The Wiggle Room: Fine Dining Gets an Irreverent Remix on Cape Town’s Bree Street
When I was invited to try The Wiggle Room on Bree Street in Cape Town, I was told that I would be treated to a five-course tasting menu at a chef’s table in an intimate setting. I knew little else, except that it was part of Wiggle, the luxury car hire centre that also offers curated travel experiences, a giant indoor golf simulator, an impressive art collection and an event venue. As someone who appreciates both fine dining and unusual experiences, little did I know that I was in for quite a treat.
The Setting
I arrived in attire appropriate for fine dining or anything with “tasting menu” in the title and was welcomed into an intimate space just off Bree Street. The chef's ‘table’ was less of a table and more of a chef’s counter. Street art covered the main wall and loud rap music with lots of swearing filled the air. It was clear from this moment that this would be unlike any dinner experience I’ve ever had in Cape Town.
A Menu is Basically a Rap Music Playlist
A piece of paper at each setting had a series of five small images on it. Under each image were the titles of two to five songs. This was the menu. The picture indicated the main ingredient in each dish and the songs were the inspiration behind them.
Chef Ismail Amos, a.k.a. “Chef Fish,” introduced himself and explained that he was passionate about food, art, fashion and music, and that The Wiggle Room was a place where he could explore the intersection of these elements, experiment with them and collaborate with others.
The interaction between the food and the music was evident, and when the first course was placed in front of me, I could see the art too. A small tart filled with delightful things such as miso, black garlic and horseradish with pickled Shimeji mushrooms and topped with delicate flowers had taken more than four hours to prepare and looked too beautiful to eat. Not only was it a visual masterpiece but the blend of textures and flavours was pure alchemy too.
Other highlights included the scallops with apple bacon miso, green beans, pine beans, coriander oil, chilli oil, white asparagus and kimchi. It was a complex mix of salty, smoky and spicy flavours that left one wanting more. The perfectly cooked sous vide lamb was tender and flavourful, beautifully paired with silky sweet potato and rich chicken jus.
Chef Ismail: Defying Limitations and Expectations
When you learn more about Chef Ismail, it highlights just how impressive his artistry is. From humble beginnings and with only a Grade 10, he found his way into the kitchen, worked his way through restaurants like the Chefs Warehouse and Mertia, and never looked back. He often collaborates with other chefs like Chef Braam Beyers, who returned to South Africa last year after spending time working in a three-Michelin-star restaurant in San Francisco, among others.
Even if Chef Ismail is cooking solo, the menu changes constantly, determined by mood, available ingredients, and what’s on his Spotify playlist that day. Even if his taste in sweary rap music is not your cup of tea, it’s hard not to be impressed by the dishes it inspires.
Oh, and if you’d like to use the restroom, it’s just past the Ferrari on the right.
Click here for more info about the Wiggle Room or to book.
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