The Beautiful Cape

On our way home from the Black Sheep restaurant we went via Kloof Nek, which is a quick route home for us. It was such a beautiful hot and clear day so we stopped in the Glen and John took some photographs of the views. We often drive this way but, every now and then, it is good to stop and pay attention to the beautiful view of the mountains and the sea from here

As we left the Black Sheep, we saw this Pied Crow's nest in a building next door in Kloof Street

From the top of the pass at Kloof Nek, you get a very good aspect of the corner of Table Mountain and the Cable car, which is working well. The views from the top of the mountain are absolutely stunning. If you visit Cape Town, you must go up to see the different views of Cape Town and some of the Peninsula. The summit is 3563 feet, 1086 metres, above sea level, so you can see some of the curvature of the earth from there. You can get to the top by Cable car or do a slightly challenging walk up. But you need a clear day, a map, a cellphone, a partner, water, good shoes and warm jackets; the weather can change rapidly, especially as you go higher

A view of the blue, blue sea and Camps Bay beachfront, a very popular venue, on an early November day

Camps Bay and the coast road to Llandudno and Hout Bay, looking over The Glen

which has walks and picnic sites and is where you can find the Youth Hostel

The winding road round Lion’s Head leading down to Camps Bay, Clifton and back to town past Sea Point

The flat-topped stone pines are not indigenous, but are part of the view

From here you can take the walk up the Lion’s Head mountain

It is one of the few places where our indigenous silver trees (members of the protea family) grow

You can see some branches on the left of the picture

And how our mountain recovers from fire. This was the site of a small bush fire at the end of last summer, in February, on the slopes of Lion’s Head, just above Camps Bay and Clifton. And the fynbos is quick to recover, the bulbs of the Watsonia plants are not affected and this year there is a superb show where the fire was. Our good wet winter helped too, so you can see other plants reviving. And our Cape Proteas need fire to break open their seeds so more can grow

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

See John's photographs and follow us on YouPic

All content © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

Lunch at The Black Sheep

We are still trying to adapt to what we need to do in the time of Covid - observing the restrictions and staying safe. There are many things we used to do that we miss a lot. But we can eat out and, because we want to support an industry that has been very hard hit in lock down, we try to eat out when we can. It is not always going to be top end restaurants; we live on pensions and money is a bit tight but, even if we just have one course, it is exciting and stimulating to go out and eat someone else's food. We had not been to The Black Sheep in upper Kloof Street for a long time and being in the area recently made us determined to go again. A sunny Wednesday and a need to have a story for MENU saw us eat there and have a really great meal

We booked for lunch at 12.30 and at that time were the only people there

But it did fill up nicely as it got closer to 1. We like the extra time to study the menu - which is on blackboard

- and the wine menu, both are also accessible via your phone using Snapscan

The spotless tables are well spaced apart, well sanitised and they do spray your hands and take your temperature when you arrive, masked of course. We had such a friendly and helpful waiter, Jamie

Getting there early got us the best table in the house, the one in the window with this fabulous view of the mountain

These are the dishes of the day. They do change the menu on the blackboard and on line almost daily

as different seasonal items come into season or are available. It is a good selection

and would also suit people on plant based diets well. The starters and desserts are on one blackboard

The mains and sides are on another

We decided just to have a main course and see if we had room for a dessert after that

A couple with a young child enjoying some prelunch drinks

We had been sent some bottles of wine to review by RMBWinex and took this bottle of Saronsberg 2020 Rosé with us. They do have a corkage policy and we were happy to pay the R70 charge in order to taste this wine with food. Rosé goes with most dishes as it is so versatile. This is the most extraordinary wine, very different. Perfumed with rose petal, raspberry and strawberry ice, vanilla and it has a lovely eye of the partridge colour. On the palate it is silky and full, with lots of red berry fruit and plum. And then a flavour like wood appears which must be from fermentation as it has had no wood contact. We watched Saronsberg winemaker Dewaldt Heyns on line later at RMBWInex and he said there is a dash each of Grenache and Mourvèdre added but only a little. It went very well with the food we ordered

Lynne really liked the sound of the South Indian Fish curry in coconut milk and it was a very good choice. The fish that day was Swordfish. It comes with a large poppadom covering most of the dish, lots of soft caramelised onions, curry leaves, al dente quartered courgettes and gooey slices of aubergine. And the sauce is deliciously complex, clever spicing which surprises and delights. On the mild end of the spectrum, but you do taste a buzz from chilli. The star of the dish is the Swordfish. It has always been one of Lynne's favourite fish. Eaten many times in beach front restaurants in Greece and Turkey, it is so well handled in this dish. To her regret, sadly, in South Africa it is often cooked to extinction, often on a fire like a steak which takes all the subtle flavours away and becomes like hard cardboard in texture. This was so skillfully cooked, it was soft and moist and flaked well, it absorbed the sauce and amazed. Do go and see how good Swordfish can be while it is still available. Thank you chef

John ordered the Kudu steak topped with Chimichurri, full of garlic and herbs and a bit of a chilli hit. The medium rare (as requested) kudu steak had been sliced and served on a bed of peas, beans, spinach, sliced raw red onion and was doused with good local olive oil, full of flavour. The meat was well cooked and delicious, if a little chewy, as wild game often can be

The kudu was accompanied by a dish of the best triple cooked chunky chips

Oh, they were good! Lynne was allowed a small allocation, but had rice and sambals with her dish, so did not need many

Our bill. We thoroughly recommend this restaurant and hope to return soon with friends

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

See John's photographs and follow us on YouPic

All content © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

RMB Winex 2020

A 21^st birthday celebration with a difference – Wine In Your Own Time

RMB WineX 2020 was always going to be different. COVID-19 has made it impossible for us all to gather under one roof this year. However, simply because you cannot come to WineX, doesn’t mean that WineX cannot come to you – in your own home, with your own hand-picked group of friends and family

This year, South Africa’s premier wine show takes the form of an innovative online tasting showcase comprising 267 wines from 61 different wineries. An entirely different experience from the traditional show which attracts thousands of patrons to the Convention Centre, RMB WineX 2020 will still offer an opportunity to engage with SA’s most talented winemakers in the comfort of your own home, as well as the opportunity to shop for wine favourites in your own time

To participate, simply log on to www.winex.co.za and review the list of wines available for tasting: go to your nearest wine supplier to source the bottles you want to sample. Invite friends and family to share in #RMBWineX, then connect to the WineX website for over 260 tasting videos introducing charismatic winemakers revealing the stories behind the labels

A three-minute video featuring WineX director Michael Fridjhon offers a quick how-to guide to make the most of the experience.  While the tasting videos only go live on 9 November, the wine lists are already available online to allow you to purchase wines in advance, and prepare your tasting stations

RMB WineX 2020 – Wine in Your Own Time

Log on to www.winex.co.za and watch the welcome video.

View the list of 267 wines from 61 wineries.

Buy your wines – either from the farms directly to  support a winelands-based feeding scheme

or from a local wine retailer

    Invite your family and friends to join you for RMB WineX in your own home

– any time from 9 November, when the videos went live

  Prepare your tasting stations.

No ticket (or jacket) required: RMB WineX 2020 is  available to all – from Amanzimtoti to Zastron, and beyond... 

From 9 November enjoy your wine and dine time with some insights from the winemaker

and the company of your own hand-picked crowd

RMB WineX supports responsible wine consumption.  No under 18s. 

We were sent a lovely selection of wines to taste and here are the winemakers with their stories of the wines and some tasting notes of those we have opened this week:

Luke O’Cuinneagain of Glenelly - Glenelly Glass Collection 2017 Shiraz. We had this with supper and it has a rich dive-in nose of red and black berry fruit and white pepper. It's classy and seductive. A powerful mouthful of fruit and licorice wood, some soft chalky tannins and dark wood. Raspberry, black pepper, red cherry, pepper, mulberry and ends with white pepper. In the Northern Rhône style 

Stephan de Beer of Krone  - Not yet tasted

Arthur Basson of Perdeberg - Grapes from Piekenierskloof, a grape that brings back lots of good travel memories, and we loved it. It is full of intense fruit flavours, dry and crisp and so suited to summer food. We've bought a case

Ross Sleet of Rascallion - The Aquiver 2016 Chenin Blanc has golden fruit, nice maturity on the nose. 80% Chenin 10% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Grenache Blanc. All Stellenbosch grapes.  Richness from the Chenin and a hint of raspberry. Creamy, woody, crisp on the palate, then very ripe fruit: melon, apricot and peach, sweetness which remains, then wood reappears   

Dewald Heyns of Saronsberg - Saronsberg Rosé 2020. We took this with us to the Black Sheep restaurant and enjoyed it with our lunch. A unique wine. Perfumed with rose and raspberry, strawberry ice cream and vanilla. Eye of the partridge pink. Silky and full of glycerols.  Lots of good red berry fruit. then soft tannin arrives and stays. Dewald does say that he added small dashes of Grenache and Mourvèdre to the wine

Matthew Copeland of Vondeling - Vondeling 2020 Sauvignon Blanc from the Voorpaardeberg - it's a warm area, great for Chenin Blanc. Tropical fruit on the nose, granadilla, litchi, then some green notes and a whiff of the ferment. On the palate crisp, lively and full with guava, pineapple and tannin, jube jube flavours. A nice wine and good with food. The grapes come from two old vineyards planted in 1981 and 1984

We encourage you to go to the Winex website and, have a look at the exciting wines listed, place an order and taste and enjoy them

Contact: OutSorceress Marketing, telephone 011 482 5936 or email winex@outsorceress.co.za

Issued for RMB WineX by OutSorceress Marketing

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

See John's photographs and follow us on YouPic

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

This Week's MENU. Sushi takeaway and an Indian lunch

A frame at Big Bay in Bloubergstrand, copied from an original National Geographic idea, with two women looking at Table Mountain

Right now, the USA is the news. Our lives date from the end of World War Two and its aftermath. In those 75 years, the USA has dominated world news in one way or another and, for all the wrong reasons, in the last four years when the man in charge has done his best to disrupt international relations, the environment and the democracy of his country. He has been no friend to us in Africa. The last three days have captured our attention more than almost any other American election and it appears that his reign is over as the last votes are counted. Maybe this bit of history’s page is turning.

Other than that dominating news, our life has been fairly quiet. We have enjoyed two Asian meals; also, incidentally, we have had the great treat of a family braai, the first since the early part of this year. We have reported on the Asian food part of our story and you can read about that here…

A visit to Eden on the Bay

Saturday was a stunning day, so we decided that it was time to get out and enjoy Cape Town, but go somewhere different. We headed for Eden on the (Big) Bay. However, when we got there the South Easter was really pumping and it became "fresher" the longer we were there. It is the place to go for the most superb view of our city and the mountain, a walk along white sandy beaches and a paddle or a swim. But the downside is the almost constant wind. So it is much used by wind and kite surfers, although they can be swept out to sea. Read on…

Lunch at The Indian Oven, Hout Bay

The Indian Oven in Hout Bay impressed us so much the first time we went. The curries are the closest to those we have eaten and enjoyed in London, but if you like local there is one Durban curry on the menu as well as Bunny Chows. But Lock Down got in the way and we have been longing to go back. They have moved along the building to a better space. And there is plenty of parking outside. Read on…

Enjoy your weekend!

A visit to Eden on the Bay

Saturday was a stunning day, so we decided that it was time to get out and enjoy Cape Town, but go somewhere different. We headed for Eden on the (Big) Bay. However, when we got there the South Easter was really pumping and it became "fresher" the longer we were there. It is the place to go for the most superb view of our city and the mountain, a walk along white sandy beaches and a paddle or a swim. But the downside is the almost constant wind. So it is much used by wind and kite surfers, although they can be swept out to sea

One special observation - usually, when the South Easter blows, the mountain has its 'tablecloth' of cloud; there was none this day. You can see our neighbourhood across the bay on the slopes of Lion’s Head and Signal Hill. Our view across the bay is very different; From our house, this area looks very far away. And there are always tankers and container ships riding in the roads, waiting to go into port or just sheltering from the wind. And from this beach, you do get a very different view of Robben Island, which is much closer

It is a fairly new area which has some lovely looking flats with sea views and they do have several sea front restaurants to choose from. We were hoping to meet an old friend there for lunch, but he was busy. We had done some research about the restaurants there, as we have in the past had a very bad meal at one of them. So we walked up the front and investigated their menus and specials boards. It was not too crowded and most people were masked and keeping good social distancing

While some restaurants were full, others were quite empty. We always take that as an indication of the quality of their food and service

A sign of the times, there had been a few closures

There are also a few restaurants at the back and we had a look at those. Lynne found the Orient, which was the one which appealed the most when she did her research. It has a sushi carousel and some specials. We had brought along a bottle of De Morgenzon's  good Chenin Blanc and were planning to buy a take-away and sit on a bench with a view to enjoy our lunch. But the wind, with its icy edges, was going to put paid to that plan

The specials are tempting. The Sushi Buffet seems to have a great price but, actually, how many can you eat?

This one caught our eye and it is what we decided to order

It was just enough for the two of us, and we didn’t need much supper

This would leave us wanting more if we shared, but seemed to be too much for one of us to manage

On the carousel

They have lots to choose from and two experienced sushi chefs. It was lunchtime so, sadly, not many customers

The few who were there were seated outside on the terrace

We watched as the chef prepared our selection

Much discussion about the arrangement of the plate

He is very skilful with his knife; so impressive to watch, It takes years to learn how to do this

Our finished platter ready to put into our car fridge and head home. Most of it was rather good, but some of the maki pieces were squidgy and wet; they had probably sat too long on the carousel and were not good. The quality of the fish is good. Disappointing was the deep fried roll, it was just a maki. And horror of horrors, what the hell is cream cheese doing in sushi?! It may be to your taste; it is obviously a modern iteration, but so not for us

We did giggle about the 'Sanitary Chopsticks'; there was no similar note on the napkins,

and we did not understand why we were given four pots of soy

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

See John's photographs and follow us on YouPic

All content © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus