Hemelhuijs x So Yum: Where culinary minds meet

Breakfasts at this Hyde Park restaurant are easy on the pocket, with nothing on the menu costing more than R100.

Hemelhuijs and So Yum may seem poles apart but their collaboration has produced culinary magic

Mythological creatures are often made up of two powerful parts.

Whether it’s half human, half horse like a centaur where its human capabilities and equine power make it an elevated creature with abilities far beyond normal man, or a Griffin that’s half-eagle half-ferocious lion, these creatures have inspired myths, shaped Greek culture and become symbolic of something magical.

Head down to Hyde Park Corner and mythology comes to life at the exciting culinary collaboration of Hemelhuijs x So Yum. When So Yum closed its doors and moved to the middle mall, the condition was that they needed to offer breakfast options like the other bustling spots. What happened was a little bit of alchemy.

In Cape Town, Jacques Erasmus’s Hemelhuijs is famed for its twist on traditional Afrikaans farm cuisine, mixed with its European and African inspiration, while So Yum is a traditional Asian restaurant, focused on items skewed to an Eastern palate. The two might seem heavens apart but with this collaboration they created a dining experience that’s fun, exciting, delicious and above all focused on giving you an experience that’s not too hard on the pocket.

So Yum’s owner Ernst Fischer knows exactly how to introduce diners to the journey. He recommends Vietnamese coffee – a sweet coffee laced with condensed milk. Even with the euphoria of a sugar rush, the breakfast menu is easy enough to explore, starting with a number of super juices. The mixes include beetroot, ginger and valencia oranges. If you’re not that concerned with calories, sparkling wine is available to mix your own mimosa.

From Hemelhuijs, the breakfast menu includes soft mieliepap served with local honey and salted butter and toasted mosbolletjie (aniseed) loaf with cultured cream and hand-made jam or marmalade.

For the hungry, opt for grilled farm sausage in tomato and onion smoor with soft poached eggs. The eggs are also served with homemade potato rösti with herbed creme fraiche and with roasted artichoke and hollandaise.

The artichoke option is an exquisite combination of sweet mosbolletjie loaf, tangy hollandaise and the crunch and luxury of artichoke drenched in yolk and topped with Hemelhuijs’ black salt. If you have time to linger, the Asian breakfast omelettes are hearty giants that even picky eaters will give a chance.

The duck omelette was a winner, but the Teriyaki salmon omelette was one of the best I’ve had thanks to generous inclusion of exotic mushrooms and bak choi. Another winner is soft Japanese rice porridge with shredded chicken, salty soy spicy ginger and herbs.

There’s also traditional morning dim sum, little pockets of pure moreishness.

A great way to dine is family style – go with friends and family and take mouthfuls of two distinctly influenced menus with surprising results.

Not one item on the breakfast menu, served between 8am and 12pm, will set you back more than R100 making Hemelhuijs x So Yum a new favourite breakfast spot.