The Food Barn in Noordhoek is running some winter special so we went last Friday with friends to sample the Pensioners Lunch, very good value at R175 for two courses with a carafe of wine. They do have other special ( not for pensioners) so check out their website http://www.thefoodbarn.co.za/winter-special/ to see what is on offer. We had a great time despite it being one of the wettest days last week
Lynne was quite amused on arrival when the waiter queried if we were all pensioners. Don't we look ancient enough, all 70+? And we were even more amused to find two members of our wine club having lunch there with friends and family. It is a very popular restaurant because the food is always good. Times are tight and pensioners need all the help they can get
The menu from which you make a choice. You can have one starter and a main or a main and a dessert. The wine you get is the one that pairs with either your starter or your main course as on the board
Very friendly service
Our wine arrives. There are at least two glasses in each Carafe and the wine is from M*A*N Vintners
We had the Chardonnay and our friends had the Sauvignon Blanc
First we were surprised with an amuse of excellent mushroom risotto
John received a spoonful of the calamari in a teriyaki sauce
A starter of a Pepe goats cheese fritter with quince, mixed leaves, a spiced Pinotage syrup, seeds and a dusting of pink powder - beetroot? Deemed delicious by the two vegetarians
Lynne chose the calamari as her starter. It was tender and crisp on the outside from a light batter on a cauliflower brandade purée, and accompanied by a very fishy tasting seaweed and mashed potato beignet. It was liberally sprinkled with coriander micro herbs and came with a slice of lime. There was a dark sauce which tasted of teriyaki. The menu said aioli, but none sighted, so perhaps they changed the dish slightly. Lynne didn't find a good marriage with the squid and the cauliflower. The Asian style sauce was good
John chose the Carpaccio of Springbok with an agrodolche (sweet and sour) sauce, mixed leaves, a dusting of flaked nuts and topped with slices of Parmesan cheese. There was also some confit onion
Another nice surprise was the refreshing sherbet of apple and cinnamon with Bacardi rum. It tasted just like apple crumble in a glass. Applause too for the paper straw. But a small spoon would get even louder applause. We don't need straws; the frozen delight in a narrow glass was not easy to suck through the straw
John's main course was the two slices of Beef Sirloin, cooked with a thick layer of fat on, perfectly pink, accompanied by some sweet potato mash with cinnamon, fine beans, basil and a roasted jus. There was a thick sinew in the middle
The choice for our vegetarian friends was a main course sized portion of the ash roasted winter vegetables which were a swede, an onion and beetroot, on a sesame cream, pesto, a balsamic syrup, topped with hazelnuts and micro greens. They really enjoyed it
Lynne ordered the very rich chicken livers in a dark complex jus, an onion sauce, served on mash, and topped with sweetcorn, which is very filling, and good on a cold winter's day
No dessert, just some espressos and a mint tea for Lynne
Our bill. It is exceptional value. We may well be back soon to try the other specials. We also encountered two other tables with old friends while we were there. It is indeed very popular. You need to book
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2018
