Facebook page

I am currently on a very long holiday/elective so I have more than enough time to blog and do some blog-admin. I have created a Facebook-page which you will find here where I will post my blogupdates, specials I am aware of and hope to interact with some of my readers and hear their opinions or tips!

P.S

I visited The Pot Luck Club again this week with my friend Caitlyn and they have added a pecan nut pie to their dessert menu! To die for! The chocolate fondant is still as gooey and sinfull as always :)

ELL at Spookfontein

Welcome to Spookfontein

 

 

I was first introduced to Spookfontein when I had a glass of their Merlot at Tapas a few years ago. It has since been one of my favourite red wines. In the past Spookfontein wine tasting was only open  by appointment. I was therefore delighted when I heard that they now have an open tasting room as well as a restaurant named ELL. ELL stands for Eat, Love and Life.
 
ELL wants to deliver ethical and earth friendly food. The design of the restaurant as well as the interior also reflects this. Glass windows surround the majority of the restaurant and gives you a beautiful view of the Hermanus wine lands.

Interior

 

Beautiful view

 

Myself and the boyfriend visited them on a rainy Saturday afternoon while the Hermanus Fynarts Festival was on-going. Luckily I phoned that morning to make a booking for the last table in the restaurant as ELL was a very popular space that day. I would suggest you should always book if you know you are heading that way.

Red wine and rain... our perfect combo!

They specialise in gourmet pizzas and designer salads but also has a blackboard which is updated often. The blackboard is usually inspired by the fresh and organic produce that they can obtain.We ordered both of our meals off the blackboard. I had a massive bowl of mussels for only R85. I couldn't finish it,  yet I wish I had. What I really enjoyed was that the sauce the mussels were served in was a lovely light broth. I am not a fan of a thick creamy sauce served with mussels, as this usually takes away the natural flavour of them. This was a dish to remember.
 

Blackboard

Dish of the day!

 

 

The boyfriend had the yellowtail served with a side salad and chips. The fish was a bit dry but not inedible. I was told by fishing friends that yellowtail usually is a dry fish so maybe more of the accompanied sauce would have resolved this issue.
 

Yellowtail minus the side salad

 

 

The only big disappointment was the dessert. They charge R60 for this small cheesecake which tasted average. Most of the desserts were small in portion in comparison to what you pay for them.

 

Service was good although the staff looked a bit bewildered. The restaurant was full to capacity and people were anxiously waiting for tables so you could forgive them for that.

 
ELL however is a warm space that serves honest food and the perfect place to spend a lazy Saturday. You can also just stop by to taste some wine and order a cheeseplatter.

Mmm... a glass of Spookfontein Merlot would be perfect now in this raniy weather...


Openinghours

• Tasting room
• Closed Mondays
• Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-16:00
• ELL
• Monday-Sunday 10:00-17:00

Like them on Facebook
For more information visit their website
Contact them at 073 067 7936
Find them on the R320 aka Hemel and Aarde Wine Valley

Chefs warehouse

I spotted Chefs Warehouse on one of my foodie friends' Facebook. Something that always gets my attention is a restaurant where you can share food, as it's more social,  and don't experience just one or two flavours. So I gathered a few friends and we payed them a visit.

Situated in the trendy Bree street, 50 meters from fellow tapas bar La Parada, Chefs warehouse is owned by Irish chef Liam Tomlin. He was also one of the judges for the recent Eat Out awards.
Chefs Warehouse is part tapas bar and part deli where you can buy top of the range kitchen equipment and produce.

 

Seating is limited and they therefore don't do any reservation. The tables are narrow and this would bother some but as you are not there for a full on dining experience I don't think it would bother you. I will definitely revisit them in the summer when you can sit outside, enjoy their food and soak up the Bree street vibe.

 

 

The menu changes often and you have the choice between fixed deli meals, tapas for two(R280) as well as some desserts.

We decided to share the 'tapas for two' between four. It was enough to satisfy each of us but if shared between two, it will definitely be consistent with a full meal.

On our tapas platter we had the following (going clockwise on the photo)

• Sweet bread
• I had no idea what this was last night but we loved it. It tasted like sweet and sour pork. I did some research now and sweet bread is actually glandular tissue that is soaked in water and then poached in milk to remove the outer membranes and then it's breaded and fried. Now by glandular tissue I mean thymus, pancreas or even parotid gland of a cow or pig. If I knew this beforehand I probably would not have eaten it but it really was delicious and I will order it again.
• Ricepaper wrap
• This was just nice. First time I had a ricepaper wrap and will eat it again the future.
• Crunchy calamari
• Seasoned well and I loved the pairing with the tangy pineapple.
• Seared steak served with nectarines
• This was my favourite dish. I love the freshness the fruit gives the protein, as above with the calamari.
• Jelly cubes served with beetroot (can't remember this one exactly)
• The one dish that did not leave a lasting impression.
• Mushroom risotto
• One of my faves. They give Societi Bistro's risotto a good run for it's money. It was creamy and the mushrooms were true stars in the dish. Their flavour were not lost within the creamy goodness.
• Fish curry
• The coconut broth the fish is served in was delicious and I could easily eat an entire bowl of this.
• Tuna tartar (in the middle)
• Another winner!

Wine is sold by the glass and bottle. Bargain at about R40-R50 on average per glass. The menu is set out with categories such as 'easy drinking' red wine so even if you are no wine connoisseur you will find a glass of wine that you can enjoy.

We loved our dining experience and this is a place for a cosy date or a small group of friends to catch up.

Open

• Lunch 12:00-15:00
• Tapas 16:00-20:00
• Saturday tapas 12:00-14:30

Visit them at 92 Bree Street, Cape Town
Contact them at 021 422 0128 or info@chefswarehouse.co.za
Their website shows the changing menu, however it seems they are lagging behind a bit for this month.


We ended off our evening with  milkshakes at the Fire and Ice Protea Hotel. They are currently renovating so they are hosting in one of their event halls. I must say I was a bit disappointed with the dirty bathrooms as well as the slow service. The milkshakes(R55) were top notch as always. We tried the Lindt, Oreo, Ferro Rocher and Brownie flavour. The Lindt was the clear favourite!

Milkshake pints!

The Lindt winner

Find them at 200 Bree street, Cape town

The Velvet Cake Company

 

My go to place to unwind and get a "pick me up" after a long day is Treat Patisserie. Now for our convenience we don't have to make time for a sit down anymore to enjoy their sweet treats. We can conveniently 'take away'. This is also where you can order and collect baked goods for special occasions. Stop by for a quick coffee(R18) and a cupcake(R15) or spoil yourself or a loved one with a delicious baked cake(pre-order is essential). Their large cakes retail at around R225 and they sure are more affordable than other bakeries in Cape Town where a ordinary chocolate cake will chase R500 out of your wallet and taste average.

Come for a quick coffee...

 

... or some sweet treats.

Muffins, quiches, red velvet cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes...

When I visit Treat I usually share a cake tasting platter(R70) with friends and you can even "take away" this at The Velvet Cake Company.

I have always been a Red Velvet lover but recently I loved their "Miss May" cake which is a sweet and sour passion fruit cake. I am also looking forward to trying their Crepe Cake in the near future.

A day without cake, is a day wasted...

The staff are very helpful and friendly

A space is available if you can't wait to try you sweet treats at home :)

 

For pictures of all the sweet treats and quiches hop over to their website. You can also directly order from the website and they suggest you do it at least two days in advance.

Here's their recent price list

Visit them at 21 Pasita street, Rosenpark, Durbanville
Open

• Monday-Friday 09:00-16:30
• Saturday 09:00-13:00

Contact them at

• 021 914 0482 or 084 676 3288
• order@thevelvetcakeco.com

Like them on Facebook and check out all the delicious images!

Frères

 

Frères is an intimate French bistro. I was invited to dinner with the parentals and did not know anything about where we were dining the evening. What a pleasant surprise. Frères serves French classics without the usually side dish of pretentiousness.

Chef Jason Whitehead, personal chef to some of the rich and famous, conceptualised  Frères as he wanted a space where he can prepare for all his clients and events. Frères has since resulted in a successful restaurant and is more than the front of house for Jason's prep kichen. For more about the start of Frères check out Jason's website.

As soon as you walk into the 35 seater space a sense of warmth and comfort washes over you. Front of house was extremely welcoming and very clued up about all the dishes the restaurant serves.

To kick off the evening we shared a garlicky baked camembert and pine nut fondue served with toasted bread. It was just enough to kickstart a evening of culinary delight. There is nothing more satisfying than simple cheese and bread and Frères just took it to another level. They claim their onion soup(R69) is one of the best and those that had it at our table loved it. Other starter options available are escargot(R69), Foie gras(R195) and rabbit terrine(R74). 

 

 

I was very excited when I saw that they had bouillabaisse(R115) on their menu as I recently tried it for the first time at Piazzo Paradiso . Bouillabaisse is a fish stew that tradionally contains five different kind of fish. Now I really enjoyed my bouillabaisse at Frères but I do prefer Paradiso's as their "broth" had more substance to it but that is just due to personal taste. The broth is not usually as creamy as I like it.

 

 

Other at the table enjoyed the sirloin café de paris (R135) and had a choice of vegetables, fries or salad as a side dish. The majority had the vegetables which was a cheesy broccoli and cauliflower mixture. The"café de paris" suggests the butter sauce that accompanies the sirloin. The boyfriend raved about this and it really provides a richness to the dish without overpowering the original flavour of the meat.

Other mains that you can enjoy are pepper rib-eye steak(R148), duck confit a l'orange(R148), rabbit(R139) and ratatouille with halloumi(R98).

Frères did not slow down when we got to dessert and we finished our time there with delicious treats. The waiter said the star of the show is the apple tart with cinnamon and honey foam. Myself and the boyfriend shared this one and I had to keep everyone out of our plate as they longed for this warm baked piece of apple and cinnamon heaven. The other desserts were also great but that apple tart is a real show stealer.

 

 

Above is The Café Gourmand(R79) which is a platter of mini desserts such as crème brulee and lemon tart perfect for sharing.

As the space is small I would suggest that you book in advance. It was great though to see how graciously Frères tried to accommodate every "walk in" customer by shifting around tables and chairs. This just reinforced the humility this restaurant is managed with.

Frères delivers with quality French dishes but provides it in a homey and friendly atmosphere. That apple tart has my name written all over it! I can't wait to return. As our waiter said the whole evening, Frères is "gorge"! 

Open

• Tuesday - Friday 12:00-22:30
• Saturday 18:00-22:30

Located at 46 Hans Strijdom Avenue, Foreshore, Cape Town (Next to Col Cacchio)
Contact them at 021 418 1609 or info@freres.co.za
Like them on Facebook
They have a website which is still under construction but you can request bookings from there

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

Glen Carlou

I've enjoyed wine tasting at Glen Carlou a few times but never had lunch. It was time for the 3DD to catch up, so nothing suited us better than a afternoon of Sauvignon showers and delicious food.

Glen Carlou is situated near Babylonstoren on the Klapmuts road. Perched up on a hill it give you majestic views of the winelands and Paarl Mountain.

It's a very cosy space and reminded our group of a game farm/ski resort cabin. For the art lovers there is a Hess Art exhibit with the works by Andy Goldsworthy, Deryck Healey, Alan Rath & Ouattarra Watts to browse around before or after lunch.

They have a set course menu where a 2 course is R260 and 3 course R340. 

We were first greeted with a complimentary soup. Unfortunately it has slipped my mind what is was but I remember it was delicious, especially as it was a cold wintery day outside.

Some went for a starter and main combo and the majority for a main and dessert.

The starter that we tried was a braised pork cheek served on pineapple and black pepper relish with carrot kimchee, shaved radish and daicon. This was served as a cold dish but I would have preferred that the pork cheek was served warm. The accompaniments I feel would still then render a fresh and crisp flavour. This was an underwhelming dish.

The mains we tried were..

Rack of lamb served with grilled aubergine, coriander spiced beetroot, horseradish crème, sweet potato fondant andstar anaise jus. This was the dish I had and loved. The lamb was cooked perfectly pink and the strong horseradish sauce complimented the meat without overpowering it. I wanted to smear it on everything!

Others had the ....

The beef sirloin served with burned onion puree, souse vide baby vegetables, chickpeas fries and smoke bone marrow.

Ostrich fillet served with apple celeriac puree, fig salsa, duck fat carrots and a fig jus.

Those of us who had dessert received a complimentary strawberry mouse and the "starter boys" had to be fought off us :)

My favourite dish was my dessert. It was a nice big slab of valrhona chocolate honeycomb bar served with vanilla marshmallow, orange blossom ice cream and chocolate crumbs. I appreciate when restaurants don't try to be all fancy with desserts and deliver something of substance. Glen Carlou delivered with a very sweet ending. Three of us had this dessert and we did not regret it. A moment of the lips, lifetime on the hips YES PLEASE :)

The other dessert that was enjoyed was the hazelnut meringue  served with saffron and red wine poached pears , hazelnut sorbet  and hazelnut cream. It was a very attractive dessert but I preferred the chocolate nemesis :)

Glen Carlou delivers with special touches and their Sauvignon Blanc((R70) was a very refreshing and easy drinking wine, too easy actually  :)

The prices for their set menu was a bit steep but if you are in mood to splurge do pay them a visit.

Happy diners :)

Look at that view!

Visit them for lunch 11:00 - 15:00 Monday-Sunday
Contact them at 021 875 5528 or restaurant@glencarlou.co.za
Like them on Facebook
For more information visit their website

For wine tasting
Monday-Friday 08:30-17:00
Saturday-Sunday 10:00-15:00

Take note the restaurant will be closed until 20th of June for repairs and the wine tasting room until the 13th of June.