The name's Lunch, Sunday Lunch. Licensed to eat

Code name: Savour Restaurant @ 15 on Orange

I am agent Lisa Nevitt, of the British Secret (Eating) Service. My mission is to tackle an unconventional Sunday lunch in Cape Town, South Africa. Pork crackling, sprouts and sloppy gravy are nowhere to be seen, rather there’s sashimi, beef fillet and cascades of bubbly. Our setting - instead of mom's house - an elegant restaurant.

So far, so good. I've made it through the revolving doors next to the Iziko Planetarium and performed a kamikaze roll toward a glitzy staircase inspired by laser quest. The hotel receptionist appears alarmed, but being stuck in the lift with Ernst Stavro Blofeld, as he sits on a gold couch stroking his cat, is a grim alternative. My location is opulent: clean lines, glass, chrome, black leather and deep carpets. The biggest luxury, though, is that we are sitting in close proximity to the buffet table.

Our gadgets

"Now pay attention," says my man on the inside, waiter Dumisani, "Here are two sleek and slender champagne glasses that will automatically refill with top-notch bubbly. Standard salt and pepper pots shake and grind, but they will ultimately fall over. These weighted, egg shaped dispensers cannot distract you from your eating mission. I will be here to pull out your chair whenever you need to sit down and I will attend to your every culinary need. The buffet table is over there. Good luck."

Phase 1: the decoys

The villains have sent their minions, but my empty stomach is every bit a match for them. Beautifully presented, cold starters include; Thai beef salad, cured meat, gazpacho shooters, cheeses, relishes and bread fashioned into flowers and leaves.

I'm not done yet. My chopsticks linger over salmon and yellowtail sashimi, freshly  shucked oysters, seared smoked salmon trout and black mussels. I dip seafood nibbles into soy sauce and ginger, sip champagne and enjoy an accompaniment of world music.

Phase 2: the femme fatales

Every secret agent needs a Bond Girl. Like Golden Eye's Xenia Onatopp, the hazelnut-crusted Beef Fillet Mignon is tender and knows the art of palate seduction. Like Honey Rider in Dr No, baked kingklip and a juicy prawn Thermidor emerge from the water, complemented by a velvety leek bikini. The action-packed, royal Thai seafood curry with kafir lime leaf and coriander, like Wai Lin from Tomorrow Never Dies, gives my appetite a spicy kick.

Phase 3: the villains

"Do you honestly expect me to stop?" I ask the cake version of Spongebob Squarepants. "No, Miss Nevitt. I expect you to eat!" he replies. Faced with villainous cakes and truffles, my eating mission hangs in the balance. Fluffy muffins, topped with creamy, chocolate mousse and sprayed gold by Goldfinger, threaten to operation grand slam my waistline. Like 7ft Jaws in the Spy Who Loved Me, sumptuous slices of Black Cherry Gateau would satisfy the appetite of a Gansbaai shark. Like the silent Mr Kill from Die Another Day, the petit fours and truffles are small, yet equally rich. I must complete my mission. It's too delicious not to.

Mission Accomplished

The Savour Restaurant is a welcome change to conventional Sunday dinner. It's a chance to live out the experience of a fine dining buffet and endless bubbly, in an avant-garde setting. At R245 per head, you won't sweat over your bill either.

By Lisa Nevitt

Read more about design and world comfort cuisine at Savour Restaurant, or City Slick Spa Chic at the Suntra Spa.

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