of Cape Town’s Test Kitchen is joining forces this month with of The Square in London for a very special banquet. The nine-course dinner will be the first time Phil has ever collaborated with another chef in his Mayfair kitchen.
English-born Luke Dale-Roberts will return to the UK to partner in the kitchen with South African-born Phil Howard. Together, the chefs have created a menu that celebrates the finest dishes from their respective countries of residence.
“My roots are in South Africa – as much as I feel English, South Africa is where I was born and lived until I was nine, and for a long time I returned for at least a month every year” said Phil. “I never bonded with South Africa in a culinary sense, so this provides an opportunity to explore those aspects with a great South African chef. South African food has been gathering momentum in the past few years and Test Kitchen has been a real beacon in the contemporary scene so there is something rather special in doing a dinner here, especially because Luke’s journey is the reverse of mine.”
Phil Howard has held two Michelin Stars at The Square for 16 years and is considered perhaps the very best classically inspired chef in Britain.
Luke commented, “my food is really a product of my life, and a majority of it so far was spent in England. My food may have an Asian twist from my five years spent there, but at heart I still cherish the solid guts of English food, and it remains a powerful influence on my cuisine. Ever since I worked as a youngster in London, Phil Howard was a name associated with a unique style, creativity and above all, culinary integrity. I have always wanted to eat at The Square but now I am going to be cooking there!”
Luke, who is based in Woodstock, Cape Town, has won more culinary awards than any other South African chef and has been as high as Number 12 in the World’s 50 Best. His restaurant, which uses a considerable amount of local ingredients, is located in the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Cape Town. Luke and his recipes featured in FOUR’s most recent International edition.
The event will be held onSunday 27 April, the night before the announcement of the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best restaurant awards at the Guildhall.
The nine course menu will comprise some South African elements, such as Phil’s dish of Springbok sausage with smoked onion confit, broad beans and pinotage, while one of Luke’s dishes will be Char grilled scallops, grilled white asparagus, spring beans, fermented tofu paste, braised scallop dressing, marmite on toast. There will also be a collaborative dish of Roast Cornish turbot with wilted greens, razor clams and boerewors oil.
The wine pairing option will include great examples of European and South African wines. (For those who prefer to choose their own wines, The Square has one of the most acclaimed wine lists in Europe).
The nine-course dinner will be priced at £115 per person with the wine pairing an extra £70.
Stay tuned for a review of the event coming soon…