Cape Town’s renowned FYN restaurant is set to host an extraordinary culinary collaboration with Japanese Michelin-starred chef Shin Takagi on Sunday, 17 September.
This star-studded event promises an exquisite omakase sushi lunch and a kaiseki-style dinner, featuring sustainably sourced local fish and coastal ingredients prepared with precision and passion.
For those unfamiliar with these terms, omakase refers to a dining experience where the chef creates a bespoke menu based on the freshest ingredients available that day, while kaiseki is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner that aims for seasonality, presentation and balance.
Chef Takagi and FYN’s Peter Tempelhoff are reuniting for the third time, following their successful past collaborations, creating a memorable dining experience that blends Japanese and South African culinary philosophies.
The event will be an intimate affair, with limited seating and promises an unforgettable journey through innovative and sustainable dishes paired with exceptional sake and fine wines.
This collaboration marks the third meeting of these culinary minds, with Chef Takagi having previously teamed up with Tempelhoff and his team in 2020 at FYN.
The result was a remarkable dining experience that showcased their combined talents and delighted diners. In March of this year, the FYN team returned the favour by wowing Japanese diners at Chef Shin’s restaurant in Kanazawa.
ALSO SEE: 12 Bree Street restaurants for date night
Their collaboration goes beyond culinary excellence; it’s rooted in a deep friendship and shared values. Both chefs are members of the influential World Culinary Council of Relais & Châteaux and share a strong commitment to sustainability.
FYN, in particular, has been recognised for its sustainability efforts with the 2023 World’s 50 Best Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award.
The heart of this culinary event will be sustainably caught local fish, dry-aged according to sukibiki aging principles and served in specially designed dishes.
Guests at the omakase lunch will have the unique opportunity to witness the cutting and preparation of a yellowfin tuna, bonito or yellowtail, depending on the day’s catch. The menu will feature a selection of nigiri, sashimi and temaki sushi, showcasing the exceptional quality of the fish.
In the evening, the chefs will craft a modern kaiseki experience, featuring multiple courses that harmonize Japanese and South African flavours. Highlighting the dinner will be Chef Takagi’s Noto beef from Kanazawa, one of Japan’s rarest Wagyu-style beef breeds, and his favourite local sake from Ishikawa.
The chefs will also embark on a foraging expedition, sourcing Western Cape specialties and exciting ingredients to complement the rich culinary tapestry of Cape Town.
Both the lunch and dinner will be thoughtfully paired with Fukumitsuya sake from Kanazawa and fine wines selected by service and beverage director Jennifer Hugé.
This exceptional dining experience is not to be missed, and FYN will only be open for this single Sunday with limited seating. The omakase lunch is priced at R1 600, with an option for bottomless bubbles at R600. The kaiseki dinner is R3 200, with a wine and sake pairing option at R1700. All prices include water, tea or coffee but exclude gratuity.
Bookings for these exclusive dining experiences can be made through Dineplan or by emailing [email protected].
ALSO SEE: New restaurants in and around Cape Town
Written by Jules Keohane for Cape Etc.
Feature image: Supplied
