Review: Crème de la Crème at Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse
The farm, Cleopatra, has been in the Poynton family since the 1940s. It is here where Chef Richard Poynton and his wife, Mouse built what Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse is today: A haven for anyone looking for a culinary retreat.
Chef Richard Poynton’s claim to fame is cooking with butter and cream. His food is filled with flavour and the sauces he has created over the years have become known to add surprise to every dish.
Our stay at Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse revolved around breakfasts, light lunches and the main event: Cleopatra’s famous dinners – all served in the main restaurant beside the lake. While the interiors may seem dated to many, it pretty much serves as a museum, portraying much of Durban and the Midlands’ history, including the Poynton family. It brings things full circle, enriching each bite with a sense of family pride and nostalgia and adding to the overall experience.
Dinners were preceded by drinks, a tradition we quickly came to love. We got to go down to the Cellarium, where Chef Poynton’s impressive collection of wines is stored each night and choose a wine to pair with our meal.
The Ibhansela Encane – a gift from the chef – then kicked off the evening in the form of freshly baked bread rolls served with butter.
A Marinated Beetroot dish followed, with beetroot Créme Fraîche, Chevin goats cheese in chives, a greenhouse herb mix, pistachio nuts and a sultana balsamic dressing. The third course was a typical Sweetcorn Chowder, served with diced potato, a little plain yoghurt and a dash of extra virgin olive oil.
A Berry Granita was served (as they always do) after the third course, to clean the palate and to give us a moment to prepare for main course.
Then, we indulged in a deliciously prepared Norwegian Salmon Parcel, topped with thinly sliced ginger and garlic, complemented with a Thai chili sauce. This was served with prawns, steamed broccoli and oven baked Mediterranean potato chips.
We finally ended off the evening with a homemade Vanilla Terrine with Black Cherries, Cherry Liqueur and full cream sherry.
Chef Poynton remains the head chef at Cleopatra, keeping a watchful eye over what goes into the pots. Still, the team behind the kitchen doors have become like family and they can do much of the cooking with their eyes closed.
