Two Oceans Restaurant

Dining with a view. Interview with chef Phil Alcock

Two Oceans Restaurant — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:41:26 +0000

By Fazielah Williams – Cape Town Tourism

Dining at the tip of Africa is a decadent reality at Cape Point’s Two Oceans Restaurant.

Here, surrounded by magnificent views, award-winning Executive Chef Phil Alcock offers a tasty, filling winter menu that will have you begging for seconds.

He invited us into his stellar kitchen for a chat, a sneak taste of his new menu and some musings about Cape Town.

You’ve recently launched your new menu at Cape Point’s Two Oceans Restaurant. What was the inspiration behind this delectable six-course feast?

I have concentrated on a fresh winter feel, using the best products that the Cape has to offer. The new menu will include dishes such as Thai coconut steamed mussels, mushroom soup, which is a beautiful rich winter soup, and a braised stuffed oxtail, the recipe of which is one of my best kept secrets.

What sets the Two Oceans Restaurant dining experience apart from others in Cape Town?

Firstly the views at Cape Point are just magical. This is also reflected in the food and service we provide. And where else can you dine knowing you will get the freshest food, with the peace of mind that you are not falling into a typical tourist trap?

What are the top five local ingredients you just cannot cook without?

My five local ingredients: salt … can’t do without it. Then kingklip, crayfish, Fairview goats cheese, organic olive oil and a good bottle of chilled white wine (not that I’ll be cooking with it but it helps).

If Cape Town was a gourmet meal, what would she be and why?

She would be defiantly elegant but rustic, organic and majestic and made using the best ingredients we have. I would use local crayfish, fruits from our orchards in Grabouw, wines from our surrounding vineyards and organic vegetables from the local farms. The dish would be grilled local crayfish with a Graham Beck Brut, apple and lemon sabayon, organic pureed potato served with fynbos and roasted baby carrots.

What are your top five foodie spots in Cape Town?

Two Oceans Restaurant, The Round House, 96 Winery Road, The Food Barn and Nobu.

What is your best kept Capetonian secret?

My family’s log cabin in Bainskloof.

How does Cape Town inspire you?

The views, the sea, the views again and Table Mountain.

A look back at the chefs table

Two Oceans Restaurant — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:15:44 +0000

On the 8th March 2012, we hosted a special “by-invite only” chefs table for the media whereby our executive chef, Phil Alcock, prepared a 6 course tasting menu paired with some of the best wines from the estates of Hartenberg and Klein Constantia.

Here are some of the highlights:

Freshly baked bread straight from the oven

Phil Alcock preparing to plate up the soups

Preparing to pour the trio of mushroom soup - Portabellini & basil, roasted oyster & thyme, and button mushroom & truffle

Thai coconut steamed mussels with lemon grass, chilli and coriander

Saucing the pan fried Cape Salmon with a dill & lemon crust, steamed spinach and a leek cream

Chef Phil Alcock plating the Springbok Loin

Springbok loin served with roasted baby veg, and finished with a balsamic & blueberry jus

Chilled chocolate souffle served with tempura battered pineapple and a warm chocolate sauce

Sushi Chefs wanted

Two Oceans Restaurant — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:26:31 +0000

We are now looking to recruit sushi chefs for our new concept sushi bar section in our large restaurant. The successful applicant must be a sushi chef of a similar large volume restaurant or hotel background. The ideal candidate must have strong communication skills, be presentable and professional at all times and enjoy fast paced organised kitchens.

You must be a good team player and be able to work under pressure on your own initiative. Excellent hours, Daytime only 6 day weeks, own transport and living in the area is essential for commuting. We do provide a shuttle service from Fish Hoek station to Cape Point and return. Salary negotiable and dependent upon experience. Only successful applicants will be contacted so if you have not had a response within 2 days, you have been unsuccessful with this application but I will hold onto your details for anything else which may be suitable in the future.

Please send CV’s to troy@two-oceans.co.za

Trading Notice – Renovations

Two Oceans Restaurant — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:41:40 +0000

IMPORTANT TRADING NOTICE

Please be advised that Two Oceans Restaurant at Cape Point will be undergoing renovations to stay on top of international trends and deliver an even better experience to visitors of our unique setting. During this stage the restaurant will be closed for business. The provisional dates of closure are from 01 June 2012 – 10 July 2012. Reopening day is estimated to be Wednesday 11 July 2012.

During the renovations, the Two Oceans Food Shop (located next door to the restaurant) will remain open for business.

The project will be managed by Source Interior Brand Architects.

Founded by Jeremy Stewart, Evon Smuts and Andrew Merrington in 2002, Source Interior Brand Architects offers a total design package. With studios in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, their team consists of architects, interior designers, stylists, space planners, technicians and project managers. The team has extensive experience in hospitality & leisure, workplace, civic and retail design. All whom are driven by a passion for creating and delivering innovative design and unprecedented value. With 30 years international design experience, the key members at Source Interior Brand Architects have been involved in numerous award winning architectural and interior design projects.

The company‟s philosophy is based on passion and excellence in all aspects of the design and build process. The company combines extensive industry experience with youth and new ideas to ensure that it remains on the cusp of creative design with projects that are commercially viable and sustainable.

Two Oceans donates R13,000 to HOKISA

Two Oceans Restaurant — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:56:34 +0000

As part of our Corporate Social Investment, we were proud to hand over R13,000 to HOKISA (Home for Kids in South Africa). HOKISA was established in 2002 and cares for children infected with and/or affected by HIV and AIDS who cannot be looked after by their own parents or family.

To read more about this donation, click here, or to read more about HOKISA click here.

Our new logo

Two Oceans Restaurant — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:05:30 +0000

We are in the process of rebranding, and as such a new logo was developed.

The brief was to develop a fresh, crisp, clean logo that reflects the meeting of the two oceans, and the central theme of the restaurant cuisine which is seafood.

Here is the final result.

Valentines Recipe – Chocolate dipped strawberries

Two Oceans Restaurant — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:36:27 +0000

Valentines Recipe – Chocolate dipped strawberries

Author: Phil Alcock

Chocolate dipped strawberries

Ingredients

1 punnet of fresh strawberry’s
250g of your favourite chocolate

Instructions

break up the chocolate and place in a bowl
in a sauce pan fill half the way up with water and bring to the boil
place the bowl of chocolate on top of the sauce pan and remove from heat, gently let the chocolate melt
once the chocolate has melted dip the strawberry in and then place on a chilled plate then place in the fridge

Notes

this is an ideal recipe for two to do……

Valentines Recipe – Chilled chocolate and raspberry cheesecake

Two Oceans Restaurant — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:31:12 +0000

Recipe – Chilled chocolate and raspberry cheesecake

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Phil Alcock

Chilled chocolate and raspberry cheesecake with a passion fruit and paw-paw salsa

Ingredients

** For the cheese cake
240g raspberry
100g caster sugar
1 packet digestive biscuits or marie biscuits
100g butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
100g chocolate grated
600g soft cheese
100g icing sugar
300ml double cream
** For passion fruit and pawpaw salsa
2 granadilla
1 pawpaw
10g castor sugar
2g mint
1g basil

Instructions

** For the cheese cake
To make the raspberry’s, put the sugar and 3 tbsp. water in a pan. Cook until dissolved then boil until syrupy. Add the raspberries, cook for a minute or two. You want them to soften but not burst. Tip the raspberries into a sieve over a bowl and cool.
Butter the base and sides of a 22cm spring form cake tin then line with baking parchment. To make the base, whizz the biscuits in a processor to crumbs. Mix with the butter then tip them into the prepared tin and press firmly into the base to create an even layer. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Or you can make in individual bowls
Mix the soft cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl until smooth then tip in the cream and mix until combined (it’s better to use a wooden spoon for this as electric beaters will over whip the cream). Stir through the chocolate and half the raspberry’s then spoon onto the base. Smooth the top of the cheesecake. Leave to set in the fridge overnight. Stir the remaining raspberries back into the syrup and chill.
Take the cheesecake from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. Release the tin and remove the paper from the sides. Slide the cake onto a plate leaving the base paper behind. Spoon over the raspberry’s and syrup before serving.
** For passion fruit and pawpaw salsa
Cut the granadilla in half and spoon out the seed into a bowl add the finely dice pawpaw
Finely slice the mint and basil then add to the fruit
Sprinkle over the sugar and place in the fridge over night
To serve either spoon over the cheese cake or serve in a bowl on the side

Valentines Recipe – Slow roasted fillet of beef, glazed with balsamic

Two Oceans Restaurant — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:26:08 +0000

Recipe – Slow roasted fillet of beef, glazed with balsamic

Recipe type: Main

Author: Phil Alcock

Slow roasted fillet of beef, glazed with balsamic served with a wild mushroom pureed potato, grilled asparagus and baby spinach

Ingredients

500g beef fillet
30ml reduced balsamic vinegar
20ml olive oil
10g English mustard
Salt and pepper
1 bunch young asparagus
100g baby spinach (washed)
** For the wild mushroom pureed potato
300g peeled potatoes
50g wild mushroom (finely chopped)
5g thyme
2g garlic puree
20ml olive oil
50ml cream
20g butter
5g parsley chopped
Salt and papper

Instructions

Place the peeled potatoes in a pan of water season with salt and bring to the boil, cooking them until soft.
Once soft drain of water and leave to steam dry for a couple of minutes
Add cream and butter and mash until smooth and soft
In a separate pan, heat olive oil add the garlic fry for a minute
Add the wild mushroom and season to taste
Finely add the parsley, drain off any excess juice and keep to one side for the roast fillet of beef
Add the mushroom to the mashed potato and keep warm
** For the beef
Pre heat oven at 140°c
Brush the fillet with olive oil then in a hot roasting tray seal the fillet
Brush the fillet with the reduced balsamic and English mustard and place in oven for 30minutes
After 25 minutes add the asparagus to the fillet and cook for a further 5 minutes
In a frying pan sauté off the baby spinach drain off any excess juices and place in a serving dish
Remove the fillet and place on top of spinach and garnish with asparagus
With the juices from the pan add the mushroom juice, bring to the boil and whisk to create a simple but beautiful sauce

Valentines Recipe – Smoked salmon, ruby red grapefruit, cous cous salad

Two Oceans Restaurant — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:21:25 +0000

The lovers embrace with a zesty start

Recipe type: To start

Author: Phil Alcock

Smoked salmon, ruby red grapefruit, cous cous salad finished with a sweet citrus dressing

Ingredients

** For the salad
60g smoked salmon
1 ruby red grape fruit (cut into segments)
100g cous cous
60g mixed baby leaves
10g coriander
20ml olive oil
20g chickpeas
** Citrus dressing
10ml orange juice
10ml grapefruit juice
5ml lemon juice
5ml white wine vinegar
60ml extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt

Instructions

** For the salad
Place the cous cous into a bowl and pour over boiling water to cover, wrap bowl with clingfilm and leave to steam for 10 minutes
After 10 minutes add olive oil, chickpeas, coriander and season to taste
Place mixed leaves in to a bowl and gently mix in the cous cous mix
Add the ruby red grape fruit and place the smoked salmon strip over the salad
Pour over the citrus dressing and garnish with a few sprigs of coriander
** Citrus dressing
Place all of the ingredient into a clean bottle shake vigorously then use