PURE restaurant Valentine's Day Menu judging

THE Amazing Springbok that stole my heart! with spiced beetroot puree, baby caramelized onions, cherry tomatoes, red wine sauce

On Friday I had the privilege of being invited to Pure Restaurant at Hout Bay Manor to do a tasting/ help with some dish judging :) I've never been a judge before ... I must say I quite liked it and found it quite fun. Taste , comment, taste, comment, write some notes, ponder - its strenuous work *wink*





It was a great idea: Each person in the Pure kitchen (except the main chef) got to cook and create a dish for the Valentines Day Menu... then one of their dishes will WIN and be the main course for the official V-day menu at Pure. There were 6 entries and they were all very delicious. But there were definitely 2 dishes that stood out!

Delicious duck on carrot puree, plum carpaccio with 3 bean cassoulet and love-oli (minus the duck in this pic)

Now note that I had let Pure know that i wasn't really eating meat (I have been 90% vegetarian for the last 2 and a half months) They very kindly allowed me to judge/taste the food minus the meat but I did elect to taste a small portion of the one and only game meat on the menu which was springbok and it was AMAZING! So much so I asked them if they would include it in their regular menu at Pure. (So that was my teeny tiny meat indulgence for the month.) but I just couldn't do all the duck, beef, pork and springbok of fear that I would fall asleep after living so happily and AWAKE for the last 2 and a half months! *yes I feel amazing being off meat*

Ok so back to the tasting of food.

Mark Coxon - far right

The winner of the Valentines day dish from Pure's kitchen was Mark Coxon - a 3rd year student at Silwood kitchens. His creation was: Plump duck breast, beetroot puree with pomegranate-vanilla reduction & lusty kimchi salad. It was VERY delicious - even minus the duck for me.

Beetroot Puree with pomegranate-vanilla reduction & lusty kimchi salad

My dining companions were: Max Lund (@maximusland), Retha (@Rethavs), Clark Truter, (@clarktruter), Cheyne (@cheyne_reaction) , Matt Mercer (@mattmercerZA), Lara Scott, Aletta Longari and Alexa from Pure (@purerestaurant)

Snapped a pic of someone else plate: crispy pork belly with Strawberry risotto, mange tout fan and granadilla vanilla syrup

Thanks Pure Restaurant and Hout Bay Manor for a very delicious day