SILVER linings have to be found wherever possible, and here is one in the form of a delivery meal from Nobu at One&Only Cape Town.
The hotel is still temporarily closed, and after three months of lockdown, Nobu head chef Harold Hurtada and his team are delighted to be back at work, preparing a whole menu full of all your favourite dishes, for lunch or dinner. The à la carte option is a bit different from the set menus I’ve been seeing, and to be honest, I wasn’t paying close attention to the offer to sample the service. As a result, Harold chose dishes for me.
Sushi!
This isn’t a bad thing. I’ve been craving sushi like nobody’s business so there were zero complaints about the salmon nigiri and salmon and avo inside out rolls. It couldn’t have come at a better time. They also sent me miso salmon tacos (which I ate while I was still busy plating everything up for pics), rock shrimp tempura with creamy spicy and butter ponzu, and spinach salad with kohlrabi and dry miso. There were lots of containers with all the different dressings and condiments, each one labelled so I wouldn’t mix them up. And guys – they even included a little tube of Charlotte Rhys hand sanitiser! What a thoughtful and appreciated little touch, along with a handwritten note from Harold.
Miso salmon tacos
Deliveries are undertaken by the Nobu team, within a 20km radius. Now, I’m not a huge fan of surprises, being an introvert and all, and that also gives me a massive aversion to answering my phone. But when it rings with the name “Luvo Ntezo” you better believe I’m going to pick up. Even though I was expecting the delivery, I didn’t put two and two together and chatted quite gaily, telling Ntezo – head sommelier at One&Only Cape Town – he’d been on my mind just the very day before.
Luvo Ntezo, my heart
As it turned out, he was outside in my road, bearing my lunch. It had been raining all day, and even the sun came out for this momentous occasion. What a pleasure to see this man, for whom I have the greatest affection, and whose career I’ve been fortunate to follow since I interviewed him at his very first hotel position, oh so many years ago. The reason I refer to him as Ntezo and not Luvo, is because of his mannerism of always addressing people by their surnames. One of my favourite memories of him (and there are many) is when we met on a staircase at the hotel and he said in his beautifully measured voice: “Coleman! Let me embrace you!”. Sadly, the days of embracing are no longer upon us, and I only saw half his face, but it was a pleasure nonetheless. Ntezo said he’d known he’d be doing the delivery since the previous day and had been looking forward to surprising me.
I was so excited I completely forgot to ask for his expert opinion on what wine I should open with my meal, and in light of this missed golden opportunity, I made do with the leftover Chardonnay from the night before. Nothing wrong. The super-duper late lunch treats kept me full until much later that evening, and the need for sushi has been satisfied…for now…
The full spread
THE DETAILS
Deliveries are available Wednesdays to Sundays between 12pm – 7pm. Orders may be placed either via Dineplan, Whatsapp (+27 60 564 0820) or at the resort. Diners can choose to either have their order delivered to them, or otherwise they may collect it. Delivery fees range from being free to up to R200 depending on location. The collection point is based at the One&Only Cape Town resort entrance. It has been set up with the safety and convenience of diners in mind –allowing them to drive right to the Nobu desk, receive or place their order, and then drive away, without ever having to leave their vehicle.
The concise menu has been tailored to include a selection of Nobu favourites – sushi, salads and hot dishes as well as bento boxes. Nobu is known for its exceptional quality, unique ingredients and flavour combinations, and impeccable service – which Nobu at Home will parallel and augment. A beverage menu is also available, offering non-alcoholic items such as soft drinks and mocktails.
From a virtual sushi date with the girls to a birthday or anniversary celebration, Nobu At Home aims to deliver elegant home-dining experiences to be shared with friends and loved ones. See the menu here and for reservations or more information, click here.
PHOTO CREDIT: BIANCA COLEMAN ©