On Sunday evening, the 22nd of February, the local restaurant industry sadly lost one of its most respected and talented chefs, Frank Zlomke, to cancer.

Born and trained in Germany, Zlomke worked at gourmet restaurants and hotels in San Francisco, Hong Kong and Singapore, before joining the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl in 1992, where he later became executive chef of Bosman’s restaurant there.

During his 17-year reign at Bosman’s, he garnered accolades including the Relais and Chateaux Grand Chef Award, Wine and Food Society Award, American Express Platinum Fine Dining Restaurant Award, as well as an induction as Maître Rôtisseur into the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and Eat Out Top Ten Restaurant Award.

One of the first chefs in South Africa to introduce tasting menus to the diner, he was known for his innovative approach to food – combining traditional, European cooking styles with African, Cape Malay and Indian influences.

Garnet Basson, general manager of the Grande Roche Hotel, says that Zlomke not only put his own unique stamp on the hotel, but all over the world. “He will be remembered for his calm approach to life, his passion for his work and his dedication to his family,” says Basson. “He will be deeply missed by all his colleagues at Grande Roche.”

Chef Zlomke is survived by his wife Fahema and their two sons Azar and Keanu.

– Annette Klinger

Sources:
http://www.wine.co.za/news/news.aspx?NEWSID=13318&Source=News
http://www.granderoche.co.za/index.php?id=84
http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/culture/sachef-lufthansa.htm