Have dinner at Portofino
Tuesday, 23 February, 2010
Nikki Lordan, WINE.CO.ZA
Portofino owner Cormac Keane has been in and out of the press lately and
duly so. Apart from being named the "rudest restaurateur in the Cape"
by some, his restaurant and the Champagne on his wine list is definitely
also worth a mention.
From looks alone, Portofino must surely be close to the least Italian-looking Italian restaurant I have ever seen. Named after Keane's favourite place in Italy, the small fishing on the coast of the Tigullian Gulf, Portofino has clean, white décor with see-through plastic chairs and high glass panes overlooking the busy Buitengracht/Western Blvd intersection and on the right evening: a full moon in a pink sky.
The very controversial Keane believes customers can sometimes be wrong, finds corkage for plonk absurd and feel that famous Champagne brands like Moët and Veuve are "useless to work with". He prefers lesser known brands such as Jacquesson, Lallier and Drappier.
We started off with a 100% Pinot noir Drappier Rosé Brut and left with an "amazing white blend" to try from Vuurberg in the Helshoogte region just outside Stellenbosch. This very intense Chenin/Viognier blend shows lots of fruit but slightly overwhelmed by oak and is made by owner Sebastiaan Klaassen and winemaker from neighbouring Tokara, Miles Mossop.
Somewhere inbetween our main meal and a bottle of Iona Sauvignon blanc we were recommended to try the Grand Reserve Grand Cru of Lallier Champagne. When eating at Portofino, expect gourmet style dishes but boerekos proportions and for dessert try the Lindt Nemesis Chocolate Cake with a glass of Lallier Champagne. It is rich, it is decadent and anything more on the subject will read like a sexy TV commercial. Ask for a double portion and don't share.