A Table in the Corner
A Table in the Corner is the space where Russel Wasserfall chats to people in the food industry about their passion and their take on the business of eating. Russel has worked in the media and food space for over 3 decades. He's run bars, restaurants and a confectionery factory, written for dozens of food and travel publications and made a bunch of cookbooks. His show is about the nitty-gritty of the food trade in all its forms. Top chefs, food artisans, proprietors, bakers, farmers, foragers, cheesemakers, writers, photographers, bloggers... you name it. If they’re involved in the food industry, you will meet them with Russel at A Table in the Corner.
A Table in the Corner
S2-26. Belly of the Beast - Odette Olivier
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On this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Odette Olivier, head chef of the Harrington Street tasting-menu restaurant Belly of the Beast.
Odette talks about how she found her way into professional kitchens, from an early instinct to cook through culinary school and the formative years that followed in hotels and lodge kitchens. She also reflects on the influence of the late chef Ian Bergh of De Grendel Restaurant, whose mentorship helped shape her approach to cooking and to running a kitchen.
The conversation then turns to life inside Belly of the Beast, where a frequently changing set menu and an open kitchen create a particular rhythm to service. Odette describes the challenge of cooking a tightly choreographed tasting menu night after night, and how the small team keeps the kitchen calm and focused while working through multiple courses for every table.
Russel and Odette also discuss the realities of running a small restaurant in Cape Town today, including the growing problem of no-shows and how they affect independent restaurants operating with limited seats.
Finally, Odette shares a glimpse of what’s coming next for the Harrington Street group, which currently includes Belly of the Beast, Galjoen and Seebamboes. Two new restaurants, No Show and Quagga, are set to open in the next season, expanding the group’s presence in the East City Precinct.
- www.rwm2012.com
- On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
- Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
- All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
- Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay