My philosophy
of cooking is simple: let the ingredients speak for
themselves. I am set on flavour and do not follow
trends by other chefs, nor do I copy them. I am in
love with the flavours of Africa and proud to be a
South African "boere-boy".
Often I combine hot and cold on the same plate and
frequently contrast flavours or do a counterpoint
of similar flavours in order to create a complex canvas.
My only criterion is the freshness of vegetables,
salads, fish and sea food and, by contrast, meat which
is well matured. I have sourced suppliers of repute
and both Peter and I are prepared to pay extra for
quality. We fly ingredients in from St. Helena, Namibia,
Zimbabwe and the African East Coast.
I do not pre-cook. I do not fast-cook
in a microwave oven. I do not re-heat frozen foods.
I do not buy in. Everything on the menu is prepared
in my kitchen and it requires time. The restaurant
caters for vegans, demi-, lacto-, ovo- and lacto-ovo
vegetarians. Here at Emily's the food is not waiting
to be served, instead, dear guest, you must be prepared
to wait for the food.
Johan Odendaal - Executive
Chef
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