Just a mere 1 km away from the hustle and bustle of Sandton City Central, lies The Catalyst Hotel by Newmark. It’s one of Sandton’s premium apartment hotels, and perfect for business or leisure trips.
What makes this hotel so much more attractive, is their in-house restaurant, called Kashew Restaurant.
We had the absolute honor to visit the restaurant, and upon our arrival, we were greeted by friendly security at the gate.
Chef Ronelda met with us in the foyer, and she personally took us to our table. We decided to be seated outside, enjoying the fresh air and green trees right next to us with a view of the pool.
As we are not big on alcoholic beverages, we settled for a Chai Latte and a soft drink. By the way, the Chai Latte was divine ! They do have a full wine list with reds, whites, blends and so much more. A menu filled with beers & ciders, vodkas, liqeuers, gin, tequila and rum are ready to entice even the most discerning taste.
Our starters consisted of Mac and Cheese Bombs and Spicy Chicken Livers.
The mac and cheese bombs…Deep fried macaroni, with mature cheddar and parmesan cheese, smoky tomato served with an amazing sauce.
The spicy chicken livers were served with flat bread, and we can easily state that it was delicious…Probably the best we had in many years.
The GM of The Catalyst Hotel, Mr. Robert Chifunyise, came to introduce himself to the boys and he gave us a short rundown on the restaurant and the hotel. Fortunately, we also sneaked in a short interview with him. His passion for the hotel and the restaurant is unsurpassed, and you could see this in the way his staff looks up to him and respect him.
Concerning the mains, we settled on the GM’s recommendation of the Blue Cheese & Mushroom Gnocchi. The serving was majestic. It looks small when it lands on your table, but when you start eating, it feels as if it will never end. It was extra creamy, and the blue cheese taste came through subtly, rounded off with king oyster mushrooms.
The Pork Belly is a MUST ! A good-sized serving of 350g Turkish Apple tea-soaked pork belly, cauliflower puree and vegetable greens. Perfecto ! The fact that the top fatty layer was crackling crisp, made this one an absolute winner.
After the mains we really didn’t have any space left for dessert, but Chef Ronelda made sure that the pastry chef, Jerry Magae, plated one of their signature desserts for us and NO, was not an option.
Upon the arrival, we were in awe about the presentation. The Kashew Black Forest…… A trio of chocolate mousse, on eggless sponge, cherries, and a white chocolate sorbet. We shared this dish, but I wish I had one of my own. Exquisite !
The general service from our waiter was top shelves, the restaurant was clean and the art pieces against the walls are for sale. After lunch, I had a stroll through the restaurant just to view the artwork. This really adds to the overall experience you get from this restaurant. Culture, art, good vibes, good people and fantastic food.
Kashew Restaurant is not just an anniversary or birthday venue. It’s an everyday restaurant. Not too pricey at all and good quality for money.
The Kashew Restaurant scores an amazing 91.76% from #GaloreSAEats and we will surely be going there again. It slips into our top three restaurant experiences list !
#GaloreSAKashew
