Situated in the heart of Sandton, conveniently and directly opposite the Sandton Convention Centre, you will find the chic Parc Ferme Restaurant.  It is beautifully designed with a variety of textures and colours and which is accentuated with African art, which is a new addition. The decor definitley compliments the new menu. The layout creates a spacious enviroment, thereby allowing you to enjoy the conversation at your table.

This week I attended a media launch of their new “Jenue Afrique” (Young Africa) menu. For a start, I would just like to say that I think the introduction of such a menu – which includes various dishes from Africa, with a hint of Mauritian flavour, by Mauritian Executive Chef Atmaram Mahadea, is a fantastic idea as it embraces the diversity of South Africa and our valued citizens and tourists, and makes this a both memorable and unique dining experience.

“You have to taste a culture to understand it.” – Deborah Cater

In a country such as South Africa where culture and diversity is so rich, one of the sure ways that we can embrace this, is to experience cuisine from all cultures. For some it is just way to make them feel closer to home. For others, it is a privilege to have a taste of Africa when we are feeling a little adventurous.

For me, this is a message about customer service excellence on another level – in that, Parc Fermé embraces diversity by introducing these to their new menu, which to me says, “we care”. This too, was undoubtedly evident in the impeccable service received, despite that it was such a busy evening.

Parc Ferme Jeune Afrique Menu

This being a launch event, we were treated to special menu for the evening. If you would like to see the Full Menu, click here.

The Starter: Trio of Soup

Pepper soup with goat meat, curried lentil soup with coconut cream served with a tomato salsa Bruschetta.  Traditional French onion soup topped with a slice of toasted bread, loaded with gruyere.

I thoroughly enjoyed the pepper soup.  I’ve always enjoyed the lentils in traditional indian meals (e.g. breyani), but this was the first time I tasted a lentil soup and it was my favourite of all three. It was also my first time tasting a Traditional French Onion soup. I was a bit hesitant when I first looked at it,  but I was wrong and  it turned out to be  delicious. I liked the idea of the trio, as it provides variety to choose from.

The Main Meal

We were spoilt for choice with the following options:

• Parc Ferme Fillet served with polenta gratin sautéed asparagus, baby carrot and a morel jus
• Traditional Mauritian chicken curry blended spices and curry leaves for an authentic Mauritian curry, served with basmati rice and sambals
• Nigerian Red Goat Stew served with Jollof rice and fried Plantain
• Senegalese Mafe West African dish made from lamb cooked in a peanut butter paste and tomato sauce
• Whole baby Panga marinated and roasted in creole spice. Served with wok egg friend rice and salad
• Vegetables and Thyme Wellington served with roasted white onion purees and plum tomato sauce

So here I am suggesting that we should be adventurous and experience cultural diversity, even in the foods we eat and I do exactly the opposite! Well, to be fair, even with my glasses on, I found it challenging to read the launch menu, so I settled for the Parc Ferme Fillet, which I ordered medium to well done, that’s just how I usually eat my steaks – yeah, I know that some people may probably cringe at my preference.

In the end, the steak turned out to be more medium than medium-well. Given that it was media launch event and the restaurant was full, with everyone eating around the same time, this can be forgiven. However, the presentation was on point and it was an excellent cut of quality meat, and which made up for it.

Dessert

There were two options to choose from;

• Chocolate Fondant – Decadent hot chocolate pudding with a molten middle, served with vanilla ice cream
• Fresh seasonal fruit salad gratinated with champagne sabayon

I chose the chocolate fondant and I can honestly say that this was probably one of the best I have ever had. The texture was absolutely divine and, with it not being too sweet, as is normally the case, it was perfect!

The Drinks

There is a huge variety of drinks to choose from. As a gin (and vodka) lover, I was pleased to discover Whitley Neill Gin, something which I have not come across previously. It’s unique and has a distinctive taste of infused Protea and Hibiscus flavours, and which has since left me with a craving for it.  I will have to add that to my shopping list. When it comes to alchocol, a well packaged/bottled drink certainly gets my attention, and this purple bottle gets my vote.

It was a lovely and enjoyable evening out. Whether you plan on entertaining business guests or just a night out with friends or family members, I  certainly recommend Parc Ferme Restaurant for a truly unique and exquisite dining experience. When combined with exquisite attention to detail and excellent levels of customer service, it is a truly memorable experience.

Thank you Parc Fermé for hosting us!