Writer: Bianca Coleman
Whether it’s ketchup on chips or a jus that’s taken days to make, poured tableside at a restaurant, the right sauce is intrinsic to food. It enhances and elevates every dish to which it is invited, bringing flair to the flavour.
Sweet, savoury, tangy or spicy; béchamel, velouté, hollandaise or béarnaise; good old gravy, mayonnaise or aioli; crème anglaise, fruit coulis, salad dressing, mint sauce on roast lamb, brown sauces, butter sauces, emulsified sauces, hot sauces, cold sauces… The only limit is imagination. While chefs keep sauces in their arsenal of secrets, if you manage your expectations and skills, there’s no reason not to up your game at home.
For inspiration, we asked Eat Out-starred chefs to tell us about their favourites and how they use them – and the variety they brought to the table (sorry, not sorry) is astounding.
Garlicky goodness
“Favourite sauce? It’s difficult to pinpoint one, but it has to have heat,” says Mathew Armbruster, chef-proprietor at The Chefs’ Table in Umhlanga, which won one star at the 2026 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards. “Durban life trained me well – chilli’s basically my everyday seasoning now. A simple, well-made peri-peri, the kind I’ve had in Mozambique, is up there. Chilli, garlic, herbs, lemon juice and oil – I can slap that on anything.”
A sauce that stands the test of time has to be an aioli. Kitchens are nothing without it, says Mathew. “You can eat it as it is or use it as a base to create endless sauces – its simplicity and versatility are its magic.”
Big in Japan
Delaire Graff’s Hōseki, winner of two Eat Out stars and named after the Japanese word for jewel, is where Virgil Kahn’s in-house shoyu forms the backbone of the Japanese dining experience the Stellenbosch restaurant offers. “When I began developing this shoyu, the goal was simple – to create a sauce that truly elevates our sushi and honours our vision of showcasing the Cape coast without losing touch with our Japanese roots,” says Virgil. “By introducing local seaweed, most notably Cape kelp, and incorporating West Coast bokkoms, the shoyu developed a depth of salinity and flavour that’s unmistakably ‘Cape’ in character. This unique blend not only enriches the sushi but also ties in with our Koshihikari rice, bringing an added layer of nuance to every bite.”
Better with butter
Julia Hattingh of Eat Out one-starred Reverie Social Table in Cape Town debated for a week while considering savoury sauces. Green vs butter vs gravy… and butter was the winner.
“Beurre blanc is one of my absolute favourite sauces – incredibly versatile and not super-technical to get right,” she says. “It’s basically a vinegary base that’s emulsified with butter into a silky-smooth sauce that complements fish, eggs, shellfish and more, adding richness and acidity at the same time. Probably the biggest draw is that you can flavour a beurre blanc so easily – just infuse your base reduction, or use a flavoured butter. It’s a great wine-pairing sauce!”
From Jozi, with love
At Cyra in Johannesburg, also a one-star winner, sauces made with love matter to chef Candice Philip, because they transform something basic into something memorable. “A sauce isn’t just an addition; it’s the element that brings balance, depth and personality to a dish,” she says. “It adds character, comfort and excitement; richness, freshness and acidity.”
For Candice, sauces are a form of expression. They show intention – how a meal is meant to feel, not just how it tastes. “A good sauce will elevate the most humble of ingredients, but also tie everything together to create a complete experience,” she says. “Without sauce, food can sometimes feel unfinished; with the right sauce or dressing, the dish feels alive and thoughtfully made.”
One of her favourites is her leek-and-sesame crème (delicious with sea bass). Another, which is more of a dressing but remains a firm favourite regardless, is her version of a ceviche dressing.
Au lait!
Roxy Mudie of The Waterside at the V&A Waterfront, which has two Eat Out stars, says one of the best sauces she’s ever had the pleasure of making is café au lait. “It’s a classic I was taught to make at La Colombe, and I’ve loved it ever since,” she says. “We serve it with our wagyu, and the truffle with crushed black pepper is the perfect luxurious pairing for such a special protein. It’s rich and indulgent, slightly sweet and peppery, and it has the most wonderful balance.”
Visit these restaurants to try their secret sauces for yourself:
- The Chefs’ Table: 1st Floor Protea Mall, 1 Chartwell Drive, Umhlanga | thechefstable.co.za
- Hōseki: Delaire Graff Estate, Helshoogte Road, Stellenbosch | delaire.co.za
- Reverie Social Table: 226A Lower Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town | reverie.capetown
- Cyra Restaurant: The Houghton Hotel, Lloys Ellis Avenue, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg | cyra.co.za
- The Waterside: Pierhead Building (next to the NSRI), V&A Waterfront, Cape Town | lacolombe.restaurant/waterside
===== This article first appeared in the 2026 Eat Out Magazine, a sumptuous, collectible coffee-table style book that celebrates South Africa’s vibrant dining scene. Inside you’ll find in-depth profiles of award-winning chefs, sommeliers and mixologists, a guide to the 66 Eat Out star restaurants and big-picture explorations of South African food identity, sustainability and design-led dining spaces. Buy your copy in the Media24 Shop.
This magazine can also be purchased at Woolworths.
