Urchin Restaurant, located at the Hyatt Regency Cape Town, has unveiled a bold new identity under the direction of Head Chef Marcus Gericke. With an award-winning career that includes Global Chef Africa & Middle East 2022–23 and South African Chef of the Year 2024, Gericke brings both world-class expertise and a deeply personal vision. His mission is simple yet profound: to tell the story of the Western Cape through food.
Inspired by the Road Less Travelled
To craft the new menu, Gericke and his team embarked on a 1,627-kilometre journey across the province. From Kalk Bay’s fishing docks to the plains of the Karoo, along the Garden Route and back to Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap, they met farmers, butchers and home cooks. These encounters shaped a dining experience rooted in terroir, tradition and people.
The result is Journey — a nine-course tasting menu that captures the essence of the Cape. Each dish reflects a sense of place and memory, offering guests not just a meal, but a story on a plate.
Highlights of the Journey Menu
The experience begins with Voorhappie, where snoek is paired with mebos and curry leaf, inspired by early mornings in Kalk Bay. Freshly baked bread follows, drawing on Stellenbosch’s oldest brown bread recipe, enriched by Urchin’s 20-year-old sourdough starter.
Sea-to-shore flavours shine in crayfish with lemon garlic sauce, while Cape Malay influences appear in pickled fish with radish and spiced sauce. Comfort is delivered through braised oxtail with samp and fynbos atchar, while the main course of Karoo lamb chops celebrates South Africa’s braai tradition.
Desserts are equally evocative: milk tart with vrugte ysblokkie, a modern malva pudding, and a sweet padkos of peppermint crisp tart, hertzoggie and klapperys — a final taste of home.
A More Relaxed Alternative
For those seeking a lighter experience, Urchin offers the Navigator Menu, an à la carte selection inspired by towns such as Paternoster, Elgin and District Six. Dishes like lemon-butter prawns, cured fish with avocado, and malva pudding with brown butter custard provide a generous yet unhurried taste of Cape heritage.
Dining with a Sense of Place
The restaurant’s evolution extends beyond the plate. The refreshed dining room combines polish with intimacy, while large-scale photographs from the team’s road trip adorn the walls. Wine pairings are chosen with equal care, deepening the connection to regional terroir.
Chef Marcus Gericke’s Vision
Reflecting on the journey, Gericke explains: “Each stop reminded me why I love the Western Cape so much — a place where iconic dishes, humble ingredients, and family recipes live on. This menu is our way of honouring that journey, in collaboration with the farmers and butchers who sustain us.”
With Journey, Urchin Restaurant positions itself as both a culinary destination and a heartfelt tribute to the Western Cape. Guests are invited to take part in a dining experience that is as much about heritage and connection as it is about flavour.
