Alon Denga welcomed 2018 with another exclusive dinner with the theme “ First we Feast : A Gatsby Dinner” .The Gastby dinner was hosted at the stunnig Loerie Centre located in the leafy nothern suburubs overlooking Borrowdale Brooke Estate . It is no secret that the venue is a favourite of mine and I am still yet to see it being used for an intimate lunch or brunch ( slight nudge to the Alon Denga team) . While I have been travelling lately , and missed the first course of the 5 course meal. I managed to dress up for the night wearing a bold flapper dress , a head piece and some vintage pearls from my grandmother to add to the night’s theme. With my Gatsby ready outfit and an appetite from the busy day I was ready to indulge in the dinner.
The sophisticated Loerie was intimate and warm with a gold and black decor very much in line with the Gatsby theme. A hectic day of travelling meant I missed , the first course aptly named “ Daisy’s Dainty Salad Bites which was finished unfortunate as I would have loved to have had a taste. However, I was just in time for the second course of “ Prohibition Poultry” which consisted of herb crusted meatballs on garlic mash, sweet potato mash and squash mash. A good pairing choice however my sweet potato stayed a little too long on the stove and had a slight burn taste. A few less minutes of the sweet potato on the stove would have made the dish more tasty.
The third course was my favourite “ Nicks Fish out of Water” which included fresh water fish drapped in delicious zucchini topped with fresh garlic sauce and a dollop of cream cheese. This course was a hit as the flavours were stimulating , well suited and beautifully executed. I enjoyed the dish so much so, I asked for seconds :). Yes no shy at all !
Video Highlights
The wait between courses could have been avoided by better front of house management as waiters seemed a little lost and overwhelmed. However the wonderful live music and table conversation made for a good distraction from the slight service hiccups.
The end of the night included 2 ramaining dessert courses which included “Capone’s Honeycomb” made of homeade honeycomb drizzled in rich creamy chocolate with hints of esperesso . As well as “Jays Mini Upride down Cupcakes” which was quite fruity consisting of a pineapple based cake.
Dessert is always a sweet way to end the night and the pineapple cake was enjoyable and a serving suggestion of accompanying the cake with the ice cream together as the cake alone was slightly dry . Honeycomb ice cream is a favourite and I would have appreciated a more distinct honeycomb taste as it got lost in the espresso. The delay in service meant the ice cream was melted upon arrival to our table.
Pineapple Cake
The perfect end to the night was having the Head Chef, Taku serenade guests with his rendition of musical classics. Taku not only has skills in the kitchen but impressed guests with his vocal abilities. A wonderful and intimate treat!
Overall the night was filled with some highlights and areas of improvement however the significant note to draw on is how the food network is expanding . Alon Denga, a relatively new dinning concept is attracting a vibrant young crowd of food lovers which is commendable and exciting. Service is an area to improve on and which will certainly add to the overall dinning experience and will lighten the load in the kitchen too . Thank you for a roaring night of food and drinks Alon Denga.