WHAT happens when three food-loving, out-of-the-box thinkers get together? Sushi out of the box, that’s what. And out of an urban environment.
If you’re a sushi lover living in Cape Town, you’re surely a fan of Sushi Box fare, usually enjoyed in a suburban setting. But try the enticing outlet on the Beau Constantia wine farm at the top of Constantia Nek. Book, claim your table and relax, drinking in the spectacular edge-to-edge panorama stretching to the Helderberg and Stellenbosch mountain ranges.
The idea of rural expansion took shape when Christo Bornman, the brains behind Sushi Box, was chatting to Beau Constantia owners Pierre and Cecily du Preez, regulars at his first sushi outlet in Newlands. The result is a pop-up restaurant in the farm’s wine bar, with a first for Sushi Box, now serving both sushi and tempting tapas to share. Be warned: book ahead. The queue on Saturdays can reach 300.
Christo explains: “We got talking and Cecily said she had this amazing space that they would like to turn into a wine and sushi pairing venue. The timing was perfect: the tapas idea was something I'd been playing with for quite some time.”
The menu is simple, complementing the farm’s boutique wines, changing often to avoid boredom. A limiting factor is the capacity of the two box-like kitchens, where at peak periods sales manager Joy Norman describes the chefs’ fingers as “a blur. I didn’t know food could be produced as quickly”.
Surprisingly, the flying fingers are Zimbabwean.
Expect super-fresh sushi presented in Sushi Box’s signature style. There’s plenty of choice. If you like it hot, try a crispy heat roll (salmon and avo in tempura batter, with sliced jalapeno and sriracha and ponzu mayo). We played it safe with pretty salmon roses and the ultimate double rock shrimp (a California roll, topped with tempura prawns and drizzled with yum yum sauce and sesame seeds).
The appetising tapas selection has wide appeal, ranging from Moroccan tagine, rich in nuts, fruit and North African spices, to melt-in-the-mouth sweet Indo pork belly and slow-roasted Peking duck spring rolls with plum dipping sauce.
Though food is only available when paired with Beau Constantia wine, there is no pressure on pairing. Suggestions, sure, but the selection is up to you. And though the boutique wine range, charmingly named after the members of the Du Preez family, is small, it includes the internationally acclaimed Cecily Viognier, the classic Bordeaux-style Lucca and new world Aidan (both named after the next generation).
I have yet to be convinced of a happy marriage of red wines with sushi, but found Aiden, a spicy fruit-forward red blend, now including Shiraz, to be the most friendly pairing option, responding well to spicy dishes. And do try the approachable Par de Nom range, a tribute to Japie Bronn, bushy-bearded, recently retired farm manager.
To carp: this was a tasty, fun sharing experience in a spectacular setting, but I’d have welcomed something sweet to round-off my meal (even though Beau Constantia has no dessert wine). And my tastebuds lusted for coffee.
l If you order from both menus, you are warned that as the kitchens are separate, the orders might not arrive simultaneously, but we had no problems. The sushi ranges from round R60-R125; the tapas fromR40 to a platter at R165.The price of your meal depends on your wine-pairing, by the glass or bottle.