The Spice Route's new offering from Bertus Basson

Any restaurant that has their tannie's apple pie and custard permanently on the menu is ok with me. Introducing Bertus Basson's new spot, aptly named after himself at the well known and loved Spice Route in Paarl.

We know Bertus for his respected judging on the tv series Ultimate Braai Master and indeed for his beautiful and award winning first dining establishment Overture, in the scenic Hidden Valley in Stellenbosch.

At Overture Bertus is a Chef, fine cuisine à la mode with a garnish on top. Food so picturesque it will have you weeping into your napkin at the notion of having to ruin the beauty on the plate before you. Actually eating them brings the smile right back though. You can read my article about that fine experience here. 

At the Spice Route – Bertus Basson is very much a cook, in his natural habitat - this Afrikaans kitchen wizard is all about flavour, quality traditional ingredients with family and friends around the table. The restaurant is clean and light, the décor is thanks to his wife Mareli.

Kids run for their lives and befriend others on the grassy area alongside the restaurant and parents cheers to having them close enough to keep a beady eye on but far enough that they can enjoy a glass of vino.

Through his menu he pays homage to his roots, a glorious synthesis of South African heritage kos and modern tweaks bringing old favourites to life, out of the school canteen and onto the lush lawns of the truly beautiful al fresco dining area at the Spice Route.

On the menu you'll find the much loved boere salad; now bear in mind this is all good rib-sticking food and even the salad is seriously substantial so don't bother if you are watching your waist line – this is proper food and in any case you certainly won't be needing dinner after a lunch here.

Back to the boere salad, this starter includes everything but the kitchen sink, think cos lettuce, parmesan, home cured biltong, toasted nutty seeds, anchovies and a creamy rich dressing topped with crunchy crostini. “I'll have the salad please” - sounding ever so angelic and virtuous but knowing full well the concoction I was in for – my other half had the utterly luscious chicken liver parfait with three slices of soft sweet toasted Mosbolletjie with an onion caraway jam. Totally delicious and frankly with another glass of Spice Route wine we could have gone straight to dessert. But I am not a quitter.

Mains included rump with a lentil hot pot, a vegetarian sauteed gnocchi with cauliflower and lamb bobotie with cumin yoghurt but we went for the beautiful Weskus herb crusted sole with squid and chorizo and the gorgous CBC beer braised pork belly, crackling and sweet carrots. Chips and braai sout on the side - carpe diem and all that. Hearty grub with small touches that scream flavour at an otherwise relatively normal dish.

At this point two puddings normally always ensue but today it was just the one, as much as this pained me – the dessert menu was triumphant and next time we must take three friends with so I can get my spoon in their desserts too.

Somehow we resisted the famous Tannie Hetta`s apple pie, custard and vanilla ice cream and went for the warm pampoen tert with salted caramel nuts, cinnamon chantilly cream and a rich dark chocolate ice cream, the plate was clean before the coffees came; let's just put it like that. The ginger sago pudding caught my eye with orange and caramel ice cream and the burnt Italian meringue lemon tart also looked pretty damn good.

There is nothing on the menu that we would not have been happy to eat and I really mean that. What a brilliant addition to an already buzzing venue, full of life and people who love good food, beer, wine and even chocolate. Pack the family up and get en route to this utter flavour destination.

One night in Jordan

You may be (quite rightly) warned against judging a book by its cover, but you can certainly judge a restaurant by its bread board. Flair and creativity can be streamlined directly into this un-plated course; the first edible chefs creations we see after sitting down at a table. This is the foremost opportunity to incite excitement and anticipation in your diners. If the bread is plain and simple, then it better be freshly baked with some local butter. If it's a stale old government loaf in a basket then you must know whatever's coming next is likely to be equally lacklustre.

The opposite of lacklustre is the mighty fine bread board at Jordan. Consisting of (banters eat your heart out) non bread item crisp crunchy crackling, alongside (all baked on site) seeded loaf, vetkoeks and mini ciabattas, served with spicy floral nasturtium pesto, garlicky aioli and honeyed parsnip puree with crunchy nutty pumpkin seeds. Silence followed.

Jordan Restaurant at the awe-inspiring Jordan Wine Estatehardly needs bread to define it – but Head Chef George Jardine is a baker and runs the Jordan bakery when he is away from the pumping restaurant with its finely tuned dishes. It was the bread board at a dinner at Jordan which took us to second gear and enlightened us to just how serious George is about food and how exciting tastes, flavours and textures can be – this ain’t just food for living, this is undoubtedly living for food. 

Local, seasonal produce? Check. Paired with wines, grown on the estate? Check. Slick service? Check. Outstanding views? Check. 

The only thing this estate was lacking, was the pompous heirs and graces you may often find at such fine estates and restaurants. Inside voices be gone, my laughter need not be reigned in here. Relaxed vibes all round, from the restaurant to the bakery, wine tasting deck and al fresco lawns.
 

 

The late autmn visit meant cosy knitwear and full bodied Shiraz for us and we weren't complaining. 

 

In addition to Jordan's offerings, they have just added 13 luxury suites to the property – showcased in March this year – these suites are the figs to our jam and make this venue complete. A day here is just not enough and waking up here is a thing of beauty. Being slightly off the beaten track outside the town of Stellenbosch means quiet misty mornings with only birds tweeting in the air.
 

The absolute pinnacle of relaxation, the stoeps outside the luxury suite we had the pleasure of staying in was metres away from the deep green and burgundy autumnal vineyards, a sight which will have you staring in silence as it lights up under the sun, golden – almost glowing like a fire and hypnotising us. Inside the suites is everything you could possibly need, an extra length King sized bed, a free standing bath alongside the shower, wi-fi, a large TV, fireplace and coffee machine. 

 

Visiting Jordan – there are too many beautiful sights and tasty eats to go home after an afternoon. With the bakery doing its thing all day long, the wine tasting is an absolute must, showcasing some of SA's finest wines and the awards to prove it. Jordan restaurant is a four course affair, an affordable fine dining experience that you should sit back, relax and just enjoy the culinary journey.
 

At R380 for your four courses and R190 for an additional wine pairing.

 

To give you an idea of dishes that feature on the menu, I started with a rich orange butternut veloute, baby beets, roast buffalo mozarella balls with a basil puff bread and parmesan shavings. Rich, warm, sweet, salty, velvety and crunchy. Paired with the Jordan 'Real McCoy Riesling' things were getting better with every bite. Changing from white to red wine for my main, I enjoyed the smoky Syrah, Jordan's 2012 'The Prospector' and boy did it go down well with the double herbed springbok loin, rare and sliced thinly with butter poached turnip sauce, roasted pear and walnuts. 

 

For afters, many chose a trip to the cheese room which showcases many artisanal Cape farm cheeses paired with Jordan preserves and breads – all of which I could see were demolished leaving barely any crumbs. My sweet tooth led me to the famous honey and poppy seed souffle – and stealing spoons of the guava mille feuille alongside me with the most ludicrously good caramelised chocoalte ice cream. 

 

A spectacular, laid back and wondrous estate, if you have not visited Jordan you really should. After another spectacular meal from My Jardin in the form of smoked trout and scrambled eggs in the Bakery we trekked up through the vineyards and meandered our way down through the vines, often visited by one of the farm border collies and took in the sunny autumn rays before checking out but not quite leaving. A wine tasting on the patio in front of the lush green lawns had to happen, buying some Jordan Estate bottles for the wine rack to crack open in a few years time as well as to remind us of a brilliant visit and yet another reason we are thankful to live in such a bountiful region.

Ryan's Kitchen in Franschhoek

I love surprises. Almost as much as I love food. The ultimate weekend trip for me is a day out in the beautiful winelands with some good food, good company and maybe a glass or two of the grown up grape juice. An unscheduled visit to Ryan's Kitchen in Franschhoek on the picturesque main road turned out to be the most pleasant surprise. Every bite had me wide-eyed with delight.

Ryan's Kitchen recently moved to it's current location. It was given a make-over which included a redesign of the menu which now comprises lots of 'small plates'.

This theme is certainly one we’ve seen popping up all over the foodie scene at the moment as food becomes even more social and sharing dishes is the flavour of the day. The menu even states 'when ordering, think “we” and not “I”'.

When it came to ordering my mind was racing, reading through all the different dishes with their exciting combinations but then a wave of relief came over me when I realised so many of these dishes did not have to go untouched, untasted. This new menu style completely eliminates the need to choose one out of many. Now, you can have it all! Food envy is a thing of the past.

Lana, Ryan’s wife and front-of-house manager suggested between seven and nine plates to share and we greedily agreed. We chose a few from each section of the menu, which is divided into 'salad and vegetables', 'fish and shellfish' and 'meat and poultry' so we could see what Ryan was getting at. The artisanal bread box came first as did the waft of fresh warm breads served with citrus pepper butter and earthy hummus. Beautiful presentation in a box with a different types of bread in each drawer. If this was in lieu of the normal roll in a basket we figured we were in for something unforgettable and we were spot on.

Our first dish was a simple sounding grilled goat cheese, apple and fennel salad and granita. This dish made us both laugh out loud it was so good and simultaneously we felt foolish for never having combined these flavours before. The warm salty cheese with the tangy crunch of the apple and the cold green acidic granita was outstanding. This was closely followed by the magical mushroom tapioca 'pudding'. Ryan sautés the tapioca bullets with exotic mushrooms and transforms this childhood nightmare (my granny used to make tapioca) into a fairytale; think risotto with an awesome twist and with a glass of shiraz, nothing can go wrong.

Our fishy options were the tandoori cured cape salmon, tomato and chili "snow-eggs", again literally bursting with flavour, colour and finesse, a big and bold dish. The angelfish, light and moist with a coconut and lemongrass sauce. Both are local and sustainable SASSI friendly fish, transformed by Ryan's obvious adoration for cooking and experimenting with flavour. At this point we were more than impressed, we were actually humbled into silence as we picked every dish apart with our forks.

The duck parfait peri-peri, lemon jelly and green bean chutney was rich yet light, an edible oxymoron I haven't come across before. You have to try it to believe it. These revolutionary dishes should be at the forefront of everyone's minds and tummies.

Eight dishes was certainly enough for us and actually 6 or 7 would have been less gluttonous. Saying that we did sneak in a dessert to share. The chocolate-cardamom marquis with caramel crunch and a spicy poached plum and tart plum ice cream was everything anyone could want from a dessert. Sweet, rich, bitter, tart, spicy, cool and crunchy. I was amazed and I cannot wait to go back, I only wish I had heard about Ryan and his ambrosial kitchen sooner.

The Test Kitchen: All that and then some

Voted as the Best Restaurant in Africa in 2013 is no joke but the food served will make you laugh. Out loud. The whimsical collaboration of far-fetched ingredients come together like a finely tuned orchestra, this is sustenance catapulted into a crazy, outlandish world that I didn't ever want to leave.

“Necessity is the mother of invention” so they say; or at least it was, but times have changed and so has the world of food and dining, I'm not sure how necessary 10 courses is but Luke Dale-Roberts is and who am I to question him.

Luke opened up the Test Kitchen in 2010 and once word got out of his culinary wizardry bookings backed up for months. 'Behind every great man is an even better woman' and this is where Ivor Jones comes into the picture. Mr Jones is no lady but he is Head Chef at the TK and runs this Woodstock eatery like a tight ship, the open plan kitchen leaves very little room for error, there is no dress rehearsal; this is the real deal with an audience of 65 people waiting with baited breath – every night.

Testing out the new Gourmand Menu at the TK this August, I was expecting nothing but the best; I am talking Golden flippin' salt and that's exactly what I got. Served on marbled slates, wooden boards, glass bowls and petri dishes, the creativity doesn't start and end with the food alone. The décor is dark and sexy, industrial with its vintage steel tables yet artisanal with its hand-stitched leather seats. We had the best seats in the house, propped up at the bar, mere inches away from these enchanters, resulting in the chefs themselves leaning over and handing us their art, for them to explain and for us to devour, rolling eyes in ecstasy closely followed by giggling like school children, in amazement.

Although there were stand out dishes and customers' favourites, I can't focus too much on the particular individual dishes because it is ever-changing but it is the creed that The Test Kitchen team lives by. Constant, valiant, innovative creation happens here. Hearts and souls are poured into every component, even the stinging nettles that the chefs and waiting staff delicately handle, (Luke must have a wicked British sense of humour to employ his staff to fondle this disagreeable foliage.)

TK has profound food, yes, it has mystical beauteous interiors – yep, a sommelier and wine list that is quite unique. Teetotallers rejoice, there is TWG Tea pairing matched perfectly to every mouthful. So by the looks of things we already have all the characteristics that define a brilliant restaurant -  but that's not enough for these guys, another dimension is added; we also have theatre.

Luke's mum clearly never told him not to play with his food and I'm glad because he approaches cooking with reckless abandon. One of our fish dishes (yes there was more than one) was cooked in a concrete sphere nogal, star anise and cinnamon smoke delicately licked the fish with its aromatic flavour, our charming waiter brought this stone ball over to our table, opened the lid and the scent from heaven wafted towards us, he smiled and laughed whilst explaining the dish then teetered back to the kitchen where they plated up for us.

The staff and indeed the chefs regularly interact with the diners, showing and explaining certain methods behind their madness adding to the theatrical nature. What I must emphasise is the casual light heartedness of the Test Kitchen. Everyone knows they are creating something that quite frankly could contribute to world peace it's so good but they casually, nonchalantly play their parts, have a good time, smile and enjoy what they do all the whilst keeping the utmost professionalism.

The “Foie Gras Four Trees” was my favourite savoury dish (closely followed by the lamb smiley,)
with Southern flavours of oak, pine, chestnut and maple this was a sweet but earthy dish, there was pear – poached and spice infused, duck (meticulously measured to a 1.2cm slice) and a slither of sweet soft foie gras with a caramelised coating and a deep nutty chestnut purée. Incredible.

My sweet tooth was well and truly satisfied, as our dessert was preceded by our two pre-desserts and all three of these preceded the petit fours to trump all petit fours; think toasted brinjal and black sesame marshmallows with rosemary, rich salty chocolate millionaire’s shortbread, adorned with gold salt flakes and fig pastilles.

For my trio of desserts - namely, 'apple', 'guava' and 'lemon' was the description on the menu, I won't go into too much detail but the 'lemon' was in fact what dressed up to look just like a perfectly poached egg.
Lemon curd is encased in soft Italian meringue and squeezed into a cleaned egg-shell, before being poached and ever so carefully removed and plated up so your faux egg yolk is melting lemon curd. This is served amongst other lemony delights and a thin sheet of golden meringue.

Try the Discovery 5 course menu for R590/R880 with wine pairings or the Gourmand menu for R800/R1250 with wine pairings or R1000 with tea pairings.

Don't leave without trying the pineapple vanilla bean Cosmopolitan cocktail.

Orphanage Cocktail Emporium: A Review

Orphanage Cocktail Emporium opened just a few months ago on what is fast becoming Cape Town’s hippest spot. Humans are social creatures and much like animals to the watering hole, we like to get together and rehydrate.

I am not really a cocktail kind of gal, or at least I wasn't until last night. From the minute Orphanage opened its doors it has been on the lips of every Tom, Dick and Harry, I just had to go and find out what all the fuss was about. If it’s good enough for Gordon Ramsay, it is good enough for me, the infamous British chef spent hours at the bar when he was recently in the mother city sipping his way through the extensive menu of potions and alchemy.

The lighting is low, just as it should be; customers are spilling out onto the pavement, grasping glasses filled with soulful spirits. This is a sophisticated establishment, oozing class with a shot of panache for good measure. The suspender-clad mixologists, lined up behind the bar are no amateurs; they are award winning bartenders, quite literally.

Upstairs is the main bar, with scattered seating, a door at the back leads you downstairs, passed the smoking quarters to the second bar, by the DJ booth, here lies tables used for sit down meals, in particular their weekly supper club soirees, that get packed away when the evening heats up to make room for any debauchery. The vibe is enchanting and the drinks served are seductive and exciting, a far cry from my usual gin and tonic.

We start with the house cocktail, aptly named ‘More Tea Vicar’ served in a little china tea cup but be warned, this is no morning brew. On the silver teaspoon sits a lemon gel, a palate cleanser – of course, to be consumed before the cocktail. The illusion of afternoon tea is playful and unique, adding an indefinable, elusive quality that makes this work night or weekend drink such a special one. 

You want to know what is in the tea-cup? Vanilla infused Ciroc vodka, rooibos syrup, cranberry and lemon, with a sweet foam on top. Unreal. What’s more, R15 of the drink’s cost is donated to the St Francis Children’s home, hence the dubious name. 

There is even a cocktail on the menu containing 22 carat gold leaf, suitably named ‘Great Expectations’. The Orphanage Mojito is not your ordinary mojito, their twisted classics have them using mandarin infused rum and mandarin liqueur for an all together pleasing citrus effect. With over 26 cocktails to choose from, including non-alcoholic options ‘for the viruous’, you should really pull up a chair and order some nibbles.

This drinkery is not about the food but boy is it good; choose from sharing platters or ‘boards of sustenance’, or little plates of food, sharing is caring here and the small portions are deliberate. The truffle chips will change your life as will the hot breaded goats cheese and little lamb buns.

I already want to go back…

The Oddyssey Gastropub: A Review

When pubs were first frequented, very little emphasis was placed on the food – if any at all, you were lucky to get a pack or pork scratching’s with your pint.
Things have changed and the term  ‘gastropub’ we have come to know was devised in the early 90’s, uniting pub culture with fine dining.

Pub grub got a make-over, fine tuning the essentials – tweaking the faithful bangers and mash, fish and chips or Sunday roast to appeal to its new customers. In the 00’s gastropub’s hit America, big time and only last year was the term added to the dictionary. This year, Cape Town’s very first gastropub opened it’s doors for the first time and is a few days shy of it’s 1 month anniversary.

History class over, we can move on to current affairs and social science. Going out is something Capetonians love to do, with many of us living for the weekends.

My new ‘local’ is 199 Bree street in the City Bowl, enter the Oddyssey to find a roaring fire and warm smiles behind the bar which lies opposite several long tables overflowing with chatting, sipping and snacking whilst avidly following the last few minutes of the bokke game.

The menu is exactly what you want from a gastropub, the first section of the menu entitled ‘nibbles’ is exactly that, a few plates of delicious morsels to share with friends. Once you have read your options  on the menu – a meeting may have to be called to debate whether or not to simply order the entire nibbles section and devour that. Having that option is really nice for those informal afternoons that suddenly become evenings, lubricated with hops or grape juice.

We chose the Carpaccio and Chilli Poppers, my parter in dine – claims to be able to judge an establishment on their little stuffed jalapenos and so I take her up on it.  Let’s just say they didn’t live to tell the tale. The carpaccio was out of this world, so flavorful and unexpected. The owner/managers are of Italian descent and the chef is their other cousin, the menu started large and they battled it out to finish with just 6 mains on the menu.  The chicken liver bruschetta was highly recommended but with 3 courses yet to go, I somehow resisted. I had to try the zucchini salad – paper thin slices adorn a plate with a golden crispy parmesan topping, exquisite.

Friends joined our table, glasses in hand and desire in their eyes - they snatch our menus and immediately squabble over who orders what, as we all need to get one of each, no duplicates - so we can all have a bite of everything.  Makes sense, but no, the pork belly from a happy hog prevails, 2 pork belly’s and one calamari are on their way and a starter of ribs has been super-sized to have as a main and the same done with the beetroot goats cheese tart for my waif-like friend.  She assures me she is purely saving room for the brownies that she eagle-eyed on another diner’s plate on the way in.

The evening flew by in a haze of good food, wine and conversation, the benchmark for a good Saturday night out.  We surrendered to the nutty brownies and sticky toffee pudding with slimming ice-cream, of course -  which I must add is the best one we have all ever tasted, hands down.

Next time I am taking an army of friends, as we still have the other half of the menu to get through and I may need some help with the bangers and mash and braised lamb shanks. Who’s in?

The Pot Luck Club: A Review

Woodstock has bombarded its way through to the front of the line of foodie meccas in the Mother City with the opening of the Pot Luck Club at the Old Biscuit Mill.

The Pot Luck Club is the younger, edgier sister of Luke Roberts’ first born; the infamous Test Kitchen, also at the Old Biscuit Mill. 

You travel up in a glass lift as the restaurant is set atop the tallest building in The Old Biscuit Mill. The view of Cape Town is as pretty as a picture. 

To the Irish, a potluck meant a meal with no precise menu, the expression comes from a period when parties of Irish women would congregate and cook dinner together. The women only had one pot, so they cooked the meal together with whatever ingredients they happened to have that day.

Luke doesn’t veer too far from this notion for the Pot Luck Club (or PLC to its regulars) with his ever-changing menu adapted to concord with the season’s produce. Instead of rudimental Irish stew left-overs though, Luke has offerings along the lines of Smoked Beef Fillet with black pepper and truffle café au lait and Pork belly with Luke’s XO dressing, red cabbage and apple slaw. 

The space can seat up to 100 people, boasting its own cocktail bar – it oozes cool but not in a snooty, unattainable manner as you may expect of one of the most talked about concept restaurants in the city. It is warm and welcoming with panoramic views up above the trendy yet utilitarian streets of Woodstock.

All the cooking goes on in the open kitchen which stretches out into the dining area. The chef’s pour their hearts out creating tapas size plates of Luke’s creations to a buzzing restaurant, service after service.  When the eatery winds down, watch them massaging marinades into chicken and prepping for the various stocks and potions accompanying each finely tuned dish.  

We ordered six plates and two desserts to share, the portions aren’t large but you wouldn’t want them to be; this is not a binge, it is a food voyage.  From salty to sweet, sour to bitter to umami, followed by a sweet ending, all your taste buds will be positively tantalized. 

Our Salty choice was the Smoked BBQ Veal Tongue Tostada – soft, smoky and moreish, don’t let the cut put you off. Two dishes from the Sweet section – a match made in heaven of warm sweet figs with chorizo and crispy duck rolls to die for. From Umami it had to be the famous smoked beef fillet with a truffle cream you want to drink.  Sour had to be fish tacos and Thai mussels, fresh and tart and fresh not overpowering. 

Hastily ordering our desserts like impatient children, they arrive swiftly – our orange and miso cheesecake with chocolate pretzel crumbs and quince and almond tart with – wait for it, malted pop corn ice cream.  Hitting your tongue in several places at once, this food was exciting, pioneering but laid-back.

If you are looking for a good night out, try the PLC, I dare you. Vibey, with delicious wine, even better food and cooler than cool surroundings – join the club, the Pot Luck Club.

*Photo by Michael le Grange

Societi Brasserie: A Review

Winter is fast approaching and the novelty of being cosy, wearing layers and drinking wine by the fire is all too alluring.

Societi Brasserie is the epitome of a bistro restaurant. Big wooden tables, copper pots hanging as decoration, clinking glasses, laughter and heady aromas wafting amongst the tables of diners.

Nestled between Tokai and Constantia, this local neighbourhood eatery is the younger sister of Societi Bistro in the CBD. The emphasis is placed on small local artisanal producers and this is obvious by their selective menu. A sizeable menu always makes me worry about how many of their dishes are coming from the freezer and store cupboard. Do not fret though, Societi’s menu is adapted seasonally by executive chef Stéfan Marais.

Separate to the usual courses one has to choose from is the ‘small plates from the counter’ menu.

We settled on one, somehow managing to pass up their mini cheesy calzones with apple chutney. We went for the free range Scotch Egg with smoked paprika aioli. So good. A meltingly orange yolk encased in a salty sausage meat case with crispy breadcrumbs alongside the smokiest homemade paprika mayo. Outstanding. I have never seen a Scotch Egg in South Africa.

For starters we decided upon squid with chilli and mint and mussels with cream and sauvignon with garlic; both fantastic choices but my eyes did wander off to other plates in the room, I won’t lie. The French Onion Soup, in particular - which I will be ordering next time with its golden, cheesy floating island is one of the more popular starters. I could see and smell just why.

The selection of pizzas is ridiculous, good ridiculous though, with options from farmed salmon trout with capers, crème fraiche, avo, rocket to spicy pulled barbeque pork with a smoky coleslaw. Hungry yet? Thought so…

Mains consisted of Yellowtail with polenta and salad but the winning order, which was not mine, unfortunately was the salty smoky duck breast served with spinach and creamy mash partnered with the perfect, not too sweet, not too tart cherry sauce, my partner went so far as to give it a 10/10.

If you are in the business for some honest, hearty grub, and by hearty grub I mean pasta, pizza, risotto’s and a roast lunch on the weekend then this brasserie is just what the doctor ordered.

Don Pedro's & All His Wives: A Review

A beloved Cape Town institution since 1991, Don Pedro’s Pizza parlour has long been the favoured hang-out for Woodstock locals, the theatre and art crowds as well as the city’s nocturnal restaurant staff.
'Til Madame Zingara came along, that is, one waggle of her magic wand and Don Pedro's was transformed into yet another prodigy child of the Zingara empire.  Don Pedro’s has the typical Madame Z flare with props adorning the walls both in and out of the restaurant, the outer walls are strewn with old photographs of how Woodstock used to look next to the rather lovely ‘community watchman’ keeping a beady eye on the neighbourhood.

 Inside there is heavy velvet curtains, signature larger than life bouquets, and candle-lit tables. The Piano is used on both Mondays and Tuesdays for some background music and the stage is habituated from Wednesday – Saturday at 8:30pm by the glorious Miss Dotty, diamonds and all belting out some old hits that you will find yourself singing along to, voluntarily – or otherwise. The food is spectacular, the Chef Mark - recently moved over here from sunny Scotland and has put his Scots signature on the menu. Quite frankly, I was not ready to hear the specials as I was already battling to choose from the menu but they were really something special.

 

 In addition to the weekly specials, the menu has entrees, mains and deserts as well as a smaller light meals menu, consisting of guilty pleasures like Fish and Chips, Nachos Grande, Chilli Poppers, Salt and Pepper Squid, The Royale Caesar Salad and a Classic Chicken Burger. Hungry, yet? The main menu is more sophisticated fare, not that anything is wrong with a well done fish and chips, but I am talking jus’s and garnishes here, all the good stuff!

Amongst the starters, we chose the sesame and soya glazed duck livers, served with a plum sauce and berries with crispy potato skins, wow, it was truly amazing, texture and flavour dimensions – it had it all, really something special, if you like duck, you will love this. We also went for the weekly special for the other starter, The breaded hen’s egg, a poached egg rolled in breadcrumbs on a parmesan shortbread disk, with roasted butternut cubes and rocket on the side with a glorious sauce. Shortbread? You say, with egg? I dunno about that, you say. Well neither did I and that is why I chose it, and boy am I glad I did, it worked so well, light but tasty and the egg was perfectly cooked, the yolk with the parmesan crunchy base was a real treat together.

 Moving on to our main course, after chatting with Mark and asking what his favourite things are on the menu, he does not hesitate to tell us the specials, of course as well as the fillet which has been dancing around in my mind since I first spotted it on the menu. I decided oh so virtuously on the line fish special, beautiful kinglip on a bed of spinach with balsamic glazed tomatoes, marquis potatoes and wait for it, a heady, scented truffle hollandaise sauce. By golly, light but flavourful with a rich earthy sauce, not to mention exquisitely presented.

Desert for us was not even necessary after our two, flawless first courses, but the chef insisted we try his version of a baked alaska, cold ice cream on a shortbread base encased in a hot Italian meringue on a berry coulis. One word, speechless.

 

 Don Pedro’s is not a quick feed for mere sustenance. It is a full on dining experience of note, the service is top notch which is aided by the fact it is not a large restaurant – cosy and full of character, great vibe and exquisite food, we will be going back, undoubtedly, maybe even for the duck special on Mondays. Over and out.


Monday- Tuesday : Pianist, creating a laid-back evening.
Wed-Sat: The gorgeous "Miss Dotty", former member of The Original Tons who wowed audiences for years at the Theater of Dreams is now performing at Don Pedro’s. Her rich velvet voice captivates the audience with the best of 70's Motown hits and the best of the great disco diva's.
 Mondays is double-duck special.
 Address: 113 Roodebloem rd, Woodstock, Cape Town
Bookings email: donpedro@madamezingara.com
Trading hours: Mon-sat : 4pm-10pm Sundays closed
021.447-6152

Je ne sais quoi

The Rule Of Three

These three components transform something ordinary into something really quite special. Each bite shares another dimension of flavour and texture, the chewy sour tang of the dried cranberries and the toasty crunch of the seeds go surprisingly well with the cool tang of feta and the mellow sweetness of roasted butternut squash.



All of these components are carried by warm cous cous.

Some chopped parsley adds a nice flash of green and pulls all the flavours together.










Make sure you toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan though, as they take on a whole new flavour and texture after a few minutes.







"Couscous - so nice, they named it twice" was the response at my table when served to friends, munching away.



Thank you Reyentte for coming up with this amazing combination, this will definitely be made again soon.

Macaroon Loaf

If you like coconut, you will love this dense fragrant loaf. When sliced and toasted it takes on a macaroon like chewy outer crust, laced with butter and a dusting of icing sugar, this one's a winner.

This is Bill Granger's Coconut Bread, just ever so slightly adapted ...

2 eggs
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
200g desiccated/shredded coconut
1 cup castor sugar
56g melted butter
vanilla seeds/extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Whisk your eggs and milk with the vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon and add the sugar and coconut, stir to combine.
Add your wet mixture to your dry mixture and fold in gently, add melted butter and incorporate everything, trying to use as few stokes as possible.
Pour into a greased loaf tin and bake at 180 gas mark 4 for an hour, using a skewer to check after 55 minutes.

Choc Chip Biscotti

Biscotti, are an Italian biscuit almost, twice baked so perfect for dunking into coffee. Like a rusk but richer and sweeter and not necessarily to be eaten at breakfast, although I wouldn't say no...



So easy to make and they last for ages in an airtight container, you can chop and change the flavour, substituting the chocolate for dark or white chocolate or dried cranberries, adding almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios, whatever combinations you fancy or to suit what is in the cupboards. I'm using milk chocolate, chopped up into generous chunks. Chocolate cookies were the original request but I didn't want to veer too far off the track, so the chocolate stayed, but cookies these are certainly not.

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
1 cup castor sugar
4 Tbsp cold butter or margarine
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt and cinnamon
Vanilla seeds or extract



Preheat yer' oven to 180 or gas mark 5 and grease a large baking tray.
In a food processor (or by hand using a spoon and then a knife), combine your flour, salt baking powder and cinnamon. Add butter in chunks and process until it resembles breadcrumbs, at this point pour the mixture out into a large bowl. Stir in your chopped up chocolate chunks, followed by your egg mixture until a dough forms.
With floured hands, form your dough into two logs. Bake for around 30 minutes until golden and firm.
Cool biscotti for 5 or 10 minutes to minimise breakage and crumbs and slice diagonally into individual biscotti. Place back in the oven for a further 15 minutes, flipping them over once to ensure they are nice and dry.



Cool on their trays and transfer to a biscuit tin.
Y - U - M.

Jamming

When the bakery just seems too far and only warm jam donuts will do, these cakey baked versions will almost definitely hit the spot, I promise. Served warm, rolled in melted butter and cinnamon sugar ... Krispy Kreme who?




You will need:

200g Self Raising Flour 100g caster sugar
85ml Oil
125ml or 1/2 cup of milk
12tsp jam - raspberry/strawberry
1 large egg
vanilla extract

150g granulated sugar + 100g melted butter for coating





Beat your milk, oil and vanilla with the egg.
Stir and fold into your flour and sugar until just combined, trying not to overmix.
Spoon one tablespoon of mixture in to your greased muffin pan, followed by a generous teaspoon of jam.
Cover jam with another tablespoon or two of mixture until muffin hole is 3/4 full. Bake at 190 or Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes.
Leave to cool in pans for 5 minutes ( so your jam doesn't leak through the bottom of muffins), then carefully roll each muffin in melted butter and then cinnamon sugar.


Now try and eat the whole thing without licking your lips!

Dip In

I am partial to a bit of a dunking now and again. Who isn’t?
Digestives, Rich Tea or HobNobs, nothing accompanies my cup of tea quite like a good old biscuit.


Being of English descent, McVities was once my sole provider when it came to baked plunging materials.
Oh, how things have changed…
Since stepping onto African soil my comprehension of a rusk has changed somewhat.
A rusk, in my naïve British mind was a biscuit for toddlers to gnaw on, a mere teething aid.

Although, Farley’s rusks are infact sometimes eaten by those over the age of two, rusks as us Brits know them, are nowhere near the phenomenon they seem to be over here in sunny South Africa.

Necessity, they say is the mother of invention and necessity, it seems is why the voortrekkers first devised the almighty rusk.



The Voortrekkers were Afrikaner pioneers that moved from the British Cape Colony to the interior of South Africa during the 1830’s and1840's. The ox-wagon and horse were their only means of transport and thus few provisions were taken along on lengthy journeys.
These nifty pioneers and explorers needed foods, which would not spoil on their voyages, and so they took dried rusks "beskuit” and biltong to munch on to sustain them. These humble twice-baked biscuits were yielded in a time of constraint and have advanced and evolved their way into every kitchen this side of Egypt. Bran Rusks, Health Rusks, Buttermilk Rusks, with or without seeds, fruit, nuts or aniseed, you name it - they’ve made it…

There is a rusk out there for everyone and although no rusk I have ever tried surpasses Reynette’s Zimbabwean Growwe Beskuits, I thought I would make a batch with some poppy seeds… rather apt, don’t you think?



700g butter (or margarine)
500ml buttermilk or maas
400g (500ml) sugar
4 eggs
1.5 kg self-raising flour
25ml baking powder
7ml salt
300g box All-Bran flakes
poppy seeds (substitute for or add raisins, seeds, muesli or nuts)



Melt butter and mix in a large bowl with buttermilk and sugar, beat in your eggs.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a separate - possibly even larger bowl, stir in bran flakes and poppy seeds.
Combine your dry ingredients and wet ingredients, stir well and make sure your mixture is fully combined.
Shape into balls and pack into two greased oven pans.


Bake in a preheated oven at 180 ° for 50 minutes or so. Turn out onto a drying rack to cool slightly and break open whilst still warm. Cut into smaller rusks when cool if you want smaller biscuits but make sure they are cool or else you will end up with a tin full of crumbs as they do fall apart when just baked.
Dry out in the oven overnight at its lowest temperature. Store in airtight containers or tins.

The only way to eat a rusk is dunked into a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee, so go on, put the kettle on won't ya?