Chef Grant van der Riet’s new menu at the fine dining and elegant Luce restaurant at Southern Sun Hyde Park, Gauteng, South Africa takes Italian cuisine “back to basics”.

The new delicious menu features flavours “that are put in where they belong” into traditional dishes that feature careful attention to detail, allowing the different ingredients to come alive.

The Luce bread selection, which includes various focaccias and a knotted basil pesto bread, will continue to evolve, with exciting new options on the horizon.

The new starters on the Luce menu include Caprese, Gamberi alla busara and Venison carpaccio with shaved pecorino, aioli and pickled quail egg with truffle snow and others.

The signature dishes say it all. Lobster tortellini with portobello mushroom and prosecco cream sauce, which Chef Grant describes as “absolutely fantastic”.

Another favourite is Chef Grant’s Anatra al caffè, Coffee-cured duck leg served with pan seared duck breast and homemade egg ravioli with wilted baby spinach and coffee duck jus.

The soups also include a signature dish, Pappa al Pomodoro – Wood smoked tomato and pepper soup with celery ribbon confit garlic and burnt onion dust.

Special on the salad menu is Insalata tricolore, a delicious and traditional fresh Italian buffalo mozzarella and baby spinach and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

The pasta selection, the primi piatti, consists only homemade pastas including Spaghetti Vongole, Tortellini di spinach, Tagliatelle al pesto cremoso and Risotto ai frutti di mare.

Fish options include Poached Norwegian salmon in tomato consommé with deconstructed puttanesca and Japanese furikake, and Pan-fried barramundi with fondant potato, asparagus, and portobello mushroom and clam velouté.

The meat menu includes the signature duck dish, Veal osso bucco Milanese, Grilled lamb cutlets; Lamb shank, Lemon, thyme & chilli roasted baby chicken; and Grilled beef fillet or T-bone with roasted bone marrow and pan-fried polenta.

Desserts include Chocolatissimo – Soft chocolate soufflé with a melted chocolate centre served with vanilla ice-cream, shortbread crumble and fresh berries; Dark chocolate and passion fruit tart, Tiramisu classico, Cannoli, Pistachio panna cotta; and a cheese platter.

Tsogo Sun has a portfolio of over 100 hotels and 13 casino and entertainment destinations throughout South Africa, Africa and the Seychelles.