Posted on: October 31st, 2011 THBukhara
Bukhara is often cited as Cape Town’s top Indian restaurant. Of course, we’ve learnt never to judge a restaurant by its reputation, and felt it was time we put their spicy specialties to the test at their original Church Street location.
Decor-wise Bukhara is attractive, elegant and completely free from the kitsch accents these types of restaurants often fall prey to. The main dining area does feel somewhat open, but this is most likely due to the large, heavy, solid wood tables that give diners plenty of elbow room without feeling like you’re sitting miles from your dinner companions. Dim ambient lighting with accent lights over the tables helps to create an intimate feel despite the open space.
The menu is large, with plenty of chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian options, as well as a few beef and ostrich items. Sides are ordered separately, and we do recommend trying the garlic butter naan bread, which is easily big enough for two to four people.
Our table started with the Dum Aloo (tasty, but quite spicy), the Chicken Garlic (juicy and tender) and the Kastoori Jhinga (flavourful, but tough-shelled prawns). Of the mains we highly recommend the Lamb Rogan Josh, the Bhanna Gosht and the Shahi Paneer, all of which were fragrantly spiced without being overpoweringly hot - always a danger with Indian food.
Service throughout the evening was decent, if not spectacular. Staff were very friendly and seemed knowledgeable about the menu and our wine glasses were never left empty.
All told we were very impressed with Bukhara. We enjoyed each and every course, and appreciated the ambiance of quality and understated elegance. Our only warning to would-be diners is to check the budget before hitting this curry spot - you’re paying for quality, but the price is high.
Bukhara / 33 Church St / Cape Town / Tel: 021 424 0000 / www.bukhara.com
The countdown to Guys’ Night at Harvey’s Bar has begun. Winchester Mansions is inviting all Y chromosomes to get rid of their start-of-the-week blues and indulge in all things male every Monday night at one of the trendiest spots on the Atlantic Seaboard. Chef Jochen Riedel will be preparing some special snacks and the best of world sports will be shown. Guys’ Night launches this Monday, 7 November.
For more information visit www.winchester.co.za, contact 21 434 2351 or email harveys@winchester.co.za.
From the 24th to 30th October famous Sicilian Il Cappero Restaurant in Cape Town, will offer a special menu using the original recipes of the 1860’s. The same recipes as described in the book “Il Gattopardo” and then featured in the famous movie with the same title.
In those years the newly united Italy was able to preserve its regional gastronomic traditions, rich and various, thanks to the special nature of the territory and, of course, to the quality of food.
Bookings are essential and prices range from R50.00 - R75.00 for starters and R95.00 for mains. For more information or to make a reservation call Aldo on 021 461 3168.
Il Cappero / 3 Barrack Street (beside Parliament) / Tel: 021 461 3168 / Email: reservations@ilcappero.co.za / www.ilcappero.co.za
The brand new Cape Dairy Experience promises to treat and entertain dairy lovers on Friday 4 November and Saturday 5 November 2011 at Sandringham (next to the N1 between Cape Town and Paarl).
Learn to make butter, Italian cheese and ice cream in the interactive dairy pantry; bring the family to see world-class animals strut their stuff; or give it your all in the ice cream-eating competition and old-fashioned boeresport.
Visitors can bake their own traditional milk tart, roosterkoek and pot bread on a coal fire, while youngsters make their own stokbrood with homemade butter and cheese. A Huguenot Chocolate experience is also on offer for those with a sweet tooth.
Cost is R30 for adults, while children 13 years and younger enter free of charge.
For more information, visit www.capedairy.co.za or call 021 975 4440. Alternatively, you can email mariana@agriexpo.co.za or liezel@agriexpo.co.za
Enjoy an oriental-inspired dishes for Salt aficionado Chef Craig Cormack’s next salt and wine pairing menu to be held at Die Bergkelder, Fleur du Cap’s famous ‘cellar in the mountain’ in Stellenbosch.
The latest in a series of salt and wine pairing four-course dinners, held on the last Thursday of every month, offer guests a range of oriental dishes all showcasing the versatility of Fleur du Cap’s elegant Unfiltered wines.
Booking is essential as seats are limited.
Cost: R400 per person including the tasting, food and wines.
Time: Begins with canapés at 19h00.
For more information and bookings, call Nadia Ferreira at Die Bergkelder at 021-809 8025 or email info@fleurducap.co.za.
Constantia Uitsig Restaurant has recently launched their Spring Tasting menu for a limited time only. Choose the number of courses you want to enjoy, and you’re set with the below options. Each dish is paired with a wine but these are dependent on availability.
Bouchee de Moule – Steamed black mussels in a puff-pastry case with a saffron veloute
Paired with Constantia Uitsig Chardonnay
Spring Salad – Variegated green vegetables served on baby greens with Truffle dressing
Paired with Constantia Uitsig Sauvignon Blanc
Mushroom Ravioli – Wild mushroom & ricotta parcels served with Truffle cream
Paired with Constantia Uitsig Semillon
Sorbet – Palate Cleanser
Cumin-crusted Kingklip – Pan-fried, served with sweet potato, baby spinach & a verjuice vinaigrette
Paired with Constantia Uitsig White Blend
Karoo Lamb Cutlets – Grilled medium, served with celeriac puree, green beans and a Gorgonzola sauce
Paired with Constantia Uitsig Blend
Crème Brulee – A velvety custard dessert
Paired with Constantia Uitsig Muscat
Coffees & Teas served with Biscotti & Truffles
Costs:
6-course: R390
5-course: R365
4-course: R340
Dinners only – valid till end Oct 2011
Constantia Uitsig Restaurant / Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate / Spaanschemat River Road / Constantia / Cape Town / Tel: 021 794 4480 / Email: restaurant@uitsig.co.za / www.constantia-uitsig.com
All those who value education and literacy are invited to join top celebs at Pigalle Restaurant on Saturday 22 October for a night of fabulous food, fine wine, dancing and memorable entertainment.
help2read is a South African Child Literacy Organisation whose vision is for all primary school learners to be literate and develop a love for reading.
Top Billing presenter Jeannie will be the hostess for the evening, joined by special guests Louise Carver and performer Ian Smith with his
Virtual Jazz Reality dance band.
Where: Pigalle Restaurant, 57A Somerset Road, Green Point
When: Saturday 22 October 2011 7pm for 7.30pm
Cost: R4000 per table of ten or R400 per person. Includes a three-course meal and wine
Contact: To attend the event, email marc@help2read.org or call 021 685 8085 by 17 October 2011.
(Parking is available opposite the restaurant entrance in Somerset Square off Highfield Road.)
Visit: www.help2read.org to find out more.
There are few experiences more pleasant than taking a slow drive to a quiet location, tucked away from the usual bustles of day to day living. The River Café in the Constantia Valley offered us just such an opportunity. But be advised: don’t follow the directions provided by Google maps to get there! It seems somebody has pin pointed this wonderful wine farm in the centre of Constantia, rather than in its real site. I would recommend that you instead use Constantia Uitsig’s website and their own map as your guide.
Luckily, this small hiccup in no way deterred us from our visit, and I’m pleased to report that the hostess agreeably and efficiently put us on the correct path during a quick phone call.
This friendly and streamlined service was continued upon our arrival at The River Café, and indeed, throughout our meal. I was particularly impressed to note that each and every staff member had a role to play, knew what that role was, and carried it out to the best of their ability. Our waitress was relaxed, informative and friendly, the Manageress truly engaged with her customers and even the runners who brought the dishes out were polite and unobtrusive. Here I have to remark that so often restaurants that attempt to divide the order taking and dish presenting tasks amongst the staff, rather than simply letting the waiters handle the job in its entirety, are often faced with chaos and confusion. River Café however, handled it seamlessly.
Happily, this is not the only area in which they excelled. At first, I was a little disappointed by the menu selection of predominantly salads and sandwiches, with just a few heavier dishes thrown in. I was hungry, and enjoying a rare moment alone with my husband - I wanted to indulge! Thankfully, it seems as though the River Café adopts the policy of presenting daily specials based on the exciting ingredients freshly available. This is where the true magic lies, and the waitress proffered a variety of dishes that had our imaginations piqued with every description.
For Starters I settled on the Mussels in garlic, white wine and cream sauce and my husband selected the Caesar Salad. Both were enjoyed immensely; the mussels for their fresh taste and delectable sauce and the salad for its vibrant colours, filling portion size and crisp ingredients.
For Mains, I dived into a homemade spinach tagliatelle pasta, finished with bacon, mushroom and Gorgonzola sauce, and was pleased to find that here was dish that had the Gorgonzola proportions just right. In no way did it overwhelm the rest of the flavours, but rather they worked together with the perfectly cooked pasta to form a complete and wholly satisfying dish. Scrumptious! The pepper sauce on the Beef Fillet proved to have the same attention to balance, but unfortunately the fillet itself was too far to the rare side, even though ordered “medium rare”. I regret that this seems to be a recurring problem, as we heard a nearby table mention the same dilemma. While this was not a problem for my husband, it would have been for me. I am happy to report however that the meat had clearly been rested correctly, and was still greatly enjoyed for its succulent texture.
All generous portion sizes, we were not to be outdone by our quickly filling bellies; we were here to indulge, remember! As such, we eyed out the dessert menu and decided to split an Apple Crumble. As with every other dish of the day, the craftsmanship was clear: the crust perfectly formed, the sugar and cinnamon quantities in agreement with the apple and all complemented by the vanilla pod ice-cream. A delightful ending to a wonderful meal, in a idyllic setting.
River Café / Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate / Spaanschemat River Road / Constantia / Cape Town / Tel: 021 794 3010 / Email: rivercafe@uitsig.co.za / www.constantia-uitsig.com
For the 6th consecutive year, over the weekend of 14 - 16 October, the Robertson Wine on the River is returning to the banks of the Breede River.
Enjoy more than 300 wines from over 40 wineries, while soaking up the rhythm of live jazz, ballads and blues. There will also be delicious gastronomic delights from which to choose, whilst browsing amongst the country food stalls, the Robertson Farmers’ Market, and, with a wide variety of children’s activities, Robertson Wine on the River promises to be a festive family affair.
Convenient designated parking areas will be clearly sign-posted en route. For visitors utilising parking areas further a-field, a shuttle-service will provide transport to and from the festivities.
Wines will be sold on site at cellar door prices.
For bookings and enquiries, contact the Robertson Wine Valley office at 023 626 3167 or email manager@robertsonwinevalley.com
Paulaner Bräuhaus celebrates its 10th annual Oktoberfest this month, promising a party bigger than anything Capetonian beer lovers have experienced before. Live performances from both local and Bavarian bands and a specially-brewed Oktoberfestbier by brewmaster, Wolfgang Ködel, are highlights of the festivities, which run from 14 to 30 October 2011.
The Oktoberfest will be opened with the tapping of the first barrel of Oktoberfestbier. Made according to a traditional recipe, this brew has an amber colour and strong taste. To complement the beer, Paulaner serves traditional hearty Bavarian cuisine such as Bavarian sausage mix, Bavarian roast pork, chicken schnitzel, the traditional Munich Oktoberfest half roast chicken and their speciality, crispy eisbein.
Umpah music will be played live on Wednesday and Thursdays between 6pm and 8pm; Fridays and Saturdays between 6pm and 12 midnight; and Sundays between 3pm and 7pm. The 650-seater outdoor beer garden will be partially covered with a Bedouin tent to offer shade during the afternoon. In anticipation of the estimated 50 000 guests over the course of the festival, Paulaner plans to brew 9000 litres of the Oktoberfestbier this year, up from the 6000 litres brewed in 2010.
Time and Place: 14 to 30 October 2011 at Paulaner Bräuhaus, Clock Tower, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Cost: R50 cover charge (applicable 2 hours before the German bands start playing) for over 18s, which includes a 500ml Oktoberfestbier voucher valued at R30. A R20 cover charge applies for patrons aged 13 to 17 years, and those younger than 12 year are admitted free of charge.
For more information contact: Paulaner Bräuhaus on 021 418 9999, email brauhaus@paulaner.co.za, or visit www.paulaner.co.za.
