Kitchens are notoriously hot, noisy and stressful environments – we all know the old saying: “if you can’t stand the heat…” But these days, the best seat in the house is quite possibly right there in the heart of the kitchen.

How lucky am I that my friend Leona received a Chef’s Table at the Michelangelo Hotel on Nelson Mandela Square as a birthday gift and more importantly, that she invited me and my husband along to share in this celebration of food and friends around a table? We arrived at the hotel at 18:30 and enjoyed our pre-dinner bubblies at the Piccolo Mondo Restaurant. Our chef of the evening, Chef Marvellous Nkomo (and his name should have given us a clue as to what our evening was going to be like) welcomed us and took us on a tour of this five star hotel kitchen.

The Chef’s Table for 12 guests is located at a small alcove in the kitchen with a great view of the preparation tables, perfectly positioned to see the chef putting the finishing touches on what is truly a luxurious experience. We did not receive a menu beforehand, but Chef Marvellous introduced every dish, explaining the ingredients and cooking methods. Once the food had been served and explained, our wine waiter, Nathi, would proceed to introduce the accompanying wines (no less than 10 times during the evening!).

Luckily , at the end of this prolonged meal (we left the Chef’s table for coffee in the hotel foyer at 23:00), we received a beautifully signed menu from Chef Marvellous as a souvenir of the evening, otherwise I would not have been able to tell you what we had! Chef Marvellous was given an actual ovation for the Butternut Cappuccino and the Springbok Loin had us all licking our lips. What a great night out! Thanks Leona, for inviting us to this truly memorable occasion.

Article written by Nani Kornelius and originally appeared in Under Our Own Olive Tree blog. Book your Piccolo Mondo experience here: bit.ly/2wES529