Engruna Eatery

No special occasion is needed to visit Engruna. Situated in Seapoint, it's the sister restaurant of La Boheme. It's a newbie on the scene, as they only opened last year, but they surely don't lack expertise.

The restaurant is very laid back and décor is simple. We sat outside on the patio which they cover during the winter months.

You don't come for the look of Engruna, you come for the delicious and well priced food.

Simple décor

Our waiter needed a medal as our table had such a fun time catching up over red wine that it took her five times to get an order out of us. She did this however with a smile and service was great.

They specialise in homemade burgers and pizza and cater for the veggie lovers and gluten intolerant folk. You can order your pizza on a gluten free base!

We tried the following ...

 

The lamb burger(R85) served with tzatziki, humus, salsa, feta, grilled onion and a mint jus. You have the choice of french fries, sweet potato fries or a salad as a side dish. As you can see they are generous with the toppings and the burger was cooked really well. This is a burger I will return for.

 

 

The classic mushroom burger(R75) is usually served with gorgonzola but my dining partners preferred it with cheddar. They also loved their burgers and commented on the generous portion.

Other burgers to look out for are the chorizo burger, chilli burger, fish burger, ostrich burger and many more. You will need a few trips to indulge in everything.

 

The pizza options are just as extensive as the burgers. The pizza's are rectangular, which I love. I don't know what it is, but a rectangular pizza tastes better than a round one :) We tried the honey glazed chicken, zucchini, red onion, avo and rocket pizza(R80). Whether you go for a burger or a pizza, you will be satisfied.

 

Lighter options such as a gorgonzola, aubergine preserve and homemade biltong salad(R55,50)or a greek salad(R52,50) are available.



The only let down of the evening was the La Boheme red housewine(R100). It tasted like box wine and I would suggest that you skip it. Their wine list changes regularly and they display the choices on a blackboard. Corkage is R30 if you want to bring a vintage from home. Our dining partners brought a 2003 Groot Constantia Cabernet Sauvignon so the housewine did have a difficult challenger. They also have craft beer and milkshakes!

So go and enjoy delicious food without any fancy frills, that won't break the budget! They are also a spot to consider if you want to watch all the World Cup soccer games!

Open  Monday - Saturday 12:00 - 22:30
Visit them at 343 Main Road, Sea Point
Contact them at 021 433 0789 or info@engruna.co.za
Like them on Facebook
Tweet them @EngrunaEatery
For more information visit their website

La Mouette

I visited La Mouette a few months ago. I should have blogged that evening because the weeks that followed were too busy and I could not find enough time to dedicate to them. The visit to them has been one of my favourite this year and I needed enough time to fully explain to you how much I enjoyed it.

Now the visit was for the boyfriend's birthday. This was actually the first time I could not decide how I wanted to spoil him. Usually I have too many ideas and can't choose but when April came along I was blank..... What to do? I then discovered the La Mouette 6 course tasting menu for ONLY R185pp ( R320 including wine) and I decided that I won't find anything better!

 

La Mouette is situated in Seapoint. When we were following the GPS driving through Seapoint main road, which honestly is not a pretty sight, I began worrying if I made the right choice. Luckily in the distance the La Mouette's "manor house" with it's large gates and beautiful courtyard and fountain was spotted and I could not wait to get inside.

I booked us a seat at one of the five  fireplaces. It could not get any cosier. Service was impeccable. We felt so comfortable. It was as if I was eating at a friends' house. The wine, new cutlery and food just appeared every time with a great smile and comforting comment from the waiter. The host also came around a few times to chat to us and enquire if everything is meeting our expectation! La mouette exceeded our expectations.

Unfortunately my visit to La Mouette was during the time that I had some camera problems so below you will see my "bad blackberry photos'" compared to the "great facebook pictures" I borrowed from La Mouette's page. Their pictures do way more justice to the food than mine.

During the autumn and winter months they have the 6 course tasting experience that change every month. A great thing about them is that they are open seven days of the week!

Here is the April Tasting menu we were treated with. Some of the courses are set and others you have the option of choosing between two.

Course 1
Sweet potato soup with lavoche and cheese truffles croquettes. The croquettes are a signature dish of La Mouette and customers sometimes order bowels full of these delicious eats. We thoroughly enjoyed the richness of this dish!

 

Course 2
Butternut ravioli with pickled mushrooms and sage butter. This was our favourite course of the evening! The different flavours of the dish was a marriage made in heaven and the burned sage leave that accompanied the dish was something I really enjoyed paired with the ravioli.

Course 3 was a choice between...
Pan fried line fish paired with carrots, capers and gnocchi served with a braised beef croquette. Again the croquette did not disappoint and the seasoning of each individual element was spot on. It was amazing the different flavours you experienced when you paired the fish individually with the carrots or the gnocchi.

or

Beetroot tartare with goat's cheese, hazelnuts and toast. Anything paired with goats cheese is a winner. The slight acidity of the beetroot was soothed away by the creaminess of the goats cheese.

Course 4 was a choice between....
Mushroom risotto, mushroom puree, salt and pepper mushrooms, rocket salad and Parmesan foam. Risotto is one of my favourite dishes and mushrooms my favourite vegetable so this dish could not go wrong in my eyes! Loved it!

or

Roasted chicken, caramelised onion, wilted spinach, mash potato and thyme jus. This dish reminded me of a typical Sunday lunch but just served in a way more elegant manner. The chicken was moist and juicy and the mash potato was a great contender with my favourite mash from Bombay Bicycle Club.

Course 5
Deconstructed waldorf salad of Gorgonzola, celeriac puree, green apple jelly, candied walnuts and grapes. This was the only dish I did not enjoy but that is due to personal taste. The dish was presented beautifully.

Course 6
Dessert at last! Chocolate ganache ball, orange sorbet, chocolate soil and almond financier. Anything chocolate gets five stars in my book. I loved the freshness of the orange sorbet! The almond financiers was the only thing that did not get me excited.

 

I have done a few tasting menus in the past and this has been the best one yet. Taste and money-wise.  As you can you get a plate of food. It's not just a little appetizer they put on a big plate.

Their a la carte menu prices are for starters (R45-R65), mains (R90-R145) and desserts (R50-R65).

If you want to impress someone La Mouette is the place to take them! I will be visiting again soon!

The July menu (from 3rd) offers the following

• Caesar salad  Quails egg, pecorino gel, Caesar dressing, brioche croutons
• Coconut broth  Vegetable dim sum, crispy onion, peanuts, pickled cucumber, bean sprouts, sesame oil
• Mushrooms on toast  French toast, mushroom puree, pickled mushrooms, truffle dressing or Open lasagne of crispy prawn  Pink grape fruit, cauliflower puree, prawn bisque
• Winter vegetable tagine tabbouleh, smoked aubergine puree, pomegranate, crispy goats cheese or Braised lamb shoulder  Soft polenta, confit tomato, basil, polenta tuile
• Warm doughnut and chocolate sauce
• Passion fruit tart  Manderin caviar, lime leaf and lemon grass cream

Visit them at 78 Regent Road, Seapoint, Cape Town
Open 7 days of the week! Dinner Monday - Sunday 18:00 - 22:30 and Lunch Sundays 12:00 - 15:00
Contact them at 021 433 0856 or reservations@lamouette.co.za
Like them on Facebook
Follow them on twitter @ teamlamouette
Their website displays their a la carte menu as well as the various tasting menus of each month.