up professionally at the age of thirty. Finishing in the top 11 of the first season of MasterChef South Africa in 2012, Clark quit his day job and dedicated all his time and effort into his dream of cooking. He tried his hand as a chef in Cape Town, but his potential was far too big to not see what the international culinary field had to offer. He took off to India first, to learn, define his style and hone his flavour-making skills.
He has spent the past four years experiencing the culinary dream of being exposed to international flavours and kitchens. From spending 2013 in India re-designing and running the family kitchens of businessman Analjit Singh, to being appointed to launch European/African fusion restaurant, Uzuri in New Dehli. He made his way to the USA in 2014 where he worked as a Sous Chef at high-end seafood restaurant Seaspice in Miami. Then as Exectuive Sous Chef at kosher bakery Zak the Baker. 2015 saw him winning episode 11 of Food Network’s ‘Cutthroat Kitchen’ in Los Angeles, as well as taking on a position as Culinary Consultant at the Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel.
There’s no place like home, though. Clark decided to return to the cape in 2016 and team up with former fellow MasterChef contestant Samantha Nolan to try something new. The pair set up pop-up restaurant 1693 at Bellingham Homestead in Franschoek. With the success of the pop-up, Clark wanted something long-term. That’s when he joined Tintswalo Atlantic as Executive Chef in 2017.
Clark is bringing dishes focused on flavour and substance, while keeping it simple and using ingredients in their purest form in order to deliver a superior menu. The chef’s new eight-course tasting menu ‘Ocean & Ash’ cites local ingredients and presents unusual presentation and powerful flavour. The first course includes three variations of seaweed, which Clark says makes perfect sense, as it’s available in abundance right on the restaurant’s sea-step.
The following three courses are themed ‘smoke’. Clark brings exciting creations such as Springbok, snoek and pistachio ash balls. Rooibos smoked kudu and wild garlic smoked ‘skattie’ cheese and ocean water cured egg yolk are a part of the taste journey too, presented over burnt wild garlic ash, which is also used for the fourth dish of Liquid umami.
Just over the half-way point of the extensive tasting menu, the fifth course is a seafood classic, appropriate to Tintswalo Atlantic’s beautiful seaside location. Atlantic line fish, burnt lemon rind, scallop and seaweed velouté graces Clark’s menu for the fifth tasting.
The final main course embodies another local theme of ‘Fynbos’. Fynbos rabbit wrapped in fermented goats cheese ash case and served with wild sorrel butter, comprising unique texture of six different mushrooms including shimeji, king oyster and shitake. The delectable dessert of ‘Buchu’, consisting of Buchu ice cream, ash meringue and ocean salt itakuja valrhona chocolate finishes off on a delicious note.
Tintswalo Atlantic invites guests to enjoy a fine dining experience close to the ocean for a unique culinary experience and the prefect setting for a gourmet dining evening.The restaurant is open to in-house hotel guests, as well as other diners by prior arrangement and subject to availability. Chef Guy Clark will present his ‘Ocean & Ash eight-course tasting menu once a week, with a maximum of 10 guests. The menu is priced at R1100 per person, reservations essential.
If you want to spend a little while longer than just dinner at Tintswalo Atlantic, take advantage of their special ‘Winter Warmer’ package. From 1 May – 31 August 2017, enjoy a nights stay at Tintswalo Atlantic, as well as breakfast, a five-course dinner and a bottle of house wine, all for R7000 for two people sharing. (2-night minimum stay over weekends)
OF NOTE
When Tintswalo Atlantic is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week. The ‘Winter Warmer’ special is available from 1 May – 31 August 2017.
Where Table Mountain National Park, Chapmans Peak Dr, Hout Bay
Cost R1100 eight-course tasting menu per person, maximum 10 guests. Reservations essential. ‘Winter Warmer’ special R7000 per two people sharing.
Contact +27 21 201 0025, [email protected]
Photography Tom Clark