EpiCurious

Truffle hunting in Le Marche (Part 2)

2011-05-11T13:46:00.000+02:00

After a leisurely breakfast at Ramuse, Moreno came to pick us up to take us to where we were meeting the truffle hunter close to Montefortino and under the Sibillini Mountains. A 30 minute drive through some spectacular rural scenery with hilltop villages ensued – I was particularly relieved that I wasn’t driving because a) I don’t think I would ever have found where we needed to go and b) the roads were incredibly narrow and windy. While driving, Moreno filled us in on a host of information about the area, and in particular about truffles. This area is home to 3 types of edible truffles – the summer black truffle, black truffle and then the famous and much sought after white truffle. October to December is best for white truffles and December to March for black truffles which unfortunately our trip didn’t coincide with.

Pic: The spectacular scenery

We finally arrived at our destination where Francesco, the truffle hunter, and Suza, his prize truffle hunting dog were waiting. Extremely passionate about truffles, Franceso has chosen to leave behind his career as a lawyer and instead to work on the family farm and hunt truffles during the week, which he then sells at markets over the weekend. Since white truffles can sell from between R7000 to R21000 a kilogram, I can easily understand why. Moreover, the surrounding country side and its sheer tranquility would also been strong draw cards for me!

Pic: Francesco and Suza

With much anticipation we soon set off. Given the time of year, and according to Moreno, the presence of “vipers” (they pose a danger to the dogs which need to sniff low to the ground to seek out truffles), we couldn’t visit the natural surrounding forests and had to rather restrict ourselves to the inoculated truffle tree orchard. Once in the fenced off orchard, Suza was taken off her leash and sent hunting while we tried to act disinterested so as not to distract her from the job at hand. Soon Suza started to dig and Francesco had to quickly pull on his gloves and retrieve the truffle before Suza got to it. Once retrieved, Francesco gave the truffle to Sash and then got Suza to start looking again.

Pic: Suza finds the truffle in Sash's pocket

Sash put the truffle in her pocket and then sat down once again, trying to act disinterested. Suza was too clever for that – she was quickly sniffing at Sash’s pocket where the truffle was. Unfortunately Suza had become too excited and distracted so we decided to call it a day. It was also time to head on to our lunch destination which would be followed by a pasta making course.

More to follow…

Le Marche (Part 1)

2011-05-10T14:14:00.001+02:00

After an extremely busy week back at work, Le Marche seems to be a distant memory – how I would love to be back at Ramuse looking out over the lush scenery, the sound of a cuckoo in the background and sipping on a chilled glass of Cherri Pecorino wondering what Paolo has up his sleeve for dinner. I really do hope that one day we will be able to get back there…

Pic: Admiring the view from Ramuse overa glass of wine

So why Le Marche? Well it all started with Sash stumbling across what appeared a random site (Le Marche Holidays) on the internet claiming to offer truffle hunting. We both love mushroom hunting, and have always dreamed about the logical progression to truffle hunting – bigger stakes, harder to find. It is only recently possible to hunt truffles in SA but this is all on private land on commercial ventures with inoculated trees and no “hunting” tours are offered that I am aware of. Anyway, it was always a dream to do this in Europe and preferably Italy.

Pic: The Sibillini Mountains

I was a little dubious initially, but the site claimed that Heston Blumenthal had visited the area and then after corresponding with Moreno at Le Marche Holidays, we decided to go for it. And, we weren’t disappointed! Le Marche has to be one on the most beautiful places I have ever been (not that I am well travelled, although Cape Town is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world), and to make the experience even more special, Moreno has to be one of the most passionate people I have ever met – he literally eats and breathes Le Marche, always referring to it as “his area” and bubbles information about this and that type of food, and the special Rosa Sibillini apples that he and his father grow. Le Marche may not be the most famous and touristy place in Italy, but Moreno is working hard to show the world its magic!

Pic: Moreno, our tour guide

Moreno went out of his way to make our trip unforgettable, even organizing to pick us up and drop us off at the closest train station (about an hour’s drive away). He grew up in Comunanza and, as a result, has contacts throughout the surrounding area and will arrange a host of activities to suit any budget. For us he arranged the accommodation at Ramuse Agriturisomo, the truffle hunting near Montefortino just under the Sibillini Mountains , a tour to a local shoe maker and a pasta making course with a real Italian mamma!

More to follow...

What is passion?

2011-05-02T20:43:00.000+02:00

I have recently been contemplating what passion is and how to find it. To be the best you have to be passionate about whatever it is that you are doing. But the converse however is not necessarily true – to be passionate about what you do doesn’t mean that you will necessarily be the best.

Maybe this has all been a result of my forced break from rock climbing (i.e. a passion of mine) due to my knee operation or maybe just where I am in life and needing to better understand where I want to go, both career wise and also personally? Whatever the reason, I have come to realize that whether your are the best or not in your chosen activity doesn’t necessarily matter because being passionate about something is a personal journey (of course which is great to share with others) as ultimately you are the one that experiences the reward. Even if you aren’t the best, being passionate about what you do should be reward enough; therefore there is no excuse to not do, whatever you enjoy doing, with passion!

Given this, our trip to Italy has been synchronous since passion is found in abundance there; our food pilgrimage to Italy became much more than just a gourmet experience. No matter what Italians do, they seem to strive to do it to the best of their ability, whether cutting hair or making a simple espresso. This holiday was therefore the perfect opportunity to reflect because around every corner I have been exposed to truly passionate people. In the next few posts I intend sharing these experiences.

Prudential Eat Out awards 2009

2009-11-23T12:46:00.001+02:00

The list for 2009:

1. La Colombe, Cape Town
2. Mosaic Restaurant, Pretoria
3. Rust en Vrede Restaurant, Stellenbosch
4. Terroir, Stellenbosch
5. The Roundhouse, Cape Town
6. The Restaurant at Grande Provence, Franschhoek
7. The Greenhouse at The Cellars, Cape Town
8. Roots, Johannesburg
9. 9th Avenue Bistro, Durban
10. (In joint position) The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais, Fanschhoek & Overture, Stellenbosch

Nominees for Eat Out 2009 top restaurants award

2009-09-30T14:15:00.002+02:00

The 20 nominees are:

1. 9th Avenue Bistro, Durban
2. Aubergine, Cape Town
3. Bizerca Bistro, Cape Town (9th last year)
4. Bread and Wine, Franschhoek
5. Carne SA, Cape Town
6. The Foodbarn, Cape Town
7. The Greenhouse at The Cellars-Hohenort, Cape Town
8. Hartford House, Mooi River, KZN (10th last year)
9. Jardine, Cape Town (2nd last year)
10. La Colombe, Cape Town (1st last year)
11. Mosaic Restaurant, Pretoria (5th last year)
12. Overture, Stellenbosch(4th last year)
13. The Restaurant at Grande Provence, Franschhoek
14. Reuben's Restaurant & Bar, Franschhoek
15. Roots, Johannesburg (8th last year)
16. The Roundhouse, Cape Town
17. Rust en Vrede, Stellenbosch (6th last year)
18. Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek (7th last year)
19. Terroir, Stellenbosch (3rd last year)
20. Zachary's, Knysna

So will La Colombe be able to hold on to their top spot? And how will the newcomers perform? Watch this space...

New horizons

2009-09-17T16:12:00.003+02:00

As a big fan of Jardine Restaurant I was pleasantly surprised to hear that George Jardine will be opening a new restaurant on the Jordan Wine Estate. This is a continuation of a recent trend in the Cape restaurant scene. Others that spring to mind include Cuv?e, Delaire, Overture, Rust en Vrede and Terroir.

I am not all that familiar with Jordan's wine other than having a recent bottle of Bradgate Syrah (one of Jordan's second labels) at Caveau which was very good value. I wish George and Jordan wines a fruitful (excuse the pun) future together!

Portofino (old Showroom)

2009-09-02T15:11:00.001+02:00

Portofino Italian Restaurant has just opened where Showroom (Cape Town) used to be. They are currently offering a fantastic wine special as they are selling off the old Showroom wines to make way for their own new winelist.

The menu:

Antipasti

Bruschetta x 3 – fresh tomato and basil, griddled courgettes and mint, chicken livers R55
Antipasti plate (for 2) – chilli salt squid, marinated vegetable rolls, Parma ham, salami, olives R85
Beef carpaccio – watercress, parmesan shavings, olive oil and lemon R 60
Melanzane all parmigiana – layers of griddled aubergine, mozzarella tomato, basil R45
Tuscan minestrone soup R45
Orange, almond, parmesan and goats cheese salad with lemon dressing R 45
Seasonal salad R 40
Pumpkin, goats cheese and pumpkin seeds salad with honey mustard dressing R 45

Pasta

Risotto of the day R75
Warm risone with pancetta, peas, asparagus, porcini mushrooms with truffle infusion R70
Fresh gnocchi of the day R60
Lasagna alla Bolognese R70
Spaghetti Carbonara R65
Broccoli and anchovy pasta R65
Penne Arrabbiata – fresh tomato and chilli R60
Butternut and ricotta ravioli with pine nut butter R55
Tagliatelle with fresh mussels R85

Mains

Veal parcel filled with pesto and buffalo mozzarella and ricotta and butternut stuffed ravioli R 105
Grilled fish of the day R105
Honey and mustard pork fillet – pumpkin and potato mash, green beans R 90
Lamb cutlets with rosemary jus – cannellini bean puree, vegetables R 105
Grilled baby chicken marinated in olive oil, garlic and chilli with baby pesto potatoes R 105

Desserts

Pistachio and almond cake with yoghurt and honey sorbet and mint pannacotta
Homemade lemon tart with lemon ice cream
Ricotta and honey tart
Lindt Nemesis cake with honeycomb ice cream
Portofino Tiramisu
Selection of ice creams or sorbets
R40

Will hopefully get there soon to try it out.

Magic Aroma

2009-07-18T09:26:00.003+02:00

Things have been a bit quiet around here recently. After buying our first house, we have had some big changes in our routine to get used to. That along with a never ending stream of visitors and out of town family and a serious dent in our eating out budget has put on hold somewhat our dining out.

After closely following JP Roussouws (Magica Roma is one of a handful of restaurants in CT given 3 Stars) recent eating escapades (and living though them vicariously) along with some strong recommendations from friends, Sash and I finally paid Magica Roma a visit. This however was not the first time we have had food from here (it is 5 minutes drive from home and the only place for takeaway pizza - recommend the Margherita with buffala mozarella and fresh basil).

Luckily for us we were able to make a last minute reservation and were soon seated eagerly awaiting our first course - Lumache alla Veneta (Snails in garlic, parsley, wine & tomato served with polenta). For a change is was wonderful to appreciate the delicate flavour of Snails which are normally overpowered by the excessive garlic and white sauce they are predominantly accompanied with. Here the subtle flavours were well balanced with the tomato and herbs, while the polenta provided a delectable accompaniment.

For mains we were somewhat undecided and so enlisted the help of our waiter. He soon called over one of the owners who was eager to assist. I was looking for something with porcini to which he recommended a rissoto. Sash felt for seafood and decided on a combination of Sole Meunier with a Con Moscardoni topping (calamari tentacles, chilli & garlic sauce). Both were very good and confirmed the many recommendations! We rounded off our meal with an ambrosial Panna Cotta.

Can't wait to go back and try more from here!

Love conquerors all

2009-02-19T13:04:00.000+02:00

Everyone wants to make a quick buck! In our age of marketing this means that every commercial opportunity is exploited where vaguely possible. Valentines Day falls right in the middle of this arena, along with Christmas and New Year. On these festive occasions restaurants will place a minimum 20% mark up! Well at least the ones worth dining at… I guess it is fair though; after all they end up having to work and therefore can’t celebrate along with the rest of us?

Valentines Day has become particularly commercial (at least Christmas and New Year are public holidays and therefore overtime charge is justified). However, true love is something worth celebrating, and love does conqueror all, even the credit card! Or maybe it is just because I am a Pisces…

After a booking made at Jardine’s four months prior, our appetites were thoroughly whetted with the arrival of the Saint Valentines Day menu a few days beforehand. Scrolling down the page I was jolted out of my dreamy state by the price. Nonetheless, so enticing was the menu that any consideration of cancelling was soon dispelled. We just had to go! With all the hype and excitement, were we doomed to be left disappointed?

Right from the beginning the meal was a fantastic experience! Service was warm and efficient and we were soon seated and sipping on a glass of Drappier Brut Rosè champagne. The amuse bouche was served in an emptied boiled egg shell and comprising oyster foam on top and inside smoked salmon scrambled egg with a poached West Coast oyster.

For starters Sash had seared scallops with roasted candy striped beetroot, steamed scallop mousse and port reduction while I decided on the duck confit stuffed brioche with seared foie gras, preserved apricot and caramelized parsnip purée. Sash was left somewhat disappointed – the scallops were prepared to perfection but lacked seasoning. Later we heard similar complaints from other tables. I on the other hand was rapturous – this was possibly the best single dish I have ever had. The combination of confit duck, creamy foie gras and purée was astounding…

For mains Sash had baked cob with crayfish mousse, roasted baby fennel and bouibaisse, and I had aged chalmar fillet with celeriac tart titan, braised savoy cabbage with pancetta, bone marrow, wild truffle jus and cauliflower purée. To put it simply, both were incredible! In particular the slight charred taste of bone marrow infused with the truffle jus and coupled with the celeriac tart titan added an entirely new dimension to the fillet – carnivorous bliss!

Dessert was a dark chocolate soufflé flambé which was delicious and very light thankfully given the preceding rich food. Finally to round off the meal, a selection of chocolate truffles, dark chocolate fudge and raspberry macaroons was served.

Well I can undoubtedly say that we did not leave disappointed. Barring the scallops each dish was carefully composed, with each ingredient perfectly complimenting the others. To say that it was worth every cent would be an understatement.

To market to market

2009-02-13T10:49:00.003+02:00

A recent visit to the Saturday morning Neighbourgoods market in Salt River once again reminded me of how much I really enjoy a good market. The hustle and bustle along with the sheer variety of things on offer to eat then and there and to take home. However what has been brought to my attention is that we have very little in SA that compares to the food markets abroad, especially when it comes to fresh ingredients.

If you ever find yourself in Barcelona, do try the La Boqueria Market off La Ramblas. As foodies we were in utter awe of what was available – from the usual fresh fruit and vegetables all the way to the sublime and ridiculous for a South African (i.e. truffles and rabbits). If only we could have this back home…

The sheer vibrancy also astounded us. However our biggest disappointment was that as we were not at all conversant in either Catalan or Spanish it was difficult to negotiate or purchase anything and it was much to our relief that we eventually found a stall with someone who could understand us!

The Grand Mugal Extravaganza

2009-02-10T16:10:00.002+02:00

We have dined at Chandani on a number of occasions, including a wonderful evening to celebrate Diwali – the festival of lights. The ambience that this restored Woodstock house has is truly special, and coupled with the fantastic and friendly service and wide array of tasty dishes, we highly recommend trying it out.

As we were trying to show some visiting Brits an experience off the tourist beaten track, Chandani was an easy choice as it ticked most boxes. Just as a note, when eating curry, I recommend ordering an assortment of dishes for the table and sharing as this definitely adds to the overall experience, especially if you abandon Western customs and eat with your hands!

For the table we ordered:
Brinjal Masala (house specialty - rustic Indian dhaba (highway inn) style preparation of brinjal),
Murg Makhani (Tandoori chicken simmered in a rich tomato and butter curry accented with fenugreek/methi),
Jhinga Goan Curry (Prawns gently cooked in a creamy coconut curry tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds)
Dal Makhani (Black lentils and kidney beans in a creamy base, tempered in ghee)
Palak Gosht (lamb cubes in spinach curry)
To accompany this we order some butter naan bread and basmati rice.

Our past experience has shown that some dishes are amazing, while others can disappoint. This is however to be expected given the wide variety of dishes available on the menu. However we must have chosen well on this occasion as everything was delicious, although particular favourites were the Jhinga Goan curry and the Brinjal Masala. To round the meal off we had Kulfi and Bombay Crush.

This is a great restaurant to try, especially if you have vegetarians, as there is a wide range of suitable options available. A warning however is that all meals appear to be prepared fresh so they do take a while to be served!

Something F!SHee

2009-01-30T13:57:00.002+02:00

On recommendation from a friend, my brother and I recently feasted at F!sh in Rosebank. Outside the restaurant is very welcoming and inside very tastefully decorated. Although they offer a range of seafood, we were there for the sushi specifically and chose to sit at the sushi bar. Service was great and we were soon feasting away on tasty morsels from the conveyer belt well accompanied by a chilled bottle of Pierre Jordaan Tranquille (on my beer drinking brother’s request!).

The sushi menu has normal offerings, but also includes a few innovative options (i.e. Tina Tuna - Spicy tuna rolled with jalapenos, peppadew and citrus served with a sweet pepper sauce). Feeling a little daring we tried the tuna bomb which comprised spicy tuna, jalapeno chillies and mayonnaise. On ordering, the wicked grin from the chef should have been a warning to us. The tuna “atom” bombs arrived with normal green chilli substituting the jalapeno chillies. Manly bravado stepped in and we both duly ate our order, being very careful to chew slowly around the chilli seeds (and making a mental note to place a toilet roll in the freezer).

A point of concern was the sushi mayonnaise containers being refilled with Nola – I don’t mind Nola at all but it isn’t very authentic Japanese… I would still however recommend going, especially on Tuesdays for the half price special.

Oude Cuisine

2008-12-30T13:37:00.005+02:00

Every now and then you stumble across a real delight. This unfortunately doesn’t happen as often as you make like, but when it does it is truly memorable!

Given the time of year, many places are fully booked and this can lead to disappointment if you are in search of a spontaneous lunch. This was the exact experience we had on an unplanned trip to Riebeek Kasteel. Being a small village, there are not many options, and as you would expect, the ones worth trying were booked out. Luckily a quick search on the GPS indicated that Wellington was only a short drive away, and referring to our trusty Dine Out, we found Oude Wellington and phoned ahead to see if there was space. We were in luck!

Oude Wellington Restaurant is nestled at the foot of the Bainskloof pass with beautiful forested surroundings. It offers both outdoor and indoor seating, both with their own unique character. As it was a rainy day, we settled on the warm and welcoming interior option. However, outside would be equally inviting on a warm and sunny afternoon.

The menu depends on what is freshly available, and is chalked up just before meals. Our hostess explained to us that they had had a problem with suppliers which was completely understandable given the festive season. All that they had on offer was fillet steak (available in 200g or 300g) with various sauces (Pepper brandy cream, Horse Radish butter, Mushroom and Roquefort), Slow roasted lamb neck with mint yoghurt and Linefish (Red Santa), as well as an anti pasta platter and some salad options. Other regulars on the menu when available which we are eager to return and try are Rabbit with trio of mustard, Linefish with Scallop verloute and Marrow bones on Toast.

We all settled on the 200g fillet, trying the pepper brandy cream (which came highly recommended) and the horse radish butter. These came with fresh vegetables with a twist, julienne sliced potato chips and a delicious red wine jus. Both were absolutely amazing and servings were generous - arguably the best fillet we have ever had! We rounded the meal off with coffee and baked white chocolate and passion fruit cheesecake served with vanilla ice cream and fresh passion fruit.

We highly recommend paying Oude wellington a visit, both for the food and the warm and friendly hospitality. Just book beforehand and also check on the menu.

Curry in a hurry

2008-12-22T14:35:00.003+02:00

Takeaways definitely have their place, and a good curry ranks high on our list of favourites. This weekend we were on a search for naan bread, and after discovering that our usual source had dried up, we were forced to try something new. Paging through the Dine Out magazine we discovered Bibi’s Kitchen (Awarded Top 10 Everyday Category), and with glowing recommendations we decided to give it a try.

The menu is reasonably extensive and focuses almost entirely on curry, and is split into deluxe curries (think Rogan Josh, Lamb Korma - +/- R70 to R100) and everyday curries (+/- R35). In addition, there is a variety of other baked and cold goods on offer, including fresh and frozen samoosas. As our objective was to find naan bread, we had not intended on getting any curry. However, so enticing was the menu and the warm friendly service that I couldn’t resist trying the Rogan Josh, and I was very pleased that I had!

Alfresco summer

2008-12-19T09:35:00.004+02:00

“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it” ~ Russel Baker

Down in the Cape the rain and storms have finally retreated and summer is here (and hopefully to stay!). This fine weather needs to be utilised as much as possible, and what better way than a picnic. There are a host of places that offer picnics around the winelands. A recent discovery for us is Jonkershuis Restaurant at Groot Constantia Wine Estate. Overlooking False Bay, it has one of the best views around, and coupled with a plethora of soft grass and shade, it makes for the perfect picnic spot. To avoid disappointment please book in advance.

The picnic basket is priced at R250 and serves 2 people. Inside you will find a fresh baguette, cold meat (comprising smoked salmon trout, gammon and roast beef), pickles, cheese and preserve, baby leaf salad, pates, dessert and fruit salad. It also comes with 2 bottles of water and blankets for you to sit on. The full restaurant wine list is also available for you to enjoy.

Jonkershuis also offers an a la carte menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We recommend anything that includes the salmon trout; from Eggs Florentine to the Salmon Trout Carpaccio (served with cucumber, capers, red onion and horseradish crème fraiche).

Viva Espana

2008-12-11T16:29:00.015+02:00

Recently while perusing the foodie literature I have noticed that Spanish food seems to be all the rage. Since there is nothing quite as Spanish as paella I thought I would share this little gem with you just in case you ever find yourself on the L'Albufera de Valencia. This inland lagoon was one of the first places in Europe where rice was farmed and explains the passion that Valencians hold for this now famous dish.

One of the many fishing villages that surrounds the L'Albufera, El Parmar, is home to a number of restaurants. Our trusty travel guide recommended Restaurant Mateu. Being a little dubious about this recommendation, we didn't expect much. However to our satisfaction it was truly a delicious meal.

Due to the high temperature, we both decided on quenching our thirst with beer as well as a starter portion of pescadillos. After some reservation to eating a whole baby fish, I soon realised how delicious they were and tucked in!

For mains we had no option but to go for paella. As we weren't to keen on the idea of rabbit, we avoided the traditional Valencian Paella, and went for paella de marisco (Seafood). This came with a variety of seafood, including eel (which we also weren't to sure about). The meal was absolutely amazing and we can highly recommend the experience!

As a warning, make sure that you place you order early because everything is freshly prepared. Also, each portion is made for two people so you will need to agree on what to have between you.

Bubble Trouble

2008-12-09T13:53:00.003+02:00

After last year, Sash and I were very excited about once again going to the Franschhoek Champagne Festival. Any excuse to visit this lovely town and that coupled with bubbly makes it a very easy decision to make. With such high expectations I guess it is inevitable though that disappointment follows…

With supposed limited tickets available, I was very careful to get our booking a month in advance! However, on the day the event was extremely crowded - apparently limited ticket numbers are more about marketing and not determined by event capacity! This was not aided by 40 degree weather and a complete lack of sufficient shaded seating.

The success of the event and large attendance is testament to the positive word of mouth this festival has generated. Unfortunately it seems that this success has been to its own detriment as indicated by the absence of popular Champagne house who were present last year; i.e. Moët et Chandon, Bollinger and Mumm. This absence is not necessarily a bad thing as the growth in the availability of quality Cap Classiques in SA has been phenomenal, but what really is a Champagne festival without Moët? Clearly only a sparkling wine festival, and lacking a lot of sparkle at that! In addition, we were extremely disappointed by the lack of imagination and innovation with regard to food offerings and was just not up to the standard we have come to expect and love from Franschhoek. Especially sub-standard examples were Tempura Prawns (Haute Cabriere), Bobotie, rice and sambals (Boschendal) and Calamari Spring Rolls. Luckily Bread and Wine put in another stellar performance – although difficult to eat with out a table in front of you, their Smoked salmon trout with scallop brandade on sheet bread was the perfect bubbly accompaniment.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom though. We first tasted Tanzanite MCC at last year’s festival and were thoroughly impressed. Recently we have been unable to track it down in stores and were starting to think that it had been discontinued. Well, thank goodness that is not true, and Melanie is very much still up and running – relief! Other notables were Delamotte Vintage Blanc de Blanc (oh why do I have to have such an expensive palate???), Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose and Colmant Brut Tradition NV MCC.

Congratulations!

2008-12-02T16:46:00.002+02:00

The Eat Out awards are over and La Colombe walked away with all the spoils - chef of the year for Luke Dale-Roberts and overall Restaurant of the year. As big fans of Jardine, we were sad to not see George get the award, but they still did well coming in at No.2 overall. It was also interesting to see how much the Tasting Room has dropped down (now No.7).

The top 10:

# 1. La Colombe (Cape Town) - Chef: Luke Dale-Roberts

# 2. Jardine (Cape Town) - Chef: George Jardine

# 3. Terroir (Stellenbosch) – Chef: Michael Broughton

# 4. Overture (Stellenbosch) – Chef: Bertus Basson

# 5. Restaurant Mosaic at the Orient (Pretoria) – Chef: Chantel Dartnall

# 6. Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch) – Chef: David Higgs

# 7. The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français (Franschhoek) - Chef: Margot Janse

# 8. Roots at the Forum Homini Boutique Hotel (Joburg) - Chef: Philippe Wagenfuhrer

# 9. Bizerca (Cape Town) – Chef: Laurent Deslandes

# 10. Hartford House (KwaZulu-Natal Midlands) – Chef: Jackie Cameron

Good for the Hart

2008-11-30T10:41:00.005+02:00

Hartenberg Wine Estate is most certainly aware that science has shown wine to be good for the heart. I am also certain that science has helped them fill their trophy cupboard. However it is the love that fuels their work that puts the heart in their name! This is definitely red wine territory, from cabernet to shiraz, but the chardonnay is also something to behold. As wine farms have grown more commercial, Hartenburg has remained true to itself with a goal of sharing their passion. Tasting is free, and your hostess will make sure that your tasting needs are met.

Guests are free to walk the surrounding grounds. On a sunny day, there is little better than picnicking under the regal oaks (in summer picnic plates are available, and in winter, soup – both come with a carafe of house red or white wine, and coffee with koeksisters for dessert). The freshly baked farm bread is delicious, as is the smoked snoek pate! Once a month a three course lunch is served in the tasting room – a hearty and fresh farm meal served with your choice of red or white wine.

Come rain or sunshine

2008-11-29T19:25:00.001+02:00

Kalk Bay is certainly a place for all seasons. However, summer or winter, there is only one clear choice on where to eat, no matter the guise; a ready made sandwich or freshly baked croissant before heading for a walk in the mountains, an early morning breakfast, leisurely lunch or indulgent dinner – Olympia Café, Deli and Bakery!

The atmosphere here is very casual and not to everyone’s taste, but don’t be put off by mix `n match décor and interior as the experience is well worth while and, like us, you will be back! As a warning, there is order to the seeming “chaos”, but ensure that you write your name on the white board so to be seated.

Once seated, you will be given a plate of sliced freshly baked ciabatta, olive oil and balsamic vinegar as appetisers while you make important meal decisions. The menu is chalked up on blackboards just beforehand so what to expect is always a mystery. Regulars on offer are Linguini del mar (linguini pasta with fresh seafood comprising line fish, prawns, calamari and mussels in a tomato and cream sauce) and Fresh west coast mussels in cream and white wine sauce and both come highly recommended. They are also available in half portions as the full portion is hearty. If available, the nicoise salad and penne gorgonzola are both particularly scrumptious, as are the other line fish offerings.

TGIF!

2008-11-26T08:23:00.001+02:00

After a hard week of work and toil it is very easy to convince yourself that you are deserving of some reward! For us this means a visit to Caveau at the Mill… This restaurant is most gratifying, and that is not only due to the food. As a suburban oasis with surrounding greenery and location next to a stream, it is idyllic and quickly soothes the weary body (the extensive wine list also helps, of which many are available by the glass). The service is friendly, knowledgeable and efficient, while the restaurant mood is relaxed and comfortable, but classy.

On offer are a range of tapas and mains which are ordered off a chalk board. The menu changes continuously and depends entirely on what is freshly available. Chef Charl’s specialties in our opinion revolve around pork, especially the pork belly satays (served with sweet chilli dipping sauce). These definitely score two thumbs up from us, and one quickly learns why many religions consider eating pork sinful… The crumbed prawns are also highly recommended, as is anything with poached eggs.

Caveau is also open for breakfast. In fact, it is one of the few restaurants that we would be quite happy to do breakfast, lunch and dinner all in the same day. Some memorable and noteworthy dishes have been the Pork belly with dumplings, Fresh poached cob topped with smoked trout mousse and served on mash with a side of green asparagus, Caesar salad, Roast crispy duck with sweet corn bilinis, Lamb steak on herbed mash and tsatsiki sauce! Yum…

“F” is for Food

2008-11-25T14:10:00.002+02:00

As foodies, there is one place that springs to mind automatically when planning the perfect weekend getaway; Franschhoek! There are few other South African villages where one can drift along decadently from one spectacular meal to another. Ours started with an early lunch at the Salmon Bar. Sash went for the Smolax* with bilins and smoked salmon roes, I decided on Gravadlax, and to drink we had Pierre Jourdan Belle Rose. Our orders came with a side of baby salad leaves and freshly baked bread which was also delicious. The Salmon Bar deli also offers a range of tasty foods to take away with you – the smoked trout pate is a must!

After wine tasting at Haute Cabriere, we had a predinner snack at Le Quartier Francais. The Charcuterie was scrumptious, particularly the deep fried capers. This was washed down with a perfectly chilled Pinehurst Chardonnay. We were due to go to Grande Provence as we have been unable to get a reservation at The Tasting Room, our first choice. However fortune shone upon us – a late cancellation meant that we managed to sneak in. We both decided on the 6 course tasting menu. As expected, the courses were very innovative (think tuna tartar on meringue), intricate and nothing was spared in terms of ingredients. However, as we have heard from others before, dishes seem to be designed to impress the mind rather than please the palate. Overall, we enjoyed the experience, but were not entirely sure about the food as there were some dishes that were rather disappointing (the tomato sabayon with parmesan sorbet and basil comes to mind). As a benchmark, we had Jardine’s tasting menu a month prior, and at half the price the courses were far more synergetic and enjoyable.

After a visit to Rickety Bridge (recommend the Semillon 2006, Cabernet 2003, and Cabernet 2002 – only in Magnum), we paid a final visit to Bread and Wine. The restaurant was fully booked, so we settled with the deli section. Although the deli only has a small offering, everything is fresh and tasty and we soon had a number of appetizing morsels in front of us – fresh west coast oysters, charcuterie (which was once again delicious as Neil Jewell supplies Le Quartier Francais as well), along with freshly baked foccacia filled with basil pesto and peppers. A glass of Môreson Blanc de Blanc rounded it all off very well and left us contemplating the next trip to Franschhoek. Roll on December – the Champagne Festival awaits!

*Smolax is Salmon Bar’s take on smoked trout; a very tasty combination of Gravadlax and normal cold smoking

Root Canal

2008-11-24T11:10:00.000+02:00

As all working class people know, Saturday mornings are the only time to perform mundane but necessary household chores. For us this means a visit to Root Canal (aka Canal Walk). Fortuitously there lies some respite and reward for wading through the endless masses – Cape Town Fish Market’s Sushi bar. Now bear with me for a second before dismissing this as I do realise that the Sushi aficionados out there are already preparing our lynch ropes! CTFM has become a refuge within the weekend ruckus; the service is always warm, friendly and efficient (ask for Teddy – he will ensure that your request for a glass of wine becomes a bottle!).

CTFM’s Sushi offering may not appeal to the traditionalist, but it is oh so delicious. Our recommendations are the seared tuna sashimi, the tempura Norwegian salmon fashion sandwiches and to finish off the tempura squid.