We finally made it to Minato’s!
The décor is super kitch Japanese but the sushi was great! (At least in my novice opinion.) It’s quite different to the more conventional/commercial sushi which is pretty much available everywhere else and it definitely makes for a refreshing change. There’s loads of variety and the prices are really reasonable. Only thing is that you have to order everything in one go…so be sure you’ve ordered enough or you’ll have to brave the owner for seconds!
In case you’re in the mood for sushi sometime…try it out. I’m very keen to go back.
Minato Sushi Restaurant / 4 Buiten Street / City Centre / Tel: 021 423 4712
The ever expanding Melissa’s empire now has a seventh store, based in the V&A Waterfront. It’s been there a while now and has been on our “to do” list since its opening so RL and I decided to pop in for breakfast to fuel a day of Christmas present shopping.
As the story goes, “Mark and Melissa van Hoogstraten’s love for good old-fashioned things in life inspired them to create places where people love to be and where they could sell their unique product range. Melissa’s represents a kind of old-fashioned goodness and an attempt to bring back the real and forgotten things in life”.
It is situated in the same bustling passage as Love Revenge, Vida E, the Cavair Fine Foods Deli and the Crocs Store and provides cafe style eating with a Kloof Street flavour. RL had the Toasted Banana Bread with Mascarpone and Honey which was yummy and I had the Scrambled Eggs and Crispy Bacon Croissant which, with a little salt and pepper, was a breakfast I could have every day. An added bonus is that while you waiting for your food, you can page through the collection of the latest fashion and gossip mags as you sip your cappuccino.
This is actually the second visit to the Waterfront Melissa’s but the first time was when it first opened and service was horrid. I’m happy to report that the service is now attentive and speedy.
If you’re looking for a relaxed spot to power up for a day of retail therapy, this is a good place to start.
Melissa’s The Food Shop / Shop 6195 / Lower Level / Victoria Wharf / V&A Waterfront / Tel: 021 418 0255 / Email: waterfront@melissas.co.za / www.melissas.co.za
TH: ***½
GS: ***
RL: ***
BH: ***
Average Rating: ***
I have been to Nonna Lina in the city bowl before. I have loved it. I have relished the freshness of their salads, the little bruschetta they serve before the meal and the wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. It is thus with some disappointment that I report that this Featured Restaurant visit was a little lacking.
As GH said “We came, we ate, we left” and there wasn’t much more to it than that. I do however know that we can be a little hard on our Featured Restaurants, so I will try to be objective.
On arrival, I was happy to see that they’ve tried to close in their outside area a little. It used to be incredibly windy in that spot, and even on pleasant days you could find yourself distracted by a biting wind. I certainly hope this enclosing has worked, but as we sat inside and were thankful for the breeze coming through the doors on a sweltering night, I can’t say. It does however offer a little more privacy from the road, which is definitely an improvement.
Other than the outside changes, everything else has remained as I remember; concrete flooring with cream walls, a pizza oven, huge glass doors, scattered artworks and casual seating. The tables are a little close together, so you’ll need to tightly weave between other diners should you need to move around, and even when you’re seated you’re sure to feel rather friendly with the tables alongside. The same can be said for your own table. These too are small and so it’s a good thing the EA Team is made up of such good friends as I now have an intimate knowledge of everyone’s knees, legs and ankles.
Service is relaxed and friendly, but not particularly attentive or professional, but even that isn’t fair, as there were good moments and bad moments. This was also dependent on who we spoke to, as we were served by a number of individuals. This can always be a little confusing, as you’re never sure who you should speak to about what.
Much like the service, the food didn’t really stand out. The aforementioned bruschetta were too big to really be easy, bite size temptations and they didn’t have the usual fresh flavour I expect of Italian food. The Strawberry Salad I had so been looking forward to was also a disappointment. Yes, the original elements were there; the strawberry, avo, mozzarella, smoked salmon and baby salad leaves, but the raspberry coulis which added such a nice punch previously was far too intense, largely because the salad was drowning in it. As an alternative, we had also ordered the Nonna Lina Misto Platter, and although an improvement on the salad, this too was a disappointment. I have to say that I’ve had better cheese and Italian meat platters at other Italian restaurants that I like a lot less than Nonna Lina.
Unfortunately, the starters were an indication of things to come and none of us were particularly blown away by the main dishes. In the end we voted GH’s Ravioli with shrimp, basil and tomato sauce the winner. It had the most potential and was closest to the fresh, true to ingredients, cooking style we were hoping for. Additionally, it was quite flavoursome. As a side note, TH’s Walnut and Fig Preserve Pizza was an interesting combination, we just weren’t sure how many people would be able to eat an entire pizza of those ingredients.
Much like the the other courses, the desserts sounded good on paper but were uninteresting when they arrived. We even had to explain to the waiter what a port was. Granted, it’s not like they have a large bar, so maybe they can be forgiven. (Yes, this is me trying to be understanding.)
One aspect of our evening that I did enjoy was the atmosphere. This has remained exactly as I remember. The restaurant was full of a variety of people from different groups, ages and income brackets. The area had a nice buzz, but was not so loud that we had problems hearing each other. The music added just a touch of Italian and everybody seemed to be having a good time. And let’s face it - atmosphere counts for a lot. If you feel comfortable and relaxed in a place, you’re bound to have a mostly good evening.
For this reason, I would at least give Nonna Lina a try, and I’m sure that despite the above, I’ll find myself there again. It’s not going to compare to the upmarket, more polished restaurants in Cape Town, and doesn’t really stand out in any way, but it is a good spot to have a chilled meal with friends.
Ambiance: ****
Service: **
Food: ***
Wine: **
Bathrooms: ***
Nonna Lina Ristorante Pizzeria / 64 Orange Street / Tel: 021 424 4966 / Email: 64orange@nonnalina.com / www.nonnalina.co.za
