FYN Restaurant - South Africa's Best Place To Dine
Three of the top 100 restaurants in the world are located in South Africa, with Cape Town’s FYN Restaurant ranking No. 37 as the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Any discerning foodie knows that anything is bound to be fantastic when Chef Peter Tempelhoff (of Greenhouse renown, a dependably excellent and award-winning hotel restaurant in the Constantia Valley) is involved. In this instance, “it” refers to his urban dining brand, FYN. With the potential to “change the way gourmands perceive fine dining in the CBD,” it is the realization of a “decades long dream.”
Situated in the center of Cape Town’s CBD, on the corner of Parliament Street and Church Square, the restaurant is five stories high and provides stunning views of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, and the bustling streets below. The minimalist, somber, and sleek décor is perfect for the hip crowd it draws. The open-plan kitchen and the amazing ceiling piece, a wooden bead roof installation, are the main focal points of the room, with the stark walls, raw cement, and marble creating an impression of downtown Manhattan.
Gazing up from street level, the restaurant is a sight to behold. The architecturally stunning FYN offers diners exceptional views of the best side of the city with its floor to ceiling glass windows overlooking Table Mountain and Lion’s Head and reaching up into the beautiful Capetownian skies. The top level of the Speakers’ Corner building has a somewhat unremarkable entrance, but as soon as the elevator doors open, you are ushered into a culinary wonderland that promises to take you on multiple excursions in a single evening, all while providing you with the greatest seats in the house.
The restaurant floor expands into a spacious dining area with tall ceilings and the recognizable bottom-to-top glass windows that encircle the entire space with grandeur. The first thing you notice is how well the kitchen and dining room have been merged; there is almost any distinction between the cook and the diners or between the food and the table. It’s a lovely theatrical performance of cooking, serving, and eating.
This open-plan layout initially appears daring, brave, and difficult, but the FYN crew takes it all in stride and proudly dons their ultra-modern leather aprons as they seem to glide between the stainless steel surfaces and marble counters that discreetly divide the kitchen area from the rest of the room.
Glancing up, you will be treated to the most amazing art installation imaginable: hundreds of wooden disks dangling from the tall ceiling, softly dotted with bare bulbs that provide the perfect amount of downlighting to make this spacious space feeling cozy and private.
With a stunning view of the entire restaurant, a mezzanine level has a few tables for pre-dinner drinks or sundowners. A small but well-stocked bar is nestled behind the staircase that leads to the mezzanine.
The furnishings are earthy and neutral, with a minimalist elegance. Simple design features throughout FYN include leather banquettes, easily cleaned tabletops, marble countertops and floors, and leather aprons that only need to be wiped down.
They can focus all of their attention and excitement on the food preparation and the creation of the constantly-evolving seasonal menu because it is energy- and resource-efficient, practical, and incredibly handy.
The name “FYN,” which is Afrikaans for “fine” or, as Tempelhoff likes to say, the “better half of fynbos,” suggests that the cuisine will draw inspiration from the area. This is accurate, yet even if the ingredients are proudly South African, they are presented with a very Japanese sense of refinement—more precisely, in the Japanese kaiseki tradition—much like the décor and atmosphere.
Bento boxes are everywhere. We worked our way around the canapé box after indulging in a melt-in-your-mouth French bread bite accompanied by wagyu butter and a dusting of bone marrow coal. In addition to the little but incredibly delicious Karoo lamb samoosa that adds a touch of local flavor, there is chilled miso soup, a delicate daikon and octopus maki with ink mayonnaise, shishito pepper, and goat’s cheese. With chopsticks positioned next to the exquisite plates or miniature forks and spoons they’re presented on, each dish in the box of treats is a piece of art to be relished.
With its alluring blend of flavors, textures, and design, the Kaiseki Tray is the primary attraction. Colder meals were first to be served. The day’s game fish sashimi is served first, topped with a blue prawn and a spicy ponzu sauce. A bowl of squid “ramen” follows. A delightful and savory egg custard with subtle mushroom overtones that delivers that elusive umami punch, truffle chawanmushi is an unexpected treat.
An impala tataki, topped with tempura shiso and miso cream, proves that one need not be without meat. But the crispy duck breast is the savory show-stopper (the meat course is always rotating). It is very flavorful, thick, sweet, and salty, and it pairs well with eggplant, sancho pepper, and unagi glaze.
Dessert is served in the Kaiseki manner once more. Every one was delightful. I really think that the creation with the coconut, yuzu, and blueberries is very good.
A pleasing crunch is added by the puffed black rice in white chocolate finish, while the yuzu curd’s tartness is expressive and the coconut ice cream’s sweetness is just right. The salted Japanese plum and fennel delicacy, paired with rich and delectable chocolate and refreshing fennel ice cream, is sure to wow chocolate connoisseurs.
Tempelhoff has formed partnerships with two of the industry’s top operators. The kitchen is overseen by executive chef Ashley Moss, who has worked as Tempelhoff’s head chef at Greenhouse for the last four years. Jennifer Hugé, a 14-year La Colombe restaurant manager, is Fyn’s general manager. She is also in charge of some of the most inventive wine pairings we have ever encountered; each wine is unique yet perfectly complements the cuisine it is served with.
We savored the crisp Newton Johnson Albarino, the magnificent “Op Sy Moer” unfiltered white blend by Neil Ellis, and a pinotage of Vriesenhof and Cinsault that complemented the duck meal with a sing-song quality. In addition, there’s a wide selection of cocktails, and if you want to select your own wine, the long list (proudly local) has enough to offer.
