Sunday lunch at Bertus Basson, The Spice Route, Paarl

Who doesn't enjoy Sunday lunch if someone else is cooking for you? And it appears, from the full restaurant with lots of large parties, that Bertus Basson's generous offering of a four course lunch for R290 is attracting lots of you. We were very impressed at the variety on the menu which is served family style. And, of course, the restaurant is up on the Paarl mountain with superb views across to Franschhoek on the left, then looking right across past the Simonsberg, Stellenbosch, Klapmuts and, in the distance, Table Mountain. Lions Head rides like a shark through the Durbanville Hills and beyond is the west coast

The restaurant is right in the centre of the Spice Route complex

The pergola will be covered in vines come summer

Inside the busy restaurant

The Sunday lunch menu we sampled. It does change according to the seasons and what is available. There is also a Saturday special running on Saturday 13th August. when Albert Frost will be performing at Bertus Basson Spice Route. There will be a 2 course menu for R245, 3 courses for R295pp. Book soon

We began with a bowl of savoury butternut soup topped with tangy creamy goats cheese and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds

Olive bread, olive oil emulsion and an olive paste accompany it

The next course was missing - at our request - the pickled fish, which neither of us likes; we don't like wasting food. It was replaced by a lovely fresh selection of roasted (not pickled) baby beetroot with a coriander emulsion (we couldn't detect coriander and suspect that parsley had been substituted; it was great). On the same platter, crisp baby yellow carrots, olives and radishes. There was a cos lettuce salad with shaved fennel in the bowl alongside, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and a few shreds of wet biltong. It was very well dressed. In front was a platter of shavings of rare roast Chalmar beef with small dabs of aubergine puree. But the singularly best thing on the plate was tiny slivers of dried tomatoes preserved in oil, topped with roasted garlic. They gave everything the most wonderful flavour. We didn't detect any sesame dressing

This bowl was what one of us selected

Then the main course: there are two. Top left is the crisp skinned confit duck legs on a rich spiced sauce with (Puy?) lentils, a butternut puree, moist dried figs, some lovely confit garlic, forgotten carrots ( left in the bottom of your fridge they become soft and concentrated in flavour) and rocket. Next to it is the Sticky, oh so tender braised short rib of beef with really good roast parsnips, parsnip puree and shaved beetroot crisps. Large roast potatoes, which Bertus likes to serve with a very light hollandaise sauce, a new experience for us and a good one. This course nearly defeated us and we confess to taking a doggy bag with the short ribs home. It was too good to leave, but we had little room and new dessert was to follow

Constantia Uitsig had sent us a bottle of their new 2013 Red Horizon dry red blend to try and this seemed like the perfect occasion to try it with food. It has lots of smoky bacon on the nose from the first fill 60% new oak, and a mouthful of cassis, rhubarb and red cherries. It goes very well with this sort of food which is full of many contrasting flavours and textures

Dessert was a hefty portion of Malva pudding with a very vanilla ice cream, with a jug of fresh cream on the side. This was followed by two excellent double espressos

Manager Louise Starey, who was at the Bakery at Jordan and is now managing this restaurant, had invited us to come and write about the food. Who can possibly turn down a chance to taste Bertus Basson's interesting and innovative fresh food. We loved her staff, very quiet but very attentive and polite. Our waiter’s name is Everton and yes, it is his father’s favourite soccer team

They also have some products on sale in the restaurant

WHAT a view! This is the Simonsberg, under whose shelter we spent the night on Friday

A long view to Table Mountain and that shark!

People enjoying the sun and the afternoon

Our table had a view into Red Hot Glass, the glass blowing factory and shop

Resting vines and time to head home. Thank you Bertus and Louise, a lovely experience. We will be back, probably in the summer when our visitors start to arrive

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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Societi Bistro's Tour de France

Enjoying good French food at Societi Bistro with some well paired wines

Having had a successful 10 weeks of Italian food and wines Societi invited us to come and try their Culinary Tour Through France -10 Weeks. 10 Regions. 10 Exceptional Wines. A different region and wine every week. Despite a cold and miserable Saturday afternoon, we so enjoyed sampling the dishes from the menu with many great local French style wines. Now you can too. Check out the different 3 course menus on http://societi.co.za/france/ It's a lovely way to enjoy eating out in winter

This time we were inside the restaurant because of the rain

Richard Bosman with a selection of his charcuterie was paired with the rich and spicy Waterford Shiraz

Fleur du Cap Chenin will be served with the Onion soup in this week's menu which is from the Ile de France region (Paris)

Journalist Neil Pendock discussing the terroir of the Lomond Pinot noir

Lomond's excellent Pinot Noir being served with the Burgundy Menu main of superb rich and tender Boeuf Bourguignon 7th to 13th September

Lots of people waiting for the cassoulet to arrive on this stand and others enjoying the dishes with the wines

The Marianne Cabernet Sauvignon was showing really well on Saturday, its a lovely expression of this grape, we need to taste more. This as served with a rich and salty Garbure Duck soup. If you want to try it go between the 14th to 20th of September

Cassoulet, perfect winter food

This was served with the Delaire Graff Botmaskop powerful red blend, well matched to this substantial dish from the centre of France near Castelnaudary and Carcassonne. Go to taste it and the cassoulet between 3rd to 9th of August. A good way to banish winter blues

Another good match was the Asara full fruit zesty Chardonnay with the Moules au cidre from Normandy. These can be tasted from 17th to 23rd August

Chicken Fricassee is not seen often nowadays, it went SO well with the Anthonij Rupert Optima. This is the French Alpine menu being served from 31st August to 6th September

Provence just has to have a Rosé served with the food and this is a good salad Niçoise on the menu from 17th to 29th September. Solms Delta provided one with good fruit but, thankfully, not sweet

Owner Pete Weetman telling us about the menu

There was a huge crowd of good customers, wine trade and media, enjoying the day

Profiteroles were served as a dessert; they are on one of the menus. We think these are exciting menus and great wines. We will go and try some

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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Tuk Tuk Brewery in Franschhoek launches the beers brewed in house

Tuk Tuk Micro Brewery, which is part of the Leeu Collection, opened in February this year and is already a very popular venue on Main Street in Franschhoek, on the next corner above Quartier Français. They have been selling CBC beers on tap and, this week, they introduced their own beers, brewed in the in-house 250-litre capacity brewery which you can see as you walk into Tuk Tuk. The beers are a Pale Ale, a Weiss or Weizenbier (wheat beer) and a Dunkel made by brew master Dewald Goosen. We enjoyed these with a rather good selection of classic Mexican street food served family style from the Tuk Tuk Taqueria

It is easy to spot the Tuk Tuk Brewery on Franschhoek's main street, Huguenot Road

The actual brewery is at the back of the building, all gleamingly hygienic stainless steel and copper, and you can admire it from inside the restaurant

This is how the bloggers do it! Our welcoming glass of bubbly

All the beers are on tap

The decor is all glowing copper industrial and there are some witty touches like this beer bottle light

Salsa, killer chilli sauce, cream cheese and guacamole on the table for the first course

Note the copper fronted bar and the plumbing pipe lights with a sight of the brewery behind the bar

The barman pouring pints. Four exclusive, handcrafted Tuk Tuk branded beers, a Lager, Weiss, Dunkel and Pale Ale. Two of the Tuk Tuk brews will change seasonally. A selection of Six CBC beers are on offer , namely the CBC Lager, CBC Harvest Lager (seasonal) CBC Mandarina Bavaria IPA, CBC Oktoberfest Beer (seasonal), CBC Imperial IPA, CBC Pilsner, CBC Amber Weiss, CBC Krystal Weiss and CBC Red Weiss (seasonal)

Our tasters of the beers Left to Right: Pale Ale, Weiss beer and Dunkel, all with great heads. The lager is still fermenting, but will be available shortly. The Pale ale has notes of orange and hops; it is very satisfying with a nice refreshing bitter end. The Weiss beer has that cloudy still-fermenting character, rather lactic. The Dunkel is a dark malty beer with coffee and chocolate on the nose, and coffee deluxe on the palate with nice bitter hops. It is lighter in texture than we expected and a moderate 5% alcohol

Broadcaster Jon Meinking likes his beer

Nicolette Waterford, Leeu Collection Head of Public Relations, Brand and Marketing

Brewer Dewald Goosen

Interior designer Beverley Boswell, who also designed the Leeu Collection Estate Boutique hotel, had free rein to design Tuk Tuk. She told us where the inspiration came from

Then Dewald told us about the beers and how they are brewed

Hector Maramwidze, our very professional and friendly waiter

The lunch menu. Plates for four were put on the table and we helped ourselves. The food is very good, the portions were very generous and the beers are enhanced by the food and vice versa

Nachos. We love this easy to put together dish and often make it at home. Corn chips, Pico de Gallo (aka Salsa made with tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos), grated cheese, guacamole and sour cream flashed under the grill.  If you add spiced mince or chicken, it becomes an easy fireside supper

These tiny light sweetcorn fritters were served hot with a hot chipotle chilli dip. Tempting to eat too many and fill up on them, but so much was to follow. The sauce has quite a kick

Quesadillas are also easy to make at home  They are dry pan roasted tortillas filled with tender gently spiced chicken, with melted cheese, roasted tomatoes and cream cheese. These were followed by two different tacos, both excellent. One filled with slow cooked beer with lettuce and a strongly smoked aioli. and a spiced lightly seared tuna Taco with guacamole and cheese. Lynne added the table chilli sauce to it and if you love hot chilli sauce with a flavour try it if your heat tolerance is high. Our table loved it

Just when we thought we could eat no more they served hot and crisp Churros with a great Nyangbo dark chocolate and chilli dip. Nyangbo is a Ghanaian chocolate from Valrhona

Leeu Collection Executive Chef Oliver Cattermole supervises this kitchen too. Here he is with Beverly Boswell

A great design detail in the bathrooms: a shining copper sink and bar taps!

Pouring a pint of Dunkel with a great head. We were able to try larger glasses of our favourite beers, this was for Lynne.  We think the combination of good beers and Mexican food is great

Linda Harding

Nicolette with Linda Harding

The sun, weakly coming out at about 4pm as we headed off, first next door to see the redesigned bar at Quartier Francais, and then to Angala for the night

This is the snug bar, we loved the wood burning stove for wintery days like this and the blue and white with the sandy coloured textured walls is very calming

with a matching alcove with comfortable sofas behind the bar

Antonia by the wall, another realistic figure sculpture from the Leeu collection to match the male figure there, and an impressive painting dress the hallway. The yellow reversed writing on the forehead of the face is a reflection of The Tasting Room logo across the hall

In winter a glassed conservatory, in summer an open air deck

Inside the main restaurant, which has not been changed

And outside on the terrace with another of those amusing rabbit statues

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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