Friends keep urging us to join for dinner at their Chinese local in Sea Point. It’s cheap, good and there’s no wine list so they take their own wine and glasses. For one or other reason we haven’t managed it yet.
Then today I read on Rossouw’s Restaurants Cape Town (Rossouw’s Restaurants) about inexpensive Chinese fare including dim sum at Hesheng. Jackpot, this is the place. But why hadn’t our friends mentioned dim sum specifically?
Within an hour my husband had returned with two versions of freshly made encased Chinese tasters: plain pork. And - my favourite - pork and spring onion dim sum. We pulled out soy sauce and Chinese rice wine vinegar to dunk them in. Delicious! Takes me back to happy Hong Kong weekend brunch dim sum memories in an instant, minus the long queues. As a first-timer our Xhosa nanny Portia couldn’t negotiate the chopsticks we proffered but declared “that Chinese stuff” rather tasty.
R40 for 12 pieces. Hmm, how to make my Monday!
Nice extra: The owners kindly offered their umbrella so a car dash was possible.
HESHENG 70 Main Road, Sea Point. Tel 021 434 4214 (minimal English spoken so phone conversations are tricky).
A friend asked for my annual list of winter specials so I’ve rounded up a few delicious meals from venues with proven track records that I know to be good. As a rule I find better value by opting for smarter restaurant tables – those places you would like to eat at but can’t justify the expense ordinarily. 
Short of time and looking for one winter special meal out that ticks all the boxes? I highly recommend George Jardine’s daily-changing winter menu - tried it last weekend. I certainly go for the magnificent panoramic view and relaxed vibe, but Jordan Restaurant with George Jardine tops my list for exquisite food that sounds straightforward yet simply and understatedly knocks the senses into submission. The day’s menu could feature barrel-smoked tuna, followed by saucy braised veal frikadelle with roasted Jerusalem artichokes and Stellenbosch Ceps, to homemade ice cream or baked malva-style puddings.
Meal highlights on the day: 1. Hot-smoked Franschhoek trout with dots of charred aubergine puree, and sago – served as tangy sago vinaigrette and then as crunchy sago chips similar to fried Indonesian prawn crackers. 2. Utterly delicious Valrhona chocolate hot pot with homemade vanilla icecream. A spongy mass with bittersweet French chocolate oozing from the centre. 
Everybody is expected to take their seats at individual tables by 12.45 sharp, and bring their own wine (only non-alcoholic beverages can be ordered). And then the boys lovingly prepare a nostalgic series of help-yourself courses.
For later courses we exercised restraint. Had to. There was the Med – assorted cold meze, cold cuts and salads to a hot sort of ‘bomb’ of lemonish Greek chicken in phyllo, plenty of nostalgic Afrikaans favourites, from baked tongue in mustard sauce under a layer of crumbs, pumpkin fritters and sweet potatoes cooked in sweet orange juice sauce. Fall-off-the-bone oxtail. Plus more conventional carvery items – ours a gammon roast with crispy potato wedges, cooked-just-right roasted and steamed veggies. On that point, vegetarians will find plenty in the buffet selection, whether dolmades and spring rolls – a little dull – or the tastily gooey cheese-olive-and-tomato polenta bake, or spinach and ricotta cannelloni.
There’s a welcome break before the dessert table is brought out. Wander to the outside loo or admire the lemon trees planted below the stoep. It’s also a great time to sip some wine in front of the cosy fire, especially when you realise you’re actually in the owners’ lounge. Basjaan the Basset hound is usually underfoot at this point. Our sweet selection included a stunning Pavlova, old-fashioned runny chocolate mousse, fruit salad, chocolate cake, koeksisters made by a Greyton local, and of course Malva pud. Coffee was served alongside.
The gastric juices are on the move again after two months of project-managing our building renovations. What relief to be thinking food and wine again!
