ŌKU Asian Eatery and Yama Sushi Emporium opened in 2020, in the wake of the pandemic. At the time, they were unique to Franschhoek in their Asian offering. Ōku offers formal dining and is complemented by the casual style at neighbouring Yama.
When I ate at Õku last month, Peter Nyathi came to our table and reminded me he had waited on me on my first visit, way back then. Now he is a manager, and I think that is so lovely. With chef proprietor Ryan Shell and head chef Blaine Coetzer, and the origami-folding team of staff, this is a dining experience that is just as good as it ever was.
A kaiseki set menu – a style of traditional Japanese cuisine in which a series of very small, intricate dishes are prepared – is complemented by a smaller menu of four or five courses, with options for each. Having already eaten out for lunch earlier that day, I went for the latter. Even so, I was ambitious in selecting five courses, and as the meal progressed, I deleted one of them (roasted cauliflower with udon, tofu, tatsoi, baby corn and karē sōsu) in favour of still being able to manage a dessert course of Japanese cheesecake. It’s more of a soufflé than the heavier Western-style baked cheesecakes and I refuse to pass up any opportunity to have it. If you have not yet discovered this delight, I urge you to seek it out at your earliest convenience.
Before you even begin on your five (or four) course expedition, tasty little treats are brought to the table to whet the appetite. This might also have contributed to me forgoing the cauli. If it’s between that and cheesecake, the cheesecake is going to win every time. I began with tuna poke bōru – sushi rice, avocado, tuna, cucumber kimchi, and gastrique – followed by inoshishi – warthog or wild boar – gyoza with mushroom espuma and broth, shiitake purée and pickled shimeji mushrooms. The meat came from a hunting expedition so when it ran out Ryan changed it to beef, which is now on the menu, with smoked aubergine, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and beef broth. The lamb belly bao with white cabbage kimchi and gochujang mayonnaise is sublime. A bao is another thing I can’t walk past without having.
Full disclosure, because of my aversion to burny or very spicy food, I was a bit reluctant with all this kimchi going on. I shared this with Ryan and he assured me that balance of flavour is what drives every dish. I took the leap of faith and guess what? I not only survived, but I enjoyed it. Nothing overpowered anything else.
Ōku is Japanese for oak, a majestic species that like Southeast Asian culture evokes a deep sense of history and spirituality, and each plate stands out on the backdrop of the restaurant’s typically minimalist Japanese aesthetic. The staff use every free moment to fold origami cranes in different sizes, which are are at all the place settings, but they’re much happier when the restaurant is busy, obviously. It was lashing down with rain that night, but the central fireplace was so hot we couldn’t even sit right next to it. Happily, although it was quiet when we got there, tables filled up, adding to the warmth of the fire.
Õku and Yama (already on the cards for my next visit to Franschhoek) are open Mondays to Sundays with the first seating at 12pm and last seating at 9pm. Online orders can be made for delivery and takeaways at both; find them at Heritage Square, 9 Huguenot Road – Franschhoek’s main drag. To book at Ōku, call 021 876 2494 or email [email protected]. For more information, click here. Follow EatOku on Facebook and Oku_Eatery on Instagram.
