The Pot Luck Club...

Finally! I have been waiting ages to get into this hip and happening new spot. Due to a last minute cancellation, yesterday was my lucky day. Situated at the biscuit mill, next to its famous sibling restaurant, the Test Kitchen, The Pot Luck club is in the heart of the trendy and revived Woodstock area.

When you first walk into the restaurant (and this might sound weird to some) you feel like you have entered a Hong Kong night market. You can smell the excitement of the diners (lucky enough to get a table!) mixed with the delicious aromas floating around the room from the open kitchen, and, mixed with the hustle and bustle of the service staff, gives the overall vibe a great deal of good energy! The favours are fresh and ingredients are colourful. That, I suppose, is why I made the comparison.

 we all know, Luke Dale Roberts is a culinary genius. And you will never see him look panicked. I watched in amazement as he floated calmly between the two restaurants to chat casually with diners, touch base with his staff and offer words of encouragement to the student chef in the cold kitchen. We were fortunate enough to be seated at the bar looking right into the service area- It was such a treat to watch all the different dishes being plated- in fact we decided to abandon the menu and select our dishes based on what we thought ‘looked good’ coming out of the kitchen. BIG mistake- it all looked good and I think my partner in crime, Heinke, and I managed to literally order almost everything on the menu. Below is documented evidence of the mind blowing delights that we were treated to last night:

 

Unbelievable decor

We began with a glass of my absolute favourite, Springfield ‘Life from stone’ which we enjoyed with a very interesting snack – Crispy curried celery leaves. Just the leaves, tempura-ed in a tandoori spice blend. Very tasty- and the crispness of the wine worked fantastically with the spiciness of the celery leaves.

Crispy curried celery leaves

Next, whilst still sipping on our Sauvignon Blanc, we opted for the Blue cheese mousse, celery sticks (thats where the rest of the celery went Heinke!) granny smiths and parsley salad with salty candy walnuts…. I am a firm believer that Blue Cheese and a nice flinty, coastal Sauvignon Blanc are a match made in heaven!

Blue cheese mousse, celery sticks, granny smiths and parsley salad with salty candy walnuts

Still sipping on the Sauv, Markus, the incredibly attentive Maitre ‘d, impressed upon us that we simply ‘hadn’t lived’ until we’d tried his personal favourite- Pot Luck Club fish tacos. He was right- it was so good we forgot to photograph it so had to quickly, and stealthy, take a picture of the one the people sitting next to us had ordered whilst they were out for a cigarette.

Pot Luck Club fish taco

By now I was thoroughly enjoying myself and having ‘Life from stone’d myself out, I decided to try a glass of the Raats chenin to accompany my next ‘flight’ of dishes. First up, the Yellowtail sashimi, marinated tofu (was also skeptical but it was out of this world!) with a ginger and garlic dressing. The Chenin worked fantastically with the spicy, Asian flavours.

Yellowtail sashimi, marinated tofu with ginger and garlic dressing

I had hardly finished the food in my mouth when I spotted the Claus’ Coconut and Calamari salad… I just had to see what it would taste like with my chenin blanc.

Claus' Coconut and Calamari salad

It went, as suspected, perfectly well with my chenin. But by now I was in my element and decided it was time for some red. So, armed with a glass each of merlot from Sterhuis, Heinke and I began on the red meat… First up, Crispy pork belly with Luke’s XO dressing, red cabbage and apple slaw.

Crispy pork belly with Luke's XO dressing, red cabbage and apple slaw

And then, just because I had a few sips of my merlot left, and we couldn’t possibly enjoy it unaccompanied by food, and because Markus said it was his second favourite, we ordered our finale, Chinese style pork rib, with dark beer and doenjang glaze.

Chinese style pork rib, with dark beer and doenjang glaze.

It was the most tender, delicious piece of pork I have had in a long time. And the chinese spices were complimented by the minty/eucalyptus flavours of the merot. Then, and only because no meal is complete without dessert, we ordered the Churros, mexican donuts, served with tonka ganache and stem ginger ice cream. The perfect way to end off the perfect meal!

Churros, mexican donuts, served with tonka ganache and stem ginger ice cream

I highly recommend you pick up the phone right now, and book. The wait is worth it! I am already planning my next visit to The Pot Luck Club.