Saturday saw us driving to Stellenbosch Kloof to visit one of our favourite restaurants for daughter Clare’s birthday celebration. While we started out with the best intentions, unfortunately and regrettably Banting went out of the window. We had a superb lunch, even though we castigated ourselves severely and suffered afterwards for falling for the carbs, but who can pass up fat crisp hand-cut chips, a chocolate marquise or a honey and poppy seed soufflé ? Oh, and did we mention the two warm, freshly baked breads, and hot mini vetkoek? Well, one day off can’t do too much harm can it?
A very wet day, so behind glass near the fire ...
... but still
with a beautiful view of the lake and the autumnal vines on the hill
A nice gas
fire keeps the restaurant very warm
Decisions,
decisions
John ventured
out into the rain for a photograph
The restaurant
was almost full when we arrived at 12.30 and, as usual, it pumped
The menu
always has good choices for every kind of eating
A glass of
Jordan’s fine unwooded Chardonnay for Lynne and one of The Outlier Sauvignon Blanc
for John
Warm bread
straight from the oven. Who could possibly resist? Not us. There is a
watercress pesto, a rich caponata with pine nuts and a divine garlic mayonnaise.
This is the hidden first course, as it is just part of your meal. And you can
then go and buy the bread in the bakery next door to take home.
We defy you to
pass up on the crisp hand cut chips. These are the ones we couldn’t resist
Such a
beautifully presented starter plate of the Fairview roast lamb with Jerusalem
artichokes
Pretty as a
picture, too, was the (Banting) starter portion of a brawnlike tender suckling
pig terrine with a sauce grebiche, sliced baby beet and pink onions with some
apple squares. Such good intentions....
Then to mains.
Tender and delicious herb crusted Boran sirloin with fried marrow, garlic
purée, spinach and celeriac for father and daughter. Jordan The Prospector Shiraz was a superb match
Lynne wanted
to try the Silver bream, a new fish for her, and it had a good texture - soft and
full of flavour, served with a slightly sweet carrot purée and baby roasted carrots. She enjoyed it with the Jordan Barrel Fermented Chenin blanc. The downfall was the chips.
Dessert. So we ordered
– allow 20 minutes – with plenty of time, the famous honey and poppy seed
soufflés,
served by the pastry chef herself. She breaks the top and pours proper vanilla crème
anglaise into each soufflé, which had risen beautifully. They were very sweet, as the insides of the ramekins have to be coated in granulated sugar to get them to rise properly and rise they did. So you do need a rather sweet tooth to
enjoy this dessert
And then it is
topped with vanilla ice cream...
John, always
the chocoholic, had the Valrhona Chocolate marquise with orange jelly and crème
fraiche, also topped with vanilla ice cream
And the
kitchen came up trumps with a small token to Clare for her birthday.
Thank you
all for another memorable meal. We will be back
The bill for our lunch (with wine by the glass) came to R1460 including 10% tip)
Proteas love
the rain
The bill for our lunch (with wine by the glass) came to R1460 including 10% tip)
Buying some
treats from Louise Starey at the bakery on our way home
