Posted on: June 17th, 2010 THT: Terroir: Temptingly Tasty
TH: ****
GS: ****
RL: ****
BH: ***½
Average Rating: ****
After looking through our options for “T” the Eating Alphabetically team decided it was time to shake things up a little, go a little further out of our usual restaurant territories, and try something new. For this reason we not only went all the way out to the winelands, but we did it during…wait for it…the day! Yes, it’s true. We did lunch. Darling.
And what a nice lunch it was.
Terroir, the restaurant on Kleine Zalze winefarm, came with several recommendations, and we weren’t disappointed. We were lucky to pick one of those perfect, clear, sunny, winter days, and being seated on the terrace at Terroir overlooking the huge oaks and distant mountains could not have been a better choice.
The winelist featured a good selection, and not only of the Kleine Zalze wines. These were, however, the most reasonably priced, which is not unexpected when dining on the farm of origin. We selected an unusual Kleine Zalze Gamay Noir – a chilled red, making a lovely alternative to white for lazy daytime drinking.
Sipping on this, we perused the menu and faced the daunting task of choosing our meals. Terroir is currently running a winter set menu special (check the details in our Specials section) which gives you around 3 choices for each course, with 2 and 3 courses at R165 and R195 respectively. While the winter menu selection is mouth-watering, matters become even more difficult when one is presented with the a la Carte Menu, since substitution is welcome, with prices being adjusted accordingly.
We finally settled on starters, with standout dishes being RL’s Gorgonzola Gnocci, with a deliciously subtle, cheesy undertone and GS’s confit duck. The duck is perhaps due a special mention, as its flavours were perfectly matched, with each item on the plate delicious alone and in combination – a rare treat.
Mains were no less pleasurable. The Winter Menu Fillet was tender and cooked to a perfect medium rare. Perhaps a little flavourless, as fillet often is, this was more than made up for by the rich and creamy risotto it was served on, and the simply divine, rich, dark, meaty jus that dressed the plate. The a la Carte Menu’s Fillet, too, was enjoyed – again, perfectly cooked and more flavourful alone that its Winter Menu competition. Its combination of salty sauce and mushrooms, with the sweeter butternut was BHs favourite. RL chose to sample the Tomato Tart Tatin. She loved the light, fresh flavours and the fact that while tasty, it still felt healthy to eat. GS’s Venison, off the a la Carte Menu, was perhaps the only disappointing dish, as it was lacking in flavour and could have used some sort of sauce to add character.
All in all we were thoroughly satisfied with our meals so far, and were enjoying the atmosphere and views so much that we decided to order another bottle of wine to enjoy while we looked over the dessert menu and watched the clutch of baby bantams pecking around the grounds.
RL, who declined the wine, decided to try the Black Forest Soufflé instead. Beautifully presented, and decadently chocolaty and rich, you may want to share this fairly large dessert between two. We ordered a cheese platter, to round off the meal for the rest of us, and were pleasantly surprised by the nice mix of cheeses, jams, and delicious fruity, nutty bread. Again a fairly large portion, and possibly best shared.
All told, we really enjoyed our afternoon at Terroir, and were one of the last lunch tables to leave. Service was decent, if not spectacular, food was consistently good, and prices were reasonable, especially on the Winter Menu.
Pick a nice sunny day and take a drive out to Kleine Zalze. You won’t regret it.
Ambiance: ***½
Service: ***
Food: ****
Wine: ****
Terroir / Kleine Zalze Wine Estate / Strand Road (R44) / Stellenbosch / Tel: 021 880 0717 / Email: terroir@kleinezalze.co.za / www.kleinezalze.com/terroir.html
2 Responses to “T: Terroir: Temptingly Tasty”
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Badger Says:
June 22nd, 2010 at 7:56 pmI see there is no description on the dishes that TH had? Not worth comment?
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TH Says:
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:03 amHi Badger
My mistake - when writing the article, I often neglect to reference myself by name. I did have a very tasty pork starter that I didn’t mention. It reminded me a bit of a gourmet springroll, only round, not sausage-shaped, but was far outshone by GS and RL’s choices. As for mains, the Winter Menu fillet was mine, and delicious. I didn’t have much room left after those for dessert, but I did help out a little on the cheese platter!
Thanks for the interest - hope that answers your question!
