Join journey of hearty winter food at Kipling's Brasserie

[caption id="attachment_37027" align="alignright" width="405"] WINTER WARMER: Chef Robert Ducker with one of the new dishes at The Boardwalk's Kipling's Brasserie: slow-cooked lamb neck with roasted onions and garlic, red cabbage and shepherd's pie. PHOTOGRAPH: JUDY DE VEGA[/caption]

CHANGE is as good as a holiday and in the case of Kipling's Brasserie at The Boardwalk Hotel, the holiday is a journey of hearty winter food ranging from curries to South African cuisine.

Introducing the new winter menu on Wednesday night, resident chef Paul Bain demonstrated his love of food and knowledge of ingredients that make for fresh flavours and dishes with a difference.

The quirky chef, who if he ever loses his job could find one as a stand-up comedian, regaled diners with stories of buying raspberries when they were cheap to make jam and cooking game so foreigners can enjoy a real South African meal.

Offered a full three-course dinner, guests were quick to begin with starters with confit duck leg, broccoli soup and kudu bobotie samoosas some of the options available.

I opted for the smoked salmon and cream cheese terrine served with lemon, capers, mango puree and watercress.

I insisted my husband chose different dishes so I could get a taste of more of the delicious-sounding menu.

He chose the samoosas which were accompanied by green chutney, spiced mango puree and roasted red pepper atchar.

Both dishes were fantastic. I preferred the salmon dish but then again, this is my favourite fish.

Coupled with the capers and the mango puree it was light, fresh and full of flavour.

However, anyone looking for something warmer on cold days would not go wrong with the samoosas. The kudu was spicy and my husband could not stop raving about the pastry.

So many samoosas are ruined by pastry laden with oil, but this was light and without a trace of oil.

The starters were definitely the highlight of the meal for me and another diner told me she would happily have had another as her main course so happy was she with the salmon.

The main meal was a bit of pot luck with my coq au vin cooked in red wine sauce with onions and smoked pork on roasted garlic mash – beautifully cooked, rich and most definitely suited to a cold winter's night.

My husband's baked kudu Wellington on truffle mash with baby carrots and spinach puree was just the right kind of pink in the middle.

The monkfish wrapped in Parma ham and spinach with tomato and rosemary polenta cake and red wine butter sauce was pronounced delicious by a colleague's husband but her Durban lamb curry with butter beans and potato was a little lacking in lamb. However, she loved the flavours .

Curry lovers have loads to try on this new menu, and if the meat-to-vegetable ratio is sorted out, I will be back to try some. With dishes ranging from the very hot saag aloo, to masala grilled lamb chops and the milder butter chicken, I as a curry lover would be glad to have another venue option for curries as when it's time for something spicy, I head to Raasoie on autopilot. The dessert menu is not as extensive as the mains but offers something for everyone.

I'm not one with a particularly sweet tooth, so opted for Camembert baked with honey, truffle oil and salted toast and fig preserve.

I perhaps should have just dived in to another dessert as I was slightly disappointed and felt the honey overpowered the cheese – something which might actually delight others.

My husband chose the steamed date cake with sherry jelly, ice cream, banana crunch, stewed fruit and gluhwein syrup and rum-and-raisin ice cream.

As someone most definitely sweet-toothed, he enjoyed every bite.

Speaking to others though the stand-out dessert seem to have been the dark chocolate mouse cake with praline and white chocolate and pistachio cream. With three different types of mousse hidden under the praline, this dish was raved about.

Not only did it taste good it looked like art on a plate.

The ginger and pumpkin cheesecake with pumpkin fritters, lemongrass, pumpkin chips and rose ice cream was also given the thumbs up.

The restaurant itself, for those who have not yet dined there, is understated, warm and filled with beautiful copies of artwork painted by Johan Joseph Zoffrany and Auguste Borget.

I was particularly drawn to the Borget copy, a moonlit scene of Indian figures and elephants, very fitting for a restaurant inspired by Rudyard Kipling and his life in India.

Price-wise Kipling's is comparable to other fine-dining establishments in the city with starters ranging in price from R45 to R80 and main meals anything from R95 to R150.

The Butcher's Block dish could end up being the priciest option but it's one I would like to try – it's a meat lover's delight.

Guests can chose as many meat options as they like at R85 per 100g portion.

Venison and red meats are on offer grilled and served with a Bearnaise and a red wine sauce, accompanied by Dauphinoise potatoes and green beans.

Bain explained the dish aims to provide foreigners with as many South African meats as they like, but knowing how meat crazy most South Africans are I suspect it might be the locals who lap up this one.

Desserts are reasonably priced with most being R50. - Angela Daniels