Tastebuds : SALT Charcuterie - Hazelwood Pretoria

This is the second time I visit this eatery. Snuggled neatly between all the other restaurants and coffee shops which make up the hugely popular Hazelwood Village, this one is so aesthetically pleasing to me.

The wooden deck and umbrellas outside lead to an inside section which reminds me very much of my most loved top Cape Town restaurant - the word is trendy. Not in the steel and glass kind of way, but in the our decor is minimalistic because here we focus on food kind of way. Clearly I am a fan of restaurants where the chefs and food preparation is visible. Obviously this does not work unless you are a certain kind of establishment.

So at 1pm today the 3 of us decided to revisit Salt.

Service: Warm and inviting staff who immediately suggested that sitting inside to escape the heat was not a good plan, since it was pretty warm in there. Instead we were shown to a lovely corner table on the deck, in the shade, catching the breeze from every direction. Our waiter was attentive and his knowledge of the beers available, both local and craft, impressive. Our orders were swiftly taken and he was able to outline the differences between the two food choices I was stuck between and make a suggestion.

Food: I had steamed buns served with crispy friend chicken pieces and Asian slaw. This was an unusual choice for me and I was pleasantly surprised. Initially it looked like a small portion for a main, but the meal was filling and delicious. Steamed buns can turn to overcooked very quickly - these were spot on. I ordered a side of fries and these were crispy and very fresh. My one lunch partner had the 500g rib eye steak served on the bone and this monster arrived filling the plate and leaving just enough place for his salad. According to him it was prepared medium as requested and very tasty. The other person had the Porchetta burger – onion & bacon jam, black garlic aioli, melted mozzarella and a whopping portion at that. He has a healthy appetite and still managed to take some "for later".
As a starter we shared a selection of breads served with fresh butter. I am a fan of any breads which have good crispy crusts and as with the first time, they did not disappoint.
I would however have liked the waiter to tell us what breads were on the board when he brought it to the table. This is what I would expect from a gourmet restaurant serving unusual items. Since he didn't, I called a passing waiter and asked him and his reply of, it is a brioche, sourdough and one other, did not help. Luckily the manager was the next to pass and we found that we were eating rye with an apricot and fig filling and a very nice beetroot crusted sourdough. Very tasty.

Drinks - the Jack Black ale was cold as were the colddrinks, so it went down a treat and the cappuccino I had was served hot and strong.

Salt is not cheap. However this kind of dining experience is not fast food. This is a well thought out regularly changing menu of tasting items and full plate items. Gourmet restaurants featuring well trained chefs are worth the visit - they take the time to put their hearts on the plates. This is fresh food, carefully selected and perfectly prepared - and for that you pay.

So go and spend some time under the umbrellas on the deck. You will be glad you did.