Of legends and small plates:
Luke Dale Roberts’ The Pot Luck Club first opened its doors in 2012 and has consistently reached new heights ever since. Originally situated on the ground floor of the Old Biscuit Mill, the restaurant is now located at the top of the original flour silos. Under the culinary guidance of Executive Chef Jason Kosmas, the rooftop locale and small Asian-inspired plates continue to dazzle diners.
The Pot Luck Club offers a high-end dining experience without the pretence – come as you are, whether in casual attire or dressed up. Either way, if you feel the urge to lap up any sauce with your fingers, you won’t feel restrained from doing so. It’s a welcoming space, made more so by staff who aren’t only the soul of the place but are at the top of their industry – in the kitchen and on the floor.
The restaurant’s funky personality is a welcome shakeup to traditional fine dining experiences. But incredible attention to detail remains steadfast. The service is so seamless that you might not even notice your cutlery being quietly swapped between courses. As for the food? The Pot Luck Club is at the pinnacle of small-plate culture in Cape Town.
A smokin’ summer menu:
This season’s menu features new dishes as well as a healthy handful of ‘family favourites’, including that unmissable Penang pork belly (with coconut and peanut curry and lime-pickled onions) and the smoked beef fillet (served with a black pepper and truffle café au lait sauce that’s straight from heaven). ‘Our sauce game is particularly strong,’ says Jason. He is right about that.
If there’s a single thread binding the menu together, it’s a subtle hint of smoke and flame and the big, bold flavours that have trademarked The Pot Luck Club since its inception. ‘In one way or another, every single dish on the menu comes off the fire. And you definitely pick up that rich smokiness on the plate,’ Jason adds.
Take the new plate of springbok tataki, with fire-seared springbok loin in a miso and yuzu glaze, served at the table with a warm mandarin gastrique (a new ‘family favourite,’ we hope). Or the line fish, topped with crispy leeks and finished with a gnarly smoked fish bone, miso and lemon beurre blanc. Even the tuna sashimi is briefly seared over the coals before being paired with vibrant grapefruit pearls, flavours of lemongrass and nuac chom sauce.
Jason has also put enormous effort into elevating the vegetarian plates on offer. Think rich roasted beetroot tartare with hoisin dressing and sweet potato crisps, and Cape Malay-inspired cauliflower, amasi battered and fried, then lifted with mebos purée, curry leaf and coriander.
Sweet dreams are made of…
Cocktails at The Pot Luck Club should not be missed. More than a refreshment, these concoctions are as much a part of this flavour odyssey as each of the dishes. Behind the bar, as in the kitchen, there’s an equal focus on freshness and seasonality, with tea infusions, purées and juice cordials all made in-house. The Thai green curry martini is especially spectacular (don’t overthink it; just order it).
‘We really give our bar tenders free rein and let them loose to get creative,’ says Luke. ‘Instead of bringing in consultant mixologists, we like to grow our staff from the ground up and let them play their own part in creating the magic that is The Pot Luck Club.’
It’s not only the bartenders who are encouraged to get creative here; you are too. Upon arrival, you’ll be presented with a Pot Luck pencil and a sheet of paper. It’s time to curate your own menu. We were told that between six and eight dishes are good for sharing between two, but make room for eight and don’t skip dessert.
For sweet endings, you’ll regret choosing to share the sticky date pudding. It’s not your ouma’s version; it’s better and is served with toasted parsnip ice cream, hazelnut cookie, Tennessee whisky and tonka bean créme angalaise. If you really must share, the PLC Baked (featuring chocolate, rum and tonka bean canéle, and pistachio and orange choux buns) is a delectable finale.
A divine duo:
Jason is firmly at the helm of curating The Pot Luck Club experience and is doing so in style this summer, as always. While the punchy flavours and bold plating may be the most arresting aspects of many Pot Luck dishes, for Jason, the underlying complexity in each plate – often overlooked in what appears, at first glance, to be a simple dish – is where the real magic happens.
Of his mentor, Luke, Jason says: ‘It’s quite incredible to be able to work with someone like Luke Dale Roberts, a chef who’s always developing and reinventing and teaching. I have never had a mentor like him in my career. He’s always on the forefront of something new, which is really exciting for me as a chef.’
Be sure to visit this rooftop gem this summer. The food is truly magic, and the only time you’ll return to ground level is when you take the glass elevator from The Pot Luck Club back to the parking lot.
Details:
- Location: 375 Albert Road, The Silo, 6th Floor, the Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock
- Bookings: thepotluckclub.co.za
- Times: The restaurant is open for lunch from Monday to Saturday, 12:30pm to 1:30pm (last orders at 2pm). There are two seating times in the evenings: 6pm until 8:30pm and 8:30pm until 10:30pm. Luke’s quintessential Sunday Brunch is served every Sunday (bookings are from 11am to 12pm, last orders are at 12:30pm, closing time is 3:30pm).
- Instagram: @thepotluckclubct
Also read:
Owner of The Pot Luck Club launches new restaurant in Cape Town
Picture: Supplied
