Forager: an experience to heighten all senses...

Your run of the mill restaurant is losing appeal in this modern era and if you classify yourself as a 'foodie' you tend to be looking for more than just the food... you are looking for the whole experience.

Forager. delivers just that and more. The brainchild of Werner Venter and Seline Van der Wat, Forger is a pop-up restaurant that appeals to those looking for a night out packed with food and fun.


Last night saw the launch of this new venture and the 6 course meal, accompanied by wines from one of my favourite wine farms Babylonstoren, did not disappoint.

With each course designed to be experienced with the 'loss' of one of your senses in order to heighten the other four, or simply applying one sense more than the rest, we were left blushing as we donned blindfolds, earplugs and sniffing lemongrass infused dry ice.

When Werner first told me the concept behind Forager and the name, I laughed asking if we will be 'foraging' for our food through piles of lettuce. Well, we did forage, although there was no lettuce!

After sipping some wine on the patio of the gorgeous Black Bamboo restaurant, situated at the Menlyn Boutique Hotel, we were ushered inside where we took our seats for the first course.

The first sense we 'lost' was our sight as we assisted one another in tying black blindfolds over our eyes and giggled at the thought of what a room full of blindfolded people trying to eat must look like.

Our plate was placed in front of us and we had to use our hands to eat what we found... note to anyone out there, eating with your hands, blindfolded, and then trying to find your wine glass in order to pair it with what's in your mouth equals not easy! Super surprised we didn't break any glasses!

The second course was accompanied by earplugs! Have you ever eaten a meal with earplugs? I doubt anyone in that room had ever done so but I can tell you that its quite an experience and you really do 'hear' the food! Amazing. The addition of popping candy to the squid ink soil and curried custard really brought the dish to life.

While on the topic of bringing food to life, I must just add that I went to this dinner solo and was a little concerned about the company I may find myself keeping. However, after meeting Britney and Cindy, who are Dentistry students writing for a Durban based magazine, Ginja and taking a seat opposite some of Werners friends, the night got interesting. A lot of food swopping, table cloth art and wine glass top ups took place... all before the third course.

When I read the words 'Pork Belly' I lost all concentration on the words that followed... pork belly mmmmm my favourite! Our third course tested our sense of smell. We were treated to a plate of pork belly, mushrooms, parsnips and more X2! The plate was divided in two and the same spread was laid out on both sides. We ate the first portion with all our senses, taking in the rich smell of the meal before us.

 

Then we took a great wiff of lemongrass infused dry ice (don't breathe too deeply at if you try this at home, it burns...oh it burns!) and ate the second portion. I didn't really enjoy the second portion as much as the first, perhaps our sense of smell does make a difference!

A surprise awaited us before our forth course, another course! An amazing pallet cleanser that could easily be sold on its own on any hot sunny day.
So delicious and refreshing!

 Could one possibly eat more after four courses? Yes you can! Bring on the beef... The fourth course tested our sense of taste. Gorgeous sechuan beef, accompanied by popcorn sweet corn, cauliflower and parsnip puree, and five different types of spices. These spices had either sweet, salty, bitter, sour or 'the morish' (MSG) flavour. As we sipped our wine and paired our food with different spices, we came to realize how important the right spice is to enhance a dish.

Of course my favourite of the meal had to be dessert. This course focused on the sense of touch and we had to 'play' with our food to create of own dessert. However, this dessert consisted of beetroot and a lot of it! A couple of the people at my table were worried about the fact that beetroot was going to invade their pudding but we were in for a surprise.
The ice-cream was amazing, the thyme meringues were amazing, the beetroot crumble was amazing and the beetroot lollipop! Was that amazing or what?! A couple of the guys at my table have already made business propositions as to the rights to sell them in the shops! Amazing.

And of course to wrap the evening together in a nice bow, cappuccinos... Roast Republic cappuccinos.

This whole dining experience was well worth it and I'm very glad I changed my mind and decided to be apart of it. The location was amazing, the décor was stunning, the food out of this world and the company well worth it. Werner and Seline have out done themselves with this launch and I have no doubt that the evening to come will not disappoint!

As I drove home, close to midnight, I knew my head would not thank me the next morning and a full day at work would be a challenge, however I knew that I will definitely be telling my children about the night I drank blind, ate with earplugs, sniffed dry ice and relived my childhood with candy floss, blindfolds and petri dishes. 


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