We
love getting invitations like this." How would you like to come and help us
try out the new summer menu at Simonsig in an informal lunch?" said PRO
Emile Joubert last week. It turned out to be a lovely, sunny late Spring day in the
burgeoning winelands and a small gathering of eight. We enjoyed the great
Simonsig wines and bubbly with the lunch
Some glasses of Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel to greet us
The chef Carolize shows the new menu to Emile. Its
is beautifully graphic and colourful. Sadly she is leaving in a month to go to
Dornier. Journalist Nicola Jenvey, on the left, was down from Durban to attend
the CWG Auction, Veritas and several other events at wine farms
Making up our minds! Encouraged by a glass of the Simonsig
Brut or Brut Rosé
and sending a few texts
We think the best choices are in the salad selection.
Do what we did. Get a group of friends together, 6 or 8 should do it, and
order one of each salad with all the accoutrements. We simply ate family style
passing all the dishes around for people to help themselves. It was lovely
fresh food
You can start with a portion of Boerewors with a
mustard dipping sauce. You can add two side dishes to this, Tomatoes and sweet
onion in a vinaigrette, or Boland dried peaches in coriander yoghurt
The Salt baked Baby Beet Salad with gorgonzola,
strawberries, hazelnuts and cranberry dressing. Next to it is the local ham
which you can add to your order.
The Cuvée salad with lettuce, shaved apple,
celery, radish, toasted hazelnuts and a caper emulsion. Slightly similar to a
Caesar, and very good. With the smoked chicken breast as an addition and at the top right, the Melon, cucumber and
rocket salad with bacon, goats cheese and croutons
Two other items to add to your salad. We thought these
were battered mushrooms, they turned out to be deep fried tofu and battered
prawns
The charred corn salad with pawpaw and avocado,
with Asian greens, tofu and a sesame and chilli-ginger dressing
Swordfish was the line fish of the day
A steak. This comes with three added sauces
We think this was a lamb loin, ordered by someone
else on the table
Beef burger with good chips. The buns are basted
with a spicy sweet tomato jam and it has pickled cucumber, cheddar cheese and
rocket as well
Hasselback potatoes in butter comes as a side
dish, extra on the menu, as are battered onion rings, and a lentil salad
The Whole Roasted, deboned chicken 'Laksa', was
three pieces of very dry rolled Chicken breast with a little mild Durban curry
sauce and a tomato salsa and green beans. Laksa, to us, is a Malaysian seafood
and chicken soup with noodles which Lynne makes at least once a month
The dark chocolate tart was much more than
expected, more like an unsweetened 85% dark chocolate delice with a biscuit
base, topped with a passion fruit pannacotta, so two desserts for your money.
Actually three, as good ice cream, more crumbs and tiny marshmallow meringues were
on the plate as well. Other guests had the sorbets and ice creams which come in
several flavours.
We met charming Luca from Italy who has been
cycling across the world for about 3 years, seen here with Adèle Steyn, Simonsig’s
Digital Marketing and Social Media Manager. He has just completed a cycle ride
from Kenya to the Cape and was returning home after a long time away. He first
cycled around Europe for years
Simonsig has a lovely view of Table Mountain.
Lunch on their terrace is a lovely experience. We will be back with visitors in
the summer
© John & Lynne
Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016
