Monday, February 05, 2018

A relaxing Summer Saturday lunch at The French Connection, Franschhoek

It only takes a minute to plan and get a good table on the terrace! While we were at the Franschhoek Summer Wines festival we knew in advance that it was going to be very hot, especially at midday. So we decided we would escape the heat and go and have lunch in the village and return to the festival later when it was cooler. Who has a menu that will allow you to have a small salad or a grand gourmet meal? Chef Mathew Gordon has at his restaurant The French Connection on Main Road. And he has a great chef there, Shirene Patrick who was head chef at his restaurant Harvest at Laborie (now sadly closed) and who has 'come home' to her roots in Franschhoek
Franschhoek was filled with tourists; this gentleman was so enjoying his lunch. They have a board with daily specials
We had the best table in the house, and could watch the world go by
A salad of chicken and bacon on a flatbread with lots of avocado and a drizzle of mayonnaise. Crisp chips were shared by two of us
Another flatbread topped with long braised, then pulled rib of beef, red wine onion marmalade, baby tomatoes and, something to copy at home, a generous drizzle of humus spiced with Moroccan Harissa chilli sauce
and a hamburger, crisp bacon and chips. This also had the onion marmalade underneath the burger.
Amusing acrobats move from restaurant to restaurant with their performance. This acrobat has rather got his tush into a bind!  He managed to get his whole body through the metal drum, so no problems and a few tips and claps
The bill for the three of us; The bill said we were two!  We had a refreshing low alcohol ale each. Good lunch, just what we wanted
Posted by MENU at 4:47 pm 0 comments

Lunch at Thali

Tandoori and Tarka Dhal Tapas, and so much more
Once in a while, you must treat yourself to a top restaurant to see what the food trends are and what the top chefs are doing. This week we joined friends for lunch to try out our Eat Out Top Chef of the Year, Liam Tomlin's take on an Indian restaurant, Thali in Park Road, just off Kloof Street in Cape Town. http://www.thalitapas.co.za/ It was quite an experience; expensive, yes, but a great exploration and certainly lots of food. A thali is a collection of small dishes served on a tray for one to combine with rice and flat breads, a complete meal in one. Now being referred to as Indian Tapas (but unlike tapas, you don't choose your individual dishes, unless you order off the a la carte menu). It's seasonal and what the chef makes that day or week or month is waht is served. Often it is mainly vegetarian with some meat added and, usually, a textural and flavourful experience. Here you get a tray for two to share, which come as courses. It costs R700 for two
The restaurant is quite dark during the day, but cool. You cannot book, so we arrived at 12 remembering the queues at Chefs Warehouse, his other restaurant in town. There were none and we could choose where we wanted to sit. Not a swatch of flocked wallpaper anywhere; it’s rustic and has almost a pared back warehouse (with a touch of Indian steam punk!) feel. Some tall tables which we didn’t choose, a nightmare for us aged. Parking in that area is always a nightmare, just park in the underground parking at the Lifestyle Centre next door
Chef doing his ordering at the bar. Liam was abroad and supervises in all his restaurants but does not often cook
They have an upstairs venue and an open kitchen
The patio at the back
We were given a table for six at the door to the patio, where it was bright and still cool. Four of us chose to drink beer (Devil's Peak Alpha Lager), one had a glass of white wine and another the ginger cider. And flies on a hot day were a bit of a problem, we did eventually get the waiter to half close the folding doors. They need some burners on the tables
The menu for that day; it does change
The first course, a Potato and Sweetcorn Chaat. A popular Indian street food, served in a poppadum moulded into a dish, it was a great success. Dotted with a tamarind paste, fresh pomegranate aruls, rice puffs and fresh coriander, it comes with a hot chilli sauce (rather like a an Indonesian sambal oelek) and a dish of Garam Masala dry spice blend for you to add at your own discretion. These two supporting dishes are then kept on the table for you to add to any of the following food. Some tried to pick up and eat, others politely used knife and fork. The spiced potatoes were very good with the crisp poppadum texture and the sweet sour of the tamarind
The next course completely vegetarian and a good dish to order on the main menu if you don’t want to eat the full Thali or meal. It was a smoked red lentil Tarka Dhal served with one paratha to share between two, a Tandoori baked cauliflower covered with a cumin cauliflower puree and a cashew and coconut 'salad' . The smoked lentils were a great new twist on a good dish, the cauliflower was so enhanced by a the rich puree and the sprinkling of cashew and coconut. To be honest, we usually find cauliflower better raw than cooked (school day memories of overcooked smells) but done this way, it was good. The course comes with sliced raw onion and a lime cheek, a yoghurt raita and a sweet tomato and chilli chutney
And at the same time they serve a meat dish to share, presented in a smoking pot for theatrical effect, a lamb kofta and some tender mint and coriander chicken kebab, both from the tandoor oven, half of each per person
The next course was fun, a fish taco, (Indian going TexMex!) with fresh fish slivers in a crisp batter nestled on a 'Cape Malay' mayonnaise (some contention there amongst our diners, but it was flavourful). This was covered in raw onion and coriander and sun dried baby tomatoes. Also on the tray was a dish of carrot puree and pickled baby carrots
Each dish is carefully explained to us by the very friendly waiting staff. Each couple shares one large tray
The final course and we were all beginning to feel satiated by this time. You cannot say there is not enough food
Two 'curries', an interesting smoky lamb curry, tender, rich and delicious, with very well cooked moist meat, perhaps lamb neck off the bone? And chicken cooked in lots and lots of pureed and fresh green coriander. A herbed rice pilaf and a fresh tomato chutney accompanied them. Served with a large coriander nan. Not a criticism but a comment from Lynne who does not enjoy fresh green coriander at all. There is a lot of it in this meal. She tried the chicken and the Nan but they were heady with this herb and not for her. The others loved it, so it's a case of personal preference
At the end of the meal we were given a dish of 6 coconut encrusted cream ball sweetmeats, with a rich thick cardamom and nut custard inside. Our bill for six with drinks, a coffee and service came to R466 per person. We recommend you try it for yourself. Thank you to our waiter Kevin. Service is a bit slow, but they leave you alone to enjoy your meal at your own pace
Posted by MENU at 2:05 pm 0 comments

Thursday, February 01, 2018

What’s on the MENU this week? Savoury Rice Pilaff with Chimichurri Chicken

This is made in an oven proof dish with a tightly fitting lid that can also go on the hob. A Pyrex casserole or a cast iron and enamel one works very well indeed. You can use cooked chicken as well as raw. And if you don't like the heat of chimichuri you could marinade the chicken in your favourite barbeque sauce or other flavourful marinade. It needs to be robust, the Pilaff is very gentle. Oh and we used some of the leftovers to stuff red banana peppers the next day. 
1 shallot, very finely chopped – ½ t olive oil – 1 T butter - 2 cups of rice - 5 cups of chicken stock – 100 ml dry white wine - 3 sprigs of thyme – 1 bay leaf – a generous pinch of saffron – 2 T dried blueberries or cherries - 1 or 2 courgettes, quartered and sliced - salt – white pepper - a sheet of greaseproof or baking paper
500g chicken , cut into 4 to 5 cm pieces - 5 T chimichurri paste - canola oil
Rub the chicken in the chimichuri and set aside in the fridge to marinate
Fry the onion gently in the oil and butter with a pinch of salt. When it is soft, add the rice and stir till all the grains are transparent. Add the white wine and let it bubble away. Add the stock, a good shake of white pepper and the herbs and saffron. Stir then cover the pot with some greaseproof paper, then its lid and put into a 170°C oven for 30 minutes or until the liquid has almost all gone and the rice is very moist and glossy. Under no circumstances let it overcook and dry out. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
When the rice is ready, quickly fry the chimichurri chicken in a little oil till it is cooked. Serve the two together, accompanied by a mixed salad. Really good with a bottle of chilled Chenin Blanc.
Posted by MENU at 5:56 pm 0 comments

MENU's Wine of the Week. Nitída Golden Orb unwooded Sauvignon Blanc

This is leesy with asparagus, green capsicum notes and a touch of grapefruit, very like a Sancerre in its clean minerality and sophistication and with a lovely golden colour to match its name. Price from the cellar is R280. Platter awarded it 4½ stars and it was the 2016 FNB Top 10 sauvignon blanc winner. From a single vineyard. Their Sauvignons Blanc have always been on our best list, Lynne insisted that we served Nitída at our wedding 15 years ago
Arachnophobes note: The illustration on the label shows the web of the Golden Orb-web Spider (Nephila fenestra), which is commonly found in Western Cape gardens and vineyards. The female can be scarily big (the male is tiny), but it is not venomous and is an asset in the garden and the vineyard, where it preys on insects
Posted by MENU at 5:37 pm 0 comments

A tasting at De Grendel

to end the day
Lovely views from De Grendel’s terrace of the city and the mountains are just some of its draw cards. But the reason why we all flock there is the lovely wine produced under the guidance of Cellarmaster Charles Hopkins. The staff there is so professional, friendly, helpful and informed, even though many of them are University students. All this makes one relax, as does tasting some of the wines. Oh, and they do have a rather good restaurant
You can sit on the terrace ....
.... or inside in the glass fronted stoep
or walk through to the more comfortable tasting room
We began with the 2017 Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc, full of green leaves, green figs and gooseberries on both the nose and palate. Good acidity and length. It has had a little wood exposure this year. A great quaffing and food wine. The estate’s grapes are combined with grapes from Darling. R150
Then the Op die Berg Chardonnay, which is fermented in 1st, 2nd and 3rd fill French oak barrels, then left sur lie for 6 months with batonage. Rich and full on the nose, rich and creamy with vanilla, pear and peach on the palate, some warmth with limes and lemons on the long end. The grapes come from their high Ceres vineyards. R175
We visited on a very good day, as they had just released the 2015 Op de Berg Pinot Noir. Mr Hopkins uses new oak barrels to ferment in, but then the wine is matured for 13 months in older barrels which has added nice spicy incense wood notes, but only in the background. Dry chalky tannins at present which will soften, with rhubarb, morello cherries and cranberries. It is still a bit tight and closed but definitely worth buying to lay down. The grapes come from their high Ceres vineyards. R175
It has been quite a while since we tasted their flagship red wine, Rubaiyat and were fortunate to be given this to taste. A classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, it never fails to impress. It was named by the late Sir David Graaff Bt. for his favourite poem, The Rubaiyat by the 11th Century Persian poet Omar Khayyam. "Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough, A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse - and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness - And Wilderness is Paradise enow". Now it is cellarmaster Charles Hopkins’ love poem to wine. It was the 2015 vintage. Spiced cherries, dark chocolate, vanilla - all combined to a great Cherries Jubilee on the nose! Dry on the palate, this is still very young and will last at least 20 years if not more and will win awards. Such good rich and concentrated dark fruit, with hints of chocolate and graphite, violets and cedar wood, ending with chalky tannins. R300
Do visit the estate and taste the wines, you will thank us
The symbol of Cape nature; a bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) in a field on the estate
Posted by MENU at 4:56 pm 0 comments

A light lunch at Durbanville Hills

After the extensive and superb tasting at Nitída, we fancied just a light lunch and it was getting late. So we headed off to Durbanville Hills, where we knew they had a cafe serving snacks and light lunches. We ordered a bottle of their great Chardonnay
The main restaurant is upstairs but this small cafe in the garden suited us well.
Durbanville Hills has turned the front area garden into an open air Art Gallery and currently has an exhibition of sculptures by Marke Meyer which he calls visual poetry and some good paintings by Mbongeni Buthelezi. This is put together by Dirk Durnez, impresario for Art@DurbanvilleHills
Realistic paintings, lyrical sculpture
Doing the washing and under the sea!
Diving with an eel
Skating!
This one is open to interpretation. Escaping from class?
A small story about Marke Meyer
Blowing in the wind
Our driver had a good local craft beer from Signal Gun
And we had the crisp well chilled chardonnay. Both were perfect for the hot afternoon
The open beef sandwich comes with a small salad
As does the open smoked salmon sandwich
John chose the biltong and cheese salad with preserved figs and got this huge pile of biltong, very good value
It is a nice place for a snack lunch. Don't expect quick service though, it's rather relaxed... We never did get our water
Posted by MENU at 2:48 pm 0 comments

Tasting at Nitida with winemaker Danie Keulder

A special tasting with the  Nitída winemaker
Harvest is close and we are very grateful to winemaker Danie Keulder for guiding us through many of the excellent Nitída wines including one new one just about to be released. There are some new developments about to take place at Nitída which we hope we can reveal soon
We began at the restaurant on the terrace where we wanted to see if we could see any dragonflies on the dam, which is sadly depleted. We chatted to Nitída owner/cellarmaster Bernhard Veller and to Cassia Restaurant owner Warren Swaffield about the drought and the harvest
Then we went up to the Tasting room where there is a series of small ponds and spotted a mating pair of dragonflies on a reed and a few others
Lynne saw this large dragonfly suddenly career into the pond like a downed Boeing and flounder about, sinking
So we rescued it and are now trying to identify this suicidal specimen
Time to get out of the sun and taste some wine in the cellar
Danie joined us there and we sat down to enjoy the  Nitída 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, tropical, sunny, clean and crisp with a little petillance
Next the Golden Orb unwooded Sauvignon Blanc. This is leesy with asparagus, green capsicum notes, very like a Sancerre in its clean minerality and sophistication. From a single vineyard. Their Sauvignons Blanc have always been on our best list, Lynne insisted that we served it at our wedding 15 years ago
The Wild Child Sauvignon Blanc, which is green, peppery and aromatic, 7% Semillon is added and this nicely softens it a little. A classic
The  Nitída Semillon has the expected mutton fat and lime on the nose, with spice and Chanel perfume. A lovely rounded mouth feel; it is crisp and long and a little savoury
The 2015 Coronata Integration is 60% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc with classic flavours of gooseberry and elderflower on the nose and palate, with a hint of mutton fat. Delicious, crisp and clean, with some wood on the end from the Semillon which is fermented in new Sylvan oak
Danie loves to tinker with grapes, those from  Nitída and some sourced from other farms
So he has made his own 'brand' called The Tinkery. This year it is a Viognier which is full of ripe apricots rather than peaches, clean, fresh, crisp and crunchy. Nice lime flavours add some refreshing acidity. This is a food wine. It has spent 10 months in wood which is almost invisible, just supporting. Yum
The 2017 Riesling is pretty and surprised us as it is showing no terpenes (a relief to Lynne) at the moment, although Daniel says it will with age. Jasmine and rose water on the nose, classic Riesling flavours, with good acidity and sugar balance, the residual sugar is 12gm/litre, so there is a hint of honeysuckle on the palate
A relaxed and smiling winemaker just gearing up for Harvest, when he will be working from dusk to dawn and beyond getting this year's harvest into the tanks and barrels as quickly as possible. Most people have no idea of what it takes out of them. They often don't have time to sleep, eat, or shave as the grapes come in and they have to be dealt with immediately. And it can go on for a couple of weeks
The barrel cellar
Danie went off to get us a barrel sample of the Pinot Noir 2017. A classic floral nose with roses and red cherries and a whiff of naartjie. On the palate it fresh cherry berry with softness, some lactic flavours, quite lovely. We will have to wait to see how it develops when its bottled
Then we tasted the current vintage of Pinot Noir 2015. It is mature with soft brandy notes on bruléed cherries, nice fresh acidity, long flavours ending with violets. Nice legs too!
The 2016 Merlot is spicy with black cherries, rounded sweet fruit, soft on the palate and warm. No faults, wood supporting and some minerality on end. Not a sign of greenness. Photographed with a wall of the dark clay soil in which it is grown in the background
2014 Calligraphy came next, a Bordeaux blend of Merlot (54%), Cabernet Franc (21%), Cabernet Sauvignon (17%) and Petit Verdot (4%). A blockbuster nose with tomato leaf, some faint volatility, loads of berry fruit. On the palate soft fruit, with fresh acidity, lighter in weight than expected, some chalky tannins, drink now
Then a preview of the 'just about to be released' Calligraphy 2015. "Made in the vineyard" says the winemaker. Again green leaves from the Cabernets, a red velvet mouth feel, soft and chalky tannins, black and red berries, mulberries and stewed red plums. The wood is showing well and there are good soft chalky tannins. We were given the bottle to take home and had it with dinner. Wow. Such a good pairing with food, but drinking so well on its own, fruity and elegant and full. Sommeliers out there, you need to taste this wine soon and order. It's a 92 plus wine
The tasting room is also the barrel cellar
The Tinkery, where Danie makes his music. Thank you so much Bernhard and Danie for your time and knowledge and for hosting us
Posted by MENU at 12:13 pm 0 comments
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