Press Room

Qambathi Mountain Lodge Review: Anne Stevens - Food Critic

7 Mar 2011

It may be a little more distant than most of the other venues on the Midlands Meander, but Kamberg is becoming a serious player.

The upper end of the valley is dotted with a wide variety of guest farms, bed and breakfasts and even a backpackers' lodge. It has long been home to the top-notch Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse, and can now boast a new upper-end destination. QAMBATHI Mountain Lodge is, quite simply, a visual joy. Light, white, bright, it is nestled against a hillside with great views over the valley. The receptions rooms are filled with striking custom-made furniture; chandeliers of glass and beads are more works of art than means of lighting.

It has been a long project for Durban architect Gerhard le Roux and business partner Stephan Erasmus, from buying and clearing the land to building the very modern accommodation on the ruins of an old jailhouse and post office.
But none of this contemporary chic would mean very much if the kitchen failed. Thank heavens, it doesn't. With a maximum of 10 in-house guests to cater for at any time - but open to the public when space allows - chef Jenna Develing has the time to focus on the food. (The lodge is very new and when we stayed we were the only diners, which is something to bear in mind when assessing quality and service.) Jenna trained at Prue Leith, worked in the UK (including a spell at the River Café), specialising in pastry, then lodges in South Africa and, most recently, Woodridge next to Michaelhouse. Her menus show flair and capability.

Lunch was chicken breast stuffed under the skin with goat's cheese and herbs and served on a potato and carrot smash with cranberry compote. I'd eaten a stuffed chicken breast the day before at another venue and couldn't help but compare the two. It was night and day, and Qambathi won hands down, the meat kept moist by the stuffing.

A dessert of chocolate torte with burnt honey and grapefruit sauce, strawberries and salty crème fraiche was just as notable, the fruit cutting the richness of the chocolate. In the evening the menu started with an amuse bouche that was a little too big to fall into that category, but was bliss at every bite: harissa-spiced beef tartar assembled into a little tower with crisp samoosa pastry, avocado, mixed cresses and a spring onion salsa.

Following were langoustines marinated in a honey and teriyaki mix, served with marinated courgette ribbons, more cress and a caramelised orange dressing.

The marinade was perhaps a little too assertive, killing the sweetness of the seafood, but lifted by the courgettes and dressing.

A melon and sparkling wine sorbet broke courses - a practice I'm not in favour of, but this was so much concentrated fruit it was irresistible. The main course got full marks. Locally sourced lamb rack had been rubbed with a curry spice mix and cooked just pink. A classic lamb accompaniment, butter beans, had been pureed and teamed with wilted spinach with cashew nuts, and a port and chorizo sauce that was just rich enough without being overbearing. Roasted garlic paste came separately, and really wasn't necessary. There were already so many
flavours going on.

Dessert was the only thing that didn't really work. A masala chai crème brulee had good taste, but was way too sloppy, especially as the lemon poppy seed ice cream served with it began to melt.

It was, though, a memorable meal and other menus show as much promise. There is a spiced pumpkin and peanut butter soup with coriander pesto croute; caramelised pear and blue cheese tarte tatin; smoked pork fillet with phutu chips and spinach; and dukkah-crusted venison with a Parma ham and cannellini bean puree and cranberry sauce.

Innovation
Vegetarians are catered for with a menu featuring the likes of a sherry and thyme-infused mushroom cappuccino; asparagus and sundried tomatoes with olives, peppers and a soft poached egg on potato rosti; and a stack of caramelised butternut, mascarpone, pinenuts and sage with a wild rocket and parmesan salad and smoked pepper coulis.

For dessert you have interesting assemblies like Bacardi and banana sticky toffee pudding with white sesame ice cream, caramelised bananas and coconut, and pear tart tatin with blue cheese cream and pistachio nut brittle.

One can only hope such innovation continues. A lodge like this deserves the best. Booking is essential.