For me eating out is part of what I do, whether it is for a review on my website or trying a new spot with my hubby, I simply love great food! This can become tricky if you are trying to watch your weight because let’s face it most restaurants are not serving low-carb, low-calorie meals! So as much as I love food and eating out Healthy Living is extremely important to me. [Read more…]
Food
Food tastes better when you eat it with friends and family!
Col’Cacchio Celebrity Chef Series 2014
Col’Cacchio Pizzeria
There are some evenings, after a long day of running around, cooking is simply not an option! As a family, we try not to eat takeaways or ready meals, so the next best thing is eating out! One of my favourite places for a quick meal during the week is Col’Cacchio Pizzeria. I would probably say they are my favourite pizzeria. {my hubby’s homemade pizza is still my favourite though 😉 – in the event that he is reading this}
I was delighted when offered the opportunity to sample the latest Col’Cacchio Celebrity Chef Series pizza, Basil McBeefy! The Col’Cacchio Celebrity Chef Series 2014 has entered its second month, with a throwback to 2010, when super chef and founder of The Food Design Agency in Johannesburg, Jodi-Ann Pearton, first took part in this gourmet charity challenge.
Jodi-Ann’s Basil McBeefy pizza is an expression of her #FoodWithaStory culinary roots. She recalls fond memories of her father, Basil, preparing slow-braised beef short ribs for the family on weekends – “the most amazing comfort food and the spark that ignited my passion for food”.
We decided on our local Col’Cacchio’s in Westlake for dinner, our waiter was rather excited about the fact that I was going to try the Basil McBeefy pizza!
The Basil McBeefy pizza is my idea of soul food – with beef short rib slow cooked in red wine, veg and herbs, mozzarella, red chilli and crispy basil leaves. My pizza was loaded with beef, perfect for a meat lover like me! I loved the spiciness the red chilli added and the crispy basil was something a bit different but added great flavour and texture.
The Basil McBeefy pizza is perfectly paired with the Place In The Sun Shiraz, which is actually the wine I usually drink when we eat at Col’Cacchio!
I really enjoyed the Basil McBeefy pizza and even had a few slices leftover for lunch the following day 🙂
It is Friday peeps and who feels like cooking??? I know I don’t! So why pop on over to your favourite Col’Cacchio Pizzeria and give the Basil McBeefy a try. If you are not a meat lover, then there is a huge variety of other yummy pizzas, pastas and salads to choose from!
The Basil McBeefy (R110) is available at all Col’Cacchio pizzeria stores across the country for the month of October. R5 from every pizza sold will be donated to the Children’s Hospital Trust, to fund a paediatric rehabilitation programme, at St Joseph’s for Chronically Ill Children.
Disclosure Ranking:4
Catharina’s at Steenberg Hotel and Farm
You may have read a recent post I did featuring my stay at the stunning Steenberg Hotel. As I illustrated in the article Steenberg Hotel and Farm is a one-stop luxury destination. As well as a tasting room there are two great restaurants on the estate. I promised I would give you a bit more detail about the “in-house” dining offered on the estate, so here goes. [Read more…]
Twelve Apostles Hotel Dinner and a Movie
Twelve Apostles Hotel
As busy parents, one of the things we seldom get to do, is watch a movie at the cinema together. Mostly due to the fact, that if we do get the chance to go out, we both prefer a romantic restaurant, over a busy movie theater! Well imagine if you could combine the two experiences…
The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa has turned the ever popular ‘Dinner and a Movie’ evening into a special occasion! They have combined a select three-course menu in Azure Restaurant, with the comfort of watching a movie in the five-star hotel’s very own private cinema. So whether it is a romantic evening with your partner, a girly get-together or family night out, ‘Dinner and a Movie’ is the perfect experience! At only R395 per person it is also great value for money and sets the scene for a memorable night, shared with the stars of the silver screen!
Much to my delight, Grant and I were recently invited to experience Dinner and a Movie, at the Twelve Apostles Hotel for ourselves! What a fun way to spend a mid-week evening!
Upon arrival we were treated to a welcome glass of bubbly, while we acquainted ourselves with the special three-course movie menu. The scenic Azure Restaurant is pure elegance, with an amazing seafront view. We were even lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a beautiful Cape Town sunset.
Executive Chef Christo Pretorius’ mouth-watering offering includes Duck Terrine – liver parfait, port gel, pistachio crumble and blackberry jam; Blesbok with orange sweet potato, bulgar wheat salad, forest mushroom, roasted beetroot, cashew sour cream, juniper berry crumble and gooseberry; and a fresh Catch of the Day, served with split pea salad, cauliflower puree, asparagus, baby marrow, coconut gel and oyster cream.
I opted for the Prawn Dhal for starters, while Grant decided to try the Chicken Noodle Soup. Both dishes were delicious but I would have to be biased here and say my dish was the best! The restaurant sommelier paired each of our dishes, with the perfect wine to compliment our meal.
Between courses we were presented with a visually spectacular Palate Cleanser – Raspberry sorbet on a bed of dry ice. So very Heston Blumenthal!
For mains I decided to try the Blesbok with orange sweet potato, bulgar wheat salad, forest mushroom, roasted beetroot, cashew sour cream, juniper berry crumble and gooseberry – quite a mouthful! It was utterly divine! Grant went for the Catch of the Day, served with split pea salad, cauliflower puree, asparagus, baby marrow, coconut gel and oyster cream. Both dishes were amazing, with perfectly matched taste combinations!
There are also Vegetarian dishes on the menu, such as Roasted Butternut Agnolotti with butternut gremolata, homemade labneh, toasted walnuts and sage butter; or an authentic Cape Malay Vegetable Curry – the slightly sweet and spicy curry with star-aniseed basmati rice, sambals, warm butter roti and a poppadum is a favourite of Red Carnation Hotel Collection Founder and President Bea Tollman.
For dessert both Grant and I decided on a traditional Vanilla Crème Brûlée, which was the biggest Crème Brûlée, I have ever seen! You have the option of enjoying your dessert in either the Azure Restaurant or the Cinema.
Our milkshake orders were then taken and we made our way to the The Twelve Apostles’ private 16-seat cinema. In true cinema style, along with our milkshakes, there was also complimentary popcorn, ice cream, hot chocolate and sweets, on offer! We then settled in to watch Water for Elephants, which is so sad but a wonderful movie!
What a lovely evening, with lovely people, in a stunning setting – thank you Twelve Apostles Hotel and the amazing staff at Azure Restaurant, for spoiling us! Next time we will definitely make a whole night of it and stay over! There is no need to leave the comforts of The Twelve Apostles Hotel after your movie, thanks to their ‘Dinner, Movie…and Stay Overnight’ package. Priced from R1345 per person sharing per night, the package includes an overnight stay, in one of the hotel’s plush guest rooms, three-course dinner, movie, snacks and full English breakfast the following morning.
The monthly movie schedule includes three dinner screenings daily, at 17:30, 20:30 and 22:30. To book, contact restaurant reservations on +27 (0) 21 437 9029 or email [email protected]
Image Source: 1,2 & 8 credited to 12 Apostles, Remaining images property of ©FAR Photography
Disclosure Ranking:2
Kyoto Garden Sushi
Kyoto Garden Sushi Review
I have read and heard so much about Kyoto Garden Sushi recently. I must admit the name is rather deceptive because is not just a simple sushi bar! In fact it is what I would consider to be Japanese fine dining. Kyoto Garden Sushi is situated in Kloof Nek, in the heart of the Cape Town CBD.
The evening we picked for dinner was a typical Cape winters night. Picture it, howling wind and driving rain, we actually lost our umbrella walking to the restaurant! I know most of you are thinking, an umbrella in Cape Town, in winter, why bother! Needless to say, we were happy to eventually arrive at our destination and be out of the rain, which naturally stopped once we were inside!
Kyoto Garden Sushi is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner for two. The dimly lit, elegant, zen inspired interior, is welcoming, with a wonderfully relaxed ambience. After a rather stressful day, it was exactly what we both needed! The only negative with the dim lighting, is the poor quality of my photographs!
Happily ensconced at our corner table, we poured over the drinks menu. Kyoto offers a wonderful selection of innovative cocktails, Japanese Beers and wines, which would please most connoisseurs. I opted for a delicious sounding Kyoto Cosmo and the hubby a Japanese beer.
With our rather limited experience of Japanese cuisine, we took the lead from owner and waiter for the evening, Scott, who interestingly enough hails from LA but spent quite a bit of time in Japan, perfecting his menu ideas for Kyoto. Scott guided us through the menu and gave us his recommendations. I must admit I felt rather overwhelmed and wanted to taste everything but we eventually narrowed it down and ordered a few dishes.
We started with the freshest Tuna Tartar, served with Daikon Radish and Wakame, Fresh Oysters with three flavours and Fresh Japanese Coleslaw with Crayfish. All three dishes were amazing, all the ingredients were extremely fresh, which Kyoto is renowned for. We decided on a crisp Paul Cluver Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the rest of our meal.
Next we ordered The Sea, one of the soups off the menu. The Sea is a clear broth with prawns, clams, octopus, mussel, scallops and seaweed. I can honestly say this dish is like nothing I have ever tasted before. It does in fact taste like The Sea! Delicious!
Scott recommended that we try a tempura dish, which happens to be a favourite of mine. I chose the Vegetables, Prawn and Bay Scallop Tempura, as my main meal. The batter was wonderfully light and I loved the combination of seafood and vegetables.
For mains Grant decided on the Steamed Fish in Bamboo Pot. To be honest this was probably my least favourite dish {yes I taste everything} of the evening but he really enjoyed it!
You will probably be amazed but we did not try any sushi. I have heard that the sushi is delicious but there were too many other dishes, which we wanted to try. Next time!
Although full I had to try a desert! In fact we ordered two. I had the Toasted Tofu, with Ginger Ice Cream and a hint of lime. Admittedly I am not a tofu lover but Scott said this was his creation, so I had to try it! It was amazing – the Tofu was unlike any that I have tasted before and I love ginger, so it was the perfect combination.
Grant ordered the Black Sesame Seed Ice Cream, which sounded as intriguing. Both deserts were amazing and I would go back just for those!
To round off the evening Scott suggested we try some Sake. I have had Sake once before and was not keen on it. He brought us a selection of three to taste: the House Sake, Raspberry Sake and a Refined Sake. To be honest I do not think Sake is something I will be making a habit if drinking in the future but the Refined one was definitely the best.
A rather interesting discovery I made at Kyoto, is the fact that there is such a thing as Japanese Whiskey – who knew! Kyoto offers quite an extensive selection of Japanese Whiskey but I am afraid I was not brave enough to sample any.
Our evening was truly a unique taste experience, one which I thoroughly enjoyed and we will definitely be going back. The highlights for me were the stunning Tempura, such a light batter and the rather unusual Tofu desert with Ginger Ice Cream. The only thing I must warn you about, is it is not a budget evening out and you can look at spending at minimum of R200 for a three course meal but in my opinion it is worth it!
Contact Details: Tel: 021 422 2001, Address: 11 Lower Kloofnek Road, Cape Town, Dinner: Open 5.30pm-11pm. Twitter @KyotoSushiCT
Disclosure Ranking:2
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