Granary Cafe: A Sweet Surprise

Silo Hotel's flagship eatery is a slice of paradise

When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with Gossip Girl.

I didn’t concern myself with who was uninvited to what party or which main characters were spotted locking lips at the back of a town car. I was an angsty adolescent so I had my own drama to deal with.

As the will-they-wont-they between Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf agonized most, at the end of every episode, I was left wanton for the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by Manhattan’s elite.

Opulent apartments on the Upper East Side overlooked Central Park, brimming with greenery as lush as each heiress’s bank account. Hermes, Burberry, Chanel and Diane von Furstenberg all filed neatly into walk-in closets. Handmade truffles would arrive from France. Couture gowns were hand-stitched so perfectly, it was as if each leading lady had been poured into them. The cast of the CW Network series lived in a world that was extravagant. Magnificent. Marvelous.

I had to get a taste of it.

A decade after I decided to abandon my addiction of living vicariously through the characters in the teen drama, I can report that I am well on my way to acquiring the life I desire. You need only attend one yacht party in the south of France to convince yourself that a life of leisure is suited to you. Luckily, my profession affords me the privilege to stay in five-star hotels and dine at award winning restaurants. Often, when I do, I’m surprised by how at home I am made to feel at these fanciful locations.

One such experience springs to mind.

Now, the days in which I can afford a staycation at the swanky Silo Hotel are still some distance away, I can comfortably console myself with an afternoon of high tea at their eatery The Granary Café.

I’m seated with a glass of sparkling water by one of the wait staff, Stanley. The interior is impressive. Plush steel blue sofas and emerald chairs encircle similarly coloured tables. Vintage bankers lamps line the bar counter. Light is pouring in through the Gothic-style windows, drawing my attention to the panoramic view starting at Table Mountain, craning all the way until the V&A Waterfront and out to where the Atlantic Ocean meets the horizon.

Within minutes, a warm face greets me. Decorated Pastry Chef, Devin Jones, introduces himself and we get to talking about some of the amazing restaurants he’s cut his teeth in. I’m sure he senses my excitement because he sighs decidedly and says, “I hope you’ve come hungry.”

I order The Silo Blend tea to accompany the nibbles Chef Devin and his team are preparing for me. It is supposed to be a composition of African marula and rooibos, with notes of berries and rose petals. I’m anticipating that it will enhance the sweetness in any dessert treats I’m served, and work to balance out the savoury snacks.

Chef Devin returns with two multi-tiered cake stands.

“There’s more.” he states as another waiter arrives with two plates. Giggling sheepishly, I turn to my host who is has a grin plastered across his face.

“So what we’ve prepared for you is the breakfast tea as well as the afternoon high tea so you can taste a bit of both.”

“This is a lot of food,” is all I can manage.

“We don’t expect you to finish it all. Get through what you can,” Chef Devin reassures me, and then he disappears into the kitchen.

‘Right,’ I say to myself, ‘let’s do this.’

I reach for the mini salmon and cream cheese pancakes first. Slightly larger than a R5 coin, I pop one into my mouth and then quickly follow with another. The pancake is incredibly light. I can pick up the hint of vanilla that supports the subtle sweetness of the salmon which, itself, isn't overpowering. The classic combination is completed by the cream cheese that has been treated with lemon juice and chives.

Next, croissants.

Some say that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I believe the French adapted what was originally an Austrian pastry to give the world the buttery and flaky crescent shaped confectionery we all know and love today. That kind of artistic licence I can condone. That is where it ends.

Admittedly, I've tried my hand at baking caramel stuffed croissants. I was pleased with how they turned out but nothing beats a no frills all flavour classic. These croissants are faultless. The residue of the sugar brush the chefs have finished them off with sticks to the roof of my mouth as the rest of the pastry melts away on my tongue. Poor technique cannot hide behind a plain croissant, thankfully the Granary Cafe staff have nothing to worry about.

I enjoy the various petit four. Each portion is decent enough to satisfy any diner. The cucumber sandwiches are as delicate as they appear. Three appetizing macrons, two appeasing cheese sticks, one crumbly scone with cream and jam (always cream first, then jam) later, and it doesn't look like I've made a dent in the feast. There are two more preparations I've been avoiding; pushing them around the plate if you will. One is what Chef Devin called a polenta cake and the other is what look like a profiterole that has a disarming crust on top of it. I haven't been disappointed by anything that's come from the kitchen yet, but I still approach the choux au craquelin with caution. The crunchy shell gives way and the filling offers itself up to me.

Heaven.

I'd closed my eyes to savour the moment with no distractions. When I reopen them I am spent. There is a familiar flavour that can only be describe as feeling like home. To say that I am comforted by memories of dipping similarly tasting rusks into warm mugs of milky tea would do the experience no justice. Flashbacks of sneaking marie biscuits, stolen from our house matron's office, into my high school dorm room come flooding back. I'm overwhelmed by nostalgia and I am grateful.

My tea's gone cold, so I drain what I can before Chef Devin returns. "How was it," he asks and I respond with an impassioned suspire.

My heart is full as I ready myself to leave. "We're just finishing up with your next dessert," the hospitable chef directs, "pineapple is the champion of this dessert, so I really hope you're a fan of the fruit."

"Sure."

With a belly full of pastry, I don't know if I can manage anything else. But those who know me personally know that I've never turned down a late of food.

The foundation of the dessert is a dense and buttery biscuit; followed by a layer of light, fluffy vanilla filling which has a hint of tartness to it, that I only imagine comes from the pineapple, to cut through the rich flavours. The slice is finished with a well-judged film of caramelized pineapple jelly. Dice blueberries, candied macadamia nuts and pineapple garnish the dish.

Soft and flaky, crunchy and smooth, sweet and tangy. All is balanced. The quenelle of refreshing parfait is enough that I can scoop a portion for each mouthful of the pudding. Before I know it, I've eaten the entire dessert. My palate is pleased, but I don't feel any fuller than before. Dessert is meant to be a sweat finish to a meal. Why we, as humans, decided that they be stoggy and sickly - I'll never know. This dish is pleasant. Satisfying without encouraging over consumption.

"So you enjoyed it," Chef Devin teases.

"Can you tell," I begin, "you balanced those flavours perfectly. Pineapple is a gamble because sometimes you get a fruit that is too sour, other times it's over ripened. You managed to marry the flavours from both ends of the spectrum effortlessly."

I don't stop there.

"And that crumble! It was yummy and wholesome with that bottom layer, but the macadamia nuts you crushed all around the plate added a completely different, but welcomed, nuance to the dish - I loved it.

I loved it."

It seems I've stunned my host, which is fair because the dessert has had the same effect on me. I'm on a high and I'm sure the feeling will last well after I've left.

"We're going upstairs for the final dish, so if you would follow me," Chef Devin instructs.

Another one?!

I can't decide whether I'm dismayed because I'm about to split at the seams, just thinking about more food, or if I'm floored by how generous my host is being, but I do as I am told.

The view from the top is unparalleled. A few guests and diners are soaking up the sun as the kitchen staff at the rooftop bar are preparing alfresco-style nibbles.

"I thought this would be a great end to your afternoon with us. You've experienced our two dining rooms, now you we can impress you with a final dessert and this gorgeous view," Chef Devin says as he seats me. Within minutes I am served.

"This is my favourite dessert to make and eat," Chef Devin jokes. "It's a slightly larger than life pistachio macron with raspberry parfait. There are some candied pistachios, fresh raspberries and edible flower to garnish the dish. We've also added some French meringue."

It looks a treat. I take a few pictures as I ready myself to tackle my final feat.

I inhale the pudding. Feasting greedily, I don't wait until I've finished one mouthful before I aim another spoonful at my face. The macron is perfectly flaky on the outside, while the inside is a gooey and nougaty treat. Pistachio has always been a bizarre flavour to add to sweets, in my opinion, because it is typically quite salty but it works to balance out the sweetness of the raspberry parfait. The torched meringues are also incredibly sweet so the nuttiness is there to bring order.

After trying one edible flower, I decide they're only going to take up valuable space in my stomach. I've eaten my fair share of fresh raspberries, so I shun those to the side of the plate too.

When I come up for air, most of the macron has been annihilated. The glutton on my one shoulder is willing me to finish the plate. The prude on my other shoulder is pleading that I put my spoon down. 'That's enough for today' it reasons, 'you can always come back for more.'

I submit.

It was my idol, Nigella Lawson, who famously said, "You cannot truly say you live well unless you eat well." Following an afternoon in the care of Chef Devin, I can confidently say that my experience rivaled those I'd watch religiously on my laptop as a 16 year old - if only for a few hours.

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We are 9 days away from Valentines Day! I have it on good authority that the best restaurants in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban are getting booked up fast, so you'll have to act quickly if you want to plan a memorable evening for your special someone.

Keep an eye out for my Romantic Date Ideas listicles which will go live this Friday, next Monday and Wednesday.