The latest in Cape Town’s ongoing flood of pop-up restaurants is the 4C Soup Apartment, running Wednesdays and Fridays until 14 August. Delicious food in a sophisticated environment, but does it have a deeper meaning?

Conceived by environmental designer-in-waiting Vida Schiff with interior design by architect Stephen Hitchcock, 4C returns to the roots of pop-up as a “designed experience”.

On Buiten Street, just off Long Street, the venue is invisible to all but those who know what to look for and is just short of a secret handshake when the bouncer hustles you with “Four-see? Four-see?”  

The lift takes you up to the fourth floor where hostess Vida welcomes you, perched on a stool with the beatific smile of a bird. Vida is 21 years old and off to study environmental design in Toronto in September. Education seems a formality for this self-starter who put together this pop-up from scratch, drawing on the currency of friends as co-conspirators.

The apartment is Vida’s own apartment, a striking minimalist industrial number that would be perfect would it not for the noise from Long Street, Vida confesses. Nonetheless she felt the need to share the space – the ingenuity and understated quality of its design, along with it’s “underground” just-off-Long location.

The first sense to be stimulated at this pop-up restaurant is aural, with an “audio landscape” provided by Stuart Ziegler and Simon Kohler of Kalata. An abstract mix of ambient sound from nature, including birds, wind and ocean, along with musical elements, it is overwhelming at first. It sounds like the rushing in your ears has been turned up to the max. However, as you give in to it, the sound comes to define the dreamy quality of the experience – although perhaps slightly too loud to be conducive to meeting and interacting with strangers.

The interior design is also based on the keyword of “landscape” with triangular vertical gardens arranged like mountain peeks or teepees. Tree stumps of various heights form the tables, like the stumps of a decimated forest. Rectangular cushions provide the seating and can be variously arranged in and around the structures and tree stumps to accomodate different sized groups. 

The menu entails starters, fresh bread by Knead Bakery, three soups – vegan, vegetarian and meat – and warm Honest chocolate for dessert. It is the work of Congolese model and TV-chef-on-the-rise Aryse Feza Bakomito, who presents cooking segments on the Expresso breakfast show on a fortnightly basis. She was assisted by food consultant Daniel Heyns, head chef at Maremoto, and also involved in the Lola’s and El Burro menus. Every night there are different soups, depending on what’s available in the market.

Despite the feast-like nature of the food, there is an element of dystopian disquiet to the experience – perhaps it’s the melancholic undertones in the music or the stylised recreation of nature in the installation. The intentionality of using seasonal food and local suppliers, as well as biodegradable containers, also give the experience a specific subtext.

Is this visionary 21-year-old asking us to 4C – “foresee” – the impact our mass-consumer culture has on the world? An elegant post-apocalyptic soup kitchen. This is what one wonders, ejected back onto the pavement and confronted by the chaotic cacophony of Long Street. Food for thought.

For more information and bookings at the 4C Soup Apartment, soup-apartment.com.

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Calore is the exclusive distributor in South Africa of Piazzetta, a contemporary range of designer fireboxes, eco-friendly pellet stoves, freestanding woodstoves, and a ‘Multifire’ home heating system. Built with a keen eye for aesthetic and eco-friendly design elements, the Piazetta energy-efficient units offer a modern approach to heating living spaces.

Calore Marketing Director  Paolo Carlone, says he is excited to introduce the stylish Italian heating systems to the South African market, “These are beautiful appliances, unlike anything South Africa has seen – the quality of the classic design and workmanship will enhance any living space.”

Carbon neutral pellet stoves

Calore caters for the green consumer with an innovative range of biomass pellet stoves.  These are particularly popular in the eco-conscious European market as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels, and Carlone believes manufacturers have a responsibility to change consumerbehaviour by offering greener energy alternatives. South Africa is, after all, the 13^th highest carbon producer worldwide. Calore’s elegant and innovative range of pellet stoves, contributes to the new green economy of conscious consumerism.

Calore’s fully automated pellet stoves rely only on a biomass fuel in the form of wood-waste pellets. Biomass is plant matter that contains stored solar energy and, unlike its toxic fossil fuel counterparts, renews itself within a human lifetime. The stoves regulate fuel according to personalisedtemperature settings and timer systems for optimal consumption.

“Creating only the finest layer of ash as its by-product, the wood pellet fires boast the lowest emissions of unwanted pollutants andreduce comparative electricity usage by 53%,”  says Carlone.

Contemporary wood stoves

A variety of stylish, traditional freestanding wood stoves adds a hint of classic nostalgia to the Calore range of combustion systems. Elegantly designed to compliment any living area, Calore’s freestanding stoves promise excellent heating capacity and efficiency. The Simona stove in this range offers a truly unique combination of heating, cooking and artistic design to suit both living and cooking areas. 

Designer fireboxes

Also available from Calore this season is a wide range of elegant fireboxes designed to blend perfectly into modern and minimalistic environments. Combining the typical generous size of the traditional fireplace with an elegant structure, these fireboxes also offer the possibility of cooking tasty meals over glowing embers with the use of the optional cooking pro kit. The units may also be fitted with Piazzetta patented multifire system, allowing for even distribution of heat throughout the room and adjacent rooms. 

Multifire heating throughout the home

Piazzetta’s  patented Multifire system cleverly draws hot air from the ceiling and redistributes it at a preset temperature via a fan at floor-level to predetermined rooms in the house. The Multifire method is fully automatic, efficiently warming areas up to ten metres away from the heat source and proving inexpensive to run both privately and commercially.

 For more information on Calore visit:  http://calorefireplacesandstoves.co.za/

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We weren’t disappointed: Thulare usually serves her rich butternut broth in the hollowed-out skin of a butternut. But if you prefer more traditional crockery, you can’t go wrong by serving sweet, creamy soup in a bowl (R100) by ceramic master Anthony Shapiro.

Ingredients:

• 45ml (3 tablespoons) butter

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic chopped

• chopped fresh ginger to taste

• 2 medium potatoes, diced

• 2 medium leeks chopped

•750g butternut, peeled, seeded and diced

• Peel of ½ orange

• 750ml (3 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

• 65ml (¼ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice

• Pinch ground cinnamon

• 125ml double cream (optional)

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Melt butter and sauté onions, leeks, garlic and ginger for about 1 minute. Add the vegetables, orange peel, stock and orange juice and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Transfer to a blender or food processor and work until fairly smooth. Return to the pan and add cinnamon, cream and seasoning. Slowly bring to boil, reduce until heated through (a few minutes). Add a swirl of cream to each dish, if desired, and serve immediately.

Serve with fresh whole-wheat bread slathered with butter.

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Sumien shares a base recipe to which you can add different vegetables. Try making two soups, adding a drizzle of cream and serving them in the same bowl. We covet Martin Swart’s ceramic bowl (R145), pictured here.

For the base:

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 medium potato, grated

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Sauté until the onions are translucent.

For butternut soup:

• 4 cups chopped butternut

• 1 heaped teaspoon curry powder

• 5 cups vegetable stock

Add the curry powder to the onion mix and gently cook through until everything is evenly coated (about 1 minute). Add the chopped butternut and mix thoroughly. Cover in warm vegetable stock and let simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the butternut is soft. Allow soup to cool. Blend with a stick blender until smooth.

Reheat and taste for seasoning. Drizzle the soup with good-quality olive oil, and serve with toast and chevrin cheese.

For pea soup:

• 3 cups frozen peas

• handful of fresh mint, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried mint)

• 5 cups vegetable stock

Add the frozen peas and mint to the onion mixture and stir thoroughly. Cover in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow soup to cool and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Reheat and taste for seasoning.

Serve in bowls, topped with a sprig of mint and a drizzle of olive oil. Add crispy bacon for a faux pea-and-ham soup.

For tomato soup:

• 4 ripe Rosa tomatoes, skins removed and chopped

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 4 cups vegetable stock

Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste to the onion mixture. While stirring, sauté on a medium heat until the tomatoes start to break down (about 5 minutes). Add the stock and cook for 25 minutes. Allow soup to cool and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Reheat and taste for seasoning.

Serve in bowls with lots of fresh parsley and Parmesan puff-pastry hearts.

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“This is a really simple, quick recipe,” she says. “The wow factor in both taste and presentation is the addition of pancetta, Gorgonzola and truffle oil.”

Give this recipe a colour kick by serving it in a yellow soup bowl by Clementina van der Walt, pictured above (R340).

Ingredients:

• 1 large cauliflower, chopped hard stems included

• 1 large potato, cut into small cubes

• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped

• 1 large leek, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 5 sprigs of thyme, leaves only

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1.5 litres good-quality chicken stock

• 125ml cream

• 6 thin slices of pancetta

• 50g Gorgonzola, at room temperature

• A few drops of truffle oil

Method:

Sweat the potato, celery, leek, garlic and thyme in the olive oil for 15 minutes (you don’t want the veggies to brown, so sweat on low heat). Add the cauliflower and stock, and simmer for 30 minutes. When the cauliflower is tender, remove all contents of the pot, including stock, and blend till smooth. (If you want to be all “master cheffie”, you can press the contents through a drum sieve to get a very smooth consistency. I quite like the grainy texture, so I don’t go to this trouble.)  

Pour the contents back into the pot and add cream. Don’t boil at this stage as the cream will split. Add salt and white pepper to taste. (Go easy on the salt as the pancetta and Gorgonzola will add saltiness.) Meanwhile, grill the pancetta slices until crisp. To keep the pancetta slices straight, you can grill them between two baking trays lined with baking paper.

Serve the soup garnished with the pancetta. Crumble the Gorgonzola over the top and add 1-2 drops of truffle oil. The truffle oil adds an amazing aroma and the globules of yellow oil add to the presentation.

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When Liam’s at home, however, he prefers fuss-free meals where soup and crusty bread is served in white porcelain bowls on an uncovered wooden table. Liam’s soup of choice? His friend Lyndal Maunder’s fennel-and-tomato-soup recipe.

We paired this recipe with a soup bowl by Noleen Read (R160).

Ingredients:

• 1 pack dried shitake mushrooms

• 500ml water

• 2 tablesppons butter

• 3 fennel bulbs, finely sliced

• 2 onions, finely sliced

• 1 large/2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

• 2 cups dry white wine

• 500g box chopped tomatoes

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 250ml cream

• salt and pepper

Method:

To a small pot, add your dried mushrooms and water. Bring to a simmer with the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes; then let it stand for as long as possible to steep. Strain just before using.

Chop the leftover mushrooms as finely as possible. In a heavy-based pot, get your butter bubbling. Add the onions, fennel and potato, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the wine and finely chopped mushrooms, and cook for 15 minutes with the lid off.

Add the chopped tomatoes, crushed garlic, tomato paste, mushroom stock and cream, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Check to see if the potatoes are cooked and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve with grated parmesan, chopped chives and lots of ground pepper.

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He loves this no-nonsense soup recipe by Hanna, a family friend, and notes that it’s best served with chunks of fresh bread from De Oude Bank Bakkerij in Stellenbosch. We’d serve it in a bowl by ceramicist Christo Giles (R230).

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 brown onion, peeled and chopped

• 250g red beans, cooked

• 250g lentils, cooked

• 250g chickpeas, cooked

• 500g tomatoes, peeled and chopped

• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced in pennies

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 2 litres chicken stock

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and lightly brown the onion before adding the beans, lentils and chickpeas. Give the vegetables a minute or two to braise gently in the olive oil before adding the tomatoes and carrot. Add the garlic and the stock and bring to a soft simmer. Boil the soup for about 10 minutes before removing it from the heat.

Pour half the soup into a food processor and pulse until it is completely smooth and creamy. Return to the pot and stir into the rest of the soup. Heat and season before serving with a generous helping of freshly chopped parsley.

NOTE: Use tinned beans, lentils, chickpeas and tomatoes (don’t tell the foodies), and add sliced chorizo for variation.

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“We’re always at the table in our kitchen for dinner,” she says. “My husband and I are still in the phase of teaching our children good manners.”

Jacquie loves her multi-coloured collection of antique bowls at home, but this soup would work beautifully in a soup bowl by Clementina van der Walt (R450).

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of organic Kenyan butter beans, soaked overnight and drained

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 celery sticks, chopped

• 2 carrots, grated or chopped

• 1 can of whole, peeled tomatoes, pureed

• sprig of thyme and a bay leaf or two

• 2 litres of homemade stock, if you have the time. Alternatively, water and Ina Paarman or Woolworths’chicken stock to taste. (You may need less or more liquid, depending on the size of the beans.)

• Spicy Spanish or chorizo sausage, sliced and slightly browned

Method:

Soften the onion and garlic in some olive oil before adding all the other ingredients, except the sausages. Bring to the boil and then simmer until soft and delicious – about one and a half to two hours. Season to taste with extra stock powder, salt and pepper. Add the browned sausages close to serving.

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