A la Bouffe, Linden – Fair, not fabulous French

First things first – the name does not mean “of the beef”, “from the beef” or “at the beef” – basically nothing to do with beef.

Directly translated it means “In the Food”.

I am a huge fan of le Julia Child, and I am not afraid to admit it. Frankly, I think anyone who claims to love food, or be in the know of food, should be a fan of this marvellous woman, the mother of French Cuisine. If you do not know who Julia Child is – I am shocked and appalled! Stop reading immediately, and go and repent yourself.

If you know who Julia Child is, because “..oh isn’t it that lady in the Meryl Streep movie?” – I am still disgusted, but at least you have a slight idea. (Now finish reading this, then go Google le woman, ok?)

Getting back to business, Julia is the ultimate non-French French chef, possibly better than most French folk alive today. The chef at A la Bouffe is apparently le proper Frenchie, so one’s expectations are high…

 

Le Good:

Simple open space, with minimal décor. I liked this less is more vibe.

Le menu is small, basically 5 of everything, starters, salads, mains and desserts. Keeps it light, and you know the chances of you getting re-heated pre-prepped frozen dishes, are slim. This is the opposite of the Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none approach, as it should be.

A good variety of all proteins available throughout all the courses.

Friendly French-speaking waiters. If you are not speaking le French, don’t worry, they do speak English as well, this is a nice touch.

Le Food, or le bouffe, is fresh and yummy. Authentic French…hmm, well this is debatable. There are some dishes, which are traditional in a sense, and then there are some which have a traditional name, but not prepared in the traditional way. All in all, the food is fair.

 

Le Bad:

Even though le waiters are friendly, the service is not sufficient. We had to stand up and look for our waiter more than once throughout the evening. The restaurant was not completely full, yet the barman had to double as the waiter. Perhaps look at employing an extra waiter.

Unfortunately the vegetarian choices are very disappointing, no veggie main? Tsk tsk tsk … in this day and age, it is simply not acceptable to not have vegetarian dishes on your menu. Have at least one option per course. Especially for a French restaurant, there are many lovely options to offer, go on, show-off your skills a bit. A salad simply does not cut it, I can make a salad myself which is much more satisfying.

 
 

 

Le Ugly:

The portion sizes are rather small (possibly in true French style – but we are in Africa after all). More veggies with the protein would be nice, and some mash! Where is a portion of golden delightful buttery mash?

Nothing horrible here that I can classify under the ugly category – instead I will mention a couple of unknown and pleasant surprises.

 

Le Lovely:

We went here for a birthday dinner, and I made mention of this toward the end of the evening to our waiter, during chatting to him about the ordering of le Bubbly. We did not order dessert, but as a surprise, the birthday girl received an extremely generous portion of chocolate mousse (with a candle atop!), enough for the table to share. Not only was this a lovely gesture, but the mousse was delicious and decadent.

 

Le Tips:

- Make a booking, just to be sure – even though I think the hype around La Bouffe has passed.

- I would avoid A la Bouffe for Sunday lunch, as they offer a standard Sunday roast. To me, this is a no-no, I want options and choice. There are many people who do enjoy a buffet-style Sunday roast, I am not one of them.

 

All in all, it was enjoyable and pleasant. Not quite the menu and food I would expect from a proper French chef though. I would go back, hoping that they have more veggie options, and an extra waiter or two.

 

Happy Wednesday dears!

Halfway to the weekend, hang in there.

 

Until we eat again…

DW eleven-thirteen - gorgeous gastronomy, Dunkeld JHB

If you are a foodie and have dreamed about Heston Blumenthal kind of food - then DW is definately the place for you. Magical plates of flavours and textures to excite all your sences.

This is one of my favourite restaurants in JHB, well in South Africa actually, and has been for a couple of years. We have been lucky to dine here since they first open their doors, and have become regulars at this modern restaurant. Why have I not written down my comments about this little gem? I have been waiting for the right opportunity, and I think it is here.

The clean green and white interior with simple lines, and stand-out metal focus points is the perfect setting for the gorgeous gastronomic wonders that appear on your plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service is prompt, professional and friendly. Atmosphere is sophisticated and slick. Menu has a wonderfully diverse variety, and changes seasonally (or a bit more often, but always using fresh seasonal ingredients).  Yes, the prices are a bit pricey – but also keep in mind that you are not dining at your local steakhouse when at DW, you get what you pay for, and perhaps even a little bit more…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The chef (Marthinus Ferreira) has succeeded in exceeding my expectation yet again.  His a master at what he does, with beautiful flavour combinations; sometimes classics, sometimes daringly different – but always exciting and spectacular.

Be assured that you’ll never find something ordinary on your plate, even if it might sound ordinary on the menu, like a tomato soup for instance, will arrive with a touch of theatre and self-engineered droplets of “caviar” topped with flavoured foam.

 

Marthinus will always come out and greet his patrons, it is evident in all he does that food is his passion, and he goes to great lengths to show this in every bite on every plate. Presentation is always amazing, and he ensures that you indulge all your senses when dining here.

As a chef he is not the biggest fan of vegetarians, but will always create a beautiful vegetable plate for you, which is done with careful precision, and bursting with flavour.

I could go on for hours about the food, flavours, combinations, textures and tastes – but I think it will be best to just show you a glimpse of the glorious plates and you can decide for yourself.

This is a world class restaurant, not to be missed.

( Oh - and do not forget to make a booking in advance!)

 

Salivating just looking at these pictures....

 

Happy Monday,

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…

Hard Rock Café, JHB – what is in a name?

Since learning of the opening of Hard Rock Café in Sandton , the entire JHB has been in a frenzy to visit this iconic restaurant.

Located on the popular Nelson Mandela Square, but tucked away in the corner, this is sure to be a huge success. And indeed it is.
This restaurant/bar is overflowing with customers practically every day of the week.

 

Home of the burger – this is a burger lover’s dream, I think. If you prefer an old-school type “real” burger patty, and not the more recent gourmet burgers that you can find at Dukes and The Wolfpack. I’ve never been a fan of the burger, so I to me this is more of the same. A veggie burger would be nice to see on the menu though. Or a meat-free salad as well…
I opted for the Chicken Quesadilla – without the chicken and added mushrooms instead.

I can comment that the portions are plentiful, very generous, and everyone seemed to enjoy the food a lot – whether this was because it was so darn delectable, or due to the fact that we’ve been having a couple of bottles of wine, and only ordered at around 9:30pm, I’ll leave open for debate…

 

The service was great, we had an amazing waitress and two managers who checked in regularly, without being overbearing.
All in all, I’d definitely go back for a drink or two, not so much for the food. Meat/burger lovers might disagree. It promises to be a fun night out.
For now though I do think the hype is all about the name, we’ll see how this plays out over the next 6month or so.

 

 

Opt for a seat on the patio, the music inside grows louder as the evening sky grows darker, until your ears almost start to zing.

 

Until we eat again...

Casparus, Stellenbosch – Just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to…

The chef of the restaurant was one of the first professionally trained chefs, all the way from Belgium, in South Africa and produced amazing food in the heydays.

He then disappeared from the food scene for a couple of years – in which the Cape winelands grew to be THE destination for decadent dining.

Situated in an art gallery in Dorp street in Stellenbosch, it look intriguing and contemporary. The menu and combinations are set-out to match this vibe.

Some odd combinations which one would easily have gagged about a couple of years back, are now as common as bread and butter, and you struggle to think of a time when you would not want salted chocolate, chocolate and chilly, strawberry’s with balsamic and black pepper, or even fillet with a chocolate sauce.

Ethienne Bonthuys is riding on this wave, but taking it to extremes – and unfortunately he’s crashing into a boulder with most of his weird combinations.

 

The signature dish is calamari with oxtail…I saw that face-pulling action going on just now, and rightly so. It tastes exactly as it sound – and even worse if the calamari is underdone, which it was when we dined there. Another 2 of the most bizarre combinations – Kingklip with a dark red wine and balsamic sauce; and then it’s counter – Fillet with a fishy/prawn white wine sauce? In both cases it was commented that the sauces were really nice – but did not fit with the protein at all, these two should have been swapped around and he would have had a winner.  Fortunately I am a vegetarian and had the privilege not to taste these extremely peculiar combinations.

I had a stuffed giant mushroom (and I was a happy camper seeing this on the menu as this is one of my favourite things). In all honesty I was not aware that it was possible to do a bad job at stuffing a mushroom. Some spinach, pine-nuts and goat-cheese should be one of the most elementary things, apparently not.

 

Dessert is probably my favourite part of a meal, but after the meal itself, we were all so put off that we skipped dessert and coffee.
(You’ll notice that I do not even have pictures – which is a very rare occasion for me not to take pictures of the lovely food everyone is eating.)

 

The setting is creative and unusually inspiring, unlike the food.
The service, or rather lack thereof is rather shocking, and super slow. On the evening we dined there, only one waiter was to be seen for the entire restaurant, albeit only 2 tables had patrons. Which confuses me even more – if this restaurant and food is all that and a bag of chips, why only 2 tables booked on a weekend evening? And how is it possible that the waiter struggles so with serving these two tables?

 

My advice ( to the chef and his combo’s, as well as the unsuspecting patrons) – just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to.

There are so many gorgeous restaurants in this area that leave you desiring to go back for more – do not waste your time at Casparus.

 

Happy Monday, I wish you all a lovely week.
Until we eat again…

Hatunpa, Arequipa – The Humble Potato, remains very humble

As a vegetarian I was excited to the max when reading about this little nook, with only four tables – a proper little hole in the wall, which is said to serve amazing food, all based on the humble potato.
Due to the fact that the humble potato originates from Peru, and that there are said to be almost 200 varieties of this nation feeder to be found in Peru, what better way to experience the potato in all its glory at Hatunpa, where the owner speaks English fluently and (as expressed in one of the reviews I remember reading) explains the differences in the varieties of potato.

Upon our arrival, we were a little surprised to find that the only person there, who seated and served us, could not speak a word of English! As this was the only person who worked there, we assumed that this was the owner, and confusion set in due to the review of the English speaking owner who loves to explain about potatoes.
We ordered a beer with a little difficulty, and set about ready the menu, a little disappointed that we would not be getting a lecture on the humble potatoes and the hundreds of varieties…

We were busy ordering our meals, and I was trying to get an understanding of a certain thing on the menu the man of the hour walked in and came to the rescue. The English speaking owner existed after all, and he graciously offered us a taste of the unidentifiable, which I was seeking an understanding for when he walked in. This turned out to be purple or black corn juice. Not bad I have to say, but rather sweet – a good alternative for someone that likes Coke or Inka Cola.

 

Unfortunately there was absolutely no explanation regarding the varieties of potatoes or the origin at all. Even after prodding and asking questions such as “we’ve heard that there are up to 200 varieties of potatoes in Peru?!” we only got a “yes, there are many kinds of potatoes and sweet potatoes”.

Service is average best, and I have to say that my idea of a heart-warming potato dish was not what I imagined at all. A plate of cold sliced potato, one regular, and one sweet potato, topped with cubes of tomato and hard little blocks of cheese and what seemed like an entire raw sliced onion. Not quite the oozing melting dish I was expecting at all. This has to be one of my worst vegetarian meals ever.
The other two had better luck, with a chicken and spinach topping with a creamy cheese sauce, and meat cubes with red pepper and onions – unfortunately almost no sauce on this one either.

A casual little corner, with lots of competition.
As far as vegetarian and vegan dishes go – I would avoid this unless you prefer a plate of dry potato and bland flavours.

Definately does not deserve it's number 2 spot on the list of best restaurants in Arequipa.

 

Happy Wednesday to all,

Until we eat again...

Le Soleil, Cuzco - The Fast-food of French cuisine

Aha, finally the time has come – and my fist restaurant is a bit of a shame, which after the owner’s petty comments and bad attitude on tripadvisor, has now turned into a big name and shame!

 

Whenever travelling I always have a look at restaurants on tripadvisor to see real-time opinions and reviews from “real-people”.

This French restaurant in the heart of Cuzco is rated as the number 1 in all of Cuzco – with many people raving about the interior of the restaurant, and claiming that you will struggle to find better French food, even in Paris! Now that is a bold statement to make.

To me this sounded like heaven! I love proper French food, and after traveling for between 24-18 hours, what could be more satisfying than a little bit of lush French cuisine?

 

This massive expectations we walked down the cobblestone street to Le Soleil. We were the only customers there, but thought perhaps we were early and this might be a pro, as it is not packed yet our food would be served a little quicker – we were starving.

 

The host and owner was very friendly and was happy to answer any questions about the menu, which looked rather yummy. And lucky me there was a veggie starter and main.

For starters we had the ginger pumpkin crème with truffle – this was really nice, nothing spectacular and no sign of the promised truffle, but a warming ginger flavour. Snails in butter and herb sauce – which was just that, nothing more, nothing less (presentation was lacking though). And the Avo Swilrs, this is avocado strips rolled and filled with cubed veggies such as tomato, cucumber and aubergine – a little bland, and actually a pretty presented four ingredient salad.

 

Mains were duck breast and I had ratatouille. The duck was nicely cooked, but no lush sauce or veggies to compliment this; and my ratatouille was pretty much a warm version of my starter, substituting the cucumber for baby marrow, and the avo for carrot.

 

Now maybe it’s just me, but I am 100% certain that it’s not, no-one goes to a restaurant and orders a main and expects just a chunk of protein, or a scoop of a cooked vegetables (and this comment is not only regarding Le Soleil – but I might as well rant about it now and get it over with).

Where is the harm in putting a portion of side veggies, salad, potato, sauce on a plate?? That’s right – no harm, in fact only goodness. You are ordering a meal after all. I see this “trend” sticking out it’s ugly little head in all the more restaurants, and frankly I think it’s ridiculous! Stop squeezing the money for your well-paying clients greedy restaurateurs! Tisk tisk tisk!

 

Anyway, back to our evening at Le Soleil. For dessert we had the chocolate fondant as someone on mention this to be the best fondant they’ve ever eaten; and the mango, tonka bean and passion fruit mousse – the passion fruit was super sour, you could taste nothing else, and also did not want to take a second bite for fear of burning a hole in your aorta with the sour acid ( a little dramatic, I know), surely the chef should taste what he puts on a plate? Unfortunately the fondant, which was supposed to be the king of the evening turned out to be a peasant in disguise. No rich chocolate lava flowing out when cutting open… An overcooked fondant for any restaurant is a no-no, and especially for a French restaurant, this is the mother of all no-no’s.

 

So all in all it was not the worst meal I’ve ever had, but most certainly not the best. There is not one thing that we ate that was exceptional or even great. I think due to the fact that this place received such amazing reviews it was an ever bigger disappointment, as we arrived with huge expectations.

In all honesty, the people that commented on that you could not find better French food, even in Paris – I’m having a sneaky feeling that they’ve probably never been to Paris, and the rest of the raving reviews might well be the owner himself, or his close friends… as we were the only table there for the evening. Does this sound like the kind of place that is the best in a city? Empty during the festive season? No, it does not.

 

Do not be fooled, give this a miss when in Cuzco.

 

Until we eat again…

The Foodbarn, Noordhoek - Real Food, Simply Delicious

Take a drive along the coast of the Cape, and take a turn to Noodhoek, just off the street you’ll find the vibey Noodhoek Village that offers a pub, some touristy shops, swings and playthings for little children on the grass lawn and an old hotel. Look to your right, there you’ll see a sign above a door, reading The Foodbarn. Walk towards it. Step through the door.

Once inside you are swept away by the serene all white innards of this building, with just little touches of blue to remind you that you are in fact not lost in the arctic snow. Bliss.

Simplicity is key with décor, and to a certain extent with the food as well, even though you’ll never know as Franck Dangereux manages to conjure the most define and powerful flavours out of any ingredient. A true artist who can make 6 ingredients taste like 16. Perhaps this is the freshness of the ingredients, or just his sheer brilliance in the kitchen? Who knows! I think it might be the combination of the two that gives your palate the buzz.

We were presented with dazzling Springtime menu, filled with choices and flavours that makes you want to be a glut, and order for 2...

A lovely wine list (which is to be expected when dining in the Cape) as well as a selection of local craft beers. The service is efficient, personal and friendly, without being familiar and having you feel like you should pull up an extra chair. Extremely helpful and knows the dishes off by heart.

 

Usually I’d now proceed on dissecting what was eaten and what the menu offered – today however, I’ll rather just give you the menu and photos of the delicious and beautiful food, as we were 5 people, all ordering starters, mains and desserts, so it might take a while.

 What I can and will say, is that no-one had an inkling of unhappiness about any bite of food they took. No surprize really, as it is Franck’s restaurant. I would have liked more than one goats cheese fritter as a starter though – very small portion, but I was slightly starry eyed at the spring risotto, which very rarely happens to me when eating risotto (or any pasta). Food is plated elegantly without being over the top or disguising what exactly it is that you’re eating – what you see is what you get, just with much more flavour and perfection than you could imagine.

 

 I expected a little more from the dessert menu, nothing really drew me... but the Pear tart Tatin was the perfect end to the meal.

 

When I’m in Cape Town again, I’ll gladly drive around the coast to enjoy the beautiful view, on my way to The Foodbarn.

***Note – you’ll definitely have to book in advance!!

 

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…

India Palace, Weltevreden Park - Warm and inviting

On this cold and drizzly summers day (??) I would like to do 2 things – 1) Be dressed much more appropriately for winter, whilst cuddling under a huge fluffy duvet and watch movies, Masterchef Aus marathon, or an entire season of Grey’s…

2). Indulge in wonderfully warm feel good food, that makes you want more. I’m think along the lines of proper Indian.

 My favourite is Karma in Greenside, but recently I have been introduced to a charming slice of India, in a nook at the Palms Centre in Weltevreden Park. Yes – the centre is slightly suspect, but most things in Weltevreden Park are, but once inside India Palace you’ll not even notice the fake palm tree trying to disguise a signal pole or the KFC drive-through.

A lovely little restaurant with a warm interior and extremely friendly authentic Indian staff who make you feel right at home.

Whenever I dine at a restaurant of a different culture, my key is took look at the owner, chef and people who work there – if they are authentic, chances are the food will be too, which means you’ve got gold!

 A fair selection of wine, at a very reasonable price, and delightful warming dishes for all meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. What makes any Indian dish even better? Naan!! India Palace has a nice variety of naan breads and roti’s to select, to enhance the indulgence of your meal.

Crispy, non-oil dripping vegetable Pakoras and onion Bhaji with a spicy minty sauce is the perfect way to wake those taste buds for the love that is to come. The portions are very generous, definitely to share, and all appetisers for under R20.00!

Most people order Dahl as a side dish – but here, I had the black Dahl as my meal, and cleaned the little brass pot with naan to get every last bit of flavour.

The Korma is packed with flavour and ingredients, loads of different veggies, or juicy bite sized chunks of meat. At a glance and a smell the butter chicken look rich creamy sauce without the luminescent guava pink colour to it ( in my eyes, that is a bonus) which means only one thing – the colour comes from the proper ingredients used, and not from a little Moir’s bottle.

What I don’t like – the mountains of basmati rice that come standard with any order…rather give me Naan, or a choice of rice or naan. The massas of rice just goes to waste.

" I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2000 of something."

                                                                                                                   - Mitch Hedberg

I think I might need a take away to calm my nerves after the storm that is to come. Keep warm, and your cars covered!

 

Happy Friday! 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...

Toni's Fully Furnished Pizza Co. - Nostalgic delight

You know how sometimes you get all warm and fuzzy inside when thinking of a good thing?

Well Toni’s Fully Furnished Pizzeria gives me that exact feeling every single time – never failing.

I’m willing to bet their signature Pesto Pizza that this is the same for countless others, ask anyone between the age of 18 and 35 in PTA, and you will see their eyes wonder and the corner of their moths turn up into a sneaky grin as they reminisce about their last meal there.

 

Luckily for all of us currently residing in the greater Johannesburg region, she has finally opened a delightfully modern decorated shop in Dunkeld. Praise!

The ambience is great and vibey, with cut out wood walls and the signature mosaicked pizza oven the centre of attention. Good wine list and not overpriced.

The menu is the same, and I hope it always will be, offering luscious gourmet pizzas, waver thin crispy crusts, topped with juicy fresh ingredients of the best quality. Every bite an explosion of flavour. What I really love about them, is that they offer all pizza’s in a pizzette as well (15cm) for the not so hungry, or in order for you to try more than one of the amazing combinations. For the very hungry, you also have the choice of half-and-half on your big pizza.

 

Dessert pizzas – sound weird I know, but if you are able to not devour an entire main pizza, and leave some room for dessert, the Belgian fold over is a must, oozing with melted dark chocolate as you slice into it.

Some more praises to add, the staff are all friendly and  knowledgeable, without lurking behind you asking if everything is fine just as you take a mouthful of deliciousness. Also, they are more than willing to add or remove anything from you selected pizza, even using vegan cheese if you ask them (this they do not have in stock though – you have to take your own, but hey, I’ve seen this happen!)

Happy days unitil we eat again…