Possibly one of the most anticipated revamps/openings of 2016 has to be the newly renovated space at thee famed Test Kitchen, By Luke Dale Roberts.
What was Luke’s team selling his famous rösti to the hungry foodies at the Old Biscuit Mill markets until a small store became available in the rejuvenated complex back in the day has now evolved into a multifaceted brand and restaurant group.
The Test Kitchen has been a foodie front runner since it’s inception racking in awards locally and abroad.
Think World’s Top 50 at 22nd position currently and Eat Out Restaurant of the year since 2012.
With so much to live up to and an ambition to make the top ranks of the World’s 50 best Luke, his designer wife Sandalene (creative behind Short Market club) and of course his trusted team of now tweezer chefs took to creating a rejuvented space and a back to “our original journey & concept” approach
“I’m cooking more than I’ve ever cooked before and I feel like I’m indulging my first love again.”
-Luke Dale Roberts on his 40 seater new space
From an eatery that originally opened as a project to see how far Chef Luke Dale Roberts could take his food naturally grew to become the busy restaurant serving 60-65 guests lunch and dinner 5 days a week and almost impossible to visit without a reservation four months prior.
Without darkness, one cannot know light: The design concept of Light & Dark
The Dark Room is a to be considered a luxuriously dark space.
This is where guests are invited to huddle together, engage with one another and share plates of beautiful finger food. It is here where diners may indulge in cocktails and the first 7 courses of the 21-course tasting menu.
With a design focus to create a mysteriously atmospheric space so guests can feel a distinct change of pace from the outside world, where food and being present in ones conversation is the focus and in turn creating a sense of ease when one transitions into the light(room).
To create this designed darkness elements such as a burnt wood gravure which dominates the wooden wall in the dark room and jurassic metal pull down platforms by Egon Tania and Peter Forbes that throw sinister shadows on the refurbished raw-wood clad walls.
Floor dressings and Upholstery is in crushed blood reds and burnt bold oranges creating a sense of Phanton drama.
Juxtaposed from the initial journey of courses, The Light Room is airier and poised and more “fine dining” formal.
Here you’ll see white washed break, starched white linen, and a voile of blues that remind me or a rustic chic Parisan cafe. Naturally the synonymous chandeliers hang over head from the origional Test Kitchen, some thing old, something new, something borrowed and well a touch of something blue.
A marriage made in heaven.
Tasting Menu R1600 (includes cocktails, a glass of MCC, coffee and after dinner brandy)
Tasting Menu with Wine Paring R2250 (includes cocktails, a glass of MCC, coffee and after dinner brandy)
Tasting Menu with Iconic Wine Paring R2650 (includes cocktails, a glass of MCC, coffee and after dinner brandy)
The Dark Room
The Test Kitchen Billionaires Shortbread
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Salted Stone Pine nuts
Morgenster Olives
Local liquorice cured Wagyu biltong
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Mason farm baby vegetables with samjang dip, marmite on toast
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Pork Scratching, Pint of Guinness, celeriac salt and vinegar
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Smoked pickled fish, pickled carrot, dashi crisp
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Peking quail sandwich
Smoked lamb, barley and toasted ginger wafer, Xo dressing
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Pine needle granite, gin and tonic jelly, compressed cucumber
Light Room Menu
Vanilla Peach and rose scented foie gras
“Raised by Wolves” Muscat de Frontignon 2015
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Herb fired tuna loin, miso cured cream cheese, textures of kale, burnt onion
Paul Cluver Dry Encounter Riesling 2015
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12 hour smoked seabass, celeriac extraction, frozen horseradish, lime compressed apple
Neil Ellis Amica 2014
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Cauliflower and truffle cheese black garlic salsa
Fable Mountain “Jackal Bird” 2012
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Pan seared duck breast, orange emulsion, turnip and cashew pure, bbq turnip
Bosman Nero d’Avola 2015
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Sweet bread, pine smoked pancetta, pine nut milk, ox heart stuffing
Crystallum Cuvée Cinema 2015
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Chamomile ice cream, cardamom and brown butter sponge, toasted sunflower seeds
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Summer berries, elderflower ice cream, rose meringue, strawberry and lime snow
Silverthorn Green Man 2013
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Test Kitchen Millionaires Shortbread
