Local chef and restaurant owner Petri Hendriksz has turned this concept completely on its head with the opening of Char’d Grill & Wine Bar, a bespoke establishment in the Village Square on the famous Hermanus waterfront. With elements of industrial and steampunk design that incorporates vintage features with anachronistic modern technology, the interior creates a sassy and sophisticated fantasy wo
rld. A Wine Bar with a twist
The unique wine bar offers not only a selection of premium local wines, but also craft rum, gin, brandy and beer with a state-of-the-art atomiser that allows customers to get a whiff of the different flavours before making their selection. New Wave steak cuts
As one might expect, at Char’d Grill & Wine Bar a steak is also no longer just a steak. While meat eaters have come to accept the view that a good steak has to be one of the traditionally tender and juicy cuts, at Char’d the emphasis is on unusual and innovative cuts of beef as well as the old-time classics. Such as the flat-iron steak, a flavourful and versatile cut of meat from the shoulder area of the cow. Or the Denver cut steak with its plush softness, rich marbling and robust flavour. Or the Bavette, a thick and juicy, well-marbled steak cut from the sirloin flap…
Previously underrated, these little-known cuts are gaining a reputation world-wide for being a cut above. Supplied by artisan butchers who are following the modern global trend to utilise as much of the carcass as possible, these new wave, alternative cuts are no longer flying under the radar and are presenting diners with a whole new culinary experience. Proudly local
Supporting local as far as possible is high on the priority list of Char’d owner Petri Hendriksz, who is known for his adventurous and innovative ideas. “At Char’d we make use of local produce, from the beef to our potatoes. We are proud of our dedicated suppliers who will go the extra mile to enable us to provide diners with a memorable experience through the quality of our food, service and ambience.”
Ageing methods
Different ageing methods are used at Char’d, including dry-aged and wet-aged beef. For dry-ageing, whole sides or primal cuts of beef are hung in open air at a temperature just above freezing and left to age for several weeks. Not only are the enzymes working on the muscle tissue during this time, but the meat is also slowly dehydrating. Although quite a bit of meat is lost due to moisture loss, decreasing the yield and increasing the cost, the benefit of this process is intense concentration of flavour and tenderness. Wet-ageing is a relatively recent technique that developed along with advances in plastics and refrigeration. The process involves vacuum-sealing the cuts of beef in plastic bags and allowing them to age for up to 30 days. The enzymes tenderise the meat within the bag. Although there is no weight loss in the meat due to dehydration, resulting in lower consumer cost, Petri says personally he prefers dry-aged beef for its depth of flavour. “But cooked perfectly, wet-aged steak is still damn good!”
And there you have it. The Char’d team creates simple, yet innovative, elegant and flavourful food. Welcome to Hermanus’s latest gastronomic adventure!
