The hotel successfully walks the fine line between elegance and eccentricity, with contemporary and antique art sharing wall space. The menu follows suit: traditional dishes (Black Forest cake) with a quirky addition (Black Forest ham), and though it might sound a bit incongruous, it all works rather well with Executive Chef Keith Frisley orchestrating it all.

Born in Cape Town, Keith secured a reluctant first job on Rovos Rail - and it was there that he discovered a passion for cooking. After travelling throughout South Africa, he decided to settle down in Johannesburg, and has worked at most of its big name hotels: The Grace, The Hilton and The Westcliff. In 2006, he embarked on his most exciting and challenging job yet: executive chef of the Monarch Boutique Hotel.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?
Becoming Executive Chef of The Monarch Boutique Hotel and my competition achievements: when I was part of the Team SA Training Squad and took part in a competition in Austria from which we came back with two gold medals.

What is your favourite memory in the kitchen?
All of my training days – it was great to be able to learn something new every day.

Which chefs do you admire, both locally and internationally?
To be honest, I don’t have just one chef that I admire - there are many that stand out for different reasons. Internationally, I do look up to my old friend Sven Niederbremer (formerly of the Westcliff Hotel) for his passion and his commitment to stay behind the stove.

How would you describe your style of food?
I would describe it as ‘Puristic’ Cuisine – I believe that the food and wine are the stars, and our job is to keep ingredients tasting intensely and purely of what they are.

What do you love about being a chef in South Africa?
I love that I am able to work in the country that I’m from, and that I am able to see my family after working a 16-hour shift.

What are some of the challenges that you face being a chef in South Africa?
There are no challenges, only hurdles, and everything can be overcome if you focus on attaining perfection.

What ingredient can you not live without?
Granny Smith Apples

What is your ultimate pet hate in the kitchen?
The list is long, but I get extremely irritated by idleness - there’s always something to do.

If you could choose one dish to serve to the tourists at the 2010 World Cup, what would it be?
Well, it’s not exactly a dish, but nothing can beat a good braai!

Keith has gotten rid of any ‘fluffy’ language on his menu – there are no ‘drizzled with’, ‘wrapped in’ or ‘on a bed of’ to be found. Rather, the menu is broken down into its core ingredients. Take a look:

Asparagus
Goats Cheese / Almond / Lavender

Langoustine
Citrus / Lemongrass / Bacon

Sole
Smoked Salmon / Sepia / Cinzano

Salmon
Apple / Seaweed / Aniseed

Chicken Breast
Oxtail / Truffle / Caper

Quail
Cardamom / Liver / Guava

Springbok Loin
Coffee / Smoked / Pickled

Black Forest Cake
Black Forest Ham / Cherry / Hazelnut

Mille Feuille
Citrus / Litchi / Lemon Zest

Selection of Fruit
Peanut Butter / Granadilla

Trio of Ice Cream
Rosewater / Rhubarb / Bubble Gum

Composition of Cheese
Fig / Cranberry / Almond

Keith has gotten rid of any ‘fluffy’ language on his menu – there are no ‘drizzled with’, ‘wrapped in’ or ‘on a bed of’ to be found. Rather, the menu is broken down into its core ingredients. Take a look: