Food

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Eating Out, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Romantic Getaways, Taste, Travel

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

Eating Out, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Taste

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

Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, Healthy Recipes, Lifestyle

Green Juice Cleanse Recipe

Following on from my post on from my post on Monday with my Beetroot Juice Cleanse, I thought I would share My Green Juice Cleanse Recipe.

I also thought it would be interesting to share a bit about why cold-pressed juices, are more beneficial than the shop bought juices, which more often than not have been pasteurized.

Cold pressing, on the other hand, extracts juice by first crushing the fruits and vegetables, and then pressing them to squeeze out the highest juice yield, all without using heat. This produces a drink that’s thicker and has about three to five times more nutrients than normal juice. The downside is that cold-pressed juices typically last for up to three days when refrigerated—if not, they develop harmful bacteria—so it’s crucial to buy them fresh and drink them quickly. ~ Shape

Each of the juice cleanse recipes I am sharing, are made to my own taste and contain ingredients, which are important for me at this stage of my wellness journey. You can change the recipe up to suit your own taste and needs but I found the combinations I have created both healthy and tasty!

Some background on why I chose this particular combination of ingredients…for starters did you know Kiwifruit are high in vitamins, flavonoids and minerals. In particular, they contain a high amount of Vitamin C (more than oranges), as much potassium as bananas and a good amount of beta-carotene. They also help form Carnitine, which transports fats into cells to be burned as energy.

The phytonutrients found in unfiltered Green Apple Juice can help regulate blood sugar while reducing bad cholesterol levels and enhancing cardiovascular health. Unfiltered apple juice is an excellent source of Vitamin A, which helps to improve vision and Vitamin C, which is a great antioxidant, to help strengthen your immune system.

Pineapple juice contains enzymes that can help digest proteins and offer anti-inflammatory benefits.One cup of fresh pineapple chunks provides 131% of your vitamin C needs for the day, 2% of vitamin A needs, 2% of calcium and 2% of iron.

Celery Stalks are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C with rich supplies of potassium, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and plenty essential amino acids. Nutrients in the fiber are released during juicing, which help keep you regular!

Cucumber has an impressive amount of water (about 96%) that is naturally distilled, which makes it superior to ordinary water. Its skin contains a high percentage of vitamin A, so should not be peeled off. Cucumber contains alkaline-forming minerals and is an excellent source of vitamin C and A (anti-oxidants), folate, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, silica, sulfur, and lesser amounts of vitamin B complex, sodium, calcium, and phosphorus.

Ginger is a power house like no other! It is known to have more than twelve types of anti-oxidants, making it useful for treatment of many disorders and has way too many health benefits to list here!

Recipe:

1 Kiwi Fruit
2 Green Apples
Half Pineapple
2 Stalks Celery
1 Small Cucumber or 1/3 Large Cucumber
Knob of Ginger {this is very much to taste – I love lots of ginger!}
1/4 lemon

Remove outer skin from Pineapple and cut into chunks, remove the core from the apples and chop into chunks. Peel the Kwifruit and cut into quarters. Chop Cucumber leaving the skin on. Peel lemon and ginger. Slice the Celery stalks and you are ready to go. Using a juicer, I used my Bosch Electric Juicer, pass all the ingredients through, starting with the hardest component, in this case the apples, then add the rest of the ingredients. Once juiced add a splash of filtered water, if the juice is too thick and a few ice cubes.

Enjoy!

Food, Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, Healthy Recipes, Lifestyle

My 100 Healthy Days Beetroot Juice Cleanse

Beetroot Juice Cleanse

Last week I promised I would share a few juice cleanse recipes, which I have been using on My 100 Healthy Days with Well I Am Challenge. This Beetroot Juice Cleanse, is one of the first cleansing juices I tried, not only is it super good for you but it is delicious as well!

Beetroot is a Super Food and has many amazing benefits, I love eating Beetroot, so I thought it would be a good place to start my Juice Cleanse. Beetroot is Detoxifying, helps to Cleanse your Liver and Kidneys , reduces Blood Acidity, lowers High Blood Pressure, prevents Hardening of Arteries, as well as having Anti-ageing Properties! It is also great for Digestion and Regulating Metabolism, which is vital for weight-loss.

Recipe:

1 Small Beetroot
2 Green Apples
3 Strawberries
1 Small Cucumber or 1/3 Large Cucumber
Knob of Ginger {this is very much to taste – I love lots of ginger!}
1/4 lemon

Peel the beetroot and cut into chunks, remove the core from the apples and chop into chunks. Chop cucumber leaving the skin on. Peel lemon and ginger. Using a juicer, I used my Bosch Juicer, pass all the ingredients through, starting with the hardest component, in this case the beetroot, then add the rest of the ingredients. Once juiced add a splash of filtered water, if the juice is too thick and a few ice cubes. Enjoy!

Are you doing a Juice Cleanse or Detox? I would love to here which juice recipes you have used and what detox has worked for you – please leave a comment below 🙂

Eating Out, Food, Lifestyle, Restaurant Reviews, Taste, Wine Farms

Sublime Lunch at Harvest at Laborie Wines

Grant and I recently snuck away for a wonderfully romantic lunch, at Harvest at Laborie Wines! He had been before, but it was my first time visiting the estate – what a fantastic treat! The weather was rather cold and wet, but we refused to let that spoil our day! [Read more…]