Nic Gunston, the enterprising owner of The Chartroom Restaurant at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club (ABYC), has recently taken over the management of the restaurant at the Port Elizabeth Deep Sea Angling Club (PEDSAC), popularly known as Off the Hook.
This is great news for those, who are loyal fans of Nic’s cooking. The Chartroom has featured on Home Food and Travel’s top 10 restaurants in the Eastern Cape for the past three years and, as I discovered, the same high standard can be expected at Off the Hook.
Situated on the deck of PEDSAC, Off the Hook has an excellent view of the bustling harbour and the ocean beyond it. It’s a good place to meet friendly locals and the bar prices are ridiculously inexpensive. Try the double rum and Coke for just R19!
On a recent blustery Saturday, I visited Off the Hook for lunch. As the deck faces the East, we were protected from the gusting westerly wind and so basked in the spring sunlight.
With a frosty beverage in hand, we perused their menu – and as one would expect at a fishing club, seafood occupies a large section of the comprehensive menu. Burgers, salads, steaks and of course seafood and steak combos are also available.
The starters are interesting and so are the desserts. Drinks can be ordered straight from the bar or via the waitress. In short, Off the Hook is a typical pub menu, but with a seafood emphasis.
“We will also prepare any fresh fish that our customers bring to us,” says Nic.
While my daughter decided to try their crispy tempura prawns, I had the Off the Hook burger and my girlfriend opted to have their delicious calamari salad.
My burger was awesome, filled with bacon, avo and a huge pile of crispy fried onion. The tempura prawns were very similar to the recipe used at The Chartroom and the quiet determination with which my daughter ate her way through this large starter was testament to how much she enjoyed them.
My girlfriend’s calamari salad was also excellent – the greens were fresh and crisp and the calamari deep fried to perfection.
Nic has always ensured that his staff are well-trained, competent and friendly; Off the Hook is no exception.
“In preparing for the opening of Off the Hook, my waiters spent two months training at The Chartroom,” he says.
Off the Hook has a large ground floor semi open-air venue that is also available for hire and with Nic’s excellent catering skills, this promises to be a good venue for staff parties, functions and weddings.
For more information and to make a reservation, contact Nic on 072 462 2676.
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