Gluten-Free Travel: PIER Capetown, South Africa
To ensure there is an entry for “Everywhere Else” I went back to our travel in the Fall of 2023 to South Africa and Victoria Falls. It’s hard to forget an experience with a Michelin-rated restaurant and this is one my husband sought out before we went to South Africa.
I can’t say that I remember what I ate, though this was one of those dining experiences where they ask ahead of time for dietary preferences and then provide an alternative for each request. We enjoyed a fixed menu of 12 courses offering a unique and tasty bite for each.
Pier states that it is an “intimate multi-course fine-dining experience at one of the world’s most-loved destinations.” That destination was the quaint Victoria and Albert waterfront and the harbor provided the view while we dined.
The restaurant promised “the finest local produce with special emphasis on inspiration from the ocean and table-side theatrics” and they delivered. I hate to say I remember the theatrics and the serving dishes more than the food, but each dish was so unique. Some resembled shells from the ocean, or might be designed as several pieces that fit together. The most memorable ‘theatrics’ was the nitrogen-poached citrus fruit to cleanse our palates, an experience so memorable that we succumbed to the touristy habit of taking a video.
Also within the unforgettable category was the price. The exchange rate with South Africa was so good that we were pleased with our bill whether at a restaurant or when buying souvenirs.
Perhaps I should mention one more unique thing we experienced while dining here – a momentary loss of electricity. In South Africa, due to issues with the power plants (we understand this to be a by-product of politics and graft) they have planned power outrages of 2 hours at various times of the day throughout the country. A fine-dining restaurant such as Pier has their own generator so the emergency lights held us over a few moments until the generator kicked in. Definitely an experience unique to this country.
One thing missing from this restaurant menu was, thankfully, Mopini worms. During our travels our group tried Kudu, Wildebeest, and Crocodile. We were daring enough to pet Jessica the Hippo (actually very easy as she had the sweetest eyes). It wasn’t until the Boma dinner in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe that we finally tried the Mopani worms, which everyone kept telling us were a good source of protein, and, of course, they would be gluten-free!
Grasshoppers and the agave worm are used in many unique ways on the menu in Oaxaca, but the Mopani worm is so ugly I wasn’t sure I could try it. However, the chance to get a certificate for eating this worm finally gave me the courage to try. I fully support eating what is available in nature, but after picking little pieces of crunchy shell out of my mouth, this is one piece of gastronomy I will probably skip in the future.
Moving from the not-so-sublime back to the fine, if you are looking for a Michelin star experience then Pier would be worth a stop on your South Africa tour. Thank you (English). Dankie (Afrikans). Ngiyabonga (Zulu).
