A winter menu set to heat up the chilly nights
I've always maintained that it is an utter travesty human beings don't hibernate. Surely, by now, our species should have evolved to a stage where we can gorge ourselves with food as the Autumn season draws to a close, and enjoy 3 months of much needed rest in time to thaw for Spring.
Heck, if our bodies can handle another animals eggs and milk, we can certainly manage to slow our heart rates and store our body away for a bit?!
Though I try to nest as much as possible when the weather drops, there are a few culinary masterpieces I'm willing to make an exception for. The winter menu Radisson Red released at the top of the month was one such occasion.
My dinner date and I waltz into OUI Bar & KTCHN at 7pm on a chilling Wednesday night. There is an undeniable minimalist, almost industrial, treatment of the space which is livened up by pop's of the hotels iconic colour. The red makes the space feel warm, even though there are no lit fires or heaters in sight.
"Our Chef has your meal ready and waiting, so we'll leave you to it," Sue, Radisson Red's CMD says after a very short, very sweet greeting.
By the time we slide into our seats, a bottle Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon is decanting and our stemware is standing to attention.
"Good evening ladies and welcome," Chef Naseer smiles, quenching our glasses with the relief they so eagerly desired. "I'm going to be taking you through our winter menu. I do hope you enjoy," Radisson Red's Head Chef directs.
We are starving. Azande and I managed to get through a decent amount of the bottle of bubbly in our room upstairs, so the first course couldn't have come at a better time. The kitchen serves us crumbed tofu and lemon atchar, a green salad with a vinegrette, and a few thick cuts of a slow aged steak
Though I don't want to appear discourteous, I cannot ignore the mouthwatering meal laid before me. As Chef Naseer explains the inspiration behind each dish, I begin apportioning the food.
"We decided to do the tofu this way because it can be quite bland and boring. These kind of look like chicken nuggets, but they're completely vegan and vegetarian friendly," Naseer shares.
Full disclosure: 10 years ago, my loving aunt tried to to turn me into a tofu curdisseur and it went horribly. HORRIBLY. So much so that being confronted by the soy product is bringin back a whole host of memories I'd rather forget. A decade is long enough to hold a grudge against a food item, I decide. I give the tofu a try.
The crumb is weightless. I can tell the nuggets have been oven baked and not deep-fried because there is no film of oil that covers the inside of my mouth. Though the tofu is relatively tasteless on its own, the atchar is incredibly pungent. Each bite provides a burst of zesty favour, and Chef Naseer even thought to add chunks of lemon rind to the atchar which introduces another element of textural diversity of the dish.
I'm used to making hearty salads for myself. The base is usually a leafy green of some sort, and then I cram everything-but-the-kitchen-sink into my bowl. OUI's green salad is a welcomed change to what I'm used to. Refreshing; the sting beans still have a crunch to them and so does the spinach. The addition of avocado pieces perfectly balances Chef Naseer's tangy vinaigrette.
What a revelation the slow-aged steak is. Obviously cured for a substantial amount of time, the meat is succulent and incredibly tender. My final bite is with a bit of the rosemary used to garnish the steak. It brings out a sweetness to the meat.
Azande and I sigh into the satisfaction of the modest meal. "Are you ready for the next course," Chef Naseer asks and I perk up. There's more?
For our main course, my dinner date and I must negotiate three sliders between the two of us - it wasn't pretty - on top of the cauliflower couscous, sporty spice, and sweet potato gnocchi we are given.
Because burgers are such a messy undertaking, I decide to plate up everything but them. "Don't forget to divvy up those sliders," Azande directs and I cringe.
By the time I'm finished, there are as many crumbs in my lap as there are heaped all over the table. I already look a state so I decide to dive straight into the deep end.
After I've tried the trio of theatrical sliders (one bun was made with activated charcoal and is vegan/vegetarian friendly, the green and gold slider is a nod to the boks, while the final slider has been dyed a vibrant fuscia from beetroot juice) I take the pasta to task.
My fork, already heavy with a considerable amount of scepticism, claims a few dumplings. You see, my older brother makes a gnocchi very few chefs have managed to top, and I'm not a fan of sweet potato. But after the tofu surpassed my expectations, I'm willing to be proven wrong, again, by the OUI KTCHN staff.
It's thick and creamy and incredibly sweet. Thankfully, oven baked sage leaves are there to cute through the richness with their sharp earthy taste.
While I enjoy the gnocchi, Azande is singing Chef Naseer's praises over the spicy rice they've dubbed Sporty Spice. After a few forkfuls of my own, I can see why. The tomato base is tangy, but there is a heat that slowly builds with each mouthful. We try the cauliflower couscous, which was conceptualised for diners following a carb-conscious/banting diet, but decide we're happy to deal with the calories of crushed durum wheat.
Dessert comes next. Picture chocolate cream and Nutella sandwiched between two giant honeycomb and fudge stuffed chocolate chip cookies, with peanut butter milk on the side. I say 'picture it' because Azande and get ahead of ourselves and I don't manage to get a picture.
It is better than anything I've ever tasted. The perfect balance of sweet and savoury; it's rich without being too sickly. Each cookie has a hard crust, but the middle melts in my mouth like a hot knife cutting through butter. The chocolate cream tastes like sweet nothing it's so light. You'll be happy to share the wonderful experience with a close friend or dinner date because that's exactly what this dessert is - an experience.
And as quickly as it began, it's all over. Azande and I are showering Chef Naseer in praise; we're even moved to hug him as he bids us goodnight. It's clear this entire meal has been the product of passion. OUI Bar & KTCHN have served a spread they can be proud of. Young, yet incredibly learned in his culinary wisdom and expertise, Chef Naseer is one to watch, not just for his locally sourced winter menu but the insight he will bring to the seasonal menus Radisson Red's flagship restaurant will put out in the months and years to come.
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