The Jordan wine estate is home to a wine tasting area, a bakery and the fine-dining restaurant we dined at. I was not aware of the bakery but I peeked inside and this is definitely a place to come for a relaxing brunch or lunch. Diners feasted of home-made soup and delicious looking pies.
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| The Bakery |
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| Outside wine tasting area |
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| Outside bakery area |
A great feature of Jordan is that if the weather is nice you can sit outside at all three areas and enjoy the beautiful view over the dam.
There was only one negative aspect of Jordan. We arrived before our fellow diners and wanted to do a quick wine-tasting to decide what wine we would enjoy with our lunch. They offer a wine tasting for R35 where you can taste six wines. The fee is wavered if you purchase wine. We received no recognition by the wine tasting personal and after standing at the counter for five minutes we decided to leave. Only then the one girl blinked her eye. Luckily the experience at the restaurant made up for this.
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| Outside the fine dining restaurant. |
We were greeted warmly by the front of house. We were lucky enough to be seated at the window and could really enjoy the beautiful view while we were having lunch. The restaurant has an open kitchen so you can see all chef Jardine's magic as it's happening. It was also very cosy with the fireplace in the middle of the restaurant.
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| Simple yet elegant table setting |
As we were uncertain about their wine we decided to enjoy the Sauvignon Blanc (R145). It usually is an easy drinking wine otherwise you just add a load of ice :) (or that is my motto) Some of the dishes we enjoyed were very rich and this wine balanced everything out. I would order it again.
We were first treated with an assortment of breads. You could choose between basil pesto, aioli or a tomato and aubergine relish as spreads. My favourite was the mini vetkoeke with the aubergine relish.
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| A great start to the meal |
They had a diverse menu and we struggled to make a choice. I was impressed with the amount of different proteins that were on offer. In the end we had the following:
Starters
- Steamed mussel papillote with coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, lime, chilli and garlic
- Braised gemsbok terrine with pickled caps, confit celeriac, celeriac chantilly and hazelnut
- Fricassee of roasted brussels sprouts, potato gnocchi, gorgonzola crumble and fresh burgundy truffle
I really enjoyed the brussels sprout dish. When I scanned through the menu the gorgonzola immediately caught my eye. I love strong cheeses. I know a lot of people are not fans of brussels sprouts. I really think it depends on the way you cook them. These were really nice and very refreshing paired with the rich cheese, truffles and gnocchi. I even asked someone, who did not like brussels sprouts, to taste one and she said that they were nice. I think a chef can receive three gold stars if he presents brussels sprouts in a delicious way.
I also tasted the gemsbok terrine. I was not a fan as I would have preferred it served warmer but that is not standard for a terrine. Those who had it loved it.
Mains
- Aged Chalmar sirloin with a soft herb crust, creamed lentils, bacon, onion puree and a glazed ox's cheek
- Confit and roasted Joostenberg Vlakte duck served with porcini veloute, honey parsnip and braised kale
- Salted East Coast Hake served with a grenobloise crust, early season broad beans and a white wine and herb veloute
Fun fact: Veloute, for those who don't know, translate from French to velvety. Veloute together with tomato, hollandaise, béchamel and espagnole are all collectively know as the five French mother sauces by Georges Escoffier, a 19th century French chef who was very involved in the development of modern French Cuisine.
The majority of us had the sirloin. It was perfectly cooked medium rare. It was the first time I've had ox cheek and I must say I enjoyed it. It's a very rich meat that should be enjoyed in small quantities. The bacon and lentils that the meat rested on was one of my favourite parts of the dish. I can eat that as a main meal on it's own!
I also tried the duck. If I visit them again that would be my next main order. The duck was extremely succulent! It's also a very meaty dish and if you are very hungry this would be my top suggestion.
Then it was dessert time!
- Honey and poppy seed soufflé
- Custard tart, soft nougat, white chocolate mousse and kumquat caviar
- Baked granny smith apple with crème anglaise, brandy snap and vanilla ice cream
A cool aspect of Jordan restaurant is their cheese room. Unfortunately I don't have a photo to show you but you will spot it as soon as you enter the restaurant. If you choose the cheese platter dessert you can go and select your own cheese! I am sure that they will allow you to taste before you make your picks!
When you dine at Jordan you choose from a set menu. A two course is R275 and a three course is R320. They have a lunch special Wednesday-Friday where a three course is R275.
Service was great. I would suggest you book in advance. I saw numerous diners that could not be accommodated due to the jam packed restaurant. You don't want to miss out on that soufflé :)
Thank you to these two ladies that I could share in their delicious birthdays! BIG happy birthday :)
Located on the Stellenbosch Kloof Road that stems out of the M12.
Visit them for lunch or dinner. Take note they are closed for lunch Mondays and Tuesday during winter.
Contact them at 021 881 3612 or restaurant@jordanwines.com
Tweet them @Jordan_Wines
Like them on Facebook
Visit their website for more information
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