Two minutes with ... Ryan Cole, Executive Chef and Co-Founder of Salsify at the Roundhouse
How would you summarise Salsify?
Salsify is an inspired-by-nature, and driven-by-the-seasons fine dining restaurant with warm African hospitality at its core. We take traditional, locally sourced South African ingredients and put our elevated, modern twist on them, creating an offering that's nostalgic but contemporary.
Do you ever source ingredients yourself?
You can often find me in a boat off the Cape coastline with a fishing rod in hand, catching fish that’s later served on our menu. I grew up in a fishing family - my dad was a fisherman by trade and my brother is a fisherman now - so I've always had a love for fishing. I also have two Staffies which means lots of dog walks in my local woods; the place is rich in mushrooms, geraniums and pines. I forage these when they’re in season and incorporate them into dishes at Salsify.
The Salsify dining experience takes place across several locations within The Roundhouse. What's your favourite and why?
The Preservation Chamber, where we serve the welcome drink and gifts from the kitchen. The room has been designed to both preserve the history of the original architecture and to incorporate the modern. The 18th-century masonry is still intact, but we've decorated the walls with these great, big rebellious graffiti murals that tell the story of one of the building's earliest inhabitants. It's a creative mix of the old and new.