It takes a very special chef to meet the challenges of running a kitchen that is like no other. Luckily for the Two Oceans Restaurant at Cape Point, Phil Alcock is a chef who relishes a challenge.
“Most restaurants are able to build up a core clientele of regulars, people keep coming back for their favourite dishes,” Phil points out. “At Two Oceans Restaurant our guests are almost all tourists so my aim is to make sure that they have an experience that leaves them dreaming of coming back again, or at least sharing their great experience with others.”
While the tourist market provides the bulk of the 650 guests the restaurant serves each day, it is clear from Phil’s new menu that he is offering something special to locals as well, especially those who are green card holders and can enter the Cape Point Reserve for free.
“Previously our menu was a mix of foods, but I have decided that a restaurant which is situated at the meeting point of two great oceans needs to provide a seafood experience like no other,” he says.”It starts with the best possible quality fish and seafood. We’re providing world class food with a uniquely South African twist.”
Finding ways to meet challenges is typical of Phil. His journey to culinary excellence started when he was just 14, not because he had a particular interest in food but because he wanted to buy a motorbike and he realised that the only way he was going to get it was to earn the money himself.
“I bought the bike, but in the process of peeling the carrots and washing the pots, I also learned that the kitchen was a place where magic was performed and it was the place that I wanted to be.” That decision led to a lifetime of learning, working in some of the best kitchens in all areas of the globe and honing the skills that are apparent in each masterful dish on the Two Oceans menu.
“Now I feel like I have come home. I have a job in one of the most beautiful settings in the world, I am able to spend time with my family in the evenings, and I am loving it. Each day is completely different and each day I return home with the satisfaction of a job well done.”
To get a taste of what is on offer at the Two Oceans www.two-oceans.co.za
Author: Linet Engelbrecht
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