The tasting menu affair

When you are ranked top of the game in having the best restaurant in Entebbe, it is never a good idea to rest on your laurels in the comfort zone. Diners can be a notoriously fickle lot. While they will always have their favourite runners on the menu, coming up with new ideas is a good way to enhance their dining experience. Also, introduce them to new ideas. This is a win-win situation as it will allow the chef a chance to show off his culinary skills. The best way to achieve this would be to devise a tasting menu and this is what we enjoyed at Cinque @No 5 in Entebbe last Sunday. 

The taste?

I have often wondered and lamented why tasting menus are virtually unheard of in Uganda, though to be fair, we have attended a few at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel when Chef Alexander Pavlovic held forte for many years. A tasting menu is a compilation of several dishes that are put together in a logical sequence and then served in small portions albeit charged as a single meal.

In France, a tasting menu is referred to as a menu degustation and it is not uncommon to find certain establishments in Europe and America specialising in strictly tasting menus.

On the other hand, it can be featured as a special or a menu option. Tasting menus are arguably long and drawn out affairs that can last for several hours and are not for those who are in a hurry.

The cauliflower veloute soup offered the perfect starter and had the right amount of creamy texture with just the right amount of cauliflower plus the added garnishment of parsley and garlic oil dotted with flakes of roast almonds. Next on the menu, was pickled beets crowned with a sharp local goat’s cheese as a topping surrounded with garden cresses and a delightful, though rare unconventional vinaigrette laced with pomegranate and honey.

Palate cleanser

No tasting menu worth its salt would be complete without a palate cleanser, which though at first glance may appear to be a snobbish arrangement, it is something true food connoisseurs appreciate. The idea behind having a palate cleanser, is to introduce a neutral flavoured item that can be food or a drink, and is meant to clear the taste of food from the tongue and, in so doing, allow one to take in the new item on the menu with a clean tongue so to speak. Our first palate cleanser was a subtle hibiscus lemonade that was followed by an earthy lemony risotto with prawns and cilantro oil followed with a gin and tonic palate cleanser.

The steak

When it comes to serving steak in Uganda, the norm is to use fillet steak, which has the chief advantage of always being tender although lacking character and flavour, while at the same time costing a king’s ransom. As for the expense, it is logical since each cow, regardless of the size of the animal, only has two filet steaks! 

We were pleasantly surprised to find rib eye steak on the menu, which is also known as scotch fillet or entrecote and ranks as one of the most popular and inexpensive steaks in the world. Rib eye, comes from the longissimus dorsi muscle, which is located down the spine and does not do a lot of work.

Consequently, the meat has an amazing tender texture coupled with a wonderful marbled fat running through the meat. Served with coriander and cashew pesto sauce on the side and accompanied by triple cooked fries we loved and would highly recommend same.

Dessert

The lemon maple parfait had the luscious taste of key lemon pie garnished with Rosemary short bread and lemon curd in the form of a parfait was light enough for a mini dessert. It was the perfect way to end such a beautiful tasting menu.

The deal

Place:  Cinque @ No 5

Address: 5 Edna Road, Entebbe Uganda

Smoke-Free Zone: Strictly enforced 

Recommended items: Tasting menu

Service: Excellent

Ambience: Alfresco on the veranda overlooking verdant treetops

Open: Daily for breakfast, lunch and supper

Our Rating: Not to be missed

The Space: Nicely spaced, elegant and perfect for those wishing privacy

The Crowd: Cosmopolitan and the well heeled                                                                                                                                                               

The Bar: Coffee, tea juice, smoothies, wine, beer etc.

The damage: At least shs 150’000 per couple, or more depending on the number of items chosen.

Sound level: Ideal

Parking: Ample parking within the forecourt

Did you know?

A tasting menu is a compilation of several dishes that are put together in a logical sequence and then served in small portions albeit they are charged as a single meal.