Nobu and Twelve Apostles

Winter Special dinner at NOBU

good Yellowtail sashimi with a tiny sliver of Jalapeno chilli on each

 sashimi of tuna in a Ponzu dressing

 sensational fresh from the sea piece of Sake roasted Kablejou in Nobu garlic butter

prawn tempura, rock shrimp style which could be bottomless for us: light crisp batter, great prawns and two lovely dipping sauces

 lobster cerviche – served in lettuce leaves

Beef Toban Yaki –strips of a tender and flavourful steak cooked on the open grill by the chefs and served simply in its own juices and with a lovely selection of mushrooms

 Wing Rib Anti Cucho Miso - deboned rib slices in a hot and spicy sauce

 A Tuna California roll and a Yellowtail Maki appeared and they are very good, with perfect rice, all separate grains and lots of flavour

the Chocolate Bento box which contained the most sensuous hot chocolate fondants oozing liquid lava chocolate and served with a green tea ice cream

SUNDAY LUNCH AT THE TWELVE APOSTLES, OUDEKRAAL

 Lynne with Gavin Ferreira

Pickled fish

The starter selection is a little predictable
a cold meat selection, salads – chicken, potato, copper penny, pasta, beetroot, caprese etc

Bouchard Finlayson Kaaimansgat Chardonnay

the Sicilian style sea bass: fresh and soft, the fillet was rolled up and served with a spicy tomato and aubergine sauce

lamb curry which had lots of sambals to accompany it

the most wonderful beef stroganoff

curry with the lentil dhal and a poppadom

Creedence looked after us very well

Jenie Oliver sang and played - well-loved standards with an original edge

Sommelier Gregory Mutambe, previously at the Vineyard.

More pictures from the Old Mutual Trophy Awards lunch at the One & Only, 1st June 2011

The ladies who make it work, Alex Mason-Gordon and Janice Fridjhon

and the men, Michael Crossley and Michael Fridjhon

Sean Benjamin, the photographer

Miso glazed Franschhoek trout, carrot, ginger froth, sweetcorn crème, fried aubergine

Poached pear, maple walnut custard, orange curd, pepper-brandy tuiles

Andries Burger, Miguel Chan, Gary Jordan and Chris Williams

Photographs of the winners, expertly made by Sean

Lynne, Janice and Razvan Macici

Il Cappero pictures

The daily specials

Lynne examining the menu

raw fresh local longfin tuna prepared in large chunks in a timbale with pine nuts and a Balsamic reduction

Soufflé de Melanzane, a beautiful aubergine mousse rather than a soufflé, with thyme, parsley, pine nuts and cheese

Ricci di Mare (sea urchins). Such huge flavours of the sea, it was in a pale orange sauce that looked almost like a caviar or Bottarga, a preserved fish roe, also from Sicily. The accompanying pasta was a home-made linguine and it was perfect

Involtini di Vitello alla Siciliana, several small tender rolls of veal, stuffed with pine nuts, raisins, onions and bay leaves and served with vegetables

Lynne and Aldo

Gaaitjie restaurant, Paternoster

Arriving at Gaaitjie

Gaaitjie restaurant building

Boat as signage

Table by the window

and one by the door

Potbread presentation

The menu

Angelfish, flaked in a tomato & grapemust sauce, loosely sandwiched between layers of hand made pasta, doused with wine butter, and topped with grilled baby marrows  R115

Pan-fried sole with a crayfish bisque sauce, steamed potatoes and greens   R135

Altydgedacht "The Ollo", a good choice

The herb garden

Groote Post, in the hills near Darling

We met a herd of eland at the gate

The old manor house, now the restaurant

The wine cellar

Tasting room

The tasting room robin