Two of South Africa’s top chefs are teaming up for a six-course dinner where the rules are simple: get your hands dirty and enjoy the ride.
Some dinners are remembered for what you ate. Hands On might just be remembered for how you ate it.
On 13 and 14 November 2026, chefs Jason Kosmas and Ivor Jones will come together at Cape Town’s The Pot Luck Club for a six-course collaboration that throws conventional table manners out the window. Think sashimi picked up with leaves, braaied lobster pulled through a liquorice skewer and rich beef shin curry scooped up with torn coconut roti.
Created especially for the two-night collaboration, the menu brings together the distinctive culinary personalities of both chefs, with a shared love of big, bold flavour at its heart.
For Jason, a lifelong fascination with fishing is woven into the experience. Having fished from childhood on the Greek island where he was born, and later along South Africa’s coastline and in its dams, his understanding of seafood goes far beyond simply putting fish on a plate.
One of the standout techniques featured in Hands On is dry-aged fish, which allows carefully handled fish to develop a softer texture and more concentrated natural flavour. Jason will showcase several species from local coastlines in a sashimi course, with guests invited to use large leaves to pick up each mouthful and compare the different flavours and textures.
Ivor brings his own culinary signature to the table. Known for bold, playful cooking and his longstanding love of Southeast Asian flavours, he has a knack for layering aromatics, spice and texture without losing freshness.
His beef shin Panang curry is a perfect example. Slowly cooked with spices added progressively to build depth, the tender beef is served alongside coconut roti and fresh pickles. There is no need to reach for a knife and fork. Tear, scoop and dig in.
The six-course menu kicks off with a Royal Thai shrimp salad, followed by a barbecue chicken skewer with rum and peanut marinade and cashew nut satay. Then comes Jason’s dry-aged sashimi, before South Coast rock lobster makes an appearance, braaied and served back in its shell.
And yes, there is a skewer involved. A liquorice skewer is used to draw the lobster through a miso, lemon and popcorn foam, making the act of eating almost as much fun as the dish itself.
Dessert takes a playful turn with a mango sticky rice-inspired creation, pairing sticky rice pudding with crisp sweet taco shells, mango and a yuzu and white chocolate sabayon. A fragrant nitrogen snow flavoured with lemongrass, lime leaf and citrus finishes things on a suitably refreshing note.
Even the welcome cocktail has been created especially for the occasion, with Jason exploring tropical and South Asian flavours including coconut, lime leaf, lemongrass, galangal and ginger, with cachaça as the proposed base.
The result is a rare meeting of two culinary worlds, bringing together the talents behind The Pot Luck Club and Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia for a menu that is unlikely to be repeated in quite the same way.
So, leave the table manners at the door. Hands On is about getting closer to the food, embracing a little mess and remembering that sometimes the best way to enjoy dinner is simply to dig in.
Hands On at The Pot Luck Club
When: 13 & 14 November 2026
Seatings: 18:00–21:00 and 21:00 until close
Price: R1,950 per person, including a welcome cocktail
Optional drinks pairing: R795 per person
Where: The Pot Luck Club, Cape Town
Bookings: www.thepotluckclub.co.za