The Rabbit in the Moon, Illovo – Pleasantly over the Moon

I have driven past this restaurant countless times, the name stuck in my head, haunting me –and I decided it was time.

Honestly I do not know anyone that has dined here before, perhaps that lead to the delay in finally taking the plunge; and what a pleasant plunge into deliciousness it was.

 

The Good:

Pretty much everything!
Love the ambiance – it is quirky yet classic, with pops of colour here and there.
The menu is well balanced, offering something for everyone. From vegetarian, to light meals, to share, to the very hungry; and a decadent desert menu. Offering a little bit of everything, without having an ancient scroll of a menu which usually leads to being Jack of all trades Master of none.

Nice drinks menu as well, with super friendly and efficient service. The waiters are like wine ninja’s – you barely see them, but your glass is always full. They are also helpful in advise on popular dishes, with honesty.

Salads are offered in half and full portions (or large and small), which is always a very nice touch (for me at least). I had the Tabouli mint salad with halloumi, it was fresh and bursting with flavour.

The carnivore friends loved the Fillet Mignon (flambéed in brandy) which is properly portioned and comes with great accompaniments, like caramelised onions – who does not like a bit of caramelised onion?

There was 2 pasta dishes had at our table – Rigatoni vs Penne Bisanzio - the one a clear winner over its opponent. But then again, I just don’t understand ordering pasta at all, it’s a starchy vehicle for sauce. So ordering a sauce-less pasta, well… what do you expect? (Stupid move).

 

Desserts: Reviews praise the Tres Leches cake as a winner, however, we put this in the ring with the Trecolore Cioccolata, and the triple chocolate terrine was a knock-out!! I have to mention that I am not a very big chocolate fan, except for a 70-80% bitter dark chocolate (like my heart), but this was tres DELICIOUS! Silky, smooth chocolate-ness without a clawing sweetness. Did the waiter not recommend this slice of heaven, I would have agreed that the Tres Leches is fantastic, and don’t get me wrong, it is great – but has nothing on the choc terrine. This is a must.

 

The Bad:

… egehm…

 

The Ugly:

…cough-cough…

 

So nothing bad to say here, which is fortunate for the restaurant, but a bit less fortune for me – I’m rather fond of naming and shaming, and giving constructive criticism, to help restaurants better themselves… ah heck, I call a spade a spade.

Due to lack of negativity I will highlight more of the positives:

They have a sense of humour – which I love.

 

There are tiny rabbit statues as décor, and they are named. Sweet!!

You have 2 parking entrances available, either on The Thrupps Centre side, or at Illovo Muse Centre.

Coffee is lovely, and the bill comes with miniature tick-tac packs, which literally fit 5-6 tick-tacs!! Cute!

 

 

 

 

 

Tips:

-          Make reservations… Do it now!

-          Order the Trecolore Cioccolata, if it is the only thing you eat – eat this!

-          Go on, treat yourself.

 

Happy Tuesday lovelies.

Until we eat again.

 

Les Delices de France – authentic French in the most unlikely place

Let me start off by saying that I do not have anything against the Westrand, in fact, I grew up and went to school here; but in all honesty this is not the hub for nice restaurants. This is definitely not where you will find a sophisticated charming place to dine… except for this one.

What a spot of luck to stumble upon this delightful authentic French restaurant on the corner of Gordon and Keith Rd.

A house that has been renovated into a spacious and plain restaurant – no frills no fuss. The same approach is used in the food, no frills no fuss, just delicious French cooking.

 I had the French onion soup, and I stand to reason that this is a soup that would have warmed the heart of the legendary Julia Child ( and any Parisian for that matter), and a lovely goats cheese salad.







The non-veggies indulged in the likes of pan seared foie-gras  on an apple puree, an amazingly flavourful lobster bisque, Kinglip (if I remember correctly), saffron seafood curry and duck breast.

 

 

Desserts – usually my highlight to a meal, were all perfection. A passion fruit crème brulee with a perfectly golden paper-thin burned sugar topping – just the way it should be; an individual baked pear tartlet on-top of a silky thin custard, and a lovely light slice of Opera cake, and let it be known that I am not fond of cake, but this one I will gladly eat again.

 

 

The owners are the chef and his wife – all the way from France, which you cannot miss with their beautiful rich French ascent. She runs the front of house, and he obviously the kitchen.

They’re friendly and willing and prepare wonderful food. They also host food and wine paring evening at a very reasonable price.

A nice variety on the menu, and from what I can tell, changes monthly or so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prices are not sky-high, but definitely a little higher that what you would find at your local Westrand steak house, and thank heavens for that!  I do however feel that for them to fully benefit and have an overflowing restaurant the location is not ideal. I’m taking this as a blessing in disguise though, as prices might have been double and portions perhaps half if this was situated in the popular dining cove of 4^th Ave Parkhurst.

Do not miss this little pocket of Paris, in the heart of JHB suburbia.

Bon appetite!
Until we eat again…

Il Leone, CapeTown – Effortless goodness.

The effortless goodness of the cuisine, is reflected in the simple and clean lines reflected in the décor and furniture, with a wonderful ambience created by the lighting. No frills no fuss. This restaurant is all about the food, and rightfully so.

The atmosphere is cosy and friendly, very helpful staff and a well selected wine/beer menu.

 In my previous posts I’ve made it very clear that I am not a fan of Pasta at all, that it is a vehicle for yummy sauces or ingredients that could be used more delightfully in a different dish, in a different way…and a fattening vehicle to boot.
It was at this humble Italian eatery that I had my first plate of pasta that my taste buds dance. ( This was a couple of months after I became a vegetarian, otherwise I would have never ordered pasta).
                                                                                 Perfect pockets of ravioli – so that you could see the orange colour of the butternut glow through, layered with a four cheese sauce.

This was absolute heaven! I never knew pasta could taste like this, and for the first time in my culinary noting life, I could understand how people in Italy could eat pasta every day.  I also have to add that I’ve been in Italy more than once – and never have I come across such a wonderful mouthful of pasta.
It was love at first taste!
Due to this, I make a point of dining at Il Leone every time I visit in Capetown.

I’ve also had the Melanzane which is good and proper, but in my eyes nothing will compare to the Butternut Ravioli with four cheese sauce.

For the meat eaters, they have a lovely selection of hearty meaty dishes, which I have heard the praises of, and seen and smelt the rich aromas.
The seafood also look fresh and juicy.

 

For dessert I once had the tiramisu, which was delightful, and the crème brulee which was backed and torched to perfection.

This restaurant is easily missed, as you only see a small plaque hanging above a small door on a tiny patio.
Even with the lack of advertising and huge signs, they’re always overflowing  with patrons – so do make a reservation a day or 3 in advance.
And be sure not to miss this hidden gem.

 

 

Happy mid-working week!

Until we eat again…

Scusi Bistro, Parkview – Delightful and Deliciously unassuming

Dear Universe I love, you know I do – but I’m rather annoyed at the fact that you kept me from this darling bistro for 2 years…

A good friend of mine has been telling me about this little bistro for more than two years now, but it seemed the universe was against me discovering this delightful eatery. At long last, I finally I got the chance to go for an early dinner directly after work a week or so ago.

Situated on the corner of Tyrone Avenue and Ennis Road, in the leafy JHB suburb, this café is elegant and vibey with a strangely soothing feeling.

Filled with black and white photographs, it pays homage to our lovely city of Gold.

The service is friendly and helpful, and the menu as a good variety, form the Grill, to Seafood and Vegetarian. The wine menu is sufficient, but could perhaps have some more wines added – my opinion.

As you might or might not know, pasta and me are not friends.  Like rice – it is a vehicle for sauce or the actual thing with flavour. So why not just have the thing with flavour, or the part f the dish with the flavour on something else with texture and flavour?

I have exactly 3 pasta dishes that I would gladly eat again, 2 of which is very unlicky to cross my path again as they are in Peru, the other in Cape Town.

Now, I have a forth to add to my short list of delicious yummy, non-useless pasta dishes. ( if this trend continues I might be converted into a pasta lover…somewhere in the far future…)

I had the butternut ravioli with a slightly creamy sundried tomamto sauce – bliss!

My friend had the fillet with mushroom and pamasan risotto, she cleaned her plate which is a good sign, and I’ll say it looked gorgeous and had a wonderful truffel mushroomy scent, one of thebest aromas in the world.

Scusi definitely do not penny-pinch, you get what you pay for. The portions are lavish.

Due to the above fact that we did not order one of the lush desserts on offer – but next time I most definitely will.

 

The only negitave I can comment on for now, is that they are only open from Monday- Friday, which saddens me, as this is a perfect spot to induldge and relax under the leavy trees on a Saturday or for Sunday Breakfast…

 

I’ll definitely be back within the next week or 2.
Don’t miss out.

 

Until we eat again…

Casalinga, Muldersdrift - Feels like home

The Christmas tree goes up, the little nativity scene is pack out on a table, fragrant cinnamon scented candles are lit and Bony M is playing softly in the background “pa-rampa-pa-pam”…
Aaah, I love Christmas time.

(un)fortunately I can’t remember the last time we did all the above, as December is the one holiday that all the family member have, and we take this holiday to go and travel the world – hence the brackets around the (un). I absolutely love traveling and aspire to be a globe-trotter one day, if only I had a sponsor… Never the less, decorating a tree and having family or friends over for an exuberant Christmas lunch has a certain comforting element to it, a feeling of belonging.

We now have Christmas lunch with the entire family, my brothers’ wives and their parents included, a week or so before we go on holiday – and this year we opted for Casalinga in Muldersdrift.

Sunday’s are their busiest day by far, and the serve a set menu to help feed the masses.

A choice between 6 starters, and 8 mains, excluding any specials that they might have for the day, and then a tempting dessert “trolley” with a selection of treats. This always comes with a delightful freshly baked bread basket, with a variety of deliciousness, and a generous fresh table salad.

They are not that big on Vegetarians, but do offer one starter and one main for us herbivores.

Homemade Gnocchi with a light gorgonzola sauce, and the green lasagne was then obviously mine. I love their gnocchi – light and fluffy, unlike the little rubber bullets you buy in a packet to prepare at home. The lasagne is not bad – but I’m actually not a pasta fan at all, and this is a solid piece of 12 -14 layers of lasagne sheets with béchamel and basil pesto in-between, so this turns out to be extremely rich. And for a non-pasta loving vegetarian, two pasta dishes is not my ultimate.

A lovely fragrant tomato based mussel pot was on special, and this looked and smelled heavenly! Not one single bowls of this was left with a drop of sauce in, all was soaked up with a piece of bread en devoured. Spicy calamari, beef Carpaccio and chicken livers were also on display, but the mussel pot  took the gold for the starters.

Kingklip and salmon, slow roasted pork, a lamb shank and fillet with mushroom sauce all made an appearance for main course. I sat between two of my brothers who had the fillet and lamb shank respectively, but the clear winner was the lamb shank, literally falling off the bone in a seductive jus (easy to spot shank cooked properly on low heat over night). All dishes served with wilted spinach, medley of peppers and crispy roasted potatoes – all from the luscious veggie garden. I have such bad envy on this vegetable and herb garden, it’s not even funny.

Deciding on desserts, always results to a bargaining between 2 or 3 of us, so we can then all have a little taste of one another’s. Sometimes you win sometimes you lose. I had the floating island, which is usually like a slice of cloud floating on a delicate crème anglaise with a cluster of fresh fruit to add texture, was unfortunately overly sweet, with a crispy meringue… perhaps the pressures of having 500 - 600 guests in one sitting got to the dessert chef, and he confused the floating island with a Pavlova?

The BarOne cheesecake, lemon meringue pie and dark tiramisu were delightful, and the ice-cream and BarOne sauce yummy – just a perfect end to a meal – just goes to show, sometimes less is more. Never underestimate the simple things, as simply things done with great ingredients are simply gorgeous.

A last little touch – coffee. Good coffee. Great coffee.

You can’t get fresher coffee than this – as Casalinga proudly has their own coffee roastery on the grounds.

 The restaurant has a lovely warm, inviting, homey feeling, with thick dark wooden tables, wooden floors in some parts of the house and a couple of fireplaces burning happily away. We had the “living room” to ourselves, which was decorated festive with a sort of rugged elegance, of wood, pine kernels,  soft fairy lights and a touch of red and green festive ornaments. An absolute pleasure sitting on the couches sipping champagne having a laugh about old stories of when we were little. We also chose to have coffee on the snuggly couches, and I could have easily had a catnap right there and then.

Being so popular for lunch and functions alike, perhaps a restriction of 400 guests should be key, to avoid running out of some desserts and serving Pavlova meringue as a floating island?

Always offering excellent service and food of the highest standards, Casalinga rarely disappoints.

Happy December – I’m counting the days..

Until we eat again…

Cafe Del Sol, Olivedale - Don's be stupid, break the habit

Sometimes we do things that are really extremely stupid. But I mean seriously.

Sticking your finger into a plug; purposefully touching the glowing red stove top just to ensure that it is indeed burning hot; ordering an unpronounceable dish at an unknown Chinese restaurant without pictures, possible ending up with earthworm soup or cat testies; having 2 bottles of wine, whiskey and shots on a weekday evening until 4am the day before you have to be in court at 8am.

Yes, the human race never seizes to amazing in doing stupid things.

 

If you want to break away and do something completely un-stupid, book a table for dinner or Sunday lunch at Café del Sol in Olivedale, JHB.
This is one of my favourites by far, and it’s not just me who thinks this - having one countless prizes, including best Italian restaurant in SA, and being rated as JHB nr 1 restaurant on Trip advisor by the masses.

The location is a little odd, in a small corner centre overlooking a parking lot.

However, once inside, the vibe is amazing! If there is background music, I’ve never heard it, as the chattering and laughing of guests, and clinking of glasses in celebration fills the space with absolute delight.

Simplicity is key, with modern touches here and there. The walls are filled with quotes about food and wine, and other little drops of wisdom. Inspiring and quirky alike.

So if your family or friends are not the most talkative, or you’re stressing about not having a topic of conversation on a date – there are walls full to fill the silence.

 

I’m always amazed at the amount of food that is being produced in that small open kitchen; and the magician chefs that man 6 to 8 pans of the burner at the same time? What a pleasure to watch!
For starters, think (the best) homemade gorgonzola and walnut gnocchi, beetroot risotto, fresh rocket and parma ham spring rolls, tempura prawns.

One of the signatures which I absolutely adored before converting to my meat-free ways, is the calamari limoncello with a black squid ink, parmesan rice tower – delicious!! Another classic is their balsamic fillet, as well as the stuffed calamari, served with a beautiful spicy vegetable noodle side. My tastebuds are dancing just thinking of this little gem of a place.

A selection of mouth-watering cakes are proudly displayed on the counter, pre-order a slice of lemon meringue if that is your poison, as it disappears before your eyes. And my personal favourite is the delectably smooth panna-cotta, always a different flavour.

The quality has never disappointed, not wavered even once.

This family owned restaurant offers an attractive selection of wine, and have friendly attentive staff, who are personal without being invasive.

We have been there so often that they know every one’s favourite dishes and drinks. The delightful owner always walks around telling about the specials and just having a quick chat.

 

Café del Sol sure does have a lot of Italian soul. If I would have to choose one restaurant in JHB, this would be it.

Go on, don’t be stupid, break the habit. But book in advance, as they are fully booked mostly a month or 2 in advance.

 

Happy Friday to all, until we eat again…

Alpine Restaurant, Randburg – best fondant by far!

This open aired restaurant, with a lovely deck under some shady trees, prides itself on their quality of meat, as they have the Alpine deli and butchery as well. Not a vegetarian’s dream restaurant, needless to say I was rather skeptical, but all restaurants deserve a fair chance.

I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of veggie choices on the menu, and innovative salads and side dishes.

For starter I had a lovely black mushroom tart, and tried a bite of the backed Camembert with figs as well – delish! My pea and asparagus salad for main was nice and fresh, and the pork belly was said to be divine, and I have to say a very impressive portion! The baked sweet potato as side is the best in town hands down, and the chips and chunky and hand cut, not oven processed oven baked rubbish.

The let down on the mains however was the calamari - under cooked and under seasoned, with almost no sauce.

Time for dessert came, and we settle on a chocolate fondant, and creme brulee. The fondant was absolute perfection!

All and all, I have an enjoyable experience, with friendly and attentive staff, mains and dessert took a little long – but totally worth the wait for the fondant. Good wine selection, and they do not up the wine prices by 300% like most other restaurants. I will gladly go back to Alpine for a lazy Sunday afternoon lunch of fresh salad and gooey fondant.

Happy weekend. Until we eat again...