Africa kind of has a stigma attached to it regarding the people, the food and the culture. The stigma is a bit ridiculous considering it’s a whole damn continent, but it is what it is. One restaurant in Cape Town’s Waterfront blows the food stigma to smithereens. It’s called Sevruga, and it not only fancy-pants, but also tasty.
To start with, they are pretty creative with their menus, which are hidden inside a magazine that the restaurant has printed. They get points for this creativity, but also some confusion as patrons frantically search for food in its pages. Fortunately, their staff is awesome and happy to help.
My frantic search concluded with their slow-braised lamb shoulder. It comes in lamb reduction, which is just a fancy name for lamb juice, and is served on a pile of buttered mash (South Africa speak for mashed potatoes). It is also topped with some veggies, which I allowed because of my foreign country rules.
The thing turned out to be a beauty in looks and tasted great too. Well…sort of. One side of the lamb was seasoned much better than the other, which I thought was strange considering the braising process. But it happened and although it was strange at first, I managed to work with my meat and make it all taste awesome. The potatoes were a delicious addition to the meal and I left with a greater appreciation not only for the lamb that sacrificed its shoulder to me, but for the upscale dining of Cape Town.
