FYN Restaurant is the venture of Greenhouse chefs Peter Tempelhoff and Ashley Moss. With its distinctive Manhattan-inspired feel and fusion of Japanese-inspired cuisine with South Africa’s indigenous fynbos vegetation, Miles Khubeka is excited to get a taste.

Fast facts

Food type: Asian-inspired fusion
Cost: R550 for lunch menu
Star rating: Food and drinks: 4; Service: 5; Ambience: 5

Food

It’s impossible to speak about FYN Restaurant’s food without speaking about its ambience. The food and décor are perfectly paired, to the point where you can’t tell where the kitchen ends and the restaurant begins. The open-plan kitchen and the ceiling décor are in friendly competition for the centre-piece status.

 

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A post shared by FYN (@fynrestaurant) on Dec 10, 2018 at 8:54am PST

Start with bread from the fire, Wagyu butter and black vinegar. The Wagyu butter simply melts away and will have you silent in delighted contemplation. The next course comprises beautifully presented game fish, bone broth, hijiki, tofu cream and octopus. It’s the favourite of the afternoon and is followed by the main course, a cuisine kaleidoscope of flavour. Whether it’s for the sustainable fish with sake mussels and yuzu or the grilled beef picanha, shiitake and kombu sauce, you’re left yearning for more.

 

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A post shared by FYN (@fynrestaurant) on Dec 16, 2018 at 12:35am PST

The courses are well-paced and are exceptionally rounded off by the Madagascan chocolate, salted Japanese plum and fennel dessert.

 

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A post shared by FYN (@fynrestaurant) on Dec 2, 2018 at 2:23am PST

Drinks

There’s a wine flight, featuring curated wines that allow tasters to get a feel for the breadth or depth of the wines in conjunction with the food.

Service

On point. The knowledge of the food and ingredients can be seen in the comfort at which the waiters explain each course. Just raise your head and service is at your beck and call. Some minor kinks include an old menu, but a new one is quickly printed.

Ambience

It’s not often that you see a restaurant meeting the perfect balance between being understated and making a statement. FYN envelopes you with warmth and comfort, with zero pomp. The view of the mountain makes the ample glass surrounding the restaurant feel like a mural.

 

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A post shared by FYN (@fynrestaurant) on Jan 20, 2019 at 10:22am PST

Best for…

This is one restaurant that you don’t need a special event to visit. If you’re alive, that’s reason enough to make a reservation for you and a friend. Be warned, though, the food may end up doing all the talking.

Have you been to FYN Restaurant? Write a review about your experience using our free app. 

A ‘first taste’ is a review conducted in the first couple of weeks after a restaurant’s opening, when it is expected that the chefs and staff will still be finding their feet.

Eat Out critics dine unannounced and pay for their meals in full. Read our full editorial policy here.