This winter The Twelve Apostles Hotel has 8 offers to tease your senses:
1. Mix business with pleasure with the hotel’s new business lunch menu.
The two course meal at R255 per person includes a glass of wine to toast your deals.
2. Romance your partner with dinner and a movie.
One of their recurring winter specials, dine from Executive Chef Henrico Grobelaar’s special menu and then snuggle up in The Twelve Apostles Hotel’s private cinema for a cosy movie experience at R315 per person.
3. High Tea
Make an occasion of a gloomy winter’s day by treating someone special to an array of home baked confectionary will make your afternoon one of sweet memories, at R165 for two people sharing.
4. A night out at the Theatre
Twelve Apostles wine and dine you in the Azure Restaurant and then take care of your transfers to the Theatre on the Bay in Camps Bay, bringing you back for coffee afterwards. Prices are dependent on individual shows but discounts available for those who book through the hotel.
Date Specific Offerings:
5. Whiskey Tasting
Be whisked away to the Scottish Highlands at our Whiskey tasting evening on Wednesday, August 17, brandy will be in the spotlight. The evenings are R185 per person, including canapés.
6. Game meat in the Café Grill
Executive Chef Henrico Grobbelaar will demonstrate his talents at this culinary safari, held on May 26, July 7 and July 28, see how he prepares his specialities including Crocodile Carpaccio, Loin of Springbok before enjoying them yourself. The price of R695 per person includes dinner.
7. Father’s Day
Spoil your dad on Sunday, June 19 with a delicious buffet Father’s Day lunch in the Azure Restaurant. The R255 per person price includes a glass of wine on arrival.
8. Wine and Dine
More culinary spectaculars will be on show on September 1, when Henrico Grobbelaar joins forces with Waterford winemaker Francois Haasbroek. Come and witness how they ignite your palate with a food and wine pairing, at R595 per person.
For bookings or more information contact Monique Van Zyl on 021 4379052 or email banqueting@12apostles.co.za
The Foodbarn in Noordhoek Farm Village is offering a 2011 Winter Tasting Menu, in association with Steenburg Wines.
Options on offer include:
3 course meal paired with 2 Steenberg Wines @ R165p/p
4 course meal paired with 3 Steenberg Wines @ R185p/p
5 course meal paired with 4 Steenberg Wines @ R215p/p
This Winter Special is available from 4th May to the 30th July, every day except Sundays.
The Foodbarn / Noordhoek Farm Village / Village Lane / Noordhoek / Tel: 021 789 1390 / Email: info@thefoodbarn.co.za / www.thefoodbarn.co.za
Following hot on the heels of its successful showcase at the recent Taste of Cape Town Festival, Steenberg’s Bistro Sixteen82 will make its debut at the Good Food & Wine Show, taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 26 to 29 May (2011).
Bistro Sixteen82 is one of only ten restaurants who have been invited to participate at the prized foodie platform this year. Food enthusiasts may have a taste of some of bistro specialist Chef Brad Ball’s famed Tapas dishes taken from the popular restaurant menu.
Available at R50 per serving, options will include succulent White Fish Ceviche served with corn chips and avocado; a Trinchado of seared beef sirloin steeped in red wine and garlic; mouth-watering Braised Pork Fideos with tomato and fennel seed atop a bed of Spanish pasta; and a sensational Paprika Calamari served with smoked paprika aioli. he Tapas may be enjoyed at the Bistro Sixteen82 stand with a glass of wine from Ball’s Steenberg recommendations, ranging from Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2010 to Steenberg Nebbiolo 2009 and Steenberg Shiraz 2009 (R30 per glass).
See Featured Restaurants.
TH: ****
GS: ****
Average Rating: ****
Bombay Brasserie, located in the upmarket Taj Hotel in the centre of town, offers some of the best Indian food available to those willing to meet its prices.
Upon entering, it becomes immediately apparent that you are visiting a 5-star restaurant. The elegant chandeliers, the subdued yet regal detailing on the blue walls, the embroidered chairs and the perfectly laid out place seatings are all on par with other first-class establishments.
The service keeps pace with the environment - you very quickly realize this is a premier restaurant that happens to serve Indian cuisine, rather than an Indian establishment striving to be the best at it’s game. We were welcomed with an attractive, multi-colored plate of snacks with subtle mango chutney. I felt the chutney could have done with a bit more flavor, but it served to keep us nibbling until our starters could arrive.
Before our starters, we were treated to an amuse bouche of a dried fruit filled with a mixture of nuts, spices and raisins. Whilst quite dry, the taste could best be described as an Indian Christmas. Certainly something different, and enjoyable.
And oh, what starters. We ordered two of the more interesting sounding options from the menu - home-made cottage cheese, spiced and then char-grilled; and apricot-and-potato cakes with a spiced yoghurt sauce. Both of these were amazingly good. The cottage cheese had a fantastic texture, slightly chewy, and it was served with a coriander dressing that paired perfectly. So good was the cheese that we felt forced to keep some aside to try with our mains. It deserves to mentioned that the portions on the cheese were such that we had a bit to spare! The apricot-and-potato cakes, whilst smaller, made up for it by being delicious. The sauce was both sweet and nicely spiced, and a fair bit of it ended up being used with the cottage cheese. If those cakes were available as a main, I may well have been tempted to go for a second serving.
To refresh us before our mains, we were served a guava sorbet. Whilst I cannot say that guava is my favorite fruit, the presentation on this dish was incredible. It came on an “Aladdin’s lamp”-style pot with a reservoir of dried ice that continually bathed your sorbet in wreathes of smoke as you ate it. A visual treat!
Our mains were on the more traditional side, and we ordered from the selection of restaurant specialties. The lamb shank with a saffron-tinged gravy was excellently cooked, although the saffron was unnoticeable behind the otherwise subtle curry flavors. The gravy itself was wonderful, and very little was left on our plates afterwards. Equally enjoyable was the other main, a Chicken Tikka curry with a surprisingly thick sauce. Again, the flavors were surprisingly subtle. Those worried about heat can relax - a perfect balance was struck with just enough heat to tease the mouth without ever needing you to resort to a tissue.
The wine list on offer was varied enough to provide an option for any occasion, including offering a number of Nederburg International Wine Auction wines for those looking for something a little different. However, be warned - your options for under R180 are almost non-existent.
In conclusion, Bombay Brasserie offer another excellent addition to Cape Towns haute cuisine establishments. Whilst the prices preclude it becoming a regular haunt; I can unreservedly recommend it to those looking for an interesting option for that special occasion.
Ambiance: ****
Service: ****
Food: ****
Wine: ***
Bathrooms: ***½
Bombay Brasserie / The Taj Hotel / Crnr Wale and Adderly / Cape Town / Tel: 021 819 2000
Bread Cafe can be found within one of the convention-challenging establishments popping up in Woodstock’s Albert Road, The Bromwell. Claiming to have Cape Town’s best Almond Croissant, this small cafe would great for breakfasts before or lunches after a morning of shopping some of Cape Town’s big name designers’ showrooms.
Prices are pretty average for a Cape Town establishment, meaning that while there may be a few cheaper options, most meals will be more than R50. That said, having sampled the Bread Club Sandwich, Salmon Bagel & the Green Chicken Curry Wrap I can tell you that the fare is fresh and tasty and well worth the visit. On top of that, they make a mean cup of coffee with their special blend, accompanied by a mini-meringue.
Bread Cafe / The Bromwell / 250 Albert Road / Woodstock / Tel: 021 447 4730 / enquires@breadcafe.co.za / www.breadcafe.co.za
The Elephant and Barrel is a neatly tucked away English pub located in Franschhoek which offers a selection of 30 English beers and other traditional English favourites including Bangers and Mash, Fish and Chips and Chicken Pot Pie. Thrown in for good measure are a few South African dishes such as Bobotie and everyday options such as Burgers, Calamari and Pizza. A well rounded pub menu if ever I saw one!
Best of all, the food, as well as being well presented, is absolutely delicious! The Burger pattie was meaty, handmade and wholesome, while the Bobotie was a huge hit and I couldn’t stop myself from heartily tucking into my Chicken, Mushroom and Leek Pot Pie.
Prices were fair and the courtyard environment provided a nice, relaxed atmosphere away from the usual Franschhoek tourist vibe streetside. Definitely worth a turn.
Elephant and Barrel Village Pub / Huguenot Square / Huguenot Street / Franschhoek / Cape Town / Tel: 021 876 4127 / Email: mark@elephantandbarrel.co.za / www.elephantandbarrel.co.za
If you find yourself in the “Republic of Hout Bay” and peckish after cruising the flea market, Harrie’s Pancakes is just a short walk away.
Harrie’s is laid back and unpretentious with a good measure of special ‘Hout Bay” charm.
As you guessed, Harries specialises in pancakes, both sweet and savory, but also has a decent range of other items to choose from. We tried the Thai Chicken & Mushroom, Bobotie, Dutch Bacon, Cinnimon & Sugar and Apple Pie pancakes. I personally enjoyed the smoky flavours of the dutch Bacon, with grilled bacon bits cooked into the batter, and served with cheddar cheese.
Other highlights are the yeasty homemade Ginger Beer and little play area for the little ones, making it a great spot for a day out with the family.
Harrie’s Pancakes / Shop 2 / Fisherman’s World / Main Road / Hout bay / Tel: 021 790 2472 / harriespcake@mweb.co.za / www.harriespancakes.com
