Outrage of Modesty is definitely one of my favourite Cape Town bars. It’s a little-hidden gem (literally hidden) on Shortmarket street that just seems to be getting better. Now, after 2 short years, they are already on their 3rd bartender. Wait. That sounds like a bad thing. I assure you it’s not. These guys don’t only like to switch up the menu to keep things fresh, they switch up the bartenders too.
I did my first review of OoM with the then barman, Luke Wookie creating the most incredible flavour bombs disguised as cocktails. My last review featured Greg Seider and his twist on the classics. Now, I bring you OoM spring/summer menu with head bar lady…is it bar lady or bar person? I’m terrible at political correctness. Anyway, straight out of Singapore and the incredible Maison Ikkoku, comes Noreen Dunzo.
We were lucky enough to experience Noreen’s skills at Maison Ikkoku on our first trip to Singapore. We would simply name a base (gin, vodka, etc) and a flavour profile, and she would do the rest. The result was always incredible and we always left incredibly less coherent than when we arrived. Always the sign of a good barkeep (I’m going with barkeep on this one) I think.
Arriving in Cape Town, Noreen was blown away by how readily available fresh ingredients are – Singapore pretty much ships EVERYTHING in – so she set to work creating her new menu based on our fresh seasonal produce. Sounds legit.
The menu’s at OoM are always pretty tantalizing, and picking a drink is generally the hardest part. In order to give you a little taste of everything on offer, Noreen has created a flavour bouquet to go along with the menu. A simple sniff of each parcel lets you know what you can expect in your drink. It’s genius!
We were lucky enough to experience 4 of the drinks on offer, so I’m going to try and give you a quick review on each as well as my favourites.
The Devils’ Tongue is a sweet and tart gin concoction with a little spicy kick in the back of your throat. Think ‘Mojito’, but less sweet and double tart with the combo of raspberry and lime. It’s the perfect starter.
We then moved on to The Bonfire, possibly my second favourite of the bunch, it was so good I kept sipping my straw to catch any remnants left in the bottom of the glass long after it was finished. The kicker here is the smoked rosemary, giving a gin drink a flavour you usually associate with whiskey! It’s awesome!
The Bloody (Good) Mary is as the name suggests, bloody good. Now, I’m not a bloody mary fan. At all. No matter how many I try and force down, I cant get beyond the first sip, even when I add copious amounts of bacon to them! This was something completely different, the tomato juice was light, as though it was freshly squeezed (probably was) and it was spiced in a way that didn’t overpower the drink, but kept your throat tingling throughout! If you like Bloody Mary’s you’re gonna LOVE this!
Of course, I’ve kept the best for last. The Tiramisu – A coffee infused dark rum served with a white chocolate foam and dusted with cocoa. I don’t even know how to describe this, its pretty much the best tiramisu I’ve ever had…except I could drink it. The contrast between the heavy white chocolate foam and strong liquid bottom makes it not only an incredible flavour experience but also a sensory one.
Look, I’ve had my fair share of drinks at OoM in the past – It always feels like a good place to start your night and an even better place to end it. I can, however say, that in my opinion, this is their best menu yet. It feels like it hits that perfect sweet spot between a cocktail that you understand, and a cocktail you cant get anywhere else.
The next time you go out for dinner, maybe skip dessert and come here for a Tiramisu. If you don’t enjoy it, send me the bill.
Outrage of Modesty is open Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm till late. You can call and make a reservation on 021 422 2902 or mail reservations@anoutrage.com.
Okay. Drink safely and stay fancy.
