MPs sink teeth into state affairs at eatery MICHAEL MORRIS

Bukhara is possibly the pre-eminent political dining room of Cape Town, an establishment whose patrons, during the session at least, count collectively as a who's who of parliamentary bigwigs,

One storey up from the work-a-day concourse of Church Street mall- a con- venient stone's throw from the House- the restaurant's north Indian cuisine and deceptively plain burnt umber interior has earned convincing ayes from a multi- party throng ofMPs.

MPs have been known to settle minor and not so minor affairs of state over mouth-watering butter chicken or egg- plant bartha and spinach saag.

Cabinet ministers convene evidently cosier confabs here than in the more bracing confmes of their executive suites permit.

And, in one celebrated sitting at the 11th hour of South Africa's constitution- making in 1997, old political sparring partners Cyril Ramaphosa and Roelf Meyer and several dozen others ham- mered out revisions over a supper that ended in amity at 4am the next morning,

"It's that sort of place," says owner Sabi Sabharwal, a Delhi-born, United States-trained physicist whose family interests in restaurants in Delhi and Amsterdam prepared him well for his Cape Town career.

Dr Sabharwal came to the city after meeting and marrying his Bloemfontein- born wife Elana while both were working in Italy. She is a dress designer.

While he delights in the political popu- larity of his restaurant, he has an acute

CAPE ARGUS THURSDAY

JUNE 17 1999

BRENTON GEACH

After-lunch lull: physicist and restaurateur Sabi Sabharwal at Bukhara

sense of the intimacy of a mealtime and, unless circumstances warrant it, leaves parliamentary patrons to their dinner debates.

Still, he's on first name terms with many ofthem. And that's not surprising. "At virtually every meal during the ses- sion there are MPs here," he says.

Cabinet ministers keen on the curries include Trevor Manuel (finance), Kader Asmal (water affairs) and Dullah Omar

(justice). Then there's former president F W de Klerk, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Speaker Frene Ginwala.

"We're Close to Parliament, and I . think that's a factor. But I think they like the ambience too. It gives them a chance to have a simple business meeting and enjoy good Indian food at the same time," says Dr Sabharwal.

It goes without saying he hopes Parlia- ment will stay put.

~ ~IIHSSEUR saturday Argus JUNE 27/28 1998

Cardamom, copper pots and a labyrinth of taste There is a misconception that all Indian cooking is "hot".

The word "kari" (from which "curry" derives) actually means "sauce", and good Indian cooking is less about burning your mouth as filling it with flavours from subtle and complex blends of herbs and spices.

If your mouth is watering at the thought already, go to Bukhara in Church Street. Copper pots on iron- nailed wooden tables reflect the turmeric walls and saffron curtains.

Inside the pots and on the plates are the oranges and reds of rich sauces and marinated meats, backlit by steaming. fine-grained basmati rice and nan breads dripping in butter.

Specialising in North Indian cuisine, this restaurant prides itself on faithfully reproducing the flavours of North Indian dishes. Even the rice and the ingredients

,

that are crushed into the curry powder (including the cloves, black peppers, bay leaves and cinnamon) are imported directly from India, to keep the tastes as authentic as possible.

Bukhara has become known for one dish in particular: the Butter Chicken (R39,99) is a chicken tikka in a creamy tomato gravy.

It is best shared with the same people you are going to be seeing for the next 24 hours - the garlic is pungently deli- cious but has a powerful, lingering quali- ty.

Talking of sharing, the Dum Pukht Biryani (R99,99), too, is delicious.

The chicken is flavoured with saf- fron and the fragrant sweetness of cinna- mon is also in evidence, balanced by a touch of pepper (this is all guesswork, of course - the restaurant is not giving any- thing away).

Christine Riley

EATING OUT

If a variety of tastes is what you're after, choose a few different dishes for the table instead of one to share.

The Lamb Rogan Josh (R44,99) also comes complete with its own reputation

and is fairly hot (although if you want burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth-off hot, go for the Lamb Vindaloo (R44,99). There is garlic and ginger in the rogan josh, I think, and the mild, spicy orange-peel flavour of coriander deftnitely hovers.

I suspect the aromatic cardamom has also joined the chorus line.

As is traditional, the curry is served with yoghurt, in this case, Bukhara's own homemade version.

A significant portion ofthe menu is given over to Tandoori dishes - cooked in the tandoor, which is a clay oven.

The chicken wings cooked this way (R24,99) make a good starter (as long as you don't mind getting messy) - they are marinaded before being cooked, which ensures that the spicy flavour permeates all the meat.

The Tandoori Vegetables (R34,99) have a more gentle flavour, perfumed

with a delicate blend of the more fra- grant spices.

The Persian influence on North Indi- an cooking surfaces in dishes such as the flavoursome Dal Makhani (R24,99) - black lentils cooked overnight in the tan- door.

Another vegetarian side dish is the Aloo Jeera (R21,99), in which piquant cumin gives mild potatoes a makeover.

Bukhara has become a favourite restaurant for business lunches - to close a deal while the opposition's eyes are still watering or just to escape from the sterile office into an exoticism of taste.

My suggestion, though, is to go when you can take your time and a few friends - order a range of dishes between you and then just dig in and get messy.

Just make sure they all taste the But- ter Chicken!

SEPTEMBER 14/15 1996

good scientist makes orth Indian curry

ariety is the spice of life for Sabi Sabharwal, 37-year-old owner of the Bukhara North Indian Restaurant in Cape Town.

No pun intended, for North Indian cui- sine is not as spicy as South Indian food, he explains.

But, it does boast a lot of variety - just . e Dr Sabharwal's career. The holder of a doctorate in theoretical

elementary particle physics, he is now focused

ely on making a success hLc: restaurant. Dr Sabharwal grew up

in New Delhi and kicked off his professional life by

udying electrical engi- eering and physics in the

- nited States. After obtaining a doctor-

ate in physics in 1988, he ent on to do research at

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), at the Centre for European Nuclear Research in Geneva and at an institute for physical nuclear studies in Turin, Italy.

Then, three years ago, he met his South African wife, Elana, in London. Two years ago. they married and moved to Cape Town.

He had to decide what to do in South Africa. Apply for a research post or go into business?

It was not a difficult decision. "I was planning on making a change, anyway."

Dr Sabharwal opened Bukhara Restau-

rant in Church Street last year as part of a chain of North Indian restaurants in which he owns shares.

The other three are in New Delhi and Amsterdam.

Luckily, he says, the restaurant busi- ness was nothing new to him,

His father is a restaurateur in India and he practically grew up knowing how to run a restaurant kitchen .

Another factor that counted in his favour was his love of good food.

He boasts four chefs straight from India and another seven local chefs - Bukhara is not a small venue,

His recipes and menus are the same as those used in the

Best food: Japanese Sushi, Thai, Indian other three restau- Role model: Grandfather rants in New Delhi

and Amsterdam. The response in

Cape Town to the North Indian cui-

sine has been excellent, he says. Many reg- ular customers prove his point.

He is strict on quality control and processes all his meat on the premises.

A great jazz fan, Dr Sabharwal says his is probably the only Indian restaurant in the city that has live jazz on a Monday evening.

He hasn't much time for anything else apart from running his restaurant, and says he would like to open another in South Africa.

"I don't think I live a very balanced life.

Name: Sabi Sabharwal

PBt~H(JOI

Homelife: Married, one daughter Best music group: Jazz

Pet peeve: Bureaucracy

I get carried away and I'm a bit of a perfec- tionist.

"When I get something too right, it loses its challenge and I try something new,"

Which probably explains why he says he might well go back to his research on gravitation theories one day - when his restaurants run successfully on their own.

Dr Sabharwal says he knows he'll always be busy,

"At the moment, all I do is eat, sleep and work."

His role model is his grandfather who was one of the top businessmen in India in his time.

A restaurateur? A scientist? No, his grandfather was a real estate broker who lived a simple life of respect for other peo- ple. He made lots of money, but never spent much of it.

BUSINESS PERSONALITY is produced each week in association with .ERNST & YOUNG

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Heat-seeking masolas

Inrlian food is making a fresh comeback The Durban style, a colonially transformed varia- tion of spicy southern lndian cuisine, was long part of this

country's mixed heritage. But the last 10 years or so have exposed us to an increasing range of the diverse styles from Gujarat, Hyderabad and other parts of the subcontinent.

Not surprisingly ill our meat- crazy country, the moghulai cuisine of north India has rapidly overtaken the predominantly vegetarian south. Down in Cape Town, the most suc- cessful Indian restaurant by far has becn Bukhara. Eight years on, hav- ing spread to Grand West Casino and Stellenbosch, Bukhara has finally made the Great.Trek, to challenge Gauteng's many redoubtable stal- warts.

The first inland llukhara has taken over Mastrantonio's former premises. upstairs in Sandton Square. If you're familiar with the original, you'll recognise the char- acteristic burnt red walls, green marble and chunky teak tables with elegant tall-backed lattice chairs. An eye-catching show kitchen adds the- atre to the overall entertainment.

1 gave Bukhara two months to set tle down before my first visit. I was so impressed that I was hack again the next day, This time 1 took vsge- tartan business guests. We started by sharing a platter of papdi chat -

---- -------- ------- -------

snap- fried flour crackers topped with well cooked diced potato and chick peas, dressed with a balanced com- bination of tart tamarind, fresh mint and creamy yoghurt.

Then came the unusually wide choice of over a dozen very different and Itavour-rich dishes. Tandoori mixed vegetables (marrow slices, battered mushrooms, broccoli, cau- liflower, sweet peppers and more) were all divinely grilled, each one properly firm, which is indicative of precise timing in the kitchen. The navratan korma was a dish of vari- ous vegetables, voluptuously cooked in a rich, creamy tomato gravy. Por- tions were generous enough to rill both stomachs and those eu- phemistic doggy (i.e. selfish) bags.

With such range. taste-bud de- light is much enhanced by going in a large group and ordering a variety of dishes that everyone can sample. Go- ing as a couple, the trick is not to or- der too much. Onc curry or tandoori dish per person (or a mixed tandoori platter) together with a dhal and some shared rice or bread is quite sufficient, before dessert.

The evening before had been an unabashed meat fest. l\!i1rl chicken bi tes stuffed with paneer cheese, two types of beef (puc] ina and kali mirch, marinared with mint and pomegranate respectively), yoghurt- tempered ostrich and celestial lamb tikka pasanda. All were superbly

L__ _

VARIETY: Newly opened Bukhara offers a variety for both vegetarians and carnivores Photo: VICTOR STRUGO cooked, each delicate flavour dis- tinctly different. \Ve also nibbled dum <1100 (potatoes stuffed with cheese).

This being our first visit, we harl over-ordered somewhat. but never- theless made impressive inroads into a spicy coc-onut currv contain- ing six large king prawns. mopping up the gravy with saffron basmati rice and minted fried paratha bread. For afters, the spiced bread and but- ter pudding, hot carrot halva and a surreally creamy mango ice-cream wore all irresistible.

Presentation benefited from at- tractive interlocking crockery as well as naturally tachnicolour food, against which our clothing was pro- tected bv rnonogrammed bibs. At both busy sittings, efficient well trained waiters exhibited knowl- edge, initiative and courtesy as far as we could see,

Music swung from ethnic to jazz, always remaining in the back- ground. The wiuelist is competent. though the manager admitted to current difficulty ill sourcing good sauvignon and chenin blancs from the Cape. "lYe pounced happily upon one of Teddy Hall's prize-winning Kanu chen ins for a not unreason- able price tag of Ral.

A major failil1~ is the shop's badly planned reliance all Saudton Square's public conveniences, That apart, Bukhara is a hybrid or PI·O· fesslonalism and mouth-watering flavours. Let's hope their famous deli range of ready homemeals also migrates inland SOOI1.

Postscript: If you're looking I'Dr a vcrv special Sunday luncheon treat next weekend on April 6 or are plan- ning early for i\ lothers' Dav (May 1 J), book now at Barnes Street Culinary Studio (Oll-830·17()6). Chef extraor-

WHERE ! First Floor I Sonoton Square ! Tel: 011 883 5555

I I

! lunch and dinner daily I

WHEN .

i Tandoori and Singri R25 - R70 : Curry and Tawa R35 - R80 \ Desserts R25 - R30

SEATING

1100 inside \ 60 mali i All non smoking

RATING

**** , 1

stars. 0 avoid, 1 disappoi nting; 2 I average; 3 good; 4 superior; 5 superb ~ ------_. ------. rlinaire Suzi Holtzhauscn's hilltop haven in Brixton is one of Joburg's best-kept secrets. She offers four- course menus at R140 per person and you can bring your own wines,

Based on the best fresh seasonal ingredients, menus are composed just three days before the meal. Chil- rlren anrl special dietary require- 111(.>nt5 upon request.

• For previous Gastrotlnome re- dews. go tv unctr.theparks.co.za Fie- tor Strug« is Joburg editor for Eat Gut SA Restaurant Guide. Contact him at vstmgo<iimweb.co.za

0000001! Award Winning, Glorious 00000 Gratifying to outstanding

This month Sandra and Errol look at two very different restaurants. First the new 'Peasants' in Kloof St, which for value for money is

ideal. and then 'The Bukhara' , which is world

class.

INDIAN RESTAURANT 38 CHURCH 5T CAPE TOWN

TEL: 240000 BY SANDRA MARTINCICH

We had heard persistent whispers of the Bukhara in the way one does in Cape Town when something outstanding is happening - the favourite haunt of ministers and movie stars. For a 136-seater restau- rant, that has only been open for eleven months, this was worth checking out.

The Bukhara is nicely situated around the corner from Green Market Square. The decor is simple, with a combination of darkwood classical furniture and warm peach hues. The tables are spread around a large kitchen, which through the clever use of large windows unfolds into a wonderful pageant of heat and industry; a perfect distraction for one of those awkward silences.

Barny the manager tells me that all spices and special ingredients are imported from India, and all the food is unfailingly bought only for it's quality and freshness. It shows.

The prices are fairly dear: main courses ranging from R26:00 to R37:00 with a selection of meat, fish and veqetarian dishes, but those few extra rand translate into a massive hike in quality - the food, sirn- ply put, is magnificent.

The service is also of five star standard, with appealing touches. Such as bringing appetisers with· out prompting, and a bowl of fennel seeds on presen- tation of the bill.(A refreshing change from cheezee mints) However, the most valuable service they offer, is gauging your perfect hot tolerance. They offer a range from genuinely tasty mild, to the: 'makes-you- sweat and·healthy' curries. Do not let the wrong choice ruin an evening.

There is a corkage fee of R12.00. Booking is essential

Service: 00000 Design of Menu: 00000 Taste of Food: 000000 Overall Atmosphere: 00000 Value for money: 000000

0000 000 00 o

Agreeable to good O.K to ordinary" Dodgy to bad Unacceptable to horrendous

NOVEMBER 1996 THE BIG PICTURE

FRIDAY,JUNE61997 vvwvv.bday.co.za

"

Curry lovers will return at the first opportunity DINING BUKHARA, 33 Church St, Cape Town, Phone: (021) 240-000,

IF YOU like curry, eat at Bukhara next time you are in Cape Town. The cooking is North Indian, and features a large tandoor oven in the kitchen, visible behind glass.

There is a comprehensively stocked bar, and an excellent wine list. We drank a bottle of off-dry Rhine Riesling at R40, perfect with what followed.

We enjoyed paper-thin pop- padums with equally thinly sliced raw onions dabbed with a fresh coriander and chilli sauce as we studied the unfamiliar menu, and were grateful for the reliable guidance of our waiter.

He recommended the fish tikka (R33,99) to start. It

turned out to be instantly addic- tive: it consisted of moist and succulent pieces of kingklip, marinaded for 24 hours and cooked on skewers in the tan- door in a paste of chickpea flour and ajwain, a spice similar to cumin, with a wedge or two of lemon, and tomato and raw marinaded onion on the side.

Our other starter was the pa- neer shashlik (R24,99) - three large chunks of homemade In- dian cheese also tandooried, with tomato, cu- cumber, mush- rooms, green pep- per and onions. It was not in the same league as the fish, but was good all the same. Leaf-shaped naan dripping

with butter (R6,99) accompa- nied this course.

We chose the house special- ity of Mumtaz chicken, and lamb roghan josh, both R38,99, for main courses, with plain basmati rice (R9,99) to share, and raita - plain yoghurt with cucumber - on the side.

The classic curried lamb with yoghurt was spicy and complex, and the chicken out of this world; pink and rich and unlike anything I had ever tast-

ed. It is described as butter chicken and is tandooried whole then removed from the bone and covered in a tomato-based sauce thickened with cashew nut paste and cream.

Finally, only one of us could manage more than soothing masala tea (R6,50), and that was a delicious mango ice cream (Rll). The bill for all this came to well under R300.

Kate Hamilton

CAPE TIMES FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2004 EATING OUT 3

iss-hello! Our d· er-and-a-sho

NATAUE BECKER, in all her cherm and grace, escorted by two young gentlemen, both named Jody, and one not-so-young one, moi, dined at one of the- finest restaurants GrandWest Casino has to offer - Bukhara. Then we took her to sea the Divas lit the Roxy Revue Bar, RAFIEK MAMMON lived to spin the yarn

6.59 pm The evening started with an SMS that read, "On my way Jookmg for parking." It was from Natalie. By this time, Jody, Jody and I were

l omfortably seated at table 1, with gorgeously tic Pakistan; wa.!tron Haroon already waiting

on us; first drinks (2 x Smlrnoff Spins and a Coke , ,ight) havingjustaITivedat our table

7.07 pm In walks Natalie in a smart, simple black dress and tlpsh-coIouredshawl.loolting her e10gant self. Kiss-kiss-hello-hello ami a drink (red Grapctiser) for the lady. Alan Taylor, photogra- pher, arrives. Snap. ;nap. chat, chat and a quick drink before Alan leaves,

7.20 pm Let the games begin! For those who have never been to Bukhara (may the Lord have mercy on your souls') I cannot begin to describe he decor, but I know what Jack from Will And

Grace would have said. 'Jennifer Jason Leigh, they are to die for!"

Starters. We decided on a platter (pictured), in part recommended by Haroon. consisting of good~ that can truly make a grown man cry Kebabs in three varieties: Malai (R44), Garlic (R44) and Lamb Boti (R54). Plus. just for the hell of It, we added the tandoori prawns (Rl29) and the garlic naan (R14). Warning: however delec- table these may be (and heaven knows they are') do not overeat at this stage of the evening the main meal is still to come.IfI counted the num- ber of "mmrns" that went round the table for tu t these starters, it would startle you, dear reader.

7.46 pm Me: "Could we clear this platter and may we have our main courses now, please?"

Natalie: "Oh, I am already beginning to feel a bitfulJ" and the Jodys: "Our sentiments exactly".

8.07 pm Haroon brings the main meals. Natalie is a vegetarian, SO she chose the delicious Dal Makhani (R44). I had the Saag Meat (R79) and the two Jodys ordered the Lamb Karma (R79)and the Nihari Lamb Shank (R89). The extras were Basmati Rice (R14), Pilau Rice (R14) and Aloo Jeera, a potato dish thaUs simply a must as an accompaniment (R34). Anotherround of drinks.

We eat in relative silence, not for lack of chitchat but because we were totally awestruck, rapt in this incredible gastronomical experience. We taste each other's food. comments in a eontin- uum from brilliant to orgasmic.

8.30 pm Gatta dash. Would love to stay and chat more about Natalie's upbringing in George

ate -wit atalie Bee e

SCRUMPTlOUS: Natalie Becker with dinner dates Jody Hendricks, Jody Jacobs and writer Rafiek Mammon. Picture: Alan Tevtor

and in Cape Town and all the schools she attend- ed, including Holy Cross Convent, where she remembers droll yarns she comfortably shared about nuns' habits.

Natalie Is such an amiable storyteller. But the Divas are not going to hold the curtain for us, even with Ms Becker as our guest of honour. So, off we dart, across the way to The Roxy Revue Bar where the strangest thing happened. We all knew it was going to be a great show but Natalie sat agape- the talent and the beauty of the "girls" dumbfounded her. She had to meet them.

11.01 pm Backstage at Roxy's. Kiss, kiss and maniacal laughter The girls love her and she

loves them and there's just SO much loving goin t on, it felt like Valentine's Day all over again. Natalie: "You must be guests on my show." And no second invitation was needed. Me: "Oh. I just love it when a plan comes together U

11.12 pm Back at Bukhara for the proverbial one for the road. initially we thought coffees but settled for orange juices and water instead. Much needed after our enthusiastic applause and gut- tural expressions at the show!

Haroon of course insisted we stay for dessert, each of which sounded so exotic and wickedly sweet as he talked us through the dessert menu. But, alas wejust couldn't eat anymore.

Besides, all our yummy food was already packed in neat boxes to take home (for the dog- gie? Hell, no!) For tomorrow's I unch or (in my case) that very same late-night binge. The total for the bill, without tip: R925.

11.37 pm Natalie: "The success of this evening cannot be ascribed to one thing. It was definitely the whole experience"

Kiss. kiss. Thanks, thanks and drive safely. As Jody and I drove home I said to him, "You

know something? I really love my job." And he (reclining in ihe passenger seat, rubbing his tummy) replied, "I really love your job, too.'

FOOD WINE TOP OF THE TIMES DECEMBER 15, 1995

a Indian de. . · is ANDREW BERGMAN

HERE is a tendency among eth- nic restaurants across the spec-

~ trum to tailor their cuisine to the South African palate, with varying degrees of authenticity in the name of diner education.

Indian restaurants are no excep- tion and those I have visited in Cape Town all unashamedly present what they think the South African diner thinks is Indian food.

Then, in deference to the British inability to understand anything non- English, they go and call everything "curry", which in itself is an infuriat- ing misnomer.

My curiosity was therefore aroused when a fellow Indiophile - one who has experienced the delights of Lon- don's superb Indian restaurants rather than those of India - suggested I try Bukhara.

Billed as a "North Indian barbe- cue", the restaurant specialises in tan- doori-style dishes which originate on India's north-west frontier, but are now prevalent anywhere north of Bombay.

These are characterised by delicate- ly blended spicy aromas with the dis- tinctive fragrant influence of the Mogul period, rather than the blow- your-socks-off mega-hot dishes of the South.

Bukhara was opened in November by Sabi Sabharwal of Delhi and his South African wife Elana.

Authenticity is the watch-word here. The four chefs the furniture, as

well as most of the fittings have been imported from India. Indeed, look at this this first-floor restaurant through half-closed eyes and you could well be in an upmarket local eatery in Delhi.

The standing menu is limited to 11 tandoori dishes which' serve as starters, 11 "curries" as main courses, and 10 side-dishes and accompani- ments.

Sabi admits that the word "curry" is used simply to explain the nature of the dishes to non-Indians. His chefs have yet to figure out what this myste- rious commodity called "curry pow- der" is.

"I have kept the menu limited so as not to confuse din- ers," Sabi said later. "Our repertoire includes many more dishes which we will include among our daily specials. II

Many of these "special" dishes are sure to be variations on the Kashmiri kebab.

To start, we ordered a portion of tandoori chicken (R24,99) and a Banarasi seekh (R14,99)

The restaurant's wine list is still being prepared, so our waitress out- lined the small selection already avail- able. As genuine Kashrniri Kingfisher Lager was not on offer, we thought a bottle of Craighall cab/mer lot (R19,99) would go down well and not over-strain the budget. It is less than

advisable to open a bottle of delicate vintage wine with any spiced Indian food, as neither will do justice to the other.

The food took a while to arrive, but that is understandable, as the yogurt- marinated chicken needed to be cooked from scratch in the tandoor, a wood-fired oven similar to that used for pizza.

The dishes were presented on a series of steel serving plates, adding to the air of authenticity. Alongside, our orders of nan and butter nan were

served. This flat white flour bread is a staple in the North, prepared with or without ghee, and de. rigeur with any meal.

Tender baby chicken had been used. This allowed the myriad aromas to permeate superbly, as well-as emulate the small

chickens prevalent in India. The Benarasi seekh, a speciality of

the holy city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges, was equally pleasing.

The mixture of homemade cheese, peas, carrots and beans had been baked in the tan door and then rolled up into bite-sized pancake-like fingers. This dish could be recommended to the sahib or memsahib who wants it non-spicy.

The separate presentation of each element allowed for Indian-style eat-

An authentic taste of India in the heart of Cape Town where Indiophiles can have a spicy time.

Welcome .. Food .

ing "in the round ", each of us sampling a bit of each dish.

As main cours- es, we ordered lamb rogan josh (R24,99) and 'a portion of chicken tikka (R14,99), actually an item on the starter side but suitable to the smaller appetite. Fried basmati rice with cumin and onions called jeera pulao (R14,99) and some more nan would go with these. We askedfor a half por- tion of dal makhani (black lentils), and this was served as a complimenta- ry side-dish,

It was interesting to note that almost half the dishes on offer were vegetarian, so this is one of the few places in Cape Town where dyed-in- the-wool meat eaters and vegetarians can dine together without one or the other having to compro~se,

BUKIIAHA

1 ..... 2 ..... 3 ..... 4, .... 5

Service .. Atmosphere . Decor . Value , , . Presentation .. , , Wine list , N/A

Chicken tikka ~ The lamb rogan josh had been cooked with an interesting blend of the most fragrant spices andyogurt, the bite of the chilli in the former tem- pered by the latter.

The chicken tikka is a typically north-west frontier dish. Served off the bone and less red in colour than tandoori chicken, this dish was succu- lent and aromatic rather than pun- gent,

The chef surely took full advantage of the South African raw material,

which is far superior to what he must be used to at home.

The jeera pulao proved a perfect choice, the sticky basmati rice punctu- ated with cumin seeds. The lentil dish, cooked overnight in the tandoor, was tender, slightly granular, and thor- oughly delicious,

After this feast, neither of us had any room for dessert. It was only after ordering coffee that I discovered that delicately flavoured mesala tea is also available. I made a mental note to have some on my next visit - and there are sure to be many of those.

The bill for two, Including two bot- tles of wine, came to R156,88.

True to its promise, this is a pukka establishment that would not be out of place if transplanted to anywhere in the north of India.

It is a pleasing exception to the "curry and rice II rule, and is without doubt a first in Cape Town. Recom- mended eating for anyone who has visited, or wishes to visit Delhi, Agra, ]aipur or Varanasi. o Bukhara is at 33 Church Street, Cape Town. Booking is essential. Call (021) 24-3479. All Cape Times restaurant visits are unannounced and meals paid for.

TOP OF THE TIMES FRIDAY OCTOBER 25,1996

BEFORE YOU CAN SAY ~l~MING'

3

Along comes a new buzz eatery This will probably make me unpopular, but ...

When you write about . food it is inevitable that you will often be asked to name your favourite restaurants, and I generally try to avoid doing this. But hell, I've got my tastes, preferences, likes, call them what you will, and maybe I will, for once, cough up. But not before I have had a good whine about some- thing that's bothering me ...

What is it about the lem- mings who masquerade as foodies in this town?

Write a few paragraphs about a new "buzz eatery", as I ventured to predict Caffe Balducci would become, and they drop their previous favourite buzz eatery as if it were a smelly old dead fish and rush off in their designer drov.es to queue, if you please, to get into the new place. I mean, they are actually prepared to queue to get into the place rather than choose one of the many other restaurants in the area (which hap- pens to be the Waterfront).

Try getting into Caffe Balducci, if you don't believe me. The place is chock-a-block with food- ie-woodies from 1O.30am to 10.30pm, turning tables over as many as eight times a session.

The waiters must be coining it. I should give up my day job (see our Page 1 story for more on that.)

Bless them, but the Balducci set are so stoked on the effect of those few paragraphs that when I went there subsequently, as a guest of Pieter Toe- rien for breakfast, they (kindly and generously, thank you very much) declined Toerien's offer of

on the table a proffered credit card to cover expenses. And hey, it's not as if Toerien can't afford it.

"We must do breakfast more often, Tony" Pieter said with a wry smile as we left.

Whatever happened to indi- vidual taste on the part of din- ers-out or, for that matter, loyal- ty or even just a smidgeon of continuity? Must Cafe Bardeli (in the Longkloof Centre, Kloof Street, as distinct from Balducc i), the previously trendiest eatery in town, go out of business with- in six months because it is time for the bi-quarterly lemming

migration? It's the worst, the very worst, aspect of writing

about food and restaurants; the downside of the fact that Cape Town has developed such a buzz food culture.

From day one, Caffe Balducci finds itself awash in people who wish to be seen in all the right places. God help us when the Hard Rock Cafe opens. Will Allen Ambor have to close down half of his Spur franchises in the Peninsula within six months? Will it be the end of the Black Steer on the Waterfront, the beginning ofthe end of Quay Four, the final nail in Bertie's coffin? And then, when Planet Hollywood opens, probably a year or so later, will the Hard Rock start to strug- gle to fill its near-on 500 seats enough times a day to make business worthwhile?

Among the restaurants I respect the most in Cape Town is Au Jardin (oh God, there they go, off like lemmings again, no doubt), not just because it serves very fine food in a grand-looking environment with a view and great service (I

should charge for this), but because, when I approached them shortly after they had opened two years ago to obtain details for an entry in the Style magazine restaurant guide, they politely declined.

Surprised (having never had an offer of free publicity tumed down by any other restaurant), I asked why, and they replied that they would pre- fer to find their own natural place in the market and grow into it than be swamped by the itiner- ant foodie set.

What a pleasure it was to hear that, and a relief after all the running after the trendoids that passes for doing business.

There is another side to this coin, where gen- uine word of mouth sees to it that the grapevine starts rattling about true brilliance in a restaurant. An excellent example of this is Bukhara, where Tandoori food of such a high standard is served that; if it were in London, it would be one of the top restaurants in town.

Bukhara is hardly in a prepossessing area for attracting diners into town at night, yet it has buzzed right from the start.

It is one of the few restaurants I try to find the time to go back to, even if only occasionally.

So. Given that it is entirely subjective, that I am not an expert on food and on Cape restau- rants (I may make it my business to be informed, but that does not make me expert), that I reserve the right to change my mind, and that the fact that I may select them does not mean they are necessarily the best, here is my personal Top 10.

This selection is based on three factors: .. e~ ~ ~ cuisine and service, grea ambience/decor, and whether the restaurants are worth recommending to tourists wanting the kind of class act to which they may be accus- tomed:

1. The Cape Colony 2. Bukhara 3. Bosman's 4. Buitenverwachting S. Sukhothai 6, Wangthai 7, Parks 8. Rozenhof 9. Merlion

10. Aujardin

That's one way of looking at things. But if the criteria are simply for a great venue

which is rampant with atmosphere and serves solid, good food, these are the places I prefer to visit:

1. Hildebrand 2. Bukhara (yes, on both lists) 3. Maestro's 4. Miller's Thumb S. Rustica \ 6,Jakes 7, Cranfords 8, Nando's Tasca 9. Maria's,

10, Musse'1lrackef

And see? No Balducci! But look, it's just a game, guys. Don't ditch

your own personal favourites on my account.

o Now it's your turn. According to the same criteria, write down,

in order of preference, a list of your personal Top 10 restaurants and send them to Top 10, Top of the Times, Box II, Cape Town 8000 or fax them for Tony Jackman's attention to (021) 488-4717.

NOVEMBER 26 2005 48HOURS

I: Cascade o~ il taste ••• Haiku.

where four energetic show kitchens chum out dim sum and wok fare, Japanese sushi and robata grills.

PAGE 3

Continuing my se- ries of holiday dining destina-

tions: after Knysna last week, Cape Town offers far more choices.

As a tourist this is not an unpleasant prob- lem, but it does help to ha .. e some Idea of what 'ou want

One of our aims was to check out what some of Joburg's former chefs are up to now that they've semigrated, our first stop was Mon- tagu, reached from the

1 by turning down the R318 after Touwsrivier. This had the added ad- vantage of avoiding two

ts of roadworks on ei- ther side of De Doorns. Bear this in mind if dri-

VICTOR STRUGO Le GastroGnome

quality. Robertson wines have long fea- tured among my favourites. Well worth a stop is Viljoensdrift, whose River Grandeur range (four Platter stars for the shiraz, cab and pinotage) taste even better while cruising the Breede River on their new 12-metre catamaran,

At Bon Courage, after a snack at their upbeat Cafe Maude, the crisp Sauvignon Blanc (Ral) and the Jacques Bruere Cap Classique (R57) were both great value, and we also couldn't resist the knockout Inkara Cab (Veritas Double Gold and RBO).

The biggest highlight was a visit to Weltevrede, a short way toward Bon- nievale, Philip Jonker is a fourth-genera- tion winemaker who is really in tune with terroic His single-vineyard Chardonna are as individualistic as their names (River's Edge, Place of Rocks, Rusted Soil and the celestial Poet's Prayer).

We also bagged some of the Philip Jonker Brut 2CXXl, the maiden vintage charmingly dedicated to the winernaker's bride whose likeness adorns the metal cap atop the cork. After tasting their two

Rhine Rieslings (the 2001 and the slightly botrytised yet dry 1999 Ovation, both priced around R35), I thought I'd landed in Alsace. Weltevrede is my new desert- island wine estate.

In the peninsula, if you want to eat fish as close as possible to the sea Kalk Bay's Harbour House Restaurant has an un- beatable setting. At high tide its picture- window facade is lashed by huge waves and on a tranquil night the panorama of twinkling lights stretches from Simon' Town to Gordon's Bay.

Foodwise, all is simple rather than fancy. Linefish is fresh and prepared in three ways. We both chose it (yellowtail) WIth asparagus, new potatoes, green beans and bearnaise sauce, garn -hed with wilted rocket and baby tomatoes. Service was excellent here - indeed everywhere we went except at the Waterfront.

What's not improved in Cape Town are the drivers. Without exception, they all race up to your rear bumper and virtually fondle it. Incompetence or perversion?

Inevitably we visited the current talk of

the town, Haiku. Situated lust below its big brother Bukhara, sleekly framed in unpolished black granite and bathed in golden light, Haiku's theme is "Oriental tapas". Dishes cascade onto the table for sharing.

Four elaborate and energetic show kitchens churn out Chinese dim sum and wok fare, Japan sushi and robata grills. The presen- tation is lavish, variety mesmeris tng, quality astonishing, Half the people go for Peking duck, but many other dishes were just as good, no- tably the hoisin BBQ duck steamed roll, prawn-and-avo tempura and the uper-spicy cheng yuan kingklip.

I'm normally suspicious of fash- ion but. gosh, Haiku really is a class act. • Victor Strugo also writes in The South African and Classic Feel magazines. Contact him at vstrugoOmweb.co.za and check out previous GastroGnome reviews at www.cookingbear.com

HAJKU Address: 33 Church Street,

CapeTown Telephone: 021-424-7000 Open: Lunch Monday to Friday

Dinner Monday to Saturday Av .... Dinner Price: R1 SO Seating: 100 Ovll'raI tt.ting: **** ~lODGE

Church Street, Montagu Telephone: 023-614-2351 Website: www.mimosa.(oza Open: Dinner daily Avearage Price: R 150 Overall Rating: **** A08aUSON VALLEY Websibr. see www.robertson Wlnevalley,(om or www.route62.co.za Stars: 0 avoid; 1 disappointing; 2 average; 3 good; 4 superior; 5 superb

UKHA THE MARKET Step onto the deep green Udaipur marble floors of any Bukhara restaurant around South Africa and feel the opulence of a classical India far removed from the shocking pink fabrics and incense sticks of Bollywood.

Bukhara has set a new standard in Indian cuisine in South Africa, taking the eating culture from the corner curry house concept to an upmarket and modern interpretation through superior design, ambience and product.

Bukhara began delighting palates in Church Street, Cape Town and continued building on its successful formula at the Grand West Casino in Cape Town, then in Stellenbosch and Johannesburg, next to the grand and elegant Michelangelo Hotel.

The Bukhara formula for success is simple: Carefully choose an exquisite location; prepare a range of the freshest, most flavoursome Indian food in an elegant environment; and ensure consistency of standards throughout the chain. Each restaurant has the same basic decor: Burnt chilli walls, bespoke chairs and tables designed especially for Bukhara and made in Rajasthan. All this is offset by Hahndi lamps that cast a circular glow on the ceilings and help to create a rich and elegant feel in every restaurant.

The same design and decor has been carried through in each venue, creating maximum

recognition and comfort for regular customers who eat at the various locations. Bukhara has created a style that is clearly defined, making each separate restaurant an extension of the brand with a look and feel that is unmistakeable.

Over the last ten years, Bukhara has educated the South African palate by introducing new styles of cooking and also by importing new previously unavailable varieties of spices. The open kitchens were a first for Indian restaurants in South Africa, showcasing the cooking styles as well as creating a more interactive and theatrical experience for diners.

Highly energetic and motivated members of staff create a buzz as they cook and deliver hundreds of meals every day on demand. Bukhara's payoff line, "Arguably the finest Indian cuisine on planet earth", reveals the company's commitment to consistently delivering a top quality product without compromise.

The clientele ranges from the rich and famous - government ministers, CEOs oflarge companies and movie stars - to those who want to escape into an evening of culinary delights and a genteel atmosphere. Bukhara caters for vegetarians, as well as those not too fond of hot foods. Many of its dishes are gently spiced for maximum taste rather than the spicy heat South Africans usually associate with Indian cuisine. Bukhara also prides itself on award winning wine list along

with enormous selection of whiskies and brandies to provide top notch service to their discerning customers.

Bukhara's customer base is largely upmarket. While the brand sees itself as "small but strong", its appeal lies in the uncompromising consistency of its food. It is the food itself that has a high recognition factor, and chefs are rotated between the various branches to ensure that each chef delivers the precise product every other branch is serving.

To access a wider market the company produces frozen gourmet meals and cook-in sauces which retail through supermarket chains. The company also has a catering division, specialising in the setting up of an entire kitchen with ovens and chefs for banquets and occasions.

ACHIEVEMENTS Bukhara is privately owned and operated by Dr Sabi Sabharwal. In its ten years of business - starting with the company's flagship restaurant in Church Street in Cape Town's central business district (CBD) - it now operates five restaurants and a central kitchen. The company's staff compliment increased from 35 members in 1995 to 300 in 2005.

Bukhara has been named most popular Indian Restaurant in South Africa by food critics for some years, and has also received many fine dining awards.

The company's training and development programmes have allowed skills to be transferred from top Indian chefs to the local workforce.

HISTORY In 1995 Dr Sabi Sabharwal, a theoretical particle physicist married South African Elana and relocated to Cape Town. It was there that he saw a need - and a vast opportunity - for a high quality restaurant serving Indian cuisine.

The original Bukhara opened in the Cape Town CBD and was the first restaurant in South Africa to specialise in tandoori, Indian barbeque. The restaurant began to be frequented by parliamentarians, and word of its excellence spread throughout Cape Town and up to Johannesburg. It also began to be seen as a place to take high-profile customers and business associates.

In 1999, Bukhara's central kitchen opened specifically for the procurement of top quality produce, training, development of recipes and the standardisation of product. Research began into the area of retail products to broaden the company's market and satisfy consumer demand.

The year 2000 saw the opening of Bukhara at Sun International's Grand West Casino and Entertainment World. Given the venue, this particular restaurant differs marginally from the others in its opulence. While the food, the Udaipur floors and Rajistan furnishings are identical to the other branches, there is a three metre by four metre antique Indian doorway, as well as a marble fountain at the entrance setting it apart from the other locations.

In 2001, Bukhara opened another branch on the famous Stellenbosch wine route. This was followed by the most recent branch at the entrance to the Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton's Nelson Mandela Square.

2005 saw the company launch its new brand of restaurants in Cape Town. Specialising in Asian Tapas, Haiku is set to answer a call for the same consistency and quality the company is famous for, but this time with an Asian touch.

THE PRODUCT Bukhara specialises in various methods ofIndian cooking, all with a slant to north Indian origins. These include:

Singri - where marinated meats are cooked on twisting skewers over an open charcoal grill Tawa - meats and vegetables are seared on a heavy flat top grill over high heat to retain succulence and texture Tandoori - using special charcoal fired clay ovens, skewers of meat and vegetables are inserted and rotated to achieve optimal tenderness and flavour

Bukhara also offers the famous Dum style of cooking, a slow and gentle process creating the maximum infusion of flavours in sealed pots, as well as a specialised variety of curries that satisfy almost every palate time and again.

Also on offer from the company are the gourmet frozen meals and cook-in sauces

available at various supermarkets, and Bukhara's catering division that specialises in setting up an entire kitchen with ovens and chefs for banquets and occasions.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Research and development for new products for the Indian cuisine arena is ongoing, with frequent trips to India to investigate new possibilities for the South African market.

The company's first new brand restaurant, Haiku, opened in August 2005, specialising in Asian tapas.

Food safety programmes and trairung modules developed by Bukhara's head office are implemented and constantly upgraded to ensure the highest quality food, service and dining experience. Stringent safety measures are being implemented to ensure a world class cold chain and to become one of the first HACCP certified restaurants

The company is presently searching for suitable venues overseas in order to expand the brand into new markets.

PROMOTION While Bukhara's biggest marketing success is word of mouth from satisfied clients, the company does advertise on an ad hoc basis. Full page advertisements in carefully chosen media are used. These include the South African Airways in-flight magazine Sawubona, as well as other airlines' in- flight magazines. A mouth watering website may

be found at www.bukhara.com

BRAND VALUES The values most closely associated with the Bukhara brand are:

Consistency Quality Cosumer recognition Innovation Service

Bukhara promises its clientele a consistently good dining experience, generating a trust factor among clients who choose to return to the same venue over and over, as well as those who will visit the various Bukhara restaurants on their travels.

Diners are assured of the same exceptional standards in every venue, with the food tasting exactly the same across the country. Top class Indian chefs undergo at least four months of training at Bukhara during induction, in order for every chef to guarantee customer satisfaction.

At Bukhara, it's all about the experience. From the furnishings to the food, diners are made to feel as if they are guests in a Haveli - a house of nobility.

THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT BUKHARA

o Bukhara's roots are from a restaurant called Tandoor, which opened in New Delhi in the sixties and was owned by Dr Sabharwal's family. Tandoor Group were the pioneers and innovators of modern tandoori recipes, influencing this style of cooking world wide. Tandoor was hailed as the top Indian restaurant in India by Craig Claiborne, the famous New York Times food critic.

o When the first five star hotels opened in New Delhi in the eighties, most of them, including the Hyatt, Oberoi and Sheraton had their Indian restaurants opened by Head Chefs from the Tandoor Group. Bukhara Cape Town was also set up by some of the original Tandoor Group chefs

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In its Cape Town incarnation it is a superb restaurant in Burg Street offering some of the finest Oriental food I have ever eaten - and I include some of the London greats like Hakkasan, Ken Lo's Memories of China and the curiously named Elvis Gracelands Palace if you can put up with the Chinese Elvis impersonator who is also a karaoke master - raucous entertainment indeed, but fantabulous food.

Haiku is the epitome of silence and oriental grace. It's cool dark interior a refuge from a hot blustery Cape spring day. Enchanting curly tousle haired waiter takes us through the menu explaining that there are four kitchens and the food comes out as it is ready. Her service was there always and unintrusive.

And it comes on square white plates, each a taste serving for four. Embroidered napkins and all earthy brown plates, spoons and chopsticks.

Crispy crusty-edged rare beef with shiitake mushrooms. Crunchy prawn toasts with chili sauce. Pekin duck, complete with a little steaming basket of hand-sized pancakes, plum sauce and julienne of cucumber and celery. Superb sushi, some vegetarian with the avocado in it reaching the point of perfect ripeness as it hit the table. Salmon sashimi covered in sesame seeds and set on a frilly salad. Fat juicy deep-fried prawns in a light batter. Steamed spinach and cheese in rice flour wrappers. Each with its own unique sauce.

There were desserts as well, but we never got there. Had I, the coconut ice cream would have been my first choice.

The food is of the best I have eaten in Cape Town. Just plan your detour well ahead to ensure a table.

Haiku, Upper Burg Street, Cape Town [021]

~24 7000 http://www.haikurestaurant.com

http://www.noshnews.co.za/index. php?option=com _ content&task=view &id= 193&Itemid=26 12/3/2005