with a celebration lunch
This
bistro opened just a year ago and it already scores 5 stars in the reader
reviews on Eat Out. Chef Nic van Wyk, ably assisted by his partner Roxy Laker, has
put together a winning formula of good bistro food, paired with a selection of
Stellenbosch Vineyards wines. We were invited for lunch with other media to celebrate and to sample their new summer menu. We were fed good food till
we begged "no more please!"
Roxy welcoming us and telling us about
the past year. The R44 outside the restaurant was under huge construction for a
couple of years as they widened the road. It is now finished and access is
great to all the establishments along the way
Chef Nic with his pots
Our menu for the day with lots of
dishes from the new summer menu
The bread was made by Nic and was
delicious
First course of deep-fried crumbed
goats cheese with a tangy salsa, fresh broad beans and honey vinaigrette.
This
went perfectly with the dry and crisp 2015 Welmoed Pinot Grigio
Stellenbosch Vineyards Hayden's White
paired with the next course ...
...tender morsels of fried baby calamari
dusted with smoked paprika and accompanied by a creamy avocado salsa on a base
of baby potatoes, topped with ribbons of crisp pickled cucumber. The plate was
dotted with a good rouille mayonnaise. Definitely a dish to return for again
and again
Wine for the next course was the Credo
Chenin 2010. So great to have a chenin with some age and maturity, which is
still singing with fruit and elegance
The next course was Sweetbreads on a carrot purée in a brown caper butter, for those who enjoy
sweetbreads. It is one of Nic's signature dishes and we hear it was excellent,
but for those of us who are not fans
of sweetbreads, wafer thin slices of well seasoned pork belly served with a
celeriac remoulade, apple cubes and a fresh salad of baby leaves. Another well
thought out dish
The main course was beautifully
plated. Herb crusted tender but firm monkfish fillets, served with Nic's own rich
tangy tomato sauce done two ways, the darker has squid ink added to it. It was
accompanied by peas and crisp potato cubes. The wine served with this was the
Credo SMV 2012. SMV is a Shiraz, Mourvedre, Viognier blend and it may surprise
some that red wine does pair well with fish dishes, especially when accompanied
by a rich sauce
Roxy with Kalinka Lombard
And then a surprise addition to taste
from Infinity wines. The First XI The Belter 2014 is a wine made at Rickety
Bridge for cricketer Faf du Plessis, who has a share in the restaurant. It is a
blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsaut, Tannat and Viognier. The bottle
is signed by four great cricketers: Two South Africans, Faf du Plessis and AB
de Villiers, New Zealander Stephen Fleming and Australian Mike Hussey. This
wine will be served in the restaurant. It's a complex and layered blend showing
good aging potential and which goes well with food
And then another main course: Braised
lamb shoulder and rib, on a bed of barley and asparagus "risotto"
with crisp onion rings, broad beans and a herby olive oil and garlic sauce.
Wonderful. The toothsome barley goes so well with the soft lamb. The wine
served with this was the juicy Stellenbosch Vineyards Bush vine 2014 Pinotage
Nick sent us a pre-dessert of a warm
Rum Baba. Many people at the table had not experienced this classic dessert
before and it may well become a firm favourite at the restaurant. A baba is
made from a baked yeasty batter and it is then soaked in syrup and alcohol,
usually rum, served warm and topped with a rich cream and fruit. Nic added more
syrup to the plate
Then came the official dessert - a
Three chocolate terrine with a caramel sauce and praline dust. It was
beautifully light, but rich with chocolate. Both desserts were served with the
sticky sweet and delicious Infinity 2012 Noble Late Harvest wine. By now we
were all "elegantly satisfied" and ready for the trip home after good
double espressos. A great introduction to the summer menu, thank you both
The summer menu for you to go and try
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor
& Bacchus 2015
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