Roots Revisited

On my previous visit to Roots Restaurant in the Cradle of Humankind, I was slightly disappointed. My yeast allergy was not catered for accurately and my dishes compared to those of my companions, lacked some wow factor as components were left off instead of being replaced with allergy free versions.

I e-mailed my blog through to them and a few days later I received a call from Giles King, the general manager of Forum Homini, apologising that my experience was not of the impeccable standard that Roots has come to be known for.

Giles told me that they would like to be able to cater for everyone with an equally high standard and asked me to come back in a few weeks to see what they had come up with.

Giles set the kitchen staff to work straight away, giving them a tight schedule in order to challenge them, under the guidance of Head Chef Allistaire Lawrence. Giles tasked the pastry chef Samantha to come up with some dishes that were gluten, dairy, egg and yeast free that would provide me with the same experience as guests with no food allergies.

Last night I returned with two of my friends.

Complimentary bread was offered, with gluten free bread being given to me – I found this to be a thoughtful and personal touch.

An amuse-bouche of beetroot soup started us off – this packed a punch with the sweet and sour flavours working in unison – it certainly got the taste buds going.

The first course was an Aubergine, Roasted Pepper and Parma Ham Terrine paired with a tomato sorbet, basil emulsion and balsamic reduction.

The presentation was amazing as was the intricacy of the dish. The contrasting textures of the sorbet with the al dente roasted pepper and the crunchy biscuit streusel dotted around the plate and the zing from the basil emulsion was brilliant. The fact that the balsamic reduction had to be left off of mine, due to it containing yeast, didn’t bother me in the slighted as my eating experience was pleasurable.

Pan Fried Monkfish with braised lentils, confit tomatoes, red wine fumet and crispy potato was next. The monkfish was slightly tough, but the flavour from the lentils and tomatoes was intense and the crispy potato slivers on the top of the monkfish once again added another dimension. The red wine fume was replaced by sumptuous gravy, which complimented the dish well.

The third dish was Confit Pork Belly with caramelised apples, red cabbage and a ginger and honey sabayon. The sabayon was replaced with foam on mine. The pork belly was very tender and topped with what appeared to be pistachio crumbs or dukkah to resemble crackling, which was supremely clever. This dish was sweet, but the apple and cabbage added a needed tartness.

An unusual sweet pea sorbet was our palate cleanser. This gave our taste buds a small break before continuing on the journey.

Herb Gnocchi arrived next with roasted baby onion, chanterells, asparagus, sous vide fennel and truffle veloute. Instead of standard potato gnocchi, I received spinach gnocchi – the colour of which made a bold statement. The gnocchi was light, but had a slight “floury” taste. The crunch of the asparagus and fennel provided great texture and the roasted onion softened the dish. The sauce that replaced the truffle veloute was tasty.

The dish that stood out the most for me was the Herbed Beef Fillet with sweet potato fondant, broad beans, pickled carrots, foie gras and cinnamon jus.

The foie gras was pan seared, which gave it a lovely crust. At first, I was intimidated by the almost pudding like texture, but the taste was exceptional, especially when being paired with the beautifully cooked fillet. Outstanding.

A classic of Peaches and Cream rounded off an amazing taste adventure. My cream was replaced with dairy free vanilla ice cream, which was lovely and creamy and the vanilla stood out. The gluten free biscuit pieces adding the contrast to the dish were extremely light and delicious.

 Finally, complimentary rose water and almond Turkish delight and caramelised popcorn were the perfect finish to an amazing dinner.

This marathon of gourmet eating took about four and a half hours, but it was an enjoyment that made time fly. The lovely low lighting and warmth from the heaters provided the setting for an evening of pure escapism and magical wonder. The wait-staff were very knowledgeable and have perfected the art of making the diners feel unhurried and supremely well looked after.

I feel so privileged to have been able to partake in such an experience and to know that my blog has triggered off the need to cater for people with dietary requirements as complex as mine. Roots started implementing their amazing, revisited allergy free dishes shortly after receiving my blog. Just the fact that six other diners required dietary requirements on the same night as mine, goes to show that although the market is extremely niche it cannot be overlooked.

Thank you Giles, Allistaire and Samantha, you have certainly set the bar high – hopefully other restaurants will follow in your giant footsteps.

http://www.forumhomini.com/

Apologies for the picture quality - it was at night and I used my phone

My Birthday @ Roots

Today is my birthday: "Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear Leaine, happy birthday to me" :) And boy oh boy have I been spoilt! In typical Virgo style I have already been celebrating my birthday for about a week now, but yesterday was definitely the pinnacle; 9 of my closest friends joined me for a 6 course lunch at Roots Restaurant at Forum Homini.

It was a glorious 26 degree day; the weather in itself held so much promise and there was great anticipation for the foodie extravaganza ahead.

As requested by Roots, I dutifully gave them my dietary requirements: allergies to gluten, dairy, egg, yeast and garlic... I admit, my list is long and to most people it can seem daunting, but I had high hopes for this top 10 restaurant.

Upon arrival, we started off with a celebratory bottle of bubbly. Yes, sparkling wine and all other wines do contain yeast - but I was still going to be doing the wine pairing to see how well they could do with my allergy free food. I wanted to see if they would still take into account the fact that the wine teasers needed to compliment the food and vice versa.

Our meal commenced with an amuse-bouche. Mine was a confit of quail legs, which I must confess was pretty tasteless. The whole point of an amuse-bouche is to whet the taste buds and get them excited for the meal ahead. My poor little quail's legs did not do this for me, but the others had chicken liver with goose berries, which looked rather appetising. Already, this was not boding well for me...

The starter on the menu was a chilled tomato soup with basil ice cream, strudel pieces and a balsamic reduction. Each soup was extravagantly poured into the bowls at the table. My guests raved about the flavour combinations and different textures that the crunch of the strudel and creaminess of the ice cream provided, which in turn, cut through the acid in the tomato. I on the other hand was given the tomato soup with only the balsamic reduction and nothing else to replace the creaminess of the basil ice cream or the crunch of the strudel. I was really disappointed that I had missed out on this experience, although it was very tasty. The balsamic reduction however did still contain yeast - as it is vinegar.

The second course was an apple, watercress and peppered pecorino salad with apple and grapefruit jellies and croutons. With mine they left off the pecorino and croutons. It was very flavoursome being sweet and salty and the jellies added an extra texture dimension. But I couldn't help feeling cheated that the pecorino and croutons weren't replaced with something else.

Tempura lobster came next with pickled fennel and cucumber with chilli. At last, I was getting the same as everyone else - except my batter was done with tapioca flour! Yippie! This was the best course for me - it complimented the wine the best and the flavours were out of this world. Although, once again this dish contained yeast from the vinegar - I was beyond caring as the tastes were exceptional. The theme of sweet and salty rang through and the lobster was tender with the crunch from the batter - utter yum!

An unusual sorbet of beetroot, rock salt and cumin was our palate cleanser. This was a controversial choice as some people enjoyed it, while others didn't. Other tables received cucumber sorbet. I was really happy with the beetroot.

Guinea fowl with mushrooms, smoked bacon and peas followed. I don't recall ever eating guinea fowl before, but the smokiness of the bacon really complimented it well. The original dish was done with potato gnocchi and a creamy sauce. Mine had a red wine reduction instead. The yeast allergy was not catered for again with the gravy and the mushrooms, but the flavours were good. Some complained about the fat around the guinea fowl, yet I was lucky enough to have a lean piece and I found the meat to be very tender.

"A Study of Lamb" became the hot topic of conversation - I guessed right when I said it might be a trio of lamb as "trios" seem to be very popular at the moment. The trio was a tender saddle of lamb, lamb's liver and a lamb sausage. I found the saddle and the sausage to have similar flavours, although I was not complaining as the flavour was delicious - I even enjoyed the liver, much to my own surprise. The original dish was done with a cauliflower puree, I was given a beetroot puree, which I was shocked about - but there must have been dairy in the cauliflower. The menu mentioned saffron potatoes, but we only got one cube, which was disappointing. On the whole I enjoyed this dish and I found that the beetroot worked well.

The piece de resistance was a "Chocolate Landscape". Butterflies fluttered in my stomach and I held my breath, hoping to receive something exciting for my dessert. Sadly, and I think I even shed a tiny tear, my dessert was not a master piece like the original dish, which consisted of chocolate soil, roots and branches, tiny pieces of honey comb, and chocolate blocks with a decadent brownie covered in a caramel sauce taking centre stage, and finished off with a banana ice cream. My dish of apple sorbet and fruit, although very refreshing, just could not compare or compete.

In conclusion, the original menu was a triumph. Each plate took the eater on a journey of taste, texture and sight, but my dishes in some cases left me wanting and a little envious of my friends. I know Roots' forte is not catering for people with allergies; they are clearly masters at what they do.

Each plate was not just a work of art, but was a lavish display of talent and flavour.

I do feel that they could have tried harder, maybe even done a bit more research with my dishes, as they clearly did not understand the yeast allergy for one. I give them credit for trying, but I would have even been happy with a cake made from the "Glutagon" range, found at Dischem and all other health shops, to wish me a happy birthday, instead of popcorn. It would have made me feel more special, instead of just highlighting the fact that my allergies make me "different".

Yes, I have allergies, but that doesn't make me less important or make me like food less, as a result. I am paying the same amount; (some would argue that people with allergies should pay more because they are deviating from the menu) no problem, just provide me with an equally as amazing journey as everyone else.

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone - it is certainly a must experience, but sadly they are not fully able to cater for all types of allergies.

Besides the few food hiccups, this was a day filled with laughter, happiness and very fond memories that were shared with some very amazing people! Thanks for a super birthday guys :)

Click here to see my latest review of Roots