Certain stereotypes are so entrenched in our psyches that dispelling it can come as a great surprise.  Picture the Cape Dutch manor house.  From the outside you see the curved gable, the broad porch, a thatch roof and you notice thick walls – much much thicker than the modern abode.  Inside you picture dark wooden furniture,   wooden floors, dark corners, a mustiness stemming from great age and exposed wooden beams.    It’s a dark, austere place.

From the outside the Grand Dédale House looks the part of the stereotypical Cape Dutch manor house.  A hint of what waits inside is given as you pass the modern patio furniture.  A light, airy, foyer leads you into the heart of the manor.  Beautiful light furnishings, white marble floors and plenty of mirrors await you.  The space is opulent without being garish.   I was blown away by the beauty.

We were invited to Grand Dédale by Angelo Casu, the owner, to cover a wedding they were hosting.  Run of the mill you might think. The kicker, however, was the fact that Luke Dale Roberts of the Test Kitchen was catering the event.  Rarely do we pass up the chance to see someone of Luke’s calibre in action, so we made the trek out to Doolhof Wine Estate in Wellington where Grand Dédale is situated.  Read our review of The Test Kitchen here

Grand Dédale has 6 luxury rooms and there is a separate cottage away from the manor house that can also be booked.  They were choc full on the day we visited, with the wedding party having booked out the property.  The patio outside the manor house was set up for the wedding reception, with the ceremony held in a meadow nearby.  The whole place had the feel of opulent class – the sort of wedding you would see in the old days on Dynasty or Falcon Crest.

Getting 5 minutes of Luke Dale Robert’s time was a big ask on a day like that.  The man is a nice guy, and even though he was slap bang in the middle of prep, he gave us a few minutes to chat.  The question we burned to ask was whether he caters outside of his restaurant often.   Surprisingly for a man as busy as he is, he is more than happy to cater outside events.  He says he needs to be happy that the event is do able in the sense that it is not too big and that the venue is suitable to ensure he gets it right – there’s no half assed ventures here.  The wedding was for 80 people, which is more than twice what he’d have in a sitting at The Test Kitchen.

The couple getting married had eaten Luke’s food before on a visit to SA (they’re Swiss). Obviously blown away, they asked him if he would be interested in doing their wedding.  The rest is history.  Luke proposed the menu, they asked for some changes and voila – one of the best chefs in the country is in your stable for your big day.  Luke says doing food for a wedding is very different to the dishes he would put out at his restaurant.   You cannot simply push out experimental or very complex dishes.  Instead he focuses on maximising flavour in the luxury dishes he sends out.

The menu was made up of canapés like tempura mushroom sushi, chicken liver parfait with pear compote and smoked salmon blinis.  The starter consisted of crayfish salad with roasted butternut, chickpea, ginger and water chestnut.  Certainly luxurious!  Luke confesses to loving Springbok and says that in his opinion it is the best venison you can use.  The passion the man has for food comes out in the glint he has in his eye when he discusses how beautiful he considers a piece of Springbok meat to be.  No surprises then that the mains consisted of Springbok loin with celeriac puree, potato fondant and truffle jus.  We asked him what wine he’d pair with the Springbok, and he said he’d go for a South African big gun like a Waterford The Jem to compliment the richness of the truffle.  To end things off, a dessert of lemon and choc tartlet with raspberry sorbet, berry salad and apple foam left us wishing we were invited to the reception.

Asking Luke what he thinks of the availability of fresh produce, he tells us in no uncertain terms that things have improved a great deal.  He does lament the lack of certain Asian produce, but quite obviously it doesn’t hold him back as his Test Kitchen dishes has a distinct Asian fusion influence.

We couldn’t hang around for the event – I don’t like intruding into somebody’s special day – but on the way out we asked Luke where he would eat if he had to eat out at the same place every day of the week.  He didn’t hesitate too long before he said 95 on Keerom, because of the Italian menu and quality (of course).  High praise indeed coming from the man.

Finding bliss, class, gourmet food, beautiful scenery and opulence in Wellington has become easy.  Stay at Grand Dédale on Doolhof Wine Estate, and you will have it all.  Now for us to find the time to actually go and stay there.   We simply cannot wait.

www.granddedale.com
021 873 4089