The looming medicine exams has taken all my time...

Hello,

Apologies for not posting in a while. I am working and busy prepping for my final year medicine exams that are taking place in April! Stress levels are through the roof  so most of my time has been behind the books or in the hospital.

One rare occasions this has happened...

Cake and tea at Treat Patisserie

Yes very sad indeed :(

After my exams I will have a week holiday and will definitely get the posts back up and running.

You can look forward to

• Lefty's
• The Kitchen at Maison's
• My week at the Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga

Hope you will have a great week, keep me in your prayers and I will chat soon!

The Company's Garden Restaurant

I am final year at last but that also means that my time for exploring and socialising are way less than before :( BUT this weekend was one of my off weekends and I visited a great place Saturday morning for brunch.

Madame Zingara has worked their magic again to revamp the old Company's Garden Restaurant to a hot spot for young and old. It has a lovely and relaxing atmosphere with ample seating underneath the large historic trees and little 'egg nests' where you can  hide away from the crowds or take that 'Instagram' photo :)

Welcome to The Company's Garden Restaurant

The place was packed when we arrived and we waited about 15 minutes to get a table. The wait was fine as you can wander through the gardens, watch the squirrels play or if you have a massive phobia for birds like me be constantly at war with all the pigeons that the crowds are feeding.

You can enjoy a birds eye view of the gardens

 

Loads of places to sit around and relax

The front of house and waiters are very friendly. Service at times was slow but always done with a smile. The restaurant was completely full so one could understand why. I would not recommend them for a quick lunch. You should really come and relax here and take in the surroundings.


The restaurant completely full!


They specialise in breakfast and light lunches. Breakfast will cost you between R39 - R78. I enjoyed delicious banana bread French toast served with crispy bacon, strawberries and maples syrup. I'm a big French toast lover and the twist with the banana bread really made theirs unique. It was too die for and presented beautifully. My brunch guest enjoyed some toasted sandwiches and a omelette.

Yummy!!

 

You can choose your next Cape Town spot with this cute compass



Lovely brunch!

There were some tiny faults. I asked for my maple syrup on the side and I received my bacon on the side. The omelette was requested with ciabatta bread and my friend receive rye bread. The one side salad with the sandwiches was served with salad dressing while the other one had no dressing. Tiny faults that did not ruin our experience but also something that should not happen.

Loved this Cape Town gem!

Other food to try are salads, burgers, pasta, fish of the day and ploughman platters.

Their wine by the glass start at R30 and a bottle of wine from R125 upwards. It's a lovely spot to go for a late afternoon wine and cheese session.

Oh and I saw some delicious baked goods go past our table. Think red velvet cheesecake, koeksisters and more! My next visit will definitely be for tea and cake!

Visit The Company's Garden for simple but delicious food but more so for the great vibe and beautiful surroundings! I will be back soon!



For more information visit their website
Like them on Facebook
Contact them at companysgarden@madamezingara.com or 021 423 2919 for a reservation
Visit them Monday-Sunday 07:00-18:00

Eikehof

I love winefarms and I'm fortunate to live in an area that's spoilt with an unlimited number of choices. So much wine, so little time - my first world problem! Another one that has recently popped up on the list is, Eikehof.



Welcome to Eikehof

Situated in Franschoek, this family run farm has been handled with care, since 1903 by four generations. Winemaker Francois Malherbe and his wife Elize are very hands on and invested in their business. Francois will swing by the tasting room and tell you about their wines. Info straight from the horses mouth! They produce seven wines with the Rosé being their current new gem. Wine prices range between R50-R85. If you do the tasting it's only R30.

The beautiful Eikehof surroundings

They are also part of the awesome Franschoek Wine Tram that I've previously blogged about. They are situated on the red line. If you visit them through this you will receive a complimentary welcome drink and the tasting would be R30. You can also purchase delicious cheese and fruit platters to share for R140.



A large lawn for you to relax on!

 If you don't have plans for Valentines day yet, don't worry, I've got you sorted! If you are single, don't worry, they have wine! Eikehof is hosting their first ever Valentines Picnic! Come visit them as a couple, a group of friends or even alone. No discrimination! You will relax on their beautiful lawn underneath large Oak trees and will struggle to find a more relaxed environment.

For R160 pp you will receive the following

• A gourmet ciabatta filled with basil pesto, mozzarella and tomato
• Sweet chilli chicken kebab
• Fruit skewers
• Selection of meat and cheeses served with biscuits
• Strawberry red velvet cupcakes
• Bottle of wine shared between two (Rose or Sauvignon Blanc)



Some of the picnic selection

Engagements have been booming in my social circle. My bestie is also getting married so I am confronted with daily wedding to do's. Eikehof  is also an excellent venue to consider if you are looking! Contact them directly to enquire about their packages. What I've heard is that they are really affordable considering that they are situated in one of the coveted wedding areas.




Say 'I do'

Eikehof is definitely where you would have found me next weekend if I did not have to slave away behind the books to pass my psychiatry exam. Please drink a glass on me :) If you visit Eikehof you are ensured of a intimate and down to earth experience!

Bookings for the Valentine picnic are essential

Contact them eikehof@mweb.co.za or 021 876 2469
For more information visit their website
Like them on Facebook

Pictures have been supplied by Eikehof.

Here is how you can feed a hungry child...

On a daily basis I am exposed to the consequences of malnourishment. If affects the growth and development of children minimising their potential for the future. I hate seeing a hungry child who is only a consequence to the circumstances that has been dealt for him/her. I am always torn in two when I stop at a traffic light and I'm confronted with a begging child. I don't want to give money as I don't know where or to who it is going to. So I drive around with food in my car and give that to them.

All of us can now make a difference and contribute to empowering and nurturing our youth of tomorrow. It will cost you nothing and requires minimal effort.

Last year during the Eat Out awards it was announced that they were partnering with Stop Hunger Now South Africa. At the event itself they raised enough money to pledge 778 meals!

Stop Hunger South Africa was established in 2009. They investigate and locate under resourced education and day centres and provide nutritional enriched meals to those in need. They operate on a volunteer basis and have two full time operations in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Their mission??? To end hunger in South Africa! Their program has an educational approach where they use food as leverage.  Learners, parents and educators are responsible to achieve certain outcomes. They are empowered and not only nutritionally enriched.

So how can YOU make a difference? For every review you post on the Eat Out website they will pledge one meal to a pre-school child. It will take you two minutes to feed a child. How easy is that????

Hop on over to Eat Out and start pledging ASAP

 

To date they have pledged 530 meals. Lets get them to a 1000 at least before February ends! I now pledge that for every review I write on my blog I will also review on the Eat Out website! I challenge all the other bloggers and my readers to do the same. I hope you will join me in this initiative so that our small 'spark' can result in a roaring fire!

YOU can help them!

 

 

For more information visit the Stop Hunger South Africa website and start reviewing here at Eat Out!

 

*The above photograph was supplied courtesy of Stop Hunger South Africa

 

 



Muisbosskerm

Muisbosskerm is the first original open air restaurant in South-Africa. It initially started as a venue where the owners entertained their friends but in 1986 it opened for the masses. According to Getaway top 10 published in The Readers Digest it is one of the top 10 things to do in South-Arica.

The view

Seating downstairs



Fish prepping station

For R230 you experience an all you can eat seafood buffet. An extra R50 will ensure half a crayfish.

Now remember this is not a 'gourmet' experience. You eat out of plastic plates and a mussel shell serves as utensils. I must it's actually very effective :) While you dine there you will be entertained with real 'boeremusiek' in the background.

Everything is prepared, cooked and served on the spot. You would struggle to obtain fresher seafood.

Everything is cooked on the open fire...

...and served right next to it!

 The view over the Lamberts Bay ocean is amazing. I loved hearing the crashing of the waves while we dined. We visited during a windy day which is not ideal but they do supply you with blankets.

There are about 10-12 courses. There are no announcements when the food arrive so my tip would be to sit at the top of the restaurant where you will still have a view but can see when all the new delicacies arrive.

It is a bit like the hunger games where every man is for themselves so when they serve something new you must decide if you are going to volunteer as tribute and venture into the masses or sit back and wait for the storm to calm. We were a group of 6 so every time something new was served two of us would fetch it and we would dine tapas style. This also helps you not to overeat and experience everything on offer.

You will be treated to mielies, freshly baked bread straight from the oven, paella, waterblommetjiebredie, hotnotfish, snoek, geelstert, hake lamb, tripe and more. You end off your meal with 'regte egte boeretroos' and koeksisters.

Harders



Loved these mielies!



Say mielie!




Snoek and slaai



Freshly baked bread



Paella, geelstert , hake




What a treat! Crayfish!



Very excited about the crayfish!

Lamb



Koeksister cheers!



My favourite boeretroos!

My favourites were the mielies, crayfish, geelstert and the boeretroos. It was not the best seafood that I have ever had but it was good. The koeksister was a bit dry for me.

Corkage is R20 a bottle and they do have a bar that mostly serves wine from the surrounding area.
 At Muisbosskerm it's not only about the food but also about the experience.We travelled a 90 minutes drive from Paternoster and it was worthwhile. The fresh air, fresh food and jovial atmosphere would warrant my return.



Happy, satisfied customers!



A crayfish cheers!



Booking is essential

For more information visit their website
Visiting times

• Lunch 12:30 for 13:00
• Dinner 18:30 for 19:00

Located 5km from Lamberts Bay on the Eland's Bay road.
Contact them at muisbosskerm@kingsley.co.za or 027 432 1017
Like them on Facebook

The Twankey Bar at The Taj Hotel

Cape Town has a lot of great drink spots and you can add The Twankey Bar to that list. Located in The Taj Hotel it has an elegant feel. It's the perfect spot to stop by for a quick drink before heading out to dinner or a show.

I enjoyed a  rose and hibiscus mojito(R50). Other mojitos you can try are grapefruit, chilli, cucumber and kiwi. They look huge but they do add a lot of ice. Complimentary popcorn is served while you enjoy your drinks.  CBC and Jack black are available as drafts for the boys!

 

Rose and hibiscus mojito

 

Pink grapefruit mojito

 

If you want something of substance you can choose between tapas, curry, salad, chacuterie platters and more.

They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner but I would have to head back to them before I can recommend anything.

Service was friendly and efficient.

They have specials for every day of the week. The Monday special looked enticing to me. For R90 you receive chicken tikka with naan or rice and 3 craft beers or wine.

Cheers and enjoy!

Tweet them @twankeybar
Located in Wale street
Visit them Monday-Saturday 07:00-23:00 or Saturday 14:00-24:00
For more information visit their website
Free wifi

Unpleasant experience at Piazzo Paradiso

I usually only blog about restaurants that I enjoy. If an establishment does not impress me I won't recommend them. So to leave all negativity in 2014 this is a post that I will write and leave in this year.

I was joined by a group of friends for a pre-NYE dinner. I have previously dined at Piazzo Paradiso and never had any problems with them. I've also previously endorsed them here as they make the best bouillabaisse. So it was a no brainer to book a table of 8 for last night.

An extra person decided to join the dinner party so because it was last minute I did not think to notify the restaurant as we could simply just have added an extra chair to the table.

We arrived in very jovial spirits at the restaurant.We were seated in a room where our table of 8 was as well as a table for 2. I immediately asked the waitress to check if the table of two was also reserved as we wanted to either add the table to ours or steal a chair. She then proceeded to check with the manager.

A woman dressed in black with dark hair then approached us. I don't know if she is the owner or a manager.

Her body language and tone of voice was condescending and unfriendly from the start. She started off by telling us how inconvenient we were and that she has to now rearrange her entire restaurant and that we should have notified her earlier. I understand that all restaurants are under major stress during the holiday season but our extra person joined us at the last minute. The way she approached us however was not professional at all. The situation could have been dealt with differently.

Feeling very embarrassed and insulted I then, without any sarcasm in my voice, told her that we will leave as she really made certain that we understand that this is a big inconvenience for them. We now were a party of 9 and we were definitely not going to dine without our extra person. She then proceeded to tell me that I should "not be funny with her" and continued to go off on us and make us feel like tiny little ants. I have never experienced this in a restaurant. Our whole party was gobsmacked.

The waiter then added a table to ours and we never saw the manager/owner again. She dampened our mood and made us feel extremely unwelcome and uncomfortable. We actually should have left but proceeded to order food.

My bouillabasie was great as always and everyone who had pizza and pasta enjoyed it. The one diner who had steak however was not impressed. The quality of the meat was questionable. It was stringy and not tender. It was as if the meat was precooked, frozen and then reheated.

The lady who served us was great.

I saddens me as I live in Hermanus that one of our local places would treat their paying customers like this. I do also feel that because we were a group between 24-26 year olds we were treated with a condescending and judging tone. If we were older I do not think this would have happened.

For Italian cuisine in Hermanus I would recommend Rossi's or Col Cacchio.


So leaving all negativity at the doorstep of 2014 I hope that you will have an awesome NYE and an even better 2015!

Piazzo Paradiso
Loacted in Marine Drive
Contact them at 028 313 1153