How many times have you gone to a restaurant, taken one look at the menu and wondered what all those strange words mean? Most people have no clue what gremolata, espuma or ceviche means, so we’ve deconstructed the Cape Grace menu to bring enlightenment to all you food lovers. Ordering will no longer feel like a game of Russian Roulette.

 MENU 101 Lesson One

PARFAIT [pronounced pahr-FAY] – a frozen custard dessert served in tall, narrow ‘parfait’ glasses.

ESPUMA – foam or froth, developed as a molecular gastronomy technique.

SWEETBREAD – refers to glands of the calf or lamb. The thymus refers to the throat, gullet, or neck sweetbread.  The pancreas refers to the heart, stomach or belly sweetbread and the parotid gland refers to the cheek or ear sweetbread with the sublingual glands referring to the tongue sweetbread.

GREMOLATA [pronounced greh-moh-LAH-tah] – a garnish made of minced parsley, lemon peel and garlic. It’s sprinkled over dishes to add a fresh, sprightly flavour.

CROQUETTE [pronounced kroh-KEHT] – a mixture of minced meat or vegetables, a thick white sauce and seasoning that is formed into small ovals or rounds, dipped in beaten egg and bread crumbs then deep-fried until crisp.

JUS – a juice from fruit, vegetables or meat.

AGAVE [pronounced ah-GAH-va] – Agave nectar (also called agave syrup) is a sweetener commercially produced in Mexico and South Africa from several species of agave. Agave nectar is sweeter than honey, though less viscous.

QUINOA [pronounced KEEN-wah] – is rather like rice and hailed as the “super grain of the future”. Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain.

PILAU [pronounced pih-LOW] – a savoury rice dish.

KATAIFI – a popular Middle Eastern pastry made with a special form of shredded phyllo dough called kataifi. Most forms of kataifi are made into sweets, typically with nuts and honey although savoury appetizers prepared with ground meat or vegetables are also made.

CEVICHE [pronounced seh-VEE-chee, seh-VEE-cheh or seh-VEESH] – a dish of cubed, raw, white fish marinated in lime and lemon juice, garlic, onions, chillies, chopped coriander leaves and seasoning.

BALLOTINE – a roll of deboned and stuffed poultry, meat or fish.

TATAKI – a cooking method for serving fish or beef steaks. They are lightly grilled so that they are brown on the outside and raw inside. They are then sliced thinly and presented in a fanned layer with the dipping sauce.

SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS [pronounced shee-TAH-kay] – the most widely known of all oriental mushrooms. Shiitake are quite mild when bought fresh, but drying concentrates their flavour. They have a firm, meaty texture.

SHIMEJI MUSHROOMS [pronounced shee-MEH-jee] – these mushrooms grow on trees and are very tasty with a peppery flavour.

CONFIT [pronounced kon-FEE] – meat such as goose, duck or pork that has been cooked and preserved in its own fat.

BEIGNET [pronounced ben-YAY] – a food item coated in batter and deep-fried.

PEPERONATA – made with sweet onions, red and yellow sweet peppers, tomatoes and a little garlic finished with chopped fresh parsley.

Now that we’ve demystified our menu and titillated your taste buds, why not book a table at Signal Restaurant where you can choose between the regular, pure Vegan Tasting and a la carte menus. Our Executive Chef, Malika van Reenen, uses only the freshest ingredients to create dishes that reflect our Cape heritage, so don’t miss out.

To book, please call 021 410 7080 or email signal@capegrace.com.

Look out for Lesson Two of Menu 101 in August!