“I believe I'm cooking the best food of my life. Why? Because I'm having fun. Thanks to my wonderful suppliers for all your hard work.” So tweeted top chef PJ Vadas recently.

We’ve been dying to see what the chef has been up to since leaving award-winning Camps Bay restaurant The Roundhouse last year to take on a new role as executive chef at Camphors Restaurant on the sprawling Vergelegen Wine Estate. The 60-seater restaurant opened in October last year after a refurbishment and expansion of the space previously occupied by Vergelegen Restaurant. Now that the dust has settled, what’s the scoop? 

The mood
Taking its name from the 300-year-old trees on the historic Somerset West estate, Camphors has an elegant dining room inside and large patio overlooking the Vergelegen lawns and gardens. Despite the chic glass tabletops, stark lines, and black and white palette, the atmosphere is remarkably relaxed and unfussy. The unpretentious attitude of the chef must have rubbed off, and resident peacocks wandering around – with straggling chicks trying to grab some under-wing shade – definitely help. Misters help keep things cool on the patio during high summer.

The food
Don’t assume the laid-back atmosphere is translated onto the menu, however. This is some serious food. Ingredients are beautifully layered and balanced, delivering full-blast flavours.

Our amuse bouche is a delicate semolina puff daubed with basil-and-avo mousse, and dotted with blossoms of borage, pineapple sage, basil and thyme. This is served with a chicken heart, whose golden crust of panko flakes and saffron aioli accompaniment help us overcome our initial squeamishness. The taste is wonderful, and the texture surprisingly firm.

The miso-cured yellowtail is a beautiful medley of flavours: caramel saltanas mix with the fresh, succulent fish and a deliciously vanilla-scented vinaigrette. Silky beetroot risotto slides down with a glass of Merlot Reserve 2008, full of ripe cherries, plums and a dash of chocolate, with soft wood tannins. Rich duck is served with tart nectarines, which balance the flavour beautifully.

Apricot soufflé for dessert is all the right things: ultra light and fluffy, yet firm and flavoursome enough to hold its own against the dollop of almond ice cream. With it we are lucky enough to be offered a taste of the latest vintage of Vergelegen’s straw wine, out of a yet-to-be-labelled bottle, which even delivers a little apricot.

When asked about the focus of the revamped restaurant, PJ is straightforward: “Obviously we are here to promote the wine, and we cook whatever’s in season. We also try as much as possible to use only South African produce – which means no scallops or fois gras.”

Garth Stroebel (winner of the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award) is also helping to steer the course with a consulting role, and a horticulturalist has been brought on board to redesign parts of the garden and to plant more culinary leaves and vegetables. The team from the kitchen visits the herb garden every day to pick fresh sprigs and blossoms for garnishes.

“At the moment we have plums, pears, Sharon fruit, almonds and chestnuts,” says PJ. The estate also has Nguni cattle, which are culled every three months. "We’re hoping to get some of that to cook with soon. Obviously, we want to keep things as sustainable as possible. And there is lots of space on the estate for expansion.”

Currently PJ recommends the Buffalo Ridge mozzarella (served with charred aubergine purée, elderflowers and almond milk) and the pork chop (with roasted shallots, smoked pomme purée and mustard jus) on his menu.

The wine
Sommelier Christo Deyzel is passionate and professional. Wines are exclusively from the estate. How does PJ feel, working with just one wine farm after having his pick of the country at The Roundhouse? “There’s quite a lot of variety from the farm – there are bubblies, whites and reds, says PJ. “It has been a little challenging, but not really. We can go through the different years of each wine, depending on what we’re cooking.”

Given Vergelegen’s pedigree, perhaps it’s not such a hardship to be confined to one estate, after all. We also love the glassware. (Is it just us, or does wine taste better out of a big, shining crystal goblet?)

The verdict
Does Camphors have what it takes to take on the big guns? We’ll have to wait and see. But PJ’s enjoying himself; and it shows. PJ tells us over the phone that he is indeed enjoying working with the great people at the estate, and he’s excited about the opportunities for growth.

“Plus, I get to cook all the time.”

Camphors at Vergelegen offers lunch Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm to 3pm and dinner Friday and Saturday from 6.30pm to 9pm. Have you been to Camphors at Vergelegen? Let us know about your experience by writing a review.

By Linda Scarborough and Katharine Jacobs