The Art of Fine Dining
Contemporary Cuisine
From the moment guests step through the doors at Hōseki, they are immersed in an atmosphere of incomparable luxury and warm hospitality. The name Hōseki, meaning “jewel” in Japanese, honours Laurence Graff OBE, legendary diamantaire and the owner of Delaire Graff Estate.
A symphony of modern fine dining unfolds under the creative direction of Head Chef Virgil Kahn, whose notable career includes roles at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze and Nobu at The One&Only Cape Town.
Guided by a multi-sensory fine dining philosophy, Chef Kahn combines beautifully balanced flavours with imaginative presentation, executed with precision and artistry.
“Japan holds a special place in my heart and always will. The cooking style is a perfect balance of simplicity and complexity, combined with incredible local ingredients and aromatic spices.” Head Chef Virgil Kahn.
Hōseki chefs believe in the power of nature’s abundance and preserving its value, and so dishes evolve with the seasons.
Fresh produce is hand-picked from the Estate’s on-site greenhouse, while partnerships with certified sustainable farms and fisheries ensure the finest ingredients – from Cape Wagyu to yellowtail, seabass, and both yellowfin and bluefin tuna – are sourced with respect for local communities and the environment.
The menu at Hōseki offers an exceptional range of à la carte and Omakase set menu options. Omakase, a traditional Japanese phrase meaning “I leave it up to you,” allows guests to enjoy an exquisitely curated menu, whereby Chef Kahn prepares a selection of elegant, seasonal dishes which work together in perfect harmony.
The à la carte menu offers carefully prepared sushi, crispy tempura, savoury kushiyaki, chargrilled robata, and favourites such as goma salads and tartare-style tacos. Other gourmet options include tempura soft-shell crab, den miso black cod, yellowfin tuna and Cape Wagyu.
Every detail is meticulously considered. Fish is aged in-house in a dedicated dry ager for 7 to 21 days – a rare process that enhances its texture, deepens flavour and heightens refinement. Rice is washed up to 12 times to ensure perfection, and wasabi and nori are sourced from Japan.
Each menu is also handcrafted, inspired by the traditional Japanese art of sashiko – an ornamental stitching technique. Drawing from flavours of the Cape, shoyu is produced in-house, using a Kikkoman base combined with ingredients such as sweet potato, bokkoms, sake and mirin.
Inside the restaurant space, a colour palette of blue and copper is centred around the striking Swallows in Flight installation created by André Stead in collaboration with Lionel Smit. In Japanese culture, the swallow — a silhouette that has graced prints, ceramics and temples for centuries — is a symbol of good fortune, perfectly capturing the creative energy and spirit of Hōseki.
