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GOING GREEN WITH CHEF SHANE Location: 87 Marine Drive, Hermanus For more information: T: 028 313 1685 | W: www. hermanus.lapentola.co.za | E: lapentolahermanus@telkomsa.net Chef Shane Sauvage of La Pentola is as well known for his generous support of marine conservation as he is for his unique style of fusion cooking that keeps diners locking to his restaurant on the waterfront, with its panoramic views across Walker Bay. Partnering with local environmental role players such as the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, White Shark Projects and Whale Coast Conservation, Shane has for several years actively participated in fund-raising and regularly hosts charity dinners. He has also been instrumental in driving the initiative to eliminate the use of plastic straws by restaurants in the Overstrand. “Single-use plastic straws constitute only one item on the ever-growing list of single-use plastic litter items, which in turn forms part of the overwhelming problem of human beings simply producing too much waste for our planet, and especially our oceans, to cope with,” he says. Driven by his passion for the ocean – the very reason why he relocated with his family to the Cape seven years ago – Shane went a step further by banning other items such as plastic bottles of water, single-serving butter or jam containers, sweets in wrappers, and polystyrene takeaway containers, and rather opting for eco-friendly alternatives. He’s even done away with table cloths and serviettes that need to be washed regularly, which adds to the contamination of our water. This passion and dedication is typical of Shane, whose mission to ‘go green’ extended not only to his restaurant but also to his personal life. Embarking on a ‘clean eating’ regime, the health beneits he experienced convinced him to embrace a vegetarian lifestyle, which he says is not only good for our health but also for the planet. It has also inspired his creativity and prompted him to develop a variety of innovative new vegetarian dishes for his ‘Go Green’ menu that are guaranteed to knock your socks off. Not only are they colourful and beautifully presented but they taste delicious. Mindful of the impact that industrial livestock farming has on the environment, Shane is keen to share the culinary pleasures of vegetarianism with his patrons. Unlike most restaurants where the vegetarian offering is hopelessly limited and uninspiring, Shane offers a wide variety, from fresh salads that combine leaves, herbs, fruits and nuts, to a hearty Tempeh steak made from soya beans, blackened with a tomato crust, drizzled with a lemon and herb sauce and topped with smashed cayenne pepper avo and roasted cashews. His vegetarian take on the classic Avocado Ritz is served sans shrimps but with the addition of asparagus fried in a lemon-butter herb sauce, doused in white wine and topped with chunky cottage cheese and toasted
almond lakes. And then there are the decadent desserts such as a warm chocolate fondant made from 95% dark chocolate, which is sugar-free, dairyfree and gluten-free, served with a vegan ice cream; or a tropical Pavlova made with egg-free meringue and dairyfree granadilla ice cream – both dreamy! The development of these new vegetarian recipes has presented Shane with a fresh challenge that he has embraced with his signature passion and exuberance. Almost a third of the dishes on La Pentola’s extensive menu are vegetarian, and among the blackboard specials there is always at least one vegetarian dish. The menu also indicates which dishes are vegan (100% plant-based). Never satisied with the ordinary, Shane has taken vegetarian gastronomy to a whole new level and these dishes are as seductive as any of those featured in his three cookbooks, The Edge of Fusion (2007), In Fusion (which won Best South African Chefs Book at the Gourmand Awards 2009) and Cape Fusion (2015). And there is no need for meat, seafood and pasta lovers to be concerned – La Pentola’s menu offers something for everyone, including those House Specialities such as Basil and Port Livers, Fresh Hake Maître de Hotel, Santorini Chicken, KWV Steak and Forest Springbok. Bon Appetit!
