If there’s one way to make winter warmer, it is with good, wholesome food. Add a little culinary adventure and chef Grant Cullingworth’s exquisite winter menu at the Radisson Collection Hotel, and you’ll find winter dining elevated to something truly unforgettable.
While winter is traditionally associated with soups, stews, curries and casseroles, comfort comes in all shapes, forms and flavours this year.
Chef Grant Cullingworth, executive chef at Radisson Collection Hotel, Waterfront Cape Town, believes that functional, comfort food needn’t be uninspired. For him, it is about delivering dishes with bold flavour profiles with fresh, seasonal ingredients as the hero. And with a nod to sustainability.
The Winter Set Menu
On the hotel’s newly launched winter menu, a couple of dishes are worth singling out for the innovation and indeed the story they tell.
The French pastry chef Jacques Torres is often quoted for saying, “Life is short. Eat dessert first.” It’s a sentiment that definitely applies when one learns about the Van der Hum brûlée, a new interpretation of the iconic tangerine-flavoured South African liqueur, and the result of a collaborative effort between chef and mixologist. It’s a flavour combination that traverses both dessert and aperitif, with a deliciously local twist.
Collaboration also extends beyond the kitchen. For the three vegan dishes – the Vegan Malay Curry, Vegan Garden Pea Risotto and Vegan Mushroom & Quinoa Tartar – the team used guest requests to inform their approach to these dishes. Not only are they delicious, but visually, they invite you to a feast that engages all the senses.
Engagements also happen cross-culturally, as is the case with the Cheese Dip Burrito, with a play on the traditional Cape Gatsby. Comprising pulled beef rib and a selection of accompaniments on a tortilla wrap, this lunch treat is the ultimate winter comfort food.
Further comfort can be found in the Collection Club Sandwich, the result of a guest request, which sees the inclusion of rare roast beef combined with tobacco onions. It was an instant hit and now enjoys pride of place on the winter menu.
We’re not saying it’s time to banish soup from the winter menu (Tobago’s Restaurant at the Radisson does a stunning split pea soup), but we are saying that the Tom Yum Ramen bowl is a must. Follow with the Van der Hum brûlée, or the Signature Nutella Baked Cheesecake for a delightful dessert.
Chef Grant Cullingworth Q&A
For chef Grant Cullingworth, an exceptional culinary experience is one that seamlessly blends art, design, heritage, gastronomy, craft and, of course, fresh and seasonal local ingredients.
As executive chef at Radisson Collection Hotel, Waterfront Cape Town, Cullingworth stays ahead of trends and harmoniously interprets and incorporates them into the hotel’s culinary offering in a relevant way, with a nod to sustainability. We asked him about food trends, his favourite ingredients, underrated flavours and more.
What current food trend excites you and why?
South East Asian-inspired dishes and influences. From functional comfort food to dishes that deliver bold flavour profiles to exotic tastes and spices with added health benefits.
The trendiest dishes on your winter menu?
Split pea soup with kefir yoghurt, tom yum miso ramen, the crispy chilli beef bowl with kimchi, smoky French dip burrito, pan-roasted kingklip with peach chutney and chilli crisp butter and the vegan sweetie pie.
Three ingredients would you take to an island?
Rice, salt and dried chillies.
A song that fits your culinary style?
‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen. It is about constantly being innovative while having fun and throwing unexpected ingredients together, and somehow making it work.
A winter dish everybody should try this season?
Our braised beef rib bourguignon with creamy polenta, burnt onion, root vegetables, Syrah and bone marrow jus.
The strangest food you’ve seen?
Nigerian Afang soup. It is a vegetable soup with beef, fish, cow skin, tripe, crayfish powder and palm oil or a mixed meat stew with beef, goat, cow foot, cow skin and tripe in a pepper sauce.
The most underrated flavour, and how do you incorporate it into your cooking?
Umami. We use it in the form of Parmesan, miso, soy sauce and kimchi.
Favourite dish on the Radisson’s winter menu?
All the dishes are favourites and cater to a wide audience, but my signature dish would be the beef short rib bourguignon with polenta or the tom yum ramen — wholesome, warm comfort dishes perfect for chilly winter days.
An insider tip that home cooks should practice?
Less is more. Don’t complicate dishes. My best advice is to cook with good quality seasonal produce to enhance the flavour and maximise the health benefits.
Your least favourite food trend?
Nouvelle cuisine.
Where do you find culinary inspiration?
Social media, culinary books and dining out.
Visit Tobago Restaurant, Bar & Terrace at the Radisson Collection Hotel, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town to experience chef Grant Cullingworth’s winter menu. The set menu includes 3 courses and a welcome cocktail at R465 per person. Happy hour winter warmer cocktails are offered at R95 each between 16h00 and 18h00. Both deals are available from Monday to Thursday.
