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.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
To market to market
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!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Grand Mugal Extravaganza
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!
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!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Something F!SHee
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Oude Cuisine
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.
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.
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