Food Services News South Africa

Sevruga with a smile

"There is only one reason to go to the V&A Waterfront, which is overpriced and has the feel of a giant globalised shopping mall," wrote The New York Times a few years ago: "Sevruga."

In many ways, it's easy to see why the paper was so impressed. With its wooden interior and designer chairs, the space has a sophisticated feel. And while the soft lighting makes for an intimate atmosphere, the fact that the people next to us had to read their menu with a smartphone torch makes me wonder if it wasn't a bit too dark.

Sevruga with a smile

For starters, my friend and I opted for calamari: flash-fried ginger calamari for him, grilled baby calamari with lemon beurre blanc and pickled vegetables for me. Both dishes impressed us with beautiful presentation and balanced taste, which made us eager for our salmon mains.

But there was a slight problem. Even though I ordered the salmon Wellington and he ordered the Norwegian salmon, the dishes were identical. Hungry as I was, I nearly tucked in before I realised the mistake. And so both plates went back to the kitchen to fix up the mix-up.

Sevruga with a smile

This was a bit disappointing given my high my expectations for the restaurant's service. And as much as I can understand that it was just a communication error, I was also a bit frustrated about other aspects of the evening.

First there was the cold air pouring in from a door that one waiter would open as soon as another waiter had it closed. Then there was the eager woman who interrupted our conversation mid-sentence - twice! - to ask if everything was okay.

Sevruga with a smile

Still, given that this was one of the rare occasions when we didn't have to race to the theatre after our meal, I wasn't too bothered about the delay. And I appreciate the manager's efforts to make amends by offering us a complimentary platter of tuna tempura and waiving the corkage fee. (The restaurant has over 200 wine varieties in case you're brave enough to make the right choice.)

In the end, the food was superb and, thanks to my Entertainer Cape Town membership - yes, I'm a bit obsessed - only R350 including tip. And even though Sevruga doesn't have extensive specials like its sister restaurant Beluga, I'll be back again for another meal. Summer is coming and if you have to go to The Waterfront, you might as well have a good time while you're there.

Sevruga Cape Town | V&A Waterfront from The Caviar Group on Vimeo.


Sevruga at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront is open from 12pm to 11pm. Call 021 421 5134/7, email az.oc.agurves@ofni, or visit www.sevruga.co.za for more.

About Eugene Yiga

Eugene graduated from the University of Cape Town with distinctions in financial accounting and classical piano. He then spent over two-and-half years working in branding and communications at two of South Africa's top market research companies. Eugene also spent over three-and-a-half years at an eLearning start-up, all while building his business as an award-winning writer. Visit www.eugeneyiga.com, follow @eugeneyiga on Twitter, or email moc.agiyenegue@olleh to say, um, hello.
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