Jean-Pierre Rossouw MOVEABLE FEAST
MANY classic yarns begin at the seaside, a weathered=20 jetty leading into the water, a few gulls screeching on=20 the bollards. Add a thin wind and a few locals casting=20 hand-lines over the edge, and you’ve got the setting=20 for a great adventure. Now put yourself in the scene=20 and, because you deserve some sustenance before setting=20 out, walk into the restaurant on the jetty.
In this case, the restaurant is Jetty Tapas, and the=20 seaside village is Knysna. Inside, you’ll find raw,=20 wooden tables bearing the scars of all those people who=20 have ignored the timid sign that says “please don’t=20 mark the tables”. There’s a bar at the end of the room=20 which has a truly “local” feel to it. This is where you=20 go to get your whistle-wetter, because there’s no table=20 service here.
Look out of the window and there is an incredible view=20 of the lagoon and the Heads beyond, the shifting light=20 always altering the painting. Right next door are the=20 fisherwomen and gulls; this eatery is truly right on=20 the jetty, as salty as could be.
Up you get to go to the tapas counter. There’s quite a=20 selection here, fruits of the sea obviously being=20 paramount. Thinly sliced smoked salmon, pickled=20 calamari and, of course, the legendary Knysna oyster=20 are a few of the treats you can choose from. The other=20 traditional tapas/mezes, like olives, hummus and=20 salads, are also on offer. All the tapas we sampled=20 were delights — good, simple flavours that blended=20 exceptionally with the environment. The restaurant is=20 one of those gems that has moved with the flow around=20 it, and all you need to do to catch the wave is choose=20 your favourite dishes.
But to leave this place without tasting the oysters=20 would be a sin. They’re more delicate than the west- coast variety, smaller and less rangy, obviously a=20 product of their habitat. Oysters are not everyone’s=20 choice to slide down the gullet, but if they’re your=20 passion, you’ll be in ecstasy here.
Another thing that’s not everyone’s idea of fun is=20 cooking your own food at a restaurant. But if you are=20 very particular when it comes to preparing seafood,=20 there is a grill where you can cook your food exactly=20 as you want it.
So you sit with an array of dishes on the table,=20 sampling a little here, a mouthful there, watching the=20 changing scenery, and, before you’ve had enough of the=20 treats in front of you, the day is done. This is when=20 you make one of those decisions that are patently=20 sinful, yet so right that they set your heart at ease.=20 You get up and order more wine to go with your next=20 dozen oysters, to while away the next few hours …