Something for Everyone
Mouille Point beachfront has suddenly
been populated by several smart looking restaurants, those that should be on
Sea Point's promenade but are not (and there is a long history there). We were
invited to Lily's to try out the food last week. It is on the corner of a new
block that has taken the place of the old Newport Deli. Lily is the name of
Paul Kovenski's young daughter. The Kove Collection also owns Pepenero next
door and La Belle Bistro and Bakery in the same road, as well as the Alphen and
several other Cape Town restaurants. They do not yet have a wine licence, so
you do need to Bring Your Own. Phone first though, in case the licence has been
granted. Or you can order wine from Pepenero, but you need to run two bills
The inside is airy and light
during the day, with pull back windows to the terrace which is also enclosed
with a roll-down protection on windy or inclement days. This all opens up for fine
summer days. However, the lighting at night is less than perfect, we keep
re-iterating that seeing your food is half of the pleasure of eating, and If
the lighting is bad and you are peering at your plate in a gloom, it is not a
great experience. John's camera works very well in low light, so the pictures
do not show how dark it actually was
The starter menu also has a
vegetarian section. Prices are not shy. One of the reviews we read said they
served the "the Best Mac and Cheese" the writer had ever had in her
life." It is not something you find on a restaurant menu often. There is
also a Buddha Bowl on offer (very trendy at the moment). It is easy to make a
choice, many choices are very familiar
Brought to the table are toast
and an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip. A good way to use up bread at the
end of the day? Much of the food is scattered with marigold petals, edible yes,
necessary, no. We brought along a bottle of Rhebokskloof 2010 Semillon. This
would be our wine of the week if any were still available; sadly they no longer
make it. We bought this wine two years ago at a very reduced price on the farm
and how it has grown in depth, flavour and enjoyment. Absolutely superb; it
shows how well South African white wines can age
The Carpaccio! Biltong served
with parmesan cheese, avocado mousse, olive oil and balsamic. John said it was not
hard like biltong, but not soft like a good raw beef Carpaccio would be. There
was no sign of the parmesan, was it incorporated with the avocado? More marigold
petals and micro herbs
Lynne ordered the calamari,
about 5 baby squid (polpetti), very tender, with a fresh tomato and feta salsa
in the centre, on warm mashed potato and surrounded by a basil oil. Good
flavour, but we were puzzled at the addition of mash on a starter? It does make
it seem like a main course and it rather jars with the raw tomato
The Mains Menu has lots of
familiar choices, nothing out of your comfort zone. This should appeal to the
Sea Point market. Perhaps our sophisticated summer tourists might want
something with a more local flavour? For our main course we brought along a bottle
of the Laborie Shiraz, such a well matched wine for our two choices.
The Lamb Popsicles. Lynne was
expecting just the lamb meat on the bone with all the fat removed, so it looks
like a popsicle or lollypop. The chops came 'fully clothed' with the fat on. The
lamb was very good, well seasoned and perfectly cooked, but we did pass a
message to the chef that she needs to really crisp up the fat. Served with
crushed new potatoes, a few crushed black olives and more of those marigold
petals. The dish could do with a vegetable, or two....
John ordered the Duck confit
leg served on mash, with peas and a briefly seared lettuce. And marigolds. Good
flavours but this dish needs a gravy, as it is a bit dry. We passed the message
to the chef and she said she thanked us. These two dishes show how times and
tastes have changed and inflation has struck. Who would have thought confit
duck would be substantially less expensive than three lamb chops?
The Dessert Menu
Much against our wills (OK, we
let them twist our arms just slightly) we had dessert. John was persuaded to go
with his predilections and order the Death by Chocolate. Lynne went against
hers and ordered something with a coffee flavour because it came with something
wickedly chocolate
Well you need to know, this is
the biggest and best chocolate lava cake (AKA chocolate fondant) currently
being served in Cape Town. Head there before they take it off the menu. It was
ample enough for us both to share. Loads of rich dark lava chocolate pour out
of the sponge dome which is only 1 cm thick. The Espresso coffee ice cream was
enjoyed by those who like coffee flavours. It is supposed to come with a salted
caramel, but no sign of any. More petals though...
The Death by Chocolate has all
three levels of chocolate. The dark chocolate is in the pastry tart base and
the crumb. The tart shell is filled with a white chocolate mousse, topped with
caramel, then a pour of melted milk chocolate and it is topped by a white
chocolate ice cream and caramel popcorn. Smaller than it looks. John was
disappointed, as he prefers dark chocolate. You might not be, as it certainly
has it all
The other menus. They also do
breakfasts but don't take booking for breakfast at weekends. The chef is Amber
Deetleef, who has worked for the Kove group for several years. Dean Parker the
Manager and our gentle waitress was Karen. We had a very pleasant evening. There
were two invited bloggers having a meal at the next table, Dax Villanueva and
Sam Linsell
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2017
