Dartnall is renowned not only in South Africa but in culinary circles around the world for her innovative and meticulous approach to modern fine dining. She believes it is vital to serve visually appealing dishes that tell a story and start stimulating the diners' senses from the moment the food arrives at the table. She produces dishes that are extraordinarily elegant while, at the same time, bursting with flavour.
Flavour pairings are original, unusual and carefully engineered: think rainbow trout served with lime, vanilla and chervil. Sauces are perfectly executed: from classic bisque to a rich jus, all perfectly seasoned and textured. A West Coast lobster dish with citrus beurre blanc and morels, for instance, features a rich sauce that is delicately flavoured to permeate and complement the lobster - an "absolute knockout", according to Eat Out judge Andy Fenner, who continues "There's amazing attention to detail, radical technique on display and surely some of the most beautiful plating in South Africa."
Says a delighted Dartnall, "Both times I received this wonderful award were truly unexpected. There was nothing different about the feeling of pure adrenaline and excitement of hearing my name announced. In 2009, I was still the new kid on the block and Mosaic had only been open for three years. Five years later and I believe that both Mosaic and I are better known and established and I am now a little more deserving of the title than I was in 2009."
Trained at the Prue Leith Culinary Academy, Dartnall has gained a wealth of knowledge from her extensive annual travels to some of the world's finest restaurants. This year she visited Portugal, Madeira, Spain and France.
"As a chef, it is important for me to know what is happening in my industry across the globe and I enjoy meeting other chefs, sometimes working with them and experiencing their creativity. It inspires me to work harder at what I do to ensure that our quality at Mosaic is parallel to what you would encounter in the best restaurants in the world."
She will be off to Italy in January as part of her prize as the 2014 Eat Out S. Pellegrino Chef of the Year. Dartnall will be participating in the Chef's Cup SüdTirol in Alta Badia, an annual event that brings together 70 renowned chefs from around the globe.
However, despite her extensive travels, Dartnall also takes inspiration from Mosaic's setting in the lush Francolin Conservancy in the Crocodile River Valley. Dartnall and her team have built longstanding relationships with local farmers and suppliers in the area and grow some of their own produce. Mosaic has always been a supporter of sustainable food practices.
Concludes Eat Out judge Kate Wilson, "It seems unlikely that such a remote, over-the-top restaurant would be serving technically precise, delicious French food, yet that is exactly what Chantel Dartnall is doing. She is cooking exactly the kind of food she wants to, relaying her culinary stories on the plate with skill and restraint in a totally unrestrained setting."
