How good it is to discover, when doing boring paperwork, that you had forgotten a meal voucher purchased several months ago from Jordan Wine Estate, who have done a fantastic job supporting restaurants during Covid. Life had been a little tight and rather bleak for us recently and this was just the fillip we needed to get us out of the house during one of the interminable power cuts that come during dinner time. We had nominated Miller's Thumb, a restaurant in Kloof Nek Road in Tamboerskloof. We had not been there for several years and we know they serve very good fish and seafood. When we phoned to book, we were told that it would be during a power cut and that some things on the menu would not be possible, but we persisted and we’re very glad that we did
Dinner by candlelight is very romantic and there was certainly enough of that for a very enjoyable meal
The fish of the day is SQ and the board shows what is available on the day with its price
They had a great choice which included two fish we have not had for a very long time, which are favourites
It is a rather good wine list
We took a very good bottle; their corkage policy is that your first bottle carries no charge
and the second bottle carries a charge of R50, which we think is very fair
Amusingly, the ceiling has panels pasted with reviews the restaurant has received!
Not an easy picture to take by candlelight
When we eat out, we like to take a wine that we think will match the food we plan to eat and this one was a very good choice indeed. Mediterraneo was launched by Johan Malan of Simonsig under his label The Grapesmith in 2018; only two barrels were made. This niche wine is a blend of warmer terroir grape varieties: Marsanne 39%, Roussanne 37%, Grenache Blanc 22%, Verdelho 2%. Johan’s description is that the varietals “have distinguished themselves in the south of France and Spain in a Mediterranean climate, have only recently started to gain popularity in the Cape". We were at the launch of this wine and now it has had a time to mature a little, we wanted to see what it was like. https://www.simonsig.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Grapesmith-Mediterraneo-2019.pdf and the verdict? Superb, especially with fish and seafood, but a very good wine to quaff while you have a candlelit conversation. And a small quantity is still available on the farm at R255 a bottle. Aromatic, floral with lime zest and spices on the nose, it draws you in. On the palate, a fruit salad of ripe yellow peach, gooseberry, quince, and nectarine with salty minerality and golden oak on the end 
A starter portion of Spanish style chicken livers in a spicy tomato sauce with hot Spanish paprika and black pepper
Very good, said John
Baby Cajun spiced calamari, grill-seared, very tender and full of flavour,
served with a hot jalapeno, tartare sauce and some rice
Lynne moistened the rice with the sauce and it was a good accompaniment
Cob or Kabeljou is one of Lynne's favourite fishes; she prefers a moist fish like this and it was perfectly
cooked
You can have your fish cooked in three ways:
GRILLED: On a rib-top, generously basted with lemon juice, olive oil and oregano. With lemon, garlic or peri peri butter
CAJUN: Blackened with chilli, pink peppercorn and pecan nut crust. Topped with a lime and Tabasco butter and pickled jalapeno
MOROCCAN: Grilled and brushed with lemon juice, cumin, coriander, clove and cinnamon, with a pile of fresh coriander.
Because Cob has a delicate flavour, she decided to go with grilled and a simple lemon butter sauce, so that the fish would shine and it really did. Expertly cooked and so delicious
Because of the power cuts, no chips could be cooked, so there were some options: rice, potatoes or noodles
So noodles it was and they came well-flavoured with an Asian twist
John's choice was the Geelbek, also known as Cape Salmon and he had it done Cajun style:
Blackened with a chilli, pink peppercorn and pecan nut crust
Topped with a lime and Tabasco butter and very hot pickled jalapeno. He chose rice as his accompaniment
We were so impressed with the cooking and quality of the food that we cannot wait to go back for more
Perhaps, when we can have some of their chips, which are always a treat for us as we do not deep fry food at home
The service was also impeccable and very friendly
We are so pleased that Miller's Thumb has survived Covid and encourage you to go and support them
Icy evening, Lynne waiting for John to bring the car
They have a very helpful car guard just around the corner
Some photographs were long exposures by candlelight,
the better pictures were illuminated by an LED head torch
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1 comment:
Wonderful to see that Miller's Thumb has survived various economic downturns and Covid lockdowns etc - had my most memorable-ever Cape Town experience of super-fresh fish, perfectly cooked, there some years ago (ironically, if I recall, also on a loadshedding night by candlelight). They outdo fancier, closer to the sea, more expensive fish restaurants in CT second to none. Look forward to visiting there again some time!
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