Delaire Graff’s lavish take on Japanese cuisine: HŌSEKI
The opulent Delaire Graff Wine Estate was closed for round about five months recently, with loyal guests burning to see the highly anticipated changes. Apart from remodelling some of the luxury accommodation offering, Delaire Graff has also bid farewell to its eleven-year-old Indochine Restaurant, to make way for something new: HŌSEKI Restaurant. Like swallows taking a cue from changing seasons, Delaire Graff’s team journeyed into a space with a familiar, but different dining experience.
Why the sudden change?
Chef Virgil Kahn – the executive chef for the brand-new, Japanese-inspired restaurant – is a highly appraised chef who has cooked in Gordon Ramsay’s Maze and at The One&Only Cape Town’s Nobu. He says Delaire Graff owner and well-known diamantaire, Laurence Graff has been expressing his thoughts about the latest global dining trends for quite some time before making the move to launch the new restaurant. “Migrating toward Japanese dining trends and the new scope of healthy, clean eating was a good move,” says Chef Kahn.
With a responsibility to continuously offer guests a five-star dining experience in addition to their five-star stay, Chef Kahn certainly had his work cut out for him when it came to omakase menu planning. “The hospitality industry is a forward-moving industry,” he says, hence the need to continuously adapt. That also means being attentive to diners’ preferences and eating patterns. “People’s health trends and eating patterns have changed.” Chef Kahn is vigilant of being trapped in his own culinary bubble and says one gets set in one’s ways too easily, which prevents you from seeing new trends. That’s why his team is so valuable to him, especially when it comes to menu planning.
With the guidance of their well-travelled owner, the team managed to pin down and incorporate the latest dining trends into an exquisite dining experience at HŌSEKI.
Linger and dine for longevity
These days, people don’t want to sacrifice their health and younger generations tend to eat lighter meals. Asian cuisine is very accommodating when it comes to this style of dining, which is why this Japanese-themed restaurant can’t be more fitting.
HŌSEKI is less fine dining, more farm-to-table dining, with a larger wine focus than its predecessor, Indochine. It offers a much lighter approach to the menu, focusing on clean and healthy dining. The plating of menu items has been simplified, with a mere three to four elements on the plate. Ultimately, the focus is on prime produce.
Lievland Café is a Hidden Gem in The Cape Winelands That You Must Visit
Nestled amidst the picturesque Stellenbosch Winelands, Lievland Café is a must-visit destination for those seeking an enchanting dining experience.
Of course, the dining experience is elevated with sake and wine suggestions by professional on-site sommeliers, including wines from the estate, as well as neighbouring wine farms.
