As you know, I love Franschhoek! If I had my way, I would probably move there tomorrow! One of our favourite dining experiences in the area, to date, was dinner at Ryan’s Kitchen. It was a rather romantic affair, which has stuck in my memory ever since!
Ryan’s Kitchen
You can imagine my delight, when an invitation popped up in my inbox, inviting me to visit Ryan’s Kitchen, in their recently relocated and expanded venue!
The new restaurant is beautifully decorated. From the gorgeous duck-egg blue walls, wood and glass furnishings and chic upholstery, it is the essence of understated elegance.
Ryan’s Kitchen is owned and run by Ryan Smith and his wife, Lana. Although a Michelin school trained chef, Ryan was adamant that his restaurant, would serve modern South African cuisine. The menu is driven by local and indigenous ingredients, historical and cultural references, as well as his imagination, flair and ingenuity.
The menu at Ryan’s Kitchen changes bi-weekly and offers diners the option of their new “Small Plates” menu or the signature “Taste of Africa” menu.
Arriving in Franschhoek, for me feels like coming home! It was the perfect day, and we were all set for a much needed, romantic lunch for two.
I love the new location of the restaurant, which is just as you enter the town of Franschhoek. The stark white walls of the exterior, make quite a statement, against the backdrop of the vast Franschhoek mountains! The restaurant also offers outside seating, so on a good day, you can enjoy an alfresco meal and soak up the sun and the beautiful view!
On The Menu
Once comfortably seated, with a wonderfully chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc in hand, we set about looking through the menu. Being lunch, we opted for the “Small Plates” menu and selected a few dishes to try.
Small Plates
Our first selection of small plates was the Smoked Brinjal Dumpling, with Basil and Pine-nut Dressing and the Grilled Goats Cheese, with Apple and Fennel Salad and Granite. There were lots of ooh’s, and aah’s when the dishes arrived. Each dish was beautifully presented, and the aromas were fantastic!
The Smoked Brinjal Dumpling tasted as stunning as it looked – the dumplings were delicate and the basil and pine-nut dressing, had a wonderfully warm spiced flavour. I am not usually keen on pine-nuts, but this combination was magical!
The Grilled Goats cheese was also a rather unusual combination, more in texture than flavour. The goat’s cheese was wonderfully creamy and sticky, while the apple salad and granite were refreshing, cutting through the richness of the cheese.
Next, we decided on the Smoked Snoek Pate, with Parsley Jelly and Mussel and Saffron salad. Again the dish was picture perfect, in fact, it looked almost too pretty to eat! But eat it we did! Again the balance of flavours was outstanding. The smokiness of the snoek was delicately balanced, with the parsley jelly and the mussel and saffron salad was a taste explosion in your mouth.
When I first looked at the menu, I loved the sound of the Roast Duck Breast, so we decided to try that next. The duck breast served with a Broccoli Sponge, Yam Espuma and a Cashew crumble, was cooked to perfection. It was perfectly paired, with the delicious flavours of the sweet yam espuma{sweet potato puree} and earthy broccoli sponge.
Dessert
Naturally, we had to order dessert! We decided to try two, which in retrospect was a bit much but they all sounded fantastic!
Our first dessert choice was the Rooibos Crème Brûlée, with Honeycomb and Honey Ice Cream. The crème brûlée was so smooth and creamy, melt in the mouth! I loved the honey ice cream and the texture, which the crunch of the honeycomb, added to the dish. All complemented marvellously by deliciously fresh figs.
The second dessert was “chocolate heaven”! The Chocolate Plumb Marquis, with caramel crumb and plumb ice cream, was pure indulgence! The Chocolate Plumb Marquis was wonderfully rich but not too sweet, which I prefer in a desert. As well as the plum ice cream the chocolate marquis was surrounded by plum beads and a fragrant, poached plumb. The chocolate and plumb combination, although not common to me, was delicious!
As desserts go, these two are probably among the best I have ever eaten! Not to forget, the stunning presentation!
We had to end off this sublime meal with – you guessed it a double espresso!
Closing Thoughts
Ryan’s Kitchen certainly lived up to the incredible memory I had of dining there previously, fabulous food and excellent service – we will be back soon! If you have not eaten at Ryan’s Kitchen yet, I would highly recommend you book a table!
Trading hours:
Lunch: Monday – Saturday 12:30 – 14:30, Dinner: Monday – Saturday 18:30 – 21:30, Closed on Sunday and Booking is advisable.
Contact Details and Location:
1, Place Vendome, Huguenot Road, Franschhoek. Email: [email protected] or Telephone: +27 (0) 21 876 4598
Beautiful!