If you haven’t been, book. Since opening, this inviting, edgy restaurant has filled two sittings every night throughout high and low seasons, running to capacity at 120 guests. It has been dubbed “the coolest place to eat in Cape Town”.
I’d dispute that. Asked my opinion on “Cape Town’s best restaurant” (most peoples’ opening line when they meet me) I’d award the palm to its sister restaurant, the trend-setting Test Kitchen.
True, the younger offshoot has the advantage of altitude: taking pot luck on the top floor of the revamped Old Biscuit Mill silo implies a dizzy mix of the mother city at your feet and exotic flavours on your plate.
To me, the basic difference between the two restaurants is a matter of attitude. Whereas the Test Kitchen entices, teases and challenges your tastebuds, Pot Luck pleasures them. Who’s for the gourmet delight of smoky beef fillet smothered in black pepper and truffle café au lait?
If it’s your first visit and you suffer from acrophobia, take a suitably sturdy escort to clutch, or simply climb into the glass lift and shut your eyes. The ascent is ladylike and the destination worth the journey.
The view of the city spread beneath you is fascinating by day; spectacular come sunset when the sun slips behind Lion’s Head; and (Eskom permitting) a panorama of twinkling lights at night. But the centre stage, studio-lit, and open-plan kitchen, offers strong competition.
My update to celebrate their second anniversary last month, showed that head chef Wesley Randles has grown with the restaurant. As sous chef, Wesley had worked with chef/proprietor Luke Dale Roberts from his La Colombe days and was part of the team that opened the Test Kitchen.
Headed by this creative combo, Pot Luck is vibrant and unpretentious, geared to plate-sharing relaxation.
Whatever the name might suggest, there’s nothing random or “whatever’s available” about the menu. A multi-culture mix of classic and contemporary, it reflects Luke’s travels in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, distilled into salty, sour, sweet, bitter and umami flavours, rounded off with a sweetly-balanced ending.
Well-trained staff are on hand to help you order. The drill is to take your pick of the categories,selecting four small plates, preferably different from those chosen by your partner. Top marks to our waiter: it’s the first restaurant I’ve patronised where I was presented with a list of dishes that were safe for me in a chilli-accented menu.
Crisply beer-battered fish with cardamom and saffron mayo and green mango atchar engages the palate as a salty starter; springbok carpaccio with smoked pine nuts, finished with a burnt honey and soy dressing is a subtle take on “sweet”; while duck breast with naartjie and yuzu dressing is a palate-expanding “sour” choice.
A must is sake-compressed watermelon as a deliciously refreshing palate-cleansing “bitter” choice, and BBQ broccoli mops with blue cheese provides a suitably savoury “umami” flavour. As a “sweet ending” indulge your palate with a “millionaire chocolate hot pot”, or play safe with poached meringue, fresh summer berries and passion fruit curd.
l The focused winelist is well-chosen and wide-spread. Prices in the various flavour categories range from R40 – R110, depending on ingredients.