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Isla cooks Cape Town Chef consultant, private chef, recipe creator and restaurant consultant. Email [email protected]

Summer Menu 2026A little look at what I’ve been working on behind the scenes for La Parada Tapas Bar Over the past few m...
13/09/2026

Summer Menu 2026

A little look at what I’ve been working on behind the scenes for La Parada Tapas Bar

Over the past few months I’ve been developing their new summer menu — from the first ideas and recipe testing, through to production, plating and chef training.

The brief was food made for summer: bold flavours, loads of colour, beautiful seasonal produce and plates designed for sharing around a table.

Think charred cauliflower with crispy chickpeas and dukkah, smoked beef croquettes, patatas bravas with romesco, chargrilled steak, and tomato & stone fruit panzanella — lots of smoke, acidity, texture and freshness.

Seeing dishes that started as scribbles in my notebook finally being plated in the restaurants is pretty bloody special.

La Parada Summer Menu 2026.
Developed by Isla Cooks Cape Town.

CapeTownChef PrivateChefCapeTown CapeTownFood ChefLife SouthAfricanFood

Potato and prosciutto croquettes.Crispy potato croquettes with prosciutto, Parmesan and chives, served with a fresh pars...
12/09/2026

Potato and prosciutto croquettes.

Crispy potato croquettes with prosciutto, Parmesan and chives, served with a fresh parsley aioli, more prosciutto and plenty of Parmesan.

Crispy, salty, creamy and exactly the sort of thing I want to eat with a glass of w**e.

I love having dishes like this on a menu — something a little less serious that everyone immediately wants to tuck into.

Private dining in Cape Town
islacookscapetown.co.za

Charred cauliflower — one of those dishes where the vegetables absolutely don’t feel like the side.Silky cauliflower pur...
12/09/2026

Charred cauliflower — one of those dishes where the vegetables absolutely don’t feel like the side.

Silky cauliflower purée, charred cauliflower, crispy chickpeas, pickled mustard seeds and plenty of toasted dukkah for crunch.

Creamy, smoky, sharp and crunchy all at once. This is exactly the sort of food I love cooking — loads of texture, plenty of colour and vegetables treated with the same amount of love as everything else on the menu.

Private dining in Cape Town
islacookscapetown.co.za

Behind the scenes in someone else’s kitchen.I usually arrive with far too many boxes, claim every spare bit of counter s...
12/09/2026

Behind the scenes in someone else’s kitchen.

I usually arrive with far too many boxes, claim every spare bit of counter space and make myself at home for the evening.

This is actually one of my favourite parts — that slightly manic moment when everything is nearly ready, the plates are lined up and it all starts coming together.

Then the food goes out, I clean up the chaos, and you get to carry on enjoying your evening.

Private dining in Cape Town
islacookscapetown.co.za

Private dining, cooked in your home.Seasonal menus, beautiful ingredients and restaurant-style food — without leaving yo...
30/08/2026

Private dining, cooked in your home.

Seasonal menus, beautiful ingredients and restaurant-style food — without leaving your own table.

From intimate dinners to birthdays, celebrations and relaxed family-style feasts, I create bespoke menus and cook everything in your home.

Private Chef | Cape Town

DM me for menus, availability & bookings.

Tiramisu, my way.Mascarpone cream, dark chocolate crémeux, coffee sponge and chocolate soil.All the flavours of the clas...
30/08/2026

Tiramisu, my way.

Mascarpone cream, dark chocolate crémeux, coffee sponge and chocolate soil.

All the flavours of the classic, pulled apart and put back together a little differently.

One of those desserts where coffee, chocolate and mascarpone really don’t need much explaining.

Private dining in Cape Town | Isla Cooks Cape Town

CapeTownEats

Kingklip, Mussels & Saffron ButterCape kingklip with mussels, charred leeks and roasted heirloom tomatoes, finished with...
30/08/2026

Kingklip, Mussels & Saffron Butter

Cape kingklip with mussels, charred leeks and roasted heirloom tomatoes, finished with a silky saffron butter sauce and fresh dill.

This is the kind of food I love to cook for private dinners — beautiful local produce, generous sauces and plenty of flavour without overcomplicating the plate.

Simple, seasonal and made for the table.

Private dining & bespoke menus in Cape Town
Enquiries via DM or islacookscapetown.co.za

Kingklip SouthAfricanFood CapeTownChef

Strawberry, Tomato & Ajo BlancoPeak summer on a plate.Sweet Cape strawberries and a mix of ripe heirloom tomatoes, serve...
30/08/2026

Strawberry, Tomato & Ajo Blanco

Peak summer on a plate.

Sweet Cape strawberries and a mix of ripe heirloom tomatoes, served over creamy ajo blanco with fresh basil and a little crunch to finish.

I love dishes like this — simple ingredients, loads of colour, and that sweet-savoury combination that shouldn’t work quite as well as it does.

Fresh, bright and very much my kind of food.

Private dining & bespoke menus in Cape Town
Enquiries via DM or islacookscapetown.co.za

SummerFood AjoBlanco CapeTownChef

One of my favourite parts of this job.You arrive in someone’s home with boxes of ingredients and a plan, spend the eveni...
30/08/2026

One of my favourite parts of this job.

You arrive in someone’s home with boxes of ingredients and a plan, spend the evening cooking for people you’ve often never met before, and somehow by the end of the night it feels like you’ve known each other for ages.

A very lovely evening, with very lovely people — and exactly why I love what I do.

Private dining in Cape Town
islacookscapetown.co.za

CapeTownFoodie

My take on a beetroot tarte tatin.Crisp, buttery pastry with beetroot mousse, pickled beetroot shavings and crispy shall...
30/08/2026

My take on a beetroot tarte tatin.

Crisp, buttery pastry with beetroot mousse, pickled beetroot shavings and crispy shallots, served with a simple rocket salad and Parmesan.

Sweet, earthy, sharp and properly crunchy — basically everything I want on one plate.

One of those dishes that looks rather pretty lined up and ready for service.

CapeTownFoodie BeetrootTarteTatin SeasonalCooking

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