Whale Cottage Portfolio Blog

An extremely hot summer’s day, as well as a mouth feel urgently requiring crayfish, beckoned the writer to Salt restaurant in the Ambassador Hotel in Bantry Bay, which has been running a crayfish special at R 185 with its sister restaurant OYO in the V&A Hotel for a while now.   There was no cooler way to escape from the heat than lunch at Salt.

Parking is uncomplicated, either across the road from the hotel, or on its roof, and is complimentary if one eats at the hotel.   As the restaurant hostess sat at the computer, meaning that she had her back turned to the restaurant entrance, she did not see the customer arriving.  A yawning waitress attended to the guest but had to go to the hostess to decide which of the many tables could be allocated (only 5 tables in total were occupied)! The waiter Michael came to the rescue, and seated the customer at a table with a lovely cool breeze, and wonderful view onto the ocean.   Later on, the sliding doors were opened completely, and an even cooler breeze cooled one down.   The protective glass barrier can barely be seen, and it looks as if one is sitting at the edge of the door, making this restaurant one of the most spectacular in terms of its location, view and ocean smell.

Michael efficiently took the order for a glass of Colmant Tradition bubbly, at R 59, and agreed to organise that the ordered crayfish be served cold rather than hot.   Cold water was brought to the table regularly, and while the wait for the crayfish was long at 45 minutes, it was worth every minute.  Six small tails of crayfish were served with the most delicious jasmine rice (a bowl of chips was initially brought to the table in error, and one cannot imagine that the restaurant would serve chips with crayfish) and a salad (the only odd ingredient was mozarella cheese, which clashed with the crayfish), and a piquant mayonnaise, a little too strong.  It was the perfect Saturday afternoon lunch.

Other lunch options are salads (caesar salad at R 55); three pasta dishes ranging from R 70 - R 80; four seafood options (mussels R 70, squid R 95, fish and chips at R 115, and fish of the day R 120);  five meat dishes (including burger R 65, chicken schnitzel R 80, and rib-eye steak R 125); and desserts cost about R 55, the most expensive being a three-variation creme brulee at R 85.

The bill was brought to the table efficiently, and Michael was the perfect waiter - no small talk, efficiently answering questions and executing requests.  What is missing is the personal touch - no Manager appeared to be on duty, to check one’s satisfaction with the meal.  This is what differentiates a hotel restaurant from a stand-alone one.

The new chef at Salt restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel, Top 10 chef Jacques de Jager, who recently moved from Grande Provence in Franschhoek, has not yet made himself felt, in that the existing menu is still used.   His new dinner menu will be launched tomorrow evening.   According to Michael, the menu will be in the French cuisine style.

Salt restaurant, Ambassador Hotel, 34 Victoria Road, Bantry Bay. tel 021 439-7258,  http://www.newmarkhotels.com/newmark/salt 

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Salt Deli, which had a disastrous opening over the festive season, appears to have settled in, and the feedback provided has been implemented, meaning a huge improvement.

The menu has been changed completely, following the feedback supplied (read our initial review here) and the arrival of Jacques de Jager, the new chef at Salt Restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel on Victoria Road in Bantry Bay, Cape Town, who was previously a Top 10 chef at Grande Provence in Franschhoek. 

The biggest change is that cooked breakfasts can now be prepared on site, and these include eggs benedict with bacon (R 45) or salmon (R55), scrambled eggs with smoked salmon (R55), eggs en cocotte - egg cooked individually in cream or butter in a small ramekin (R 45), and savoury ostrich mince (R40).  Further breakfast treats on offer are yogurt, berries and nuts (R 30), bagel and cream cheese (R 20), salmon and cream cheese bagel (R 40), muffins and croissants.  Breakfast is served all day, good news for breakfast fans.  A good cappuccino (R 14) is served too.

The lunch options, which probably are available all the way until the Deli closes at 9pm, include chicken supreme with asparagus salad (R 65), stuffed aubergine (R 60), lamb pita and side salad (R 65), onion and goat’s cheese quiche (R 38), endive, pear and walnut salad (R 40), game terrine (R 65) and a roast beef sandwich (R 65).  I had a tasty lasagne with side salad for R 50, which was not on the menu, but was mentioned.   The lamb pita was dry, and could do with more tzatziki, if there was any in it at all.  A menu board of specials is changed daily, and is additional to the printed menu choice.

A delight for Salt Deli visitors is the large selection and quality of the wines on the winelist - every one of the 12 red wines and 10 white wines is offered by bottle or by glass.   The Bosman Rose costs R 23 per glass, while the most expensive white wine is the Waterford Chardonnay, at R 51.  The reds range from R 31 for a 2005 Waverley Hills Cabernet Sauvignon  to R 55 for a 2006 Ataraxia Serenity blend.  Two Shiraz’s are stocked - 2007 Kleine Zalze and 2006 Andreas.

The star of Salt Deli is the Assistant Manager Cisca, who recognised the guest from the last visit almost two months ago, and came to the table regularly to chat, requesting feedback about the menu and the meal. 

One aspect of Salt Deli that is hidden if one sits outside, is the quality of the bakery items, and the Deli could capitalise on this more in its list of desserts.  The finest tarts (fruit, chocolate, lemon meringue and others) at a mere R 10 each, and the crispiest and lightest pastries (croissants, apple, raisin, danish) at only R 8 each, are fantastic value for take-home treats compared to the expensive ones sold at Voila! in the Cape Quarter.  A good selection of breads is also sold.   The staff dealing with this part of the Deli were exceptionally friendly and accommodating.

Salt Deli has been transformed for the better, and now is well worth regular visits.  In about three weeks the Vodka and Champagne Bar is planned to open upstairs.  Open until 9 pm every day, Victoria Road, Bantry Bay, opposite the Ambassador Hotel. Tel 021 439 7258.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Salt Deli, a sister coffee shop to the Salt restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel on Victoria Road in Bantry Bay, operated on its second day to total shambles, not being able to cope with being full.   It is a bad reflection on the Salt and Ambassador Hotel brands. 

The Deli upset most of its clients who were not served for up to half an hour, and who sat at tables with dirty dishes.  To make a point, two clients got up and played “waiter”, clearing the outside tables.  Other clients went inside to fetch their orders themselves.  Some just left without being served!

When the Assistant Manager came to take the order, she informed us at 12h00 that the deli had run out of food, and that they were only taking beverage orders.   She was able to organise a croissant with cheese and ham, according to the menu, but it came “deconstructed”, without butter, in that one had to make it up oneself (costing R35!).  The cheese slices looked a few days old and dry.   While we were sitting there, we saw the Rosa’s Bakery van doing a delivery, spoiling the illusion that everything is prepared and baked at Salt Restaurant across the road.

A further disappointment was that no cooked breakfasts are served at Salt Deli at all, as they have no proper kitchen, it just being a “satellite kitchen” to the restaurant, the Assistant Manager explained.

For the amount of money that the Ambassador Hotel must have put into the renovation of the Deli, previously Carlucci’s, in appointing Stefan Antoni as the architect and interior design company, it is a shame that they were so badly understaffed and understocked.   The interior design quirks (a pile of wood with a top is the desk, the flooring is made up of a mixture of slate, wood and tile, and the ceiling in part has a wooden crate look) pale into insignificance when one experiences such chaos and poor service.  No management was visible from the Ambassador Hotel, to assist the obviously new staff in coping with the full Deli.

The menu is disappointing, given that Eat Out Top 10 chef Jacques de Jager from Grande Provence will be joining Salt next month.   Breakfast options are yoghurt and berries, bagel and cream cheese (with or without salmon), muffin and preserve, and smoked ham and gouda croissant (as described above).

Salads range from R 45 - R 65, and include nicoise, caesar, caprese, chicken and salmon.   Three types of wraps are offered, as are three types of unexciting sandwiches, three basic pasta dishes, soup (in summer!), a tart, tapas (including oysters, olives, parma ham and melon, smoked salmon) and cheese, meat and Mediterranean platters.  It was good that the planned oyster and champagne bar upstairs has not yet opened, as this would have caused even greater problems.

The management of Salt Deli should close it until they can train their staff properly, can appoint more staff, and have a better supply of ingredients needed to make the dishes they offer on their menu.   The overall experience as well as menu was a disappointment, relative to the pre-opening hype.   One may say that a new restaurant should not be judged in its opening days, but it should not open if it is not ready to do so.  The opening day had been delayed a number of times in the past 2 weeks.

Response from Neil Markovitz, MD of Newmark Hotels, owner of the Ambassador Hotel, and Salt restaurant and deli: “Thanks for the mail yesterday. Clearly a disaster as you have described. I am told that the lunch service went a bit smoother and a complete post mortem of the days disaster was discussed and analysed in full. Opening on boxing day was clearly not the best idea, but then again opening on in December was always going to put us under tremendous pressure.   Absolutely no excuse though and I apologise for the experience. We will get it right.   There is a problem on the that side of the road with extraction at the moment and the hence no cooked breakfast. This is something we are working on but a bigger problem to solve.”

Salt Deli, Victoria Road, Bantry Bay, tel 021 439 7528.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

An outstanding new restaurant opened on the Waterkloof Winery in Somerset West two weeks ago, marrying a magnificent view with a deconstructionist approach to food.

The Waterkloof wine estate in Somerset West, which belongs to one of the largest wine distributors in the UK, Paul Boutinot, who calls himself the “Custodian” of the wine estate, according to its website, with chef Gregory Czarnecki in the kitchen and Julian Smith, previously from Grande Provence, managing the restaurant.  Czarnecki was previously at The Big Easy in Stellenbosch, the restaurant belonging to Johan Rupert and Ernie Els, amongst others, and left when he was expected to cook hamburgers, it is said.    He worked with 3*** Michelin chef Alain Senderens at Lucas Carton.   Waterkloof’s website states that it makes ’slow wines’, with fermentation taking place between one to eleven months instead of the usual 20 days.

One takes a dirt track off the road to Sir Lowry’s Village, and passes an empty security hut.   Soon the road is tarred, and it is clear that one is entering Waterkloof, in that the road is neatly tarred as it winds its way up the mountain on which the winery perches.  At first one cannot see the vineyards, but they are high up, suddenly visible around a corner.  One sees the very modern “block” building almost hanging off the edge of the Schaapenberg Mountain as one drives higher and higher,  and the comparison to Hidden Valley cannot be avoided.    The winery juts out further than the restaurant does, blocking the view from the restaurant on its west side.   One’s first reaction to the wonderful view over False Bay (and the townships of Strand/Somerset West below) is of wonderment - one probably is only this high up on Sir Lowry’s Pass, but from a different angle.

As one enters the building, one is dazzled by the view.  There is familiarity, in that the inside has a lot of glass, allowing one to see the vats and tanks, as at Tokara.  What is unusual is that the restaurant and tasting room are one large open space, separated by an unusual large brown leather couch with fireplace, over which towers a massive fire extractor - one can imagine how cosy winetasting and lunch will be at Waterkloof in winter, accompanied by a roaring fire.

The occasion was a birthday celebration, and we felt lucky to have known Julian from the years of dining at Grande Provence.  He is a gentle soul, always eager to please.  His wife Mandy, also previously at Grande Provence, now co-ordinates events at Waterkloof.   He made a huge difference to the service received and information provided, some of the waiters still a little unsure of themselves. 

The Waterkloof logo of a face blowing furiously is meant to depict the southeaster, which must blow strongly from the Helderberg mountains.   The logo is proudly displayed outside the building, on the menus, on the staff aprons, and on the wine bottles.

The restaurant is buzzing and close to full.   One is offered a table inside or outside, but the outside tables with shade from the building have been taken already, and at 30 C or more it is too hot to sit in the sun.   The air conditioners cool the interior, and we are given a lovely table near the outside sliding door, and a cool breeze blows in when the door is opened.  The chairs are an unusual light beechwood with black leather seats, and the black leather theme is carried through in the menu and bill folders.

A platter of olives, hummus and bread sticks is brought to the table.  We see some rolls passing, and are brought these to the table, and they are lovely.   We are offered complimentary mineral water, a choice of still or sparkling, brought in a decanter.   The water comes from a spring on the estate.  Julian tells us that slow and organic dominates wine-making at Waterkloof.   No tractors are allowed, and horse-drawn ploughs develop the land.

The menu presents a selection of 5 starters, all costing R 60, and include ink and squid tagliatelle and asparagus risotto.  There are 7 main courses, ranging from R 95 for the pastilla of duck leg confit to R 150 for the lamb shoulder confit and baby rack.  Kingklip and Red Roman are also on the menu.  The duck comes shredded, wrapped in a (small) pastry parcel with sultanas, and 6 tiny roast potato slices, topped with a coriander foam.   It is very tasty, but the portion is VERY small.   For dessert one has 4 options, all costing R 55, as well as a cheese platter, to choose from.   Here the chef is at his most deconstructionist, in that the lime pie has separate bits of almond crumble, the lime content, topped with a tequila sorbet ball.  The rooibos tea poached apple dessert is the tiniest miniature apple balls on a plate with cabernet reduction jelly, with a ball of plain sorbet.

A special Waterkloof coffee blend of 40 % Mandheling from Sumatra, 40 % Yirgalheffe from Ethiopia and 20 % Linu from Ethiopia is roasted for Waterkloof at Lourensford, and is brought to the restaurant warmly roasted.

We were told by Julian that the Waterkloof wines are made to suit a European palate, and therefore the Waterkloof Circumstance Shiraz 2007 was a disappointment, being very light-bodied - it tasted like non-sparkling grape juice with alcohol.   Only Waterkloof wines, with their Circumstance and Peacock Ridge secondary labels, are included in the menu cover, but they do appear to have other wines in stock, e.g. the Steenberg 1682 bubbly, as Waterkloof does not make a bubbly.   The owner wants to sell his wines first and foremost, and therefore these are the only wines offered.   The wines range from R 91 for a bottle of Peacock Ridge Sauvignon Blanc (R 23 per glass) to R 245 for the Waterkloof Sauvignon Blanc.   All wines in the range are decanted three hours before the dinners and lunches, to allow them to breathe.

The newness of the restaurant and its staff was most visible when we asked the waiter as well as the friendly Maitre’d to explain what each element of the dessert was, but both said they did not know, and that the chef had not yet had a chance to explain the menu to them!   Our waiter had a very shaky wine-pouring hand, and messed some as a result.   His Lithuanian colleague was very professional, and clearly far more experienced.  Julian came to the table regularly, and made a big difference to the service satisfaction.

The total cost of two mains, two desserts, a cappucino, 2 glasses of red wine, 2 glasses of Steenberg Brut and the sparkling water was R 402. 

Waterkloof restaurant, tel 021 858 1491, off Sir Lowry Village Road, Somerset West,  www.waterkloofwines.co.za

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Franschhoek will be hosting the third annual ‘Magic of Bubbles’ Cap Classique and Champagne Festival at the Huguenot Monument from 4 - 6 December, sponsored by Investec, allowing bubbly lovers to taste the best of both French and South African sparkling wines.

The imported bubbly brands represented at the Festival will be Billecart Salmon, Joseph Perrier, and Laurent Perrier, while local brands are Avondale, Bon Courage, Boschendal, Bramon, Cape Chamonix, Colmant, Dieu Donne, Du Preez,  Genevieve Mcc, Graham Beck, Groote Post,  JC le Roux, Krone, Hout Bay Vineyards, Kumkani, La Motte, L’Avenir, Morena, Morgenhof, Nitida, Pierre Jourdan, Seidelberg, Silverthorn, Simonsig, Steenberg, Topiary, Villiera, Weltevrede and Woolworths.

Not only will the visitors taste the best of bubbly, but they will also be able to taste delicacies of the Franschhoek restaurants, which include Cafe Allee Bleue, Dieu Donne, Haute Cabriere, La Petite Ferme, Le Franschhoek, L’Ermitage, Mange Toute, Monneaux, Grande Provence, and Salmon Bar.

Tickets cost R 180 for a tasting glass and 10 tasting coupons, and can be booked at www.webtickets.co.za.  The dress code for the Festival is ‘white with a touch of black’.   The Festival runs from 18h00 - 22h00 on 4 December, and from 12h00 - 18h00 on 5 and 6 December.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

The 2010 Eat Out magazine lists five pages of “10 of the best….” restaurants, many of these not being on the top 10 restaurant list.

The best restaurant sommelier list includes The Atlantic Grill, Azure, Catharina’s, Delaire Graff (interesting that the restaurant is included, only being 6 months old), Hartford House, Jardine, Ritrovo, Roots, Rust en Vrede and Signal.

The 10 best cheese platters are to be found, amongst others, at Caveau, Cotage Fromage, Hartford House, Mosaic, The Saxony and Zacharay’s.

The 10 best bathroom list includes Catharina’s, Grand Provence, maze, and Roots.  Missing from this list, it is believed, is the bathrooms of Delaire Graff, the cleanest and best smelling cloakrooms ever experienced.

Best value for money restaurants include Bellini’s, Sinn’s, Societi Bistro, and Pronto.

Some of the best bread boards are to be found at Cape Atlantic at the Table Bay Hotel, The Food Barn, Ile de Pain, Jardine, Manna, maze, Reuben’s, and The Saxon.

The top desserts are the Grand Marnier souffle at The Green House, the ginger and pistachio cake at La Petite Ferme, the chocolate mousse at Overture, and the strawberry vacherin at Terroir.

The best service comes from Rust en Vrede, Auberge Michel, Aubergine, Grande Provence, Cape Colony, Fyndraai, Mosaic, and Roots, amongst others.

The best tea and cake are served at the Mount Nelson, Cape Grace, Myatt, The Cellars Hohenhort, The Saxon, The Westcliff, The Twelve Apostles and the Vista Bar.

The restaurants with the best view include Buitenverwachting, Delaire Graff, Dieu Donne, Harbour House, La Vierge, Overture, Salt, and Tokara.

The best coffees are served at Doppio Zero, Miss K, and Ritrovo.   The best winelists and cellars include the following restaurants: Buitenverwachting, The Greenhouse, Linger Longer, maze, Mosaic, Ritrovo, Roots, Sands at The Plettenberg, and Zachary’s.

The “restaurants that buzz” include Caveau, Olympia Cafe’ and Pronto.  

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

An unlucky restaurant location for the Cape Town branch of Bouillabaisse, and new sister restaurant Crepe Suzette, in the Rockwell Centre in De Waterkant in Cape Town, in what was meant to have become Conrad Gallagher’s Epicurean Gourmet Market before he fled the country with huge debts, resulted in both the restaurants closing down in September.  These restaurants have fused, and have just opened as Camil’s Restaurant, ironically in the previous location of Gallagher’s Geisha Wok in the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel on Main Road in Green Point.   Whilst now fused into one restaurant, a creperie menu and an a la carte menu will be offered to all patrons.   Camil and Ingrid Haas are to run the operational side of the restaurant, while the new partner Jochen Buechel, previous owner of the Place on the Bay in Camps Bay, will look after the marketing of the restaurant.   It is bold to close two restaurant brands which were marketed jointly, off the base of the respected Bouillabaisse brand in Franschhoek, and to start from scratch with the new Camil’s brand.   A review of Camil’s will follow.

A new “Caffe”, which opened five weeks ago, is L’Aperitivo, a wine and cocktail bar that serves breakfast, and light lunches and dinners from “9h00 till late”, the sign on the door says.  Owners Andrea Gargiulo (Italian) and Stef Rau (Swiss) are charming hosts.  They met two years ago, on a cruise liner, and fell in love with Cape Town.   Before setting up their restaurant, they ran the Primi Piatti in the V&A Waterfront for two years.  It is located next door to the Bang Bang Club, a favoured haunt of teenage disco lovers, adding a free bonus to L’Aperitivo patrons, if they enjoy the music and watching the youngsters coming and going from the venue from Wednesdays - Saturdays.   The food menu is written onto a blackboard: the base Insalata L’Aperitivo costs R 30, and R 40 when tuna or chicken mayonnaise are added, and R 55 if salmon is added.   The Frittata costs R 40, the Chicken Parmigiana and a salad (just some green leaves) R 55, Roast Beef with baby potatoes and salad costs R 58, and sandwiches R 45.   For dessert the choices were an Affogato at R 22 and half a pineapple and ice cream at R 25.   Every day fresh ingredients are bought, and the menu changed to reflect what is available.   L’Aperitivo only stocks the very good Glen Carlou wines at the moment, Stef having a close relationship with the Swiss owner Hess.  They plan to offer 30 - 40 wines-by-the-glass, a commendable goal (Stef used to work at Belthezar, known for its wide selection of wines-by-the-glass).    Andrea was previously a ‘mixologist’, he says, a cool word for a barman!    His favourite restaurant is Aubergine.   L’Aperitivo stands for fresh quality food, and good and prompt service.  An ordered take-away Parma ham and brie roll turned out to be a salami roll when opened, a disappointment in an otherwise good experience!  Its brochure states: “L’Aperitivo is a Wine & Cocktail Bar with a Caffe providing a variety of freshly produced food, and which encapsulates a European style of life.   Enjoy the gathering of like-minded people to understand the way of life.   The setting is intimate, comfortable and relaxing, to ensure you enjoy your stay at whatever time you visit L’Aperitivo”.   L’Aperitivo, 70 Loop Street, tel 076 574 1805/082 898 7079.   Open Mondays - Saturdays.

Vanilla officially opened in the Cape Quarter just over a week ago, to a record crowd of 250 guests, the launch invitation being such a hit that the expected one-third no-show did not happen.   This created a problem for the owners initially in coping with serving the drinks and excellent snacks, but was quickly addressed.   It is a shame that the City of Cape Town cannot get the paving completed outside the main Somerset Road entrance to the Cape Quarter.   In fact, the main entrance to the centre was closed off on Thursday evening, meaning that one would have to find the entrance from the street behind the centre.  Franschhoek chef Matthew Gordon is the consultant chef to Vanilla, while its chef is Evan Coosner, previously with Reubens in Franschhoek and at Ginja.  A review of Vanilla is to follow.

The Grand Cafe’ branches in Plettenberg Bay and Camps Bay are soon to be joined by a third branch in The Water Club in Granger Bay, adjacent to the V&A Waterfront. 

Franschhoek is set to see the opening of a new bakery and cafe’ in the building which once housed the Franschhoek Tourism Bureau and, more recently, Winelands Experience.  The new La Place Vendome, a stylish center set to open at the entrance to Franschhoek soon, will house another new coffee shop, a deli and food hall, and a champagne bar.

Genot restaurant on Klein Genot wine estate in Franschhoek was relaunched last week, with the owner Angie Diamond taking over the management of the restaurant.   It is beautifully located above the wine cellar, with a view of the vineyards and surrounding Franschhoek mountains when one sits on the terrace outside.  Inside no expense has been spared in the large restaurant space, with lots of chandeliers perhaps making it too bright at night. The restaurant’s model is Baia, a well-known seafood restaurant in the V&A Waterfront, but at far more reasonable pricing.  Angie feels that Franschhoek does not offer its visitors a good selection of fish dishes.  The winelist is restricted with about five choices per variety, one of them being the Klein Genot, where applicable.  The Klein Genot Shiraz is the lowest priced, at R 158 per bottle, but is still very young, being a 2007 vintage.   The chefs come from Malawi, Mocambique and Zimbabwe, and they add an African feel to dishes, Angie says.   Eleven starters are priced from R 38 (chicken livers, sardines) to R 58 (mussels, and a delicious prawn cocktail), with oysters costing R 18 each.   Five salads (Caprese, Greek, etc) cost about R 48 and three soup choices are also offered, at R 48.   Eight seafood main courses range in price from R 78 for the calamari to R 228 for a seafood platter, and include two kingklip dishes.  The baby kingklip was huge, and came on the bone, which re-created an old childhood fear of bones. The restaurant would have filleted it, had one requested it.  Steaks cost R 138 for a 500 gram fillet, and R 78 for a stuffed chicken dish.  Eight desserts (excellent Pavlova being one of them) cost R 48 each.   On weekend nights live music will be offered, and a Frank Sinatra interpretor Andre Ahlers entertained the fully booked restaurant.   It was a pleasure to meet a fellow Twitterer @MarcKatzy, who came over to introduce himself.   Genot, Klein Genot estate, Franschhoek, tel 021 876-2738, www.kleingenot.com

Rust & Vrede has just been named the best Restaurant of all wine regions in the world, in the 2010 Best of Wine Tourism Awards, organised by the Great Wine Capitals Global Wine Network.  It was lauded for its “welcoming, top quality restaurant”.  It is the only South African entry to have won an accolade.   Will it become South Africa’s Top restaurant of the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards, presented on 22 November?

Steenberg Winery is opening a new restaurant this week, called Bistro Sixteen82, serving breakfast, lunch and tapas seven days a week, its ad says.   Reservations tel 021 713 2211.  

Beefcakes is a new restaurant with a large space on Somerset Road in Green Point, close to Limnos.  It is clearly set to cater for hungry soccer fans when they walk along Somerset Road to and from the Cape Town Stadium for the 2010 World Cup!

Ginja has made the move into its new premises at the previous Nova/Relish location, at the start of New Church Street.  Chef Chris Erasmus and executive chef Michael Bassett run the restaurant, which now also serves lunches.

Bukhara has re-opened in its Burg Street location in Cape Town, after a fire necessitated a renovation lasting about three months.   “Bukhara Cape Town is proud to announce the opening of their new look restaurant”, its ad says.    Tel 021 424-0000.

Doppio Zero has a special Breakfast offer of R 35 for a cooked breakfast, or fruit and yoghurt, with toast and a cappuccino or a fruit juice, at its Main Road, Green Point branch, from Mondays to Fridays.  Tel 021 434-9581, www.doppio.co.za

Clos Malverne wine estate is one of a number of wine estates to open a restaurant this month (George Jardine opens The Restaurant at Jordan next week).  The restaurant opened last week on the Stellenbosch Devon Valley estate, simply called “The Restaurant”.   It offers a choice of five starters, ranging from R 39 - R 44, seven main courses, ranging in price from R 89 - R 98, and four desserts, at R 35 - R39.  The ad refers to the restaurant as follows: “…this Contemporary South African cuisine style restaurant will truly tantalize your taste buds”.   The Restaurant is open on Tuesdays - Sundays for lunch only. Tel 021 865-2022.

Reuben’s in Robertson was a refreshing pit stop on a trip to Plettenberg Bay last week.   The 30-seater restaurant is located in the 10-bedroom Small Robertson Hotel, a beautifully renovated historical building creating an oasis in an otherwise dreary town.    The staff at all levels were extremely friendly.   The menu design is the same as that of the Reuben’s Franschhoek branch, but the menu items differ vastly.   Four starters range in price from R 58 for a salad of beetroot and goat’s cheese to R 70 for salmon sashimi.   Five main courses start with R 78 for a gnocchi, to R 135 for the veal fillet.  Two cheese courses are offered, at around R 65, and four desserts range in price from R 30 - R 62.   Whilst our party of four loved our food and the good service, one was left with a feeling that the prices may be too high for a small town restaurant, no matter how good it is, and that its menu may not be appropriate for someone wanting a good light lunch, having a further 2 - 4 hours to travel to the Garden Route or to Cape Town.   As per the Reuben’s menu in Franschhoek, the menu lists Reuben Riffel as the Concept Chef.  The Reuben’s Robertson team are Aviv Liebenberg as the Executive Chef, and Christien van der Westhuizen as the Pastry Chef.  An interesting feature of the menu not seen on the Franschhoek menu is a listing of the suppliers of the fruit and vegetable, dairy and olive products, and the pork (including Happy Hog!).   Reuben’s Robertson is located at 58 Van Reenen Street, tel 023 626 7200. www.therobertsonsmallhotel.com.  

Reuben Riffel has been a Brand Ambassador for South African Tourism, in its campaign on CNN.   Erstwhile Top 10 chef Richard Carstens is said to be cooking at Reuben’s in Franschhoek.  Recently he was helping out at Roots restaurant in Gauteng, after Nova closed down.

Alle’e Bleue in Franschhoek has a new surprise every few weeks, and the latest is its menu for its beer garden adjacent to the picnic area at the bottom end of the wine estate.   One can order Paulaner beer and a spinach and smoked chicken salad, a quiche and salad, a Swiss sausage salad or a local cheese platter, at prices ranging from R 45 - R 59.  It hosted its first sushi/wine pairing dinner on Friday, and its first High Tea yesterday.

Grande Provence received a rave review in the Weekend Australian last month, journalist Susan Kurosawa describing it as the “best restaurant in South Africa’s winelands”.    She makes one odd comment about the Grand Provence menu: “The menu is seasonal but, for this being South Africa, expect cute wildlife to be involved. …..  I can’t pronounce much of it, let alone countenance eating Bambi’s relatives”!

Allora in Franschhoek, an Italian restaurant that is part of a chain with a number of branches in Johannesburg, has introduced a restaurant booking incentive called the Allora Miles Program.   The Allora Miles Card will be handed to accommodation staff, and they will receive points each time they make a booking for guests (who arrive!).   Prizes are awarded on the basis of points accumulated, and include airtime and Allora vouchers, vouchers for shopping at Woolworths and Pick ‘n Pay, and electrical appliances.   Feedback supplied to the restaurant is that the incentive programme is ‘too Johannesburg-like’ to be a success in Franschhoek.

Col’cacchio Pizzeria makes delicious pizzas (in Camps Bay at least), and all eight branches in the greater Cape Town area, including Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, are offering a special “Mix & Match” lunch offer, with two courses on the lunch menu for R 99 on Mondays - Thursdays, between 12h00 - 17h00.

Baraza in Camps Bay is to relaunch itself next week as Sapphire.

Nando’s, South Africa’s most creative chicken restaurant chain, is turning up the heat in Turkey, when it opened its first branch in Istanbul last week, reports the Hurriyet Daily News of Turkey.   The company aims to open 60 Nando’s in Turkey, to add to its total of 850 restaurants in 26 countries.  Known for its sharp marketing and cheeky advertising campaigns in South Africa, the Nando’s co-founder Robert Brozin said at the Istanbul opening: “I think that we are representing our leader Nelson Mandela with our restaurants.  Nando’s is like a messenger of South Africa.   With each new restaurant that Nando’s launches in other countries, Mandela sends a signed letter to us”!   Nando’s in Knysna has just closed down, reports CX Express.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

This week marks the official launch of two competing but neighbouring restaurants in the new Cape Quarter extension on Somerset Road in De Waterkant.   Cru Cafe’ (see review here) has been open since the beginning of the month, but celebrated its launch on Tuesday.  Vanilla has also opened, and its launch evening is on Friday.   In general, these are the two ’serious’ restaurants in this new lifestyle centre, that is set to take off as Capetonians discover its unique combination of high quality shops.   Lazari is a restaurant that disappointed on a first visit, with a shrieking pink interior, and the restaurant staff and the patrons being unsure as to which of their two terraces are for smokers and non-smokers!   The visible food preparation area when one enters the restaurant is enough to put one off from entering and sitting down!

This week saw the opening of the long-awaited Crepe et Cidre in Franschhoek, near Huguenot Fine Chocolates.  It belongs to Robert Maingard, the largest hospitality owner in the village, also owning Le Franschhoek, and Dieu Donne, and he is also set to open a sports bar in the old station building soon.  He is opening two further restaurants in Franschhoek, on opposite sides of the main road, when he completes the malls next year, one being on the current Pick ‘n Pay site and the other on the site where the Huguenot Hotel was located.   Crepe et Cidre will be run by Gerhard van Staden, previously chef of the Le Franschhoek.  The creperie has “imported” Yann Guyonvarch from Brittany in France to train the staff in crepe-making.  His true French accent is a delight, but his stay will be a short 2 weeks.  Imported French cider is served.

At La Brasserie in Franschhoek, the Friday jazz evenings will start again tomorrow (30 October), and the opening session will be dedicated to the launch of a CD ‘Tribute to Alex van Heerden’, who played with the Cape Dutch Connection, and passed away tragically.

In Hermanus the new Hermanos restaurant has opened in the building in which Joubert restaurant operated before closing down earlier this year, with a new chef and owner Wayne Spencer.  He was originally the Executive Chef at Birkenhead House in Hermanus, and at Phinda Game Reserve, and worked at the Michelin-starred Port Palace in Monaco.   He says of his new restaurant that it is fine-dining but that it is not intimidating, and he will not place a lot of emphasis on plating the food.  He intends to come out of the kitchen, to chat to his guests, which is commendable - too few chefs do so.   The menu is small, with 5 starters (R36 - 48), 7 mains (R68 - R 110), and 4 desserts (ranging betwen R 30 - R 40), and sounds interesting. The winelist is more extensive, and is very proudly-Hermanus.  The restaurant is open Mondays to Saturdays for dinner only initially, and can be booked at tel 028 313-1916.  

The Seafood at The Marine restaurant in Hermanus was a pleasant surprise earlier this week, when the most delicious kingklip was served.  The restaurant offers a choice of two courses at R 180 and 3 courses cost R 215.   A number of irritations on arrival - struggling to find the booking on the reservation list and a wobbly table - were sorted out when addressed, and the Relais & Chateaux crested butter arrived rock hard, so much so that it was unspreadable.  The restaurant has no ambiance, it being too brightly lit and it not having any attempt at a decor focus.  But the food cooks, and the hand of Executive Chef Peter Tempelhoff, a previous Eat Out Top Ten chef whilst at Grande Provence, is evident.  The biggest surprise was the presentation of three scoops of ice cream on a block of ice, serving a functional as well as an aesthetic role.   The whale-shaped biscuit served with the coffee, whilst not new, remains a cute and clever touch.   The service is friendly and willing, and a miscommunication between the waiter and the kitchen was quickly rectified.   No senior management was visible all evening.   The cloakrooms are most disappointing for a five-star hotel, and the owner Liz McGrath would do well to invest some monies in upgrading these at The Marine.

The speculation in a previous WhaleTales blog post that Ginja is to move to New Church Street (between Buitengracht and Kloofnek Roads), into the previous Relish and Nova restaurant space, has been confirmed by the EatOut website.  “Executive Chef Chris Erasmus will continue the Ginja legacy with his playful take on gastronomy, abundant with colour, texture and taste - using the finest local produce”, the website says. 

Allee Bleue in Franschhoek is hosting its first Sushi and wine-pairing evening on Friday 6 November, at R 195, with a miso soup and tempura prawn starter, and five main sushi courses, each paired with a different Allee Bleue wine.   The dessert is a green tea brulee.  Chef Dane Newton, previously at Chamonix, is known in Franschhoek for his sushi.    In addition to Allee Bleue’s Bistro, the new Winetasting Courtyard 5-item menu, and the scrumptious picnic baskets, a small beer garden menu is also available to be enjoyed with the Paulaner draught beer served at the lower end of the estate.

Jordan wine estate is opening its The Restaurant at Jordan on 21 November.   The e-mail sent to announce the opening looks amateurish, and is an instant turn-off, as one is asked to commit to the food one would like to eat on that day, and the exact time slot in which one would like to eat it in.  Payment must also be done by bank transfer prior to arrival.  For a weekend treat, a visit to a wine estate is enjoyed in leisurely fashion, without being so prescriptive!  George Jardine of Jardine is the new chef of the country restaurant.

Cafe’ Sofia is boldly advertising its seven branches (Green Point, Camps Bay, Sea Point, Rondebosch, Gardens, Greenside and Blouberg) in a striking half-page advertisement: “Come and experience our new 2010 menu, the best breakfast in town or Happy Hour Cocktails.  You may be in for a surprise”.  The Happy Hour cocktails are priced at R 25 for cocktails and R 15 for beer on tap between 17h00 - 19h00, while breakfasts range from R 19 - R 29. 

It was a food book launch week last week, with“Franschhoek Food”, written by Myrna Robbins, featuring the main chefs of Franschhoek’s restaurants, and some of their favourite restaurant menu recipes, as well as wine pairing suggestions.   “South Africa On a Plate” was also launched, a book featuring restaurants that deduct R 5 off the patron’s bill to go toward the Streetsmart charity.   A three-course dinner suggestion, with the recipes, is featured for each restaurant.   Grande Provence, Cafe’ 1999, Jewel of India, Auberge Michel, Ginga, Haiku, Rust en Vrede, Jardine, La Colombe, Ninth Avenue Bistro, Myoga, Mosaic, Bosman’s, Hartford House, Roots, The Saxon, Ile Maurice, and Terroir are some of the restaurants included in the book.   The inspiration for the book comes from Jess Meredith-Watts and his fiance’ Louise, who were touched by beggars on the streets, and felt that they could make a difference, by giving all the profits of the book sales to the Streetsmart charity.   More details about the book are available here.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com

A new coffee table book, called “Franschhoek Food” and written by Myrna Robbins, was launched in Franschhoek earlier this week.

Focusing on top Franschhoek restaurants, including Reubens, Haute Cabriere, Grande Provence, Bouillabaisse, La Residence, Genot and Dieu Donne, a number of recipes of each restaurant are included in the book.   Each dish also has wine pairing suggestions.  

Myrna Robbins is a wine writer for the Weekend Argus, started the Cape Town Slow Food Convivium, has published five other books, and contributes to ‘Fodor’s Guide to Southern Africa’.

“Franschhoek Food” is published by Random Struik and costs R 340.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com

Franschhoek is saluting spring and celebrating its wine wealth with its third annual Franschhoek Uncorked festival this weekend.  Instead of celebrating the best Franschhoek has to offer in one central venue in the heart of the village, 24 of the village’s best wine estates are inviting winelovers to visit the wine estates.  Each participating wine estate is offering something unusual for the weekend.

So, for example, L’Omarins, Rickety Bridge, La Bri and Glenwood are each laying on boules courts; Lynx Wines will offer live flamenco music; Mont Rochelle offers a fun photo session with barrels, bottles and wine props; Plaisir de Merle will serve their yummy crepes for the third year running; Rickety Bridge is serving gourmet picnics and helicopter flips;  Topiary Wines are serving sandwiches, curry, and other treats from Cafe’ Bon Bon; Vrede & Lust is launching its new Mocholate Malbec Wine Blending competition;   Alle’e Bleue is offering a sushi demo and the Sterling Electric Quartet will perform on Saturday evening; Boekenhoutskloof will offer a barbeque prepared by Reuben’s; at Cabriere one can see Achim von Arnim’s art collection, and compete in the Pierre Jourdan Strongest Throwing Arm Competition; Chamonix has a French style “Marche’ de Bourgogne” at Mon Plasir restaurant, with French treats such as terrines, snails, puff pastries, cheeses and breads for sale;  Dieu Donne’ offers a jazz band;   Graham Beck is serving sushi and oysters; Grande Provence offers an art exhibition by Jenny Groenewald; La Bri is having a snoek-braai;  La Brasserie goes ‘Uncorked and Unplugged’ on Friday evening; and La Motte serves Claude Bolling’s classical jazz on both evenings, 

Winetasting tickets cost R 60 each, and can be bought at Vrede & Lust (at the Simondium end of Franschhoek), at the Tourism Bureau (Info Centre) on Huguenot Road in Franschhoek, or online at www.webtickets.co.za.   The ticket allows unlimited access to all the participating wine estates.  More details and the full programme are available on www.franschhoek.org.za. 

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com