Here are two ideas if you’re in Franschhoek over the next few weeks. Be sure to book ahead.
Pierneef à la Motte restaurant at La Motte wine farm seemed a good, slightly luxe option to take our visitors. The grounds are immaculately kept and the glassed in outdoor section of the restaurant makes you feel part of the garden without being affected by sweltering or chilly weather. The food is cheffy with an eclectic mix of flavours that draw on early Cape recipes, chef Chris Erasmus’s Karoo heritage and plenty of modern influences. It’s visually appealing and the amount of diners clamouring for a table suggests that the formula works. Yet our group of seven felt some of the menu’s braver combinations worked better than others.
A success: starter (R59) of blackened calamari tubes, chilli sausage and sugar-cured venison loin slivers over assorted salad leaves with crunchy cashews. Ingredients that wouldn’t ordinarily partner each other in a salad, with excitingly different yet not too aggressive flavouring. The menu mentioned a sweet and sour peppadew dressing, and on the plate tasted mildly curried. Slices of Shiraz bread formed Melba toast.
Porcini roast venison loin (R155), on the other hand, was eye-catching on the plate. The warthog was tasty, the spearmint and sumac potato dumplings offered unusual flavours, yet two diners found the dish overpowered by an overly sweet tomato-laced ‘watermelon and amber braai sauce’.
Desserts were dramatic to look at and satisfying. Pierneef’s textures of chocolate deserves special mention. It’s chocolate in various guises, from a thin chocolate top layer that has to be cracked with the spoon, to playful rubbery strips, a surprise baked fondant and retro peppermint crisp ice cream.
Parents can relax in the knowledge that despite the venue’s smart décor and finishes, babies and toddlers won’t upset other guests here. Service in this department deserves special mention as staff go to incredible lengths to make little people comfortable. It starts with designer highchairs and five-star baby changing rooms in the restaurant bathroom, and finishes with a basket of towels on hand for kids –few can resist playing in the outdoor water feature – and even wet clothes being tumble-dried on occasion!
The new Maison wine tasting centre and ‘The Kitchen’ eating venue is very close to La Motte so we popped in to have a look after lunch. ‘The Kitchen’ only opened a month ago. We liked the restored historic home that is Maison so much we stayed for a late-afternoon drink on the lawns. Homemade lemonade – nicely tart – and Darling Brew ales were carried out.
On the wine side, owner furniture retailer Chris Weylandt has employed a winemaker to make a Shiraz and three white wines in rented cellar space.
They are available for tasting in the character-filled interior with modern painted white floors and an interior bearing the shabby chic décor hallmarks of a Weylandts store. Oversized comfy couches, casual wooden benches under old oaks and terribly clever chandeliers made of unlabelled wine bottles impressed. But the star of the show is an oversized hanging chair - a delightful spot for two or three mates to lie back and take in views of tranquil vineyards. A quick squiz through the tapas and regular menu revealed lots of creative dishes to entice. Prices look good too. We’ll be back to try it out.
PIERNEEF à LA MOTTE, La Motte wine estate, R45 Franschhoek. Tel 021 876 8800, Pierneef Lunchtime venue.
MAISON, R45 Franschhoek. Tel 021 876 2116, Maison Lunch and tapas venue.
I never understand it when country restaurants overcomplicate their offerings. Enthusiastic customers have made the decision to drive out of the city, admiring lovely orchards and vineyard scenery. And then somebody tries to impress with bought-in ingredients cooked fancily with dots, froths and foams. When I’m in the country I want simple food that shouts freshness, and gives me a taste of where I am and who is cooking it. It doesn’t have to be perfect; each dish should merely offer personality.
It’s all of this that forms the basics of Fresh restaurant. Seasonal stuff picked that day. Elgin chickens. Everything else comes from a supplier in Villiersdorp. Eating from the blackboard menu in November means starting with steamed artichokes, leaves plucked and dipped into a delicately creamy lemon butter. A robust chunky tomato and fresh herb soup, alive with pungent sunburst flavour. In fig season, from December onwards, you’ll be able to have grilled black figs, stuffed with Gorgonzola and wrapped in Parma-style ham…
You’ll drink freshly squeezed orange, Elgin cider in the bottle, or Paul Cluver wines without much of a mark-up. Perky Sauvignon Blanc (R75), Pinot Noir (R160) or a deliciously fruity find not usually sold, their unlabelled Cab Franc (R75).
Tokara restaurant celebrated one year of operation with chef Richard Carstens in charge of the kitchen, on Fri 28th October. They launch their new summer menu next week.
Four years ago I asked a waiter at a reputable V&A Waterfront fish restaurant if the catch of the day was orange or green. He was stumped by the question. Had not a clue that I was referring to 
Wild Kob should be 40cm by law. Most Oceanwise fish are bred to over 40cm, and have a full traceability system to prove they have been land-farmed. With oceans increasingly being stripped of fish through controversial line-caught methods, long-term we have few alternatives but to pay accordingly if we want our children to know the taste of fish.
And no different to the ocean version most of us are used to. Farmed Kabeljou ceviche hit the spot with lime juice zing, with avo, broad beans and baby fennel bulb.
The cooked Kob was plump and succulent, with Eric’s signature plating and froth, with sea lettuce, pickled mussels and a tasty beurre noissette emulsion. Pastry chef Vanessa Quellac has recently been hired as the Valrhona chocolate ambassador in South Africa, a very tasty job indeed. Wild Peacock has the agency for this uber-quality French couverture chocolate, so it was appropriate to conclude a cosy dinner with glasses of Valrhona Ivoire chocolate layered with mousse berry cremeux and almond streusel. I’m not usually a white chocolate fan, but this evening ended on a richly sweet note.
It’s great to know about off-the-beaten-track eating spots, particularly when they are accessed from roads you’ve driven multiple times but never knew to deviate from. Towerbosch Earth Kitchen restaurant at Knorhoek wine estate in Stellenbosch is that sort of place. I’m really glad to have made a new discovery, visiting recently after hearing positive reports.
The asado set menus combine a few plated items and plenty of shared platters. Think homemade bread, farm butter and preserves, followed by Argentinean-style empanadas. Starters typically include smoorsnoek rice, before moving on to meat in a big way. Slow-roasted beef or lamb or pork cooked to perfection, plus fat, 250g-slabs of aged Chalmar beef sirloin finished on the braai. Roasted veggies and traditional South African accompaniments, plus contemporary salads with say, beetroot and feta. Malva puddings, apple bakes or sweets along those lines finish the meal, plus a hot beverage.
Crispy lamb empanadas with a side salad, or beetroot salad with crumbed goats cheese. Heartier options such as grilled fish with a butter and burnt garlic sauce partner a sliced potato bake. A comforting free-range chicken pie, roasted and baked with an oval lid of sour cream puff pastry. A ‘plaasbord’ designed for two is a lighter option, with a selection of charcuterie – home-cured when available – local cheeses, homemade pickles and farm bread. Knorhoek and Two Cubs wines by the glass and bottle are very affordably priced.
So I popped downtown this week to find Honest Chocolate in Wale Street. Open for just over a month, the store is sandwiched nicely between Bree and Loop, adjacent to Liam Mooney. It’s a modest operation and as the name implies, has honest intentions. Importantly, the chocolate tastes damn fine in the way an artisanal product should. This is why I paid R42 for a slab.
What joy to wake to a view of apple orchards cloaked in mist in the beautiful Elgin Valley. We were invited for an overnight stay in a vintage trailer free of our little guy meant sleeping in. My man is excited because it’s his birthday. And I’ve waited 403 days for the luxury of having an entire night off – thanks for babysitting granny!
Been meaning to post about a clever new idea for aspiring bakers. 
I should label this: inexpensive Cape Town things that are good for your soul and wallet too. Those experiences are rare in a city where many of us are struggling with rising costs so I’m sharing my recent discovery.
We’ve taken a toddler successfully, but this is where adults unwind so it’s not an ideal option if a noisy, energetic brood is in tow.
Inspired… but culinary stamina required. That was my impression after attending a brilliant eight-course lunch - plus extra dishes - at The Test Kitchen today, with Eben and Adi adding their bit. Paying diners are sampling their way through similar courses this evening.
This special chef’s table showcased the efforts of Wellington buffalo farmer Wayne Rademayer of Buffalo Ridge mozzarella. Wayne had a buffalo going begging. And good chefs love the challenge of fiddling with bits and pieces - they’re anorakish like that.
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. 
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!
With all the delays we also had to pack our flat into two completed rooms and move into a temporary rented home. But the end is finally in sight.
When next travelling the dusty roads to Elim, be sure to squeeze in a lunch stop at Black Oystercatcher. The southern Cape isn’t known for good restaurant eating but this spot is worth a 40-minute dirt drive. No surprise then that it’s a lunch destination for urbanites hanging out in Struisbaai, Arniston and Pearly Beach.
If you want to eat out in a cosy space without blowing your budget on food or wines, La Boheme in Sea Point delivers the goods time and again. At only R95 for two courses and R115 for three, lunch or dinner is affordable and great to swap and share. Even with those friends who sink too many bottles and then suggest everybody splits the bill. Wines represent very good value for a wine bar. A la carte options are sometimes more interesting than what appears on the set menu board, but it’s a minor drawback. Tel 021 434 8797. 
For a simple lunch out incorporating an elegant piece of history, Casa Labia Cafe in Muizenberg is hard to beat. Judy Badenhorst’s cleverly inventive cooking is a delight, and owner Antonia Labia has restored life to her grandfather’s original Italian décor in the building with absolutely magnificent results. Once you’ve had your meal in the café, take a stroll through the adjoining rooms created in the 1930s to replicate those in Venice. This is the sort of place you’ll want to wear a nice dress and take your aunties, a group of girlfriends, or enjoy a surprise romantic lunch with your loved one. Prices are nicely in the café restaurant category. Drawbacks are lack of parking along the beachfront road and a tiny wine list. Tel 021 788 6062. 
He would appreciate the business more in about March 2011… I like his new industrial Old Biscuit Mill space as it reflects his creativity and new freedom with food. From a counter seat one lunchtime chatting and eating for a magazine article profile, I saw how much fun the kitchen is having. The former La Colombe chef is talented in subtle east-meets-west fusions that incorporate delicate elements such as trout and lime with miso. Dinner is three, five or eight courses. Or a la carte elements of those menus ordered at the kitchen bar counter, which I support – you have to be in the mood for a drawn-out set menu. Tel 021 447 2337 
More adventurous eaters would appreciate historical preserved meat influences in lacquered smoked and pickled lamb’s rib (soutribbetjie), with pickled tongue and dried pear dumplings, verjuice-poached pear and crispy lamb’s liver biltong. 
I’ve driven past a few times and heard good things from foodie friends. The pricing always scared me off. But yesterday a daytime swim and a sneaked coffee at Jardine Bakery – the deal was we’d only stay if they had the sublime dark chocolate brownie dotted with white chocolate – meant there was no time remaining for a supper shop.
Italian winery owner Guilio Bertrand was inspired by the actress of his homeland in naming restaurant Sophia’s at Morgenster, which opens in November. I had a sneak preview yesterday and found it to be a relaxing, tranquil lunch option if you’re in the vicinity of Somerset West. White linen tables and wooden beams set the tone inside, with modern white square tables and Italian red chairs offering terrace views of olive groves and vineyards.
And I loved Cormack’s modern take on strawberry mousse with light, creamy strawberry ice-cream and seasonal berries.
Another exciting development is that pastry chef Vanessa Quellec will open a bakery with restaurateur Giorgio Nava (of 95 Keerom and Carne) in Kloof Street in November 2010. She’s spent time in Italy recently learning about Italian pastries, gelato and chocolates, and will be reproducing some of her favourites for Capetonian customers.
He has a healthy appetite for breast milk and like his mother, enjoys snacking. So far I’ve eaten mild stews, pizza, Asian dishes livened by chilli, homemade muesli, chocolate, cooked vegetables and plenty of fruit salad without noticeable side effects.
June 22nd was an amazingly proudly South African day. With overseas socceroos in tow from Australia, Mzoli’s Place in Gugs was our logical Cape Town destination to watch Bafana Bafana bow out of the World Cup in style. There are plenty of flatscreens around and the volume is always full blast. Our Bafana boys played incredibly passionate soccer, and the vuvuzela-blowing Guguthlethu contingent we joined were behind them with every cheer and roar.
Specify if you want barbeque marinade (worth having), the required portions of mielie pap, spicy chakalaka of raw green peppers, onion and chilli – essential condiment – and mielie bread (we thought we paid for delicious-looking giant slices but the bread was finished when we collected our order). If you’re there for sport, hold on to your belongings whenever a goal is attempted because people are packed tight and the room reverberates. Bring tissues for the loo and ignore the lack of soap to wash your hands and you’ll manage just fine.
Series of wood fires burn constantly in the grill area and the enamel bowls line up with numbered tickets of individual raw meat orders. People return periodically to nag the grillers that their table is still waiting, but patience is required – our order went in early yet we still waited about three hours for our braaied food. There were some tricky balancing moments while carrying food to the table through the seething masses pouring in the other way to watch their team. But the lamb chops and sausages in particular were charred to deliciousness.
Exotic creatures with broad shoulders, fairy wings and wigs wander past sipping from oversized champagne glasses as you’re taking in the Boot-Ishoe stall selling numbered gumboots adjacent to the temporary tattoo parlour. A mojito is thrust into your hand near the front of the theatre queue as you’re focusing on a washline of pink and orange hot pants hanging above a veggie garden of plastic pumpkins.
Talented Valentina Love conceptualises the show.
Equally awe-inspiring are the Russian roller disco duo of Kristine and Ivan Prokopyuk, who trained in Moscow State Circus. Kristine’s glittery gold and black body is whipped vertically and horizontally as the couple whirl around a tiny circular stage. Fellow countrywoman Polina Volchek contorts her flexible gymnastic body with multiple hula hoops in positions I didn’t think possible. There is local show content too – a vocal high is South African divas Lilian Khumalo, Marguerita Freeks and Dorothy Engelbrecht of The Original Tons of Fun with their cover versions spanning the decades. “You’re just too good to be true…”
News of Lannice Snyman’s passing early this morning left a lump in my throat. We’d been walking in the Clifton area, glimpsing sunshine snatches over wild seas before the Cape stormy weather set in. So I only checked my phone after hearing a text alert from the third foodie friend. I discovered a poignant message from daughter Tamsin Snyman about her mixed emotions at losing her mother on the occasion of celebrating her first mother’s day with new baby Trinity. Wow.
The cooking demo class space takes up half the warehouse. Artisan bread classes, demos by guest local chefs and occasional big international chef names are part of the 2010 lineup.
The headline sounds quite dramatic, but actually nothing went up in flames. That line is merely to lure in all kitchen equipment junkies who get hot and sweaty when talk turns to implements… With a few April holidays to manoeuvre around, I never got around to trying out the luminous green Neoflam Ecolon fying pan I was given to test. So when the Merry Muncher decided to make French toast and bacon over the weekend, I handed over the new pan to be put through its paces.
On that upbeat note, Terroir at Kleine Zalze only offers a tasting menu on request, but they have just launched a Green Season menu that represents great value. I was invited to sample a few dishes from the two or three-course options as they will change over the winter months. I’m happy to report that chef Michael Broughton hasn’t lost his touch, and winter should be a very good time for locals to fill a Terroir table with family or friends.
The man sporting a mohawk has an enquiring mind. His likes: classic recipes, slow braises, deep-frying, cookbooks and good-value meals. Dislikes: sous vide cooking and dishes that look pretty but are devoid of flavour. If he serves a ‘tongue in cheek’ braised ox tongue and pig cheek, it means the Overture kitchen is having fun. But it will be made from scratch with integrity. To avoid wastage, the offcuts will form the base for stocks, sauces, mousse or terrines.
Franschhoek options include Mont Rochelle Hotel and Country Vineyards blankets offer comfy settling alongside the dam or tables in the gardens. Three choices range from the Country Basket (R290 for two), Gourmet Basket (R370 for two) or Deluxe Basket (R450 for two), depending on whether you’re wanting basic country fare, or a gourmet fill of Franschhoek trout, Tiger prawns, shucked oysters and petit fours at the deluxe end. Children under 12 at R85pp. Tel 021 876 2770, 
There is minimalist designer furniture in the circular wine lounge, plus some colourful art. But it’s the dramatic views that draw the eye, thanks to 11m glass sheets stretching the length of the restaurant at Waterkloof from floor to ceiling. In views there’s a choice of Waterkloof vineyards on the Schaapenberg Hill to the left, or Gordon’s Bay towards False Bay straight ahead. Pretty spectacular stuff, and my tourist friends were impressed.
