One of the many wonderful things about food is that there are no rules... or at least nobody has to conform to those of the unwritten variety. Yes, some might disagree with that, but at the end of the day, flavours and textures are there to be played with, in order to create something new or a twist on the traditional.
When it comes to the Cape Town classic that is the mighty gatsby, purists will tell you that you should never veer from the original path, which is your masala steak or polony/vienna.
However, there is a spot on Main Road in Bergvliet which, while still paying tribute to the roots of the gatsby, is disrupting the scene by creating unique creations to take the monstrous, messy and iconic food into the future.
Bradley Isaacs opened Cut-In-2 following the COVID-19 lockdowns and has been putting his own unique spin on gatsbys and takeaways ever since.
"We've been disrupting the gatsby industry for the last four years. The food industry in general is forever changing with new concepts and twists on traditional cuisines, so if you want to keep your customers enticed and coming back for more, it is important to create new menu items which complement your standard menu," he says.
And that's exactly what he has done this May, releasing two new gatsby creations - prego chicken and pickled jalapeno smash burger.
"So the reason for creating these two flavours is because it complements our existing menu, which has prego chicken wings and a bacon and jalapeno smash burger. So it was a no-brainer to use those elements to create two new gatsbys for a new flavour profile," Isaacs explains.
The gatsby taste test
Upon hearing about Cut-In-2's new offering, Time Out Cape Town had to head down to give them a try.
The prego chicken gatsby was really good, with the chicken fillets charred and grilled to perfection. The prego sauce - which is plentiful - was just the right heat to not overpower the other ingredients, while the chips were slap-but-not-too-slap for a gatsby packed with sauce.
I would have personally preferred a bit more salad other than just lettuce, but it was a very tasty experience nonetheless.
My favourite of the two was the pickled jalapeno smash burger gatsby. Perfectly cooked smash patties with a bit of a crisp, melted cheese, flavour-bomb pickled jalapenos and fresh onions and lettuce blended seamlessly with the chips and fresh roll.
There was a sauce too, which kind of gave Big Mac vibes, but as a combination, everything worked brilliantly. I would highly recommend grabbing one for yourself... or rather your family and friends (okay, maybe just yourself).
For those who may be unfamiliar with Cut-In-2, the exact location is 49a Kenya Building, Main Road, Bergvliet, Cape Town. Their menu consists of smash burgers, poppers, wings and other traditional and non-traditional gatsby flavours.
Did you know that Bo-Vine is raising the steaks in Cape Town?
TIME OUT RECOMMENDS:
😋 The best restaurants in Cape Town
🏨 The best hotels in Cape Town
🍳 The best breakfast and brunch spots in Cape Town
🍷 The best wine farms in and around Cape Town
🍕 The best pizza in Cape Town
📍 The best things to do in Cape Town