Kong Roast

Category: Classic Contemporary
The restaurant in question is intriguingly
named Kong Roast and is actually
two eateries, each with its own distinctive
personality. It’s not surprising that the
siblings are causing something of a stir as
their pedigree is impressive coming from
the stable that introduced Orient, Saigon
and Wangthai to eager diners.

Fusion isn’t new but here it’s been
turned on its head and presented
completely differently – purists will be
pleased to note that it’s not on one plate
and not in one restaurant either!

The dual Kong Roast is a meeting of
East and West with two distinctive dining
areas reflecting their culinary inspiration.
There’s also a fabulous terrace with stunning
Highveld views.

Roast is contemporary and soothing
with a breezy neutral palette. The menu is
western and offers steaks, roasts and pies
with modern takes on old favourites like
chicken liver parfait, steak tartar, oxtail
and coq au vin. Roast’s signature dishes
include pan-fried fillet and bone marrow
in Bordelaise sauce as well as duck and
black cherry pie.

Kong is dramatic and sensuous with
black and purple hues and is dominated by
life-size terracotta warriors. It looks to the
east with Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese and
Chinese-influenced dishes on offer. There
is also an extensive sushi menu.
Apparently Feng Shui principles have
been deployed in the design of Kong to
promote prosperity, good health and
well-being.

We booked for Kong one busy Saturday
night and were presented with the menu
from that restaurant only. On enquiry
we were told that when the place is busy
they prefer you to eat from one restaurant
only as they cannot guarantee that dishes
come out at the same time. However, our
superb waitress did bring us Roast’s menu
and not begrudgingly either. In the end
we settled for all dishes from Kong – that
night we just wanted to eat foreign!

We were thinking of ordering wine
by the glass to match the food but were
disappointed that a restaurant, where there is much attention to detail, only
offers four varietals by the glass – all from
the same estate. It’s certainly time for a
rethink given that more and more people
are experimenting with food and wine
pairing and opting for wine by the glass. In the end we ordered a bottle of
Springfield Life From Stone at R165 from
what was otherwise a comprehensive wine
list. We shared one of the specials – salty
oysters in a crisp coating of light tempura
which were presented like a work of art.
There are some delicious dumplings and
pot-stickers on the Kong menu and we
opted for the light yet flavoursome prawn
and pork dim sum.

Kong is famous for its seared salmon
and there are two options on the menu
- salmon teriyaki and a seared salmon on
black sticky rice served with ginger butter
cream sauce. We opted for the first which
was simple but fantastic – best quality
salmon slightly undercooked in a sweet
soy sauce marinade. We also went with
prawns stir-fried and served in a piquant
sweet and sour tamarind sauce. Both
dishes were excellent.

The Kong experience certainly was a
pleasant one. The service was expert and
unobtrusive while the toilets are worth a
visit on their own. We’ll have to report back
on Roast – it’s a restaurant in its own right!

Average cost of a three-course meal
without wine: R150.

By Janine Walker
Address: Shop 26, The Buzz Shopping Centre,
Corner Witkoppen and Douglas
roads,
Tel: 011 658-0080/1
Food:
Wine list
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