[
### Eike
](https://bertusbasson.com/)

50 Dorp St

Stellenbosch Central

Stellenbosch 7600

South Africa

BY NEAL MARTIN | NOVEMBER 11, 2022

### The Food:

Onion bhaji, Sout tert, Smoked snoek cream horns

Crusty bread en potbrood, whipped butter and Die Opsitkers

Ricotta dumplings, Usana soft egg, crisp potato, leek cream and nasturtium

Raw trout, “Koper pennie slaai”

Braaied stokvis (hake), here bone, sorghum, marrows, dune spinach and Umquombothi broth

Dry aged beef, spinach, carmelised onion, confit garlic, beef fat jus

Die Eike – acorns, dark chocolate mousse, chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream

“The apple does not fall far from the tree”

**The Wine:**

1966 George Spies Cabernet Sauvignon GS 92?

Bertus Basson is one of the Cape’s most successful restaurateurs. Having learned some of his craft at [Chez Bruce](https://vinous.com/articles/vinous-table-chez-bruce-london-uk-aug-2019), Basson built an impressive portfolio that includes Overture and Spek & Bone, the latter impressive when I dined there during my last visit; Eike is located nearby. Like Spek & Bone, Eike specialises in traditional South African cuisine, though Eike seems a tad more upmarket and refined, yet it’s far from starched collars and spotless linen tablecloths. On the contrary, it has a casual, easy-going ambiance serving young and lively clientele on the night I visited.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095325425-eike+kitchen.jpg)

_The Eike kitchen_

Eike is located in a historic building known as “Die Eikestad” – The Oak City – from which it takes its name. Simply furnished with spartan whitewashed walls, large oak beams looming overhead, its open kitchen is a hive of activity at the far end. Head chef Kyle du Plooy gave me a brief, pre-prandial tour and demonstrated how they use open charcoal to cook many dishes. This technique, so successful at [Brat in London](https://vinous.com/articles/vinous-table-brat-london-uk-aug-2018), infuses dishes with a veneer of rusticity that complements the skillful cooking, intensifying flavours where necessary and enhancing that all-important Cape/braai theme. One quirky feature that stood out is their plates and cutlery, a mishmash of old-fashioned chinaware that your grandparents might have used, retro rather than chintzy.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095367182-eike+starters.jpg)

_Onion bhaji, Sout tert, Smoked snoek cream horns_

Our three-way starter included wonderful miniature onion bhajis, Sout tert, a small savory tart made from egg and ham, and Smoked snoek cream horns, “snoek” local dialect for sea pike. These were delicious and oddly reminded me of the foie gras mini-cornetto that Philip Howard used to serve as an amuse-bouche at The Square.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095401390-eike+bread.jpg)

_Crusty bread en potbrood, whipped butter_

I don’t often dwell on the bread. Maybe I should since it is a litmus test of many a restaurant. At Eike, the dough deserves discussion. Potbrood translates as “bread baked and served in a pot”. This came with homemade butter and Die Opsitkers, which looks like a black candle. In bygone times, prior to electrical lighting in rural communities, when a girl brought her suitor home, the length of the tallow candle indicated how long her father would permit his prospective son-in-law to remain under his roof. The longer the candle, the more chance you stood of not being asked to sling your hook. Our candle was made of rendered beef fat flavoured with ash and rosemary. Presented with a box of matches to light the taper, the candle (short incidentally) melted so that after three or four minutes we had delicious dipping for our bread.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095425702-eike+candle.jpg)

_Die Opsitkers_

The ricotta dumplings might be the highlight of an impressive multi-course dinner. These came with a Usana soft egg, from free-range chickens allowed to roam around the namesake farm and fed naturally, potato, leek cream and nasturtium. This was beautifully balanced and packed full of nuanced flavours, perfectly seasoned and presented.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095692154-eike+ricotta_copy.jpg)

_Ricotta dumplings, Usana soft egg, crisp potato, leek cream and nasturtium_

According to my fellow diners, raw trout with grilled carrots is a popular accompaniment for a braai, and it was wonderful. The fish was so fresh that it threatened to swim off my plate, glistening in colour, whilst the carrots were tender and lightly charred to add a welcome tang.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095570384-eike+trout_copy.jpg)

_Raw trout, “Koper pennie slaai”_

Next came braaied stokvis, which translates as barbecued hake. This came with here bone, sorghum, marrows, dune spinach and Umquombothi broth. The fish was perfectly cooked with a crisp, slightly charred skin and flaky white fish underneath. The Umqombothi broth, a Xhosa traditional beer made from maize, was subtle in flavour and complemented the fish, though the popcorn felt surplus to requirements.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095760918-eike+stokvis.jpg)

_Braaied stokvis (hake), here bone, sorghum, marrows, dune spinach and Umquombothi broth_

The dry aged beef, from cattle reared next to the Meerlust winery, was served with spinach, caramelized onion, confit garlic and beef fat jus. The meat was so tender and flavoursome, the sauce rich but not overbearing.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095791695-eike+beef.jpg)

_Dry aged beef, spinach, carmelised onion, confit garlic, beef fat jus_

Two desserts completed the dinner. The “Die Eike” comprised of a dark chocolate mousse and chocolate cake with a quenelle of vanilla ice cream. This was outstanding, exquisite in terms of presentation with a slightly granular texture that complemented the richness of the mousse. Finally, the “Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” was another fabulous presentation, in fact, I was so agog as the dry ice poured from the plate that I never wrote down any details. I’ve since tried calling the restaurant to no avail, so I’ll leave it to readers to decipher from the image (I’m pretty sure it was an apple sorbet!).

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095830707-eike+chocolate+mousse.jpg)

_Die Eike – acorns, dark chocolate mousse, chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream_

The **1966 Cabernet Sauvignon GS** is South Africa’s most vaunted, coveted, mysterious and nowadays, expensive wine. It is the Cape’s own 1945 Romanée-Conti, although its mythical status has only risen over the last decade. Those unfamiliar with the South African scene will be shrugging their shoulders in blissful ignorance. Bear with me because it is a fascinating story of how a wine once selling for just a few dollars was auctioned for a cool R32, 830, approximately $2,000 per bottle four years ago, probably even more now.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095856099-eike+apple.jpg)

_“The apple does not fall far from the tree”_

Since 1918, South Africa’s wine industry had been essentially nationalised and run by KWV. Though formed to solve over-production, the KWV back then was known for stifling innovation and cared little for quality, regulating production methods, their brands hidden from the rest of the world that rightly refused to trade with a repressive regime. Following the abolition of apartheid, the KWV was reorganised and turned into a private enterprise and exists to this day. As a new era dawned, a handful of wine aficionados realised that during the dark period of apartheid, a few bottlings, especially originating in the Fifties and Sixties, bucked the trend and had aged marvelously, fabled bottles of 1957 Château Libertas and the 1961 Lanzerac Pinotage were spoken of in hushed tones.

But the one most revered is the 1966 Cabernet Sauvignon GS. Its fruit was allegedly sourced from Durbanville and made by George Spies, hence his initials. Spies received no formal training and had worked as winemaker at _Monis of Paarl_ and later the _Stellenbosch Farmers Winery_, though there are unsubstantiated whispers that he was not in fact responsible for the GS, that the cuvée was an experimentation of wine stabilisation never commercially released and sporadically dribbled out, occasionally under a different moniker. Who knows? All records were lost, and Spies passed away in 1997. For certain, it was not produced the following year and none after a less-lauded 1968 appeared. It simply entered folklore.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1668095890379-eike+GS+Cabernet+bottle.jpg)

This was the second bottle that I have tasted; the first was during my first visit to the Cape with Duimpie Bayly, who had worked under Spies and recalled his former boss’s fondness for Spanish dancing. It is known for being variable bottle-to-bottle and my generous guest mentioned that though sound, it was not the best example he had encountered. This bottle is still quite deep and limpid in colour. There is a lot of volatility on the nose with black plum, cassis and liquorice, touches of camphor emerging with time. The palate is, again, quite rich and remarkably youthful considering its age, though its overall balance is upended by the volatility. Hints of espresso and blackcurrant emerge towards the slightly viscous, minty finish. This must clearly be a formidable wine when it’s on form - cross your fingers if one ever comes your way and hope for the best.

Eike lived up to expectations – the food was just delicious and exhibited just the right amount of flair whilst keeping it “real”. As my host had been so generous with the fermented grape juice, I offered to pay for the food. It came to the princely sum of around £30.00 per person. That’s a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere, confirming, not that it is necessary, that the Cape is rich pickings for epicures and unbeatable value-for-money. If you happen to be passing through Stellenbosch then pay Eike a visit to experience local gastronomy with flair and craftsmanship, all dished up with a buzzing atmosphere.

_© 2022, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism._



Vinous Table: Eike, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Vinous Table: Eike, Stellenbosch, South Africa (Nov 2022)

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