Review: Belly of The Beast

Tuesday, December 5th, 2023

Food
Chefs Anouchka Horn and Neil Swart head up this intimate 30-seater situated in the heart of the city, crafting fine-dining fare inspired by traditional South African cuisine, with an unwavering commitment to using local, seasonal and sustainably sourced ingredients. Tasting menus are presented on blackboards and vary in length depending on what the chefs have in mind for the day. The dishes are well balanced and lean on techniques including pickling, chargrilling and marinating to punch up the ingredients’ innate flavours. An inspired take on the traditional bread course is the roosterkoek with vegetable tartare and creamy mushroom pâté. The bread is cooked on an open fire, its smokiness perfectly offset by the marinated veggies’ acidic, herbaceous crunch, and the creaminess of the richly savoury mushroom pâté. And a main course of charred broccoli, served on a creamy onion risotto with grilled onion rings, Parmesan crisp and spice oil, nails the balance between texture and flavour, and offers bucketloads of complexity. Fishier fare includes a main course of local pan-fried hake – cooked to perfection – and enlivened with a tomato curry sauce, basmati rice foam, tomato salsa and crispy onions. Meat lovers are taken great care of with the likes of beef tongue and caramelised onion wontons with sweet mustard sauce, masala pickle onion and curry oil. Ending on a high note, the coconut koeksister babka cake with creme anglaise, salted caramel-and-coconut ice cream, and a spiced biscuit crunch is light and delicious – perfectly sweet, creamy and crunchy, with all the flavours singing in harmony.

Drinks
Each dish on the tasting menu is paired with a local wine, including new varietals from small garagiste producers, and sulphite-free and biodynamic wines – all introduced by the sommelier. Wine is poured at the bar and not in front of the guests, which some diners might find unusual.

Service
The reception is warm and friendly, but there seems to be some inconsistency. The speed is on point, but can be a bit incoherent, perhaps due to a lack of communication among the servers on the floor.

Ambience
The decor is the perfect backdrop for the food – a little bit edgy, dark and moody, but classic and tasteful, with hints of industrial chic. The open kitchen and its live-fire cooking is the main point of focus, adding a definite energy and dynamism to the space.