There’s been quite a bit of buzz about Mink & Trout in the blogosphere of late, so I’m really happy I got my turn to visit and make up my own mind. I’ve walked past the Bree street building for years, always wondering what went on inside, but never visiting. (Sometimes I think we’d all do ourselves quite a service if we actually knocked on the doors we pasted in our lives and enquired!). But Mink & Trout is now houses in Bree street and I have officially been inside, yipeeee!
Mink & Trout “House”
It was the start of Autumn when Mr John and I made our way to the housed restaurant. We were happy to step inside the foyer of the old building and take in the ambience. An old Cape Dutch style house, I immediately felt transported to a different city. Having grown up in the ghost houses of Luderitz, I’m very familiar with high ceilinged rooms with charming wall paper and soft lighting. I immediately felt at home.
While the foyer holds a moderate bar, the main restaurant is in the room next door. With exposed wooden beams, the kitchen is set behind rose gold shelves allowing visitors to be included, but not making the small restaurant too noisy.
A Simple Dinner For Two
From the get-go we had really great service. Warm, but professional. Not too casual, but not too formal either. We felt welcome and keen for dinner.
Mink & Trout Starter: Risotto Aracini
To start I ordered the mushroom and cauliflower arancini. I LOVED THIS DISH! This is a perfect dish for me. Risotto Arancini with lightly charred cauliflower, parmesan shaving, sour goats cheese and shiitake mushrooms (R69). EXTREMELY subtle flavours and textures (unlike my use of caps!). I love an arancini ball and this was a like a runway celebration of the colour white. Excellent.
If you’re someone who likes big, punchy plates then this may not be for you. But I love subtle flavours and the grated parmesan over the top just finished it all off beautifully. The goats cheese also wasn’t too much. I can find it quite overwhelming sometimes and this was just right. I absolutely, 110% LOVED this meal. One of the best starters I’ve had in Cape Town.
We were also spoilt with a duck mousse. This was some of the smoothest mousse I’d ever had and really loved it with the aioli. Simple toast, again, really good just to get the taste buds going.
Mains at Mink & Trout
For my main I had the confit pork belly with butternut and safe (R158) and Mr John had the Bone Marrow Crusted Fillet (R195) with short rib, celery root and gnocchi.
My pork dish was ok. I loved the excellent knife skills of the carrots, but I didn’t feel the pork had cooked down enough. It was quite ‘porky’, if I can say that. Our server actually recommended the duck, but I always order dishes that seem like the right choice (but not my choice) and I didn’t want to do that this time. But I think perhaps the duck may have been better.
Mr John’s bone marrow crusted fillet, on the other hand, was fantastic. I ate some of his short rib too and it was delicious! It just felt like a more complete dish and really well put together. Flavours were delicious and the sauce was silky and refined, really good. The extra triple cooked chips also didn’t hurt!
Dessert at Mink & Trout
For dessert I had another BEAUTIFULLY subtle yoghurt panna cotta, speckled with vanilla pod seeds. I love a panna cotta and this did not disappoint. With fresh, wild berries, this was just perfection. Again, VERY soft and subtle flavours but I really loved it. The texture was perfect too, not too jelly like. This was the perfect dish to end off the meal on a sweet, but not sugary, note.
Mink & Trout
Thank you very much to Mink & Trout for having us. I’d really like to return to the restaurant again. There were larger tables on the night, perhaps good for small birthday parties or gatherings.
Find Mink & Trout at 127 Bree Street or call them on 021 426 2534 to make a reservation.
For more information and to keep up with their seasonal menus, like the Mink & Trout Facebook page.
