Luke Dale-Roberts plates up at the make-shift pass in a converted container at the Guga S’Thebe Cultural Centre in Langa. Photo by Gavin Withers.

This past weekend two stellar four-course lunches were presented to guests at The Test Kitchen X The Langa Project pop-up, held at the Guga S’Thebe Cultural Centre in Langa, Cape Town. All proceeds from the event – ticket sales, donations on the day, and winning auction bids amounting to more than R200 000 – will go to the Noluthando Early Childhood Development Centre and Project Archangel. The Noluthando Early Childhood Development Centre in Langa provides a safe, caring and hospitable environment for children in the local and surrounding communities, and Project Archangel raises funds and support for St Michael’s Home for Abused Teenage Girls.

Guests were welcomed with Graham Beck brut and Cluver & Jack cider. Photo by Andy Lund.

Various individuals volunteered their time, money and produce for the event, including the chefs from SA’s number-one restaurant, The Test Kitchen. In addition to the R250 paid by each guest for the fine-dining lunch paired with gorgeous local wines, an auction was held to raise further funds. The hotly contested items up for bidding included a five-course lunch for eight people cooked by Luke Dale-Roberts and served with paired wines at the winner’s home, which went for R40 000, and a five-course dinner for 10 people cooked by Wesley Randles of The Shortmarket Club, also with wine pairing, which was sold for R30 000.

Décor by Sandalene Dale-Roberts brightened up the space. Photo by Gavin Withers.

Coca Cola also came on board to donate R50 000 to each of the charities, and some guests made further donations.

Organiser Wanda Guma of The Langa Project is very pleased with the event, keeping hopes up for those who missed out this time around: “Everything was superb and I’m sure there will be another one in the future….”

If you weren’t fortunate to get tickets, feast your eyes on the menu:

Photo by Andy Lund.

Organisers Wanda Guma (R) and Luke Dale-Roberts (L) struck a pose in the courtyard of the Guga S’Thebe Cultural Centre:

Photo by Andy Lund.

Part of the excitement was getting to see the courses plated up. The first course of duck assiette with ballantine, breast, pistachio and sour cherry was served with Bridge of Hope Chardonnay 2016:

Photo by Andy Lund.

Course number two, the otherworldly-looking herb-seared tuna with cabbage done three ways, came paired with a delightfully fruity Warwick First Lady Rosé 2016:

Photo by Andy Lund.

The third course was prepared on the braai outside, comprising beautiful fillet with cafe au lait sauce, porcini mushrooms, onion and some charred greens, and served with Aslina Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 by Ntsiki Biyela :

Photo by Gavin Withers.

The Test Kitchen sommelier Tinashe Nyamudoka, the winner of the 2016 Eat Out Wine Service Award, kept guests refreshed:

Photo by Andy Lund.

The delicate dessert was a show-stopper, whose simple description of ‘lemon tart with strawberry-and-amasi ice cream’ belies the layers of flavour. It was accompanied by Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest:

Photo by Gavin Withers.

Spirits were high during the amazing experience for the two good causes:

Photo by Andy Lund.

If you would like to make a donation to the Noluthando Early Childhood Development Centre or Project Archangel, you are welcome to make an EFT to Naturalis (Pty) Ltd at Nedbank, account number 1122073720 and branch code 101109.