the test kitchen

after waiting 2 months for my reservation, i finally made it to the test kitchen. this is a tough one to rate. overall i would say it was a good experience. was it the best restaurant i've ever been to? no. was the food worth the price? ehhh...maybe. i still haven't made up my mind on that one. i opted for the 5 coursemenuwith the wine pairing @ r770. i know i rave about myoga, but the restaurant offers an 8 coursemenufor 500 something....much better deal. personally i thought myoga was better too. but being as i am rating test kitchen, i will stick to that. =) food was good, wine was good --- my advice, only go if you can truly afford such a pricey meal. it's cool to say i've eaten at the best place in africa, but it's also cool to buy 2 meals for the price of one. ::cough cough:: myoga.

absolutely delicious food and presentation with wonderful service.  a real treat!  my favourite part of this dining experience was being able to watch a row of chefs turning out their delectable dishes right in front of you.  we went for the 8 course wine pairingmenu- each dish a surprise plate filled with amazing flavours.

let me start this off by saying that if i could give them 20/10 i would. i booked this as a treat for my partner on his birthday and wow just wow. the service was incredible, when we seated the waiter immediately asked what allergies we have, as someone who is deathly allergic to fish,this was a huge deal and it certainly set the tone for the rest of the meal. we opted for the 5 course tastingmenuwith the wine pairing- i can't fault it, the food was delicious and the wine was gorgeous with the meal. the waiters were knowledgeable and polite. treat yourself to this one. its worth it.

firstly to get the opportunity to eat at the test kitchen you have to consider yourself lucky as there is only a dinner service available for 40 diners. i love the new online booking system which i think is more fair. there is no preferential system, bookings for a three month period go live online. i think it would be easier to get a booking for larger tables as i noticed very few two seaters at the restaurant. the restaurant is small so i don't think u need to sit at the chefs table to see what they are doing.

themenuis set and the option of tea pairing and two different wine pairings. i liked that the water was complimentary.

dinner started of with snacks in the dark room. it's a very small room so a bit overwhelming at first with the amount of people already in there and the service staff.

there is only onemenupriced at r1600 which i think is reasonable given that it is 19 courses, with complimentary water and two complimentary cocktails. it's cheaper than the other fine dining places where you can expect to pay r1200 for anywhere between 6-10 courses. tea pairing costs another r400. i tried this at the saxon and didn't like it. the gourmand wine pairing which we opted for cost r650 and the iconic wine pairing cost r950. i thought the wine pairing expensive given that it's r650 for five pairings.

we got to have two complimentary cocktails each where the selection was the test kitchen g&t, sweet, salty, bitter and sour. we had one of each of the last four. the cocktails were quite strong, i wouldn't say they wowed me, i have preferred some of the cocktails i have tasted at the plc. i do like the idea and think it's a nice touch.

the dark room is dark with very cool music and a smoky smell. it definitely transported me back to london. i really loved it. we had 10 snacks in the dark room.

the test kitchens billionaires shortbread with foie gras was delicious.

slangetjies were this light crackers flavoured with curry leaf.

salted stone pine nuts are not something i can say much on.

local liquorice cured waygu biltong was the best biltong the fiancé has had.

pico green vegetables with ssamjang dip and marmite on toast. the dip with marmite on toast crumbs was so yum.

pork scratching, pint of guinness, celeriac salt and vinegar. i had the veg version of this with some crackers and it was so good. the fiancé thought the veg version was better since it was lighter. a really moreish and fun dish.

cheddar cheese ploughman, ttk branston pickle should be eaten in one bite and is a rich creamy cheesy deliciousness

peking quail sandwich was exactly how quail should be cooked. the only place where i have eaten quail and i loved it.

smoked lamb, barley and toasted ginger wafer, xo dressing. another perfectly cooked dish. the lamb almost melts in your mouth and the xo dressing was delicious.

shiso granite, sake jelly, yuzu compressed cucumber was a welcome palate cleanser. not my favourite granite flavours but it did the job.

i was already feeling full after the dark room but we still had another ten courses to go in the light room!

the light room is a more formal dining setup. the ambience was very busy and bustling, i much prefer a more laid back romantic fine dining experience. it was also very loud so we couldn't really hear what our server was saying who also spoke very fast.

we started with the bread and butter course with three different types of bread a kingklip dip and salted butter. the bread was so delicious i ate them all. i especially loved the one with onion in it.

12 hour smoked trout tartare with homemade cream, lemon verbena oil and dill oil had a good balance of flavours

ttk niçoise salad was a yummy tuna dish

char grilled scallop with cauliflower and cheese and back garlic salsa was the fiance's favourite dish of the evening. the scallop was perfectly cooked and the sweetness was balance with the rest of the dish and not overpowered.

lamb sweetbreads, liquorice liver jus, lime gel and preserved lemon and pinenut gremolata was another delicious and perfectly cooked flavorsome lamb dish.

pan seared duck breast with sour cherry clafoutis, duck liver stuffing and our cherry jus was perfection.

lamb minestrone, potato parmesan dumpling, lamb and tomato extraction was comfort food take to the next level. this had me licking the plate clean.

bread milk and honey served as a plate cleanser. probably my least favourite dish as i didn't like the quince flavour.

strawberry rose icecream, coconut meringue, minted strawberry sherbet, rhubarb and burnt vanilla butter, lemon bush and cinzano snow. a light ending to a perfect meal. i did expect dessert to be more wow or more sweet but that might have been a bit much given the amount of food we had just eaten.

to end of we had ttk millionaires shortbread with chocolate petit fours.

i was happy to see a 12% gratuity automatically added to the bill as i am so sick of people who are stingy tippers.

i loved the test kitchen experience and i am glad i got to try it. it's not a restaurant that i would try again soon as the price is a lot (2.5k a person) and also it's more food than i would usually like to eat. but it's definitely worth an experience at least once. everything we ate was faultless and delicious.

also don't get me wrong i think the price is duly justified as you would pay more at an international restaurant for the same experience, it's just not something you can do often.

it's almost impossible to find perfection in a restaurant, the test kitchen is certainly not perfect, however the desire to be perfect is what makes this place get my rating of 5.

getting a booking here was next to imposible, a month in advance, with a lot of patience and a bit of luck secured my reservation to dine here.

upon arrival, you are warmly welcomed and seated on the bar/lounge area. here, you are presented with some superb crafted cocktails and small "bar bites". the quality and presentation of food and drinks in this area sets up the bar very highly for what is next to come.

after the bar area, you are introduced to a brighter dining area where the rest of the tastingmenuis served. all dishes were very well presented and taste was very good. creativity is what makes this place so amazing.

service was top class, and the ambience was relaxed but with a bit of excimer of all the diners to be there.

if you can get a booking, don't hesitate to eat in the test kitchen.

this was possibly the best dining experience of my life.

jacqui and i made reservations over 3 months ago for a birthday lunch at the test kitchen. we opted for the lunch tastingmenuwith wine pairing. the restaurant was warm and inviting.

all of the dishes were packed with bold flavors and interesting textures. my stand out dishes were the scallop with bacon and pine nut & caper salsa as well as the gorgeous golden sunflower seed dish with honeycomb, brown butter and chamomile.

i honestly cannot wait for my next visit!

ahhhh it was everything i had anticipated it to be and more... 

i had been dying t to go to test kitchen for years and finally got the opportunity to go for our one month wedding anniversary, please note i booked this evening 6 month's prior to our wedding :) 

wow wow wow, the food was so full of flavour, flavours everywhere, flavours i didn't even know existed, my taste buds were in 7th heaven.

the decor was different and perfect for the vibe and atmosphere this type of restaurant wants you to experience. 

we went the full monty and did the setmenuwith wine pairing, yeah when the 1st dish arrives you get that 'mcdonald's pit stop on your way home" thought but by the time you get half way through the courses you have the "am i going to make it through all these dishes" thought and by the time the last pudding dish arrives you have had a more that satisfying amount to eat.

the waiters were amazing, very friendly, efficient and everyone helped everyone, it wasn't your typical allocated waiter per table.

of course this place is a little pricey and something i would like to do hopefully maybe once every other year, depending on my financial officer but shosi it was worth the wait and worth the money!

one of the best culinary experiences we have ever had. tucked away in old biscuit mill, this place is absolutely unpretentious. loved the wine pairingmenu- the attention to details by the staff in explaining the rationale for each wine with the food is commendable. truly loved every course of the meal - the artichokes appetizers, the salmon fillings, the tuna and the loin main course and the rubaab dessert. this place is a foodie s delight and worth every penny and the long waiting time. an absolute absolute gem of a place and my most memorable meal- something that makes you fall in love with the food. @ gaurav anand - thanks for this experience :)))

we've been fortunate to visit the test kitchen now for a second time. having booked a table almost 7 months in advance, expectations were high for the evening. three of us did the wine pairing while the remaining two the tea pairing. the food certainly didn't disappoint however, i do have a few negatives.

so there is no a la carte menu. you are essentially forced to do the 10 coursemenuso come starving 🙃

for being the top restaurant in south africa and in the top 50 restaurants of the world i would expect the waiter to at least a) know what kind of tea is being served for the tea pairing. when asked what the twg stood for ito brand we got a "i'm not sure" and b) fill my water glass without having to ask each time.

the reservation process is supposed to be simpler now that you can do online booking through dineplan but after checking today, seems the place is once again fully booked until end september and no further bookings are open online. hmmm.

after a r9k bill, will have to save up before we can splurge like that again.

our 'test kitchen' experience for a graduation celebration was very memorable. the setmenuwas fantastic. world-class food. i appreciated being updated by the person serving us regarding upcoming changes and renovations happening. i'm glad to hear that the restaurant will soon be doing...

is the test kitchen all that it's hyped up to be. after last night's dining experience with them, the answer is a definite yes.

the setmenu(with options on pairing) is well thought out and strikes a fine balance between flavour and art. chef luke is a true genius.

the pictures speak a 1000 words...

being no. 1 is difficult for anybody, as having this title brings about expectations that are hard to live up to. test kitchen and its chef-proprietor luke dale roberts have yet again been awarded this title of "no. 1" by eat out, as well as being rated in the top 100 restaurants in the world by the san pellegrino guide, resulting in a very full restaurant with very high expectations. there is no a la carte menu, instead there is only a tastingmenuwhich they will cater for around your particular needs. 7 courses in total, each on exquisitely beautiful with masterful technical prowess displayed, it's difficult not to be impressed. each dish has several textural components to add to the savoury or sweetness and everything is very well thought out. everything was perfectly seasoned, and plated perfectly. my only gripe with this modern kaleidoscope of techniques and displays is that on one plate where you have up to ten different components, mixing them all together and eating them is sometimes a let down. i can't say that i tasted anything that really blew me away, there wasn't one dish i would order for my metaphorical last meal on death row, everything was just "very good". perhaps if i'd stumbled upon the test kitchen randomly, got a table without being placed on a waiting list months in advance, and not had any expectations, would i have been blown away, but life being what it is, i did have high expectations, and unfortunately the test kitchen fell slightly short.

my first experience at the test kitchen - the night before the new eat out awards are announced. the staff is fantastic, decor minimalist but stylish and the wine choices delicious. the food was presented really well and each course an interesting mix of flavours, textures and techniques. while interesting - it did feel like a safemenuwithout many unusual and trend-forward wow moments. we had a vegetarian at our table and they accommodated her really well! i'm so glad i've been - but will admit it isn't top of my list of sa restaurants!

after much excitement and build up to this night (4month wait), it was finally here! the 6 of us were the first through the doors taking in the layout and off centre style of this venue. not quite what i expected and still not sure how i feel about the layout and decor. while i really enjoyed the bustling atmosphere created by the open kitchen and the feel of the face brick walls, i was a bit thrown off by the fact that all the tables and chairs did not match. but decor aside, we went there as rumor has it they are rated in the top 50 restaurants in the world! surely this means that the food and service is 5 star...? but before we get there i think it is important to reference that on booking we had to choose themenuwe wanted, of which we all opted for the cheaper of the 2 with wine pairing which was just under r1000 per person. the week of our booking we were notified that our chosen option was no longer available and that we now had to choose between a r1300 or r2000menuper person. this to me was completely unacceptable and not what we had agreed on or paid our deposit towards...but what could we do 3 days before the night we had been waiting 4 months for...? so we decided as we had chosen the wine pairingmenuto take the responsible route and arrange with our bank to send a take me home service. after contacting the restaurant and being informed that the course usually lasts 3h-3:30h, and our arrival time being 7pm we reserved our service for 11pm just to be safe.
being seated at our table the butterflies started doing cartwheels as we had no idea what to expect, but at r1300 per person it had better be out of this world! our waiter arrived, and greeted followed by an explanation of the menu. this was unfortunately one of the first of many speeches he made which nobody at our table could hear or understand over the mumbled words coming out of his mouth. once the first course arrived we had an idea what we were in for... tasty but very small bite size meals. as 3 of the 6 being guys with pretty healthy "lifters" appetites, we knew we would need more so we dived into the bread board, which btw was fantastic! it was sad to notice that the table of 2 next to us got to share a bread board and our table of 6 had to share 2 rather than 3. but back to the courses been laid out for our taste buds to go wild. i must say that i thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful except for the most important course... desert, what an utter let down, and to think that this is the course that you leave with fresh in your mind...! so on my rating scale all the courses (except dessert) get 9/10 and dessert gets a generous 4/10! back to the service which was of a "spur" or "wimpy" standard... we had more than one waitron at our table, which at times caused confusion between them to who was going to explain the course or wine pairing to us. not only was this confusing to them and us, but i do believe that it is important to build and establish a relationship with your waitron and or guests. as mentioned earlier we were the first table to arrive, and our service was slow... 11pm was approaching fast and we weren't near done. we watched as table after table left before we had even received our dessert. unfortunately our "take me home service" could not wait any longer and had to leave... at around 11:40 we finally managed to get out of there having finished all of our courses... so much for it taking 3h-3:30h...! so to sum it all up, the already high price increased 3 days before our reservation 👎🏼 the bad service 👎🏼 the longer than expected dining time and missing our lift service 👎🏼 the desert 👎🏼 the other courses 👍🏼 overall i have no idea how they achieved such a good rating as i have dined at far better "fine dining" restaurants in and around cape town at half the cost per person.

it has to be a 5, right? i have been here a few times over the past few years. i did a review about 2 years ago which is on my website. www.iamphillblack.com. this time we went for belinda haydn's birthday and had a great time. look, if you have never been, it's a must. the quality of food and the art in which it is created on a plate is quite simply the best in the world. i get excited when south africa competes on a level like that, because we are so capable. there is so much love and skill and time put into this kind of food experience. a must do. save for it! now, on the other hand, because i have two. i feel the gourmandmenuwas expensive and i would definitely recommend the other one. just to give you some perspective with a few drinks, we paid r5200.00 for 4 people. cheap by overseas standards, but for a south african...very expensive. i guess you can't put a price on this style of food, but it depends where your priorities lie really. i am a huge fan though, i must say. and we had a great night, i just think because i have been so many times that the magic is fading a little for me. saying that i am sure i will be back. this place, with its food, draws your soul in. save up, and experience the legend that is the test kitchen. book a few months in advance as there is a long queue outside its door...