It had been a few months since I visited Fairmont the Norfolk and I was curious to find out what had changed since I last set foot there.
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Backstory
It was hard to believe that this restaurant was built in 1904. On this day, I was interested in the Tatu Restaurant. However, the other restaurants are Lord Delamare Terrace and Cin Cin bar. Even though this restaurant has been given a modern look over time, there are still elements of it’s traditional charm and rich history. Walking into the restaurant, a wide corridor leads you to Tatu restaurant which is adorned with impeccable African art giving this place an incredible feel. The tables are covered with soft leather table cloths and the seating area overlooks a well stocked kitchen. Something else that caught my eye was the intricate bead work of animal art that sat on the table adding to the African feel. Tatu is a restaurant that has won different accolades over the years.
It was a Monday afternoon and I was starving as I shut down my computer at the office. It was one of those busy days where I had so much to do but I had to make it for the #chefshightable. I was also looking forward to film a restaurant review for my Youtube channel. I felt honoured to be reviewing such a vibrant menu and I thank the Fairmont team tremendously for making this happen. I finally had a chance to meet Chef Aris Athanasiou who is the Excecutive Chef of Fairmont the Norfolk and Fairmont Mara Safari Club. We had a chat about his background, profession and skills and I got to sample his food. I will be doing a chef’s profile in a subsequent post.
The Food
I love this restaurant because of its location and ability to maintain it’s consistency by offering great food and incredible service. That day we had a rather interesting menu. Since they were in the process of changing up their menu, it was only fair that my #chefshightable menu had a mix of both the ‘old’ menu’s items and the new menu dishes. What impressed me was the care and precision that went into every dish. The chef was very meticulous and his attention to detail could be felt with every bite. For example, he made sure that he explained everything to me including the ingredients and their aged meat. If you happen to visit this restaurant and you love meat, make sure you try the beef aged tenderloin. This was so soft and juicy and it had been aged for 21 days. The food was great and very well plated. The duck breast was very tender and I loved how every ingredient worked together. The flowers also helped with the display. I loved the pumpkin soup and it was served while hot. The crunchiness of the apple chips was a welcome surprise to the creaminess of the hot soup. We sipped on the Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon which paired excellently with the beef.
Here is the menu for that day.
Starter
Braised duck breast, orange citrus dressing, rucolla leaves, babay spinach, radish, parmesan shavings and vanilla aromatic olive oil.
Second
King Scallop sauteed, sweet pumpkin puree, edible flowers, lobster bisque, crispy Hamon Serano and potato chips.
Soup
Roasted yellow pumpkin soup, crispy prosciutto, green apple chips.
MAIN
Aged beef tenderloin, caramelised onion jam, crushed truffle potatoes, Glazed snow peas, dark chocolate wine jus.
Dessert
Apple crumble ,caramelized bananas, chocolate mousse creme de cacao sauce.
King Scallop sauteed, sweet pumpkin puree, edible flowers, lobster bisque, crispy Hamon Serano and potato chips.
Braised duck breast, orange citrus dressing, rucolla leaves, babay spinach, radish, parmesan shavings and vanilla aromatic olive oil.
Apple crumble ,caramelized bananas, chocolate mousse creme de cacao sauce.
Aged beef tenderloin, caramelised onion jam, crushed truffle potatoes, Glazed snow peas, dark chocolate wine jus.
Photography by Sylar
Thanks to Fairmont the Norfolk team.
