The long awaited trip to Kream at the Mall of Africa is finally here. Having read many reviews about Kream at Brooklyn Bridge (opened in 2007), we were eager to see if the second restaurant in the chain at the Mall of Africa will live up to the rave reviews. As billed in the PR, Kream is indeed an űber trendy upmarket restaurant with a perfect location and setting in a prime spot in the restaurant section of the mall.
On arrival, we were greeted by courteous reception staff who were a rather cheery for a Thursday dinner service. Our reserved table was on the first floor centrally located at the top of the stairs overlooking the entire restaurant with a spectacular view of the night lights of Midrand into the distance. The restaurant’s setting provides private dining, closed booths and terrace seating options. Although we chose the former, we will definitely be taking friends back to try out the closed booths or terrace seating if weather permits.
Coupled with a long list of food on offer in the menu, our hostess also sang out an impressive long list of specials on the night. The excellent recollection of dish preparation was indeed impressive as if she had prepared them all herself. For a growing restaurant that has been around for only 9 years, the attention to detail, ambiance and friendly staff blend well to make Kream the go to place for special occasions. It is definitely not cheap for average prices of R150 for the main meal. A good night out for two at Kream will cost you upwards of R500, excluding drinks.
While the specials menu was impressive, the standard menu provides for proper evaluation of the restaurant and comparison with peer establishments. With a nippy howling wind outside, I chose the creamy Portuguese-style Beef Trinchado starter with crusty bread and my dining companion preferred the Beetroot Carpaccio with dill, goat & blue cheese, candied walnuts, apple and celery. Both starters were well executed and we couldn’t wait to tuck into the mains.
Our mains were Sirloin Biltong Blue Cheese (Char-grilled Sirloin, crumbled Blue Cheese & Biltong Shavings, smoky Biltong Sauce, Baby Spinach & skinny Fries) for me and Sole (two fillets with Spring Onion Basmati Rice, slow-roasted vine tomatoes, Neapolitan Mussels & Saffron Aioli) for my dining partner. Perfectly executed and well-presented although my steak had a slightly bitter lingering aftertaste from charring and the sole was a bit too dry for my liking.
For dessert, we chose the Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée (made with real vanilla pods) and Chocolate & Hazelnut Gateaux (Layered Chocolate Sponge, thick Caramel Mousse, Chocolate Ganache & Cocoa Nibs). This is usually where most restaurants get it wrong. Although limited in choice, the dessert was made beautifully.
Overall
Kream offers a beautiful evening in a top end restaurant with brilliant food and an ambiance to die for. A bit pricey but worth every cent! The Beetroot Carpaccio is a revelation and is worth the trip to Kream all by itself. We loved the seating and the décor, especially the private booth we are eyeing for our future visits to the restaurant to try out more dishes on the menu.
Rating (1 star (don’t bother!) – 5 stars (top notch))
Food – 4 stars
Service – 4.5 stars
Ambiance – 5 stars
fabulouswomanmagazine 