The Editor spends time with Emile Fortuin at the Robertson Small Hotel | The Month July 2012

Charming. It’s 5.15pm and I’m sitting with my feet up in one of the poolside suites at the Robertson Small Hotel. A glass of Robertson Chapel Red is perched unsteadily on the back of my four-year-old, who insists that he wants to be a “strong table”, and I’m mulling over my just-finished interview with newly appointed Executive Chef, Emile Fortuin, of Reuben’s at the Robertson Small Hotel.

If I was pressed for space or time, and neither constraint seems to feature in this neck of the woods, I’d simply say ‘charming’, and get on with things, because Fortuin is surprisingly charming; but there’s more to him and his appointment to Reuben’s than just charm - and so I mull...

Fortuin is only 23; cuts a rather diminutive figure and is an unknown on the SA culinary scene – at least to most - however what he lacks in age, stature and experience he makes up for in passion, maturity and positive attitude.

He summarises the rags-to-riches rise to his Executive Chef position with a comfortable confidence that
none-the-less speaks of the school of hard knocks and lucky breaks. Emile met Susan Huxter of Le Quartier Français in 2007 while working at Bread and Wine outside Franschhoek. What followed was an in-house training opportunity at Le Quartier that covered practically every aspect of working in the boutique hotel. Something clicked and Emile was hooked – though not necessarily on a life in the kitchen. With his time there done he began to doubt his calling, as is the norm when you’re barely 20, and was in danger of disappearing from the scene - before he’d even arrived.

A chance to help out at the bar at Reuben’s in Franschhoek in 2008 lead to an extended stay at the restaurant  and his passion and hard work were noticed by both Reuben and his wife, Maryke. When Emile finally built up the courage to ask Reuben to allow him to work for him formally in the kitchen, Reuben instructed him to arrive for work early the following day “in comfortable clothes”. That morning he was presented with a chef’s jacket, a potato peeler and a ten-kilogram bag of potatoes and recalls Reuben saying: “You have ten minutes for the potatoes and a week to prove yourself in this kitchen, ” and it’s been non-stop since then.

As he smiles at me from across the wooden table in the leaf-strewn courtyard outside the restaurant, there’s no hint of the work that still needs to be done ahead of feeding the 14 or so guests who’ll share dinner with us in a little over a couple of hours. Turns out Emile’s been at work most of the day and the only nerves he’ll fight are the ones that surface when he watches (“as respectfully as possible”) for the tell-tale signs of satisfaction or displeasure on the faces of his patrons as they take the first mouthful. To date he has two notches on the bedpost of the latter, and he quickly admits his error on those occasions and his ability to rectify the mistakes without fuss. By-and-large though it seems that he’s built a sound following in Robertson, whether local or visitor, and if the comments in the guestbook are anything to go by, he’s a veritable hit.

Good wholesome cooking features highly on his list of priorities and points to his upbringing in a Franschhoek-based family that enjoys food as much as it does cooking. I joke that he’s too skinny to be a big eater, but when you consider that he was at the helm of Reuben’s in Robertson for six months prior to his official appointment two months ago, and has pulled many a double-shift in that time to get Reuben’s back to where he knows his mentor wants it, there’s no denying that he’s intimately familiar with every dish that leaves his kitchen. And in time, I guess, he’ll have the girth of a MasterChef to prove it.

At the mention of Master Chef Emile catches a glimpse of my question sheet and the “Do real chefs use Robertsons?” question in particular. He smiles and shakes his head “You don’t mess about hey?” he quips and then explains that every chef will have a stock of dried herbs to supplement the fresh ingredients used daily. He’s partial to fresh herbs in sauces, where the delicate flavours add a final punch before plating, but extended cooking times call for more concentrated and robust ingredients. He doesn’t drop any names as to what’s in his Reuben’s kitchen, but I gather without too much prodding, that at home there’s at least a bottle or two of Robertsons.

Aware now that he’s not frightened by some of my cheekier questions I ask him if, as the Executive Chef at Reuben’s, ‘Emile’s’ wouldn’t be more appropriate a name than ‘Reuben’s’? There’s genuine humility in his answer as he explains that his relative lack of experience has left him in no doubt of his place in this or any other kitchen. “I have a lot to learn,” he says as he explains the role that Reuben Riffel has played as his mentor over the last few years. The menu bears his influence, yes – but it’s Reuben’s; the kitchen is under his command, yes – but it’s Reuben’s and when things go really well his mentor’s praise is the prize he seeks.
Will there be an Emile’s in the future? Perhaps a flashy SUV and trips overseas? How about MasterChef SA judge? I quiz him, rapid-fire. Laughing he admits that he’d like to “make it, for sure” but that at the end of the day his simple goal is to serve food that makes his patrons smile; and right now, that’s the overriding  goal. Impressed, and somewhat surprised by the all-round maturity of his response under pressure, I back off a bit and turn my attention to the practicalities of life far from the immediate support of his family.

It’s patently apparent that he misses his home. There’s a girlfriend in Franschhoek, and visits now and then to his family, but his time and energy is very much focused on the activities at the Robertson Small Hotel. “I’d much rather be close-by right now,” he says resolutely, “they can phone me anytime if there’s a problem – ultimately it’s my problem. So it wouldn’t work if I wasn’t here and when I’m not here I’m constantly thinking about what I might have missed.” In the eight months that he’s been a Robertson regular, he’s grown to love the town and the people and it’s clear that he’s as content as he is busy.

One of the things I’m keen to discover is how involved Emile is in the business side of Reuben’s – after all life is easier when someone else gets to foot the bills. Again I’m slightly taken aback to discover that Emile’s responsibility extends way beyond the kitchen and that moments before our interview he was negotiating a discount on the next day’s deliveries.

There are the inevitable staff pressures, keeping track of bills and then, of course, influencing the menu – which is as much about making a right business decision as it is about expressing his passion as a chef. “If you double the flavour, you can double the price!” I suggest facetiously.  Without skipping a beat he laughs heartily. “Not if you know Robertson,” he adds before explaining that his prices need to cater for a large diner-base, from resident locals to visitors to the hotel. Emile wants Reuben’s at the Robertson Small Hotel to be an accessible option to everyone who understands the value of a good plate of food and he and Reuben have spent a lot of time getting the balance right.

At the mention of time we both look at our watches and I can see Emile’s mind shift effortlessly into the evening routine.  We make our respective ‘thank- yous’ and as I gather up my notes he comments on the kiddies’ menu. “I heard your son mention pizza earlier,” he says, “it’s not on the menu but easy to make. On your way to canapés later, I’ll come out and see what toppings he’d like.” Shades of Reuben, that’s for sure.

During the winter months, Reuben’s at The Robertson Small Hotel is open daily for breakfast and dinner whilst private lunch and dinner parties and group bookings can also be reserved. Given the nature of the man in charge and that of the man behind the name, bookings are essential.

Call 023 626 7200 or email reservations@therobertsonsmallhotel.com.