01. A Love Letter in Progress:Urchin’s First Verse of the Western Cape
- Joanne Sagrestano
- Nov 15
- 1 min read
The beginning of something locals will feel — and visitors will wish they understood.
There’s something bold — almost reckless — about deciding to cook the Western Cape as a story.Not as a concept, not as a curated collection of dishes, but as a lived landscape of memory, coastline, family tables, spice markets, and those flavours every local can identify with their eyes closed.
Urchin has taken the first swing at that idea.And honestly?It’s an exciting start.
We weren’t there for perfection.We weren’t expecting theatricality.We came curious — as locals who know these flavours instinctively — wanting to see whether someone could catch them, shape them, and serve them back with intention.
And that’s exactly what this menu feels like: the first verse of an ode to the Cape.
A beginning. A direction. A promise.
Chef Marcus Gerricke
What Made It Work
There were plates that hit with immediate nostalgia — those “I know this flavour” moments that only resonate if you grew up on this soil. There were elements bold enough to make us sit up, ideas with just the right amount of edge, and moments where tradition and technique met halfway.
Journey... we enjoyed the beauty of a story in progress: you can feel where it’s heading.
The meal wasn’t trying to be perfect — it was trying to be true. And that authenticity made it compelling.
