Knife is smoking

Ribs, steak and burgers in this carnivorous Cape Town restaurant

The first thing I spot when stepping into Knife Restaurant is a very well put together woman fastening a plastic apron over her blouse and tucking in to a plate of ribs. There’s not an ounce of pretension to be found at this smokehouse.

The restaurant, in the Crystal Towers Hotel in Century City, is a contrast of polished wood, leather booths and raw concrete pillars giving it a touch of New York style. Happy hour is just ending and the tables outside are certainly looking very happy. We slide into a comfortable red booth.  Our view is of floor-to-ceiling photos of children, who are leading by example with messy hands and big smiles. These happy little tykes are owner Ed Saunders’s children as well as those of the cleaners, architects and builders who helped create the restaurant.

After a drink from the well-stocked bar we snack on the herby, cheesy corn bread. It sets the tone for the American-style food that Knife serves: BBQ ribs, king prawn gumbo, Creole fishcakes and other Southern specialities. The Ribs are smoked in oak woodchips, marinated in their homemade BBQ sauce, smoked again and then grilled.

Urban carnivores

Tonight we’re trying out some of the new dishes on the menu. First up is a flame grilled lemon and herb chicken breast on a stack of sticky sweet potatoes that have been marinated in coriander, soy and honey. It’s a nice alternative if you don’t feel like red meat, but are craving the punch of flavours that Knife’s food offers. The peppery tuna steak on crushed new potatoes with fresh red pepper salsa is a similarly delicious. Another new addition to the menu is slow roasted BBQ pork belly with sautéed potatoes, green beans and roasted garlic. The pork is melt-in-your-mouth soft, and the crackling is perfectly crispy and moreish.

As well as meat and seafood in all their glorious forms there is also an option to build your own salad. With a very reasonably priced base salad you can pick and choose what to add to it to make a proper meal. From goat’s cheese and marinated beetroot to cajun chicken and seared tuna there’s something that will catch your eye. Dessert is quintessentially American with key lime pie, rocky road ice cream, as well as baked vanilla cheesecake with blueberries.

Bagels and Bloody Marys

Knife is not just a dinner spot, stop by between 12pm and 3pm for their lunchtime bagels or between 5pm and 7pm for their all-week happy hour for half-price cocktails, house spirits and Jack Black draughts. I like a place that takes their bar snacks seriously and Knife does just that; deep fried cajun potato skins with sour cream and guacamole or the sticky BBQ baby back ribs would go perfectly with a beer or two. Knife pays homage to the fairer sex on Tuesdays, so don’t miss ladies night and the chance to take advantage of the half-price cocktails on offer from 5pm to 11pm.

Knife also puts on a brunch to rival any hangover. Starting at the appropriate time of 10am and carrying on until 3pm you’ll find Bloody Marys, bubble and squeak and other morning-after meals for long, lazy Saturdays.

By Lindsay Callaghan 

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