whatscooking@thecookingcat.com (The Cooiking Cat), The Cooking Cat
Mon, 01 Nov 2021 15:11:59 +0000

Embarc Restaurant sits cosily at the corner of 4th and 13th on the Parkhurst strip, Sandton Johannesburg. What was once a conveyer belt Sushi joint has been completely transformed into a cool and understated restaurant that’s light and inviting. Lisa De Beer and Darren O’Donovan laugh when talking about the design of the place as they put every cent they had into it, searched for great deals, made plans wherever possible and painted the entire place themselves. To call it a labour of love is an understatement.

Chefs are familiar with risk and know too well it is the price you pay for the opportunity. But to start a new venture in the heart of a lockdown takes more than courage or risk. Some might call it madness, but we are all too familiar with quotes regarding courage. No sacrifice, no victory. Surely this trait lies behind the early success of the Embarc restaurant. Enough of the small talk, restaurants are all bout food. Time to dwell in the direction of the menu.

The a la carte food menu is simple and caters for a diverse audience with a combination of snacks, savoury and sweet dishes. The approach to the savoury option is unique and offers two variations of most items, either a starter or a main course. The snack items offer surf and turf variations, with one none meat option, the fries. Most of the snack items are seafood variations.

The savoury items, which I consider would be called the main course in most restaurants, offers a variety of seafood, venison, vegetarian, meat and poultry dishes. It sounds like a lot, but compared to many large menus, the items on the savoury menu have been hand-picked by a professional in a way that is easy to make up one's mind, about any selection.

The sweet items on the menu would be desserts, which offers a diverse combination of chocolate, fruity and cheese-based snacks, that will leave any sweet tooth enthusiast beyond satisfied.

All the items on the menu are served in a stylish fashion with a lot of thought going into food design and decoration. It is an obvious fact that the food is prepared and plated by a chef who really cares for what they do and knows how to impress their patrons.

A great selection of wines is also available through the wine menu, mostly local favourites selected from Western Cape wine farms as well as a few international options.

Overall, eating and sitting at Embarc restaurant is a great experience, with good food, great wines, topped with excellent service.

Well done Liza de Beer and Darren O'Donovan, you overcame a personal challenge and proved that risk is the stepchild of ambition.