At Arum restaurant on Boschendal, RICHARD HOLMES discovers new energy in a historic building and respect for the produce of the surrounding land.
IT SEEMS ONLY FITTING that, just as the culverts and fields of the Winelands were bursting into life with a flush of early-summer lilies, chef Peter Tempelhoff and his team were putting the finishing touches to one of the most exciting new restaurants to open in the Cape in recent months. Set in the werf building on the Boschendal estate, the arrival of Arum marks a welcome rejuvenation of this historic space on an estate that is alive with new energy.
“The werf is such an emblematic building on one of the Cape’s oldest farms and in such a beautiful location,” says Peter. “So when the opportunity came onto our radar, we knew we had to take it.”
Perhaps more importantly, the arrival of Arum has infused the building – once Boschendal’s wine cellar – with a new sense of cohesion. In recent years, as successive chefs and restaurant concepts have waxed and waned, the werf has been divided into restaurants, retail outlets and wine-tasting venues.
“With Arum we wanted to bring the space back together again. But because of the size of the building and its heritage status, we had to treat it like an art gallery,” Peter explains.
It was a brief beautifully executed by Rotem Shachar and Megan Bond of MR. Design Studio, working alongside architect Jacques Mouton and in collaboration with Tristan du Plessis.
Step inside and your eye immediately goes to a striking vine installation. Created by Charles Haupt of Bronze Age Studio, it subtly frames the private dining area set beneath a contemporary echo of the growing tunnels at Boschendal.
Continue through into the Heritage Room, where a glass-walled fireplace clad in a ceramic ‘cabbage’ – you’ll have to use some imagination here – separates this cosy dining space from the Garden Room. In this space there’s little need for distraction, thanks to glorious views across the Werf Food Garden, where paths meander between beds heavy with the flush of summer growth. Don’t be surprised to see chefs wandering out from the kitchen, with prep bowls in hand, to harvest fresh greens for service.
While the Garden Room allows the view to take centre stage, the redesign has introduced a few subtle improvements. Hand-crafted wooden furniture aligns with the contemporary farm aesthetic, while wooden acoustic ceiling panels and new floor tiles add warmth, texture and a sense of tranquillity to the space that once felt a little stark and sterile.
But the highlight is still to come. Run your fingers along the leather-bound handrail that leads you into the ‘animal’ section of the restaurant. Vegetarians, look away now, for here the centrepiece is a towering dry-ageing cabinet, with hefty sides of prime rib on display for diners to admire.
Look left and you’ll see Duroc pork from Boschendal’s pastures ageing for up to three weeks to improve texture. To the right, free-range ducks from the farm hang for up to 14 days. On the surrounding shelves, jars of pickles and fermented goods mean that any surplus fresh produce doesn’t go to waste.
“We’re using everything we can from the garden. It’s central to everything we do; the menu is designed around it,” says Peter.
Below the ageing space, the Arum bar pays homage to the Boschendal herds. The stark-white counter – an eye-catching centrepiece by artist Driaan Claassen – is framed by leather-clad banquettes and on the wall hang oil-on-canvas portraits of a stately Angus and a portly Duroc by Jaco van Schalkwyk.
It’s a subtle yet memorable nod to the way in which the fields and pastures of Boschendal inform the menu at Arum
Whereas Peter was involved in the conception of the restaurant’s space, day-to-day responsibility for its offerings lies with executive chef Travis Finch, who brings both local sensibility and global experience to the role.
After cutting his teeth alongside Peter at The Greenhouse at The Cellars-Hohenort, Travis went on to cook at The Connaught in London and Melbourne’s acclaimed Vue de Monde, before spending years as a private chef aboard luxury yachts.
“But when Peter gave me a call and explained the idea for Arum, it definitely piqued my interest,” says Travis. “The Black Angus, the Duroc pigs, the vegetable gardens. I fell in love with the concept and what we were going to try to achieve here.” He packed his bags in London and flew home.
For Travis, the soul of Arum lies beyond the restaurant, in the bountiful fields of Boschendal. “We want that sense of abundance to be reflected on the menu,” he says. “We are a farm-to-fire restaurant, so we’re trying to use as much as possible from the farm. It’s a process, it takes time, but already we’ve moved forward in leaps and bounds.”
While both starters and main dishes – including the signature cuts of beef – are primarily meat-focused, “there’s an abundance of vegetables on the menu,” remarks Travis. “I want the sides and snacks to really concentrate on the fresh produce coming out of the garden.”
A standout here is the tomato dish, available as a ‘snack’ plate, which is beguiling in its bold simplicity: garden tomatoes, salsa verde and pickled jalapeño coming together effortlessly. Served with excellent focaccia, it’s a fine introduction to what is to come.
Delving further into the menu, starters and mains vary in provenance and inspiration. Cape octopus is superb, here with crispy guanciale, smoked corn and brown butter. Beef tartare features Black Angus from the farm, while the hot-smoked Lourensford trout arrives with kohlrabi and chirizu sauce.
Vegetarian diners will be charmed by the plate of ricotta gnudi, elevated by the charred Romanesco and burnt leeks, but beef aficionados need look no further than the selection of cuts from the ageing fridge. And here’s my advice: don’t go for your usual choice. While the 21-day fillet won’t disappoint, the more interesting option is in the niche cuts specially sourced from older animals. Think bone-in sirloin that’s been hanging for over a month or a prime rib that’s been maturing for two. “Younger animals are tender, but they don’t have the layers of flavour that you get with older animals,” explains Travis. “The cow has a story to tell and that comes through in the meat. You have to be patient in the way that you dry age the meat, because you’re dancing the line between tenderness and flavour.”
And to drink?
Although Arum offers a good selection of Boschendal wines – by the bottle and the glass – it’s the bespoke series of Arum wines that I found most interesting. From a selection of 40 cultivars, acclaimed sommelier – and beverage director of the Fyn Group – Jennifer Hugé narrowed it down to just five uncommon cultivars that are offered exclusively at Arum. A standout is the Sémillon, sourced from the La Colline vineyard in the Franschhoek Valley. The unoaked Cinsault made perfect sense for the warm days in the valley – “It has brightness and purity of fruit,” says Jennifer – while the Mourvèdre from old bush vines is the perfect foil for the meat-forward menu.
Jennifer also entertains wine-lovers with a rare bottling of Alicante Bouschet. “Alicante Bouschet is a crossing of Petit Bouschet and Grenache. Petit Bouschet can be quite big and voluptuous, while Grenache brings brightness and femininity, which I really enjoy,” she says. “It’s a big wine, but still very easy to drink, with a lot of complexity.” Complex yet approachable. Bold in vision but unpretentious in execution. Arum is a restaurant that draws deeply from the fields of Boschendal and the talent behind the pass to create a restaurant that is both globally inspired and firmly rooted in the Winelands. V