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Eating Out, Eating Out With Children, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Taste

Pasta Café Green Point { Taste Review }

Pasta Café

After a recent trip to Italy, I have become reluctant to order pasta dishes when I eat out. I think this is largely due to the fact that I know they will not measure up to my Italian experience! True Italian food is simply prepared, using only the freshest local ingredients.

When the invitation to try out the Pasta Café Green Point, popped into my inbox, I was intrigued to see if they lived up to their promise…

Pasta Café offers an authentic Italian experience that is on-the-go. Our pasta is prepared fresh, daily and we take an average of 6 minutes per meal preparation from flour to the palate. Using only the freshest ingredients, each dish is prepared with that secret ingredient only a true Nonna can add – Love.

With the promise of pasta just like Nonna’s, we set off to Green Point to experience it for ourselves.

The Restaurant ~

The Pasta Café Green Point is located on the popular strip in Green Point, on Somerset Road. Nestled in the shop front of the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel, it is within walking distance of the Cape Town stadium and other CBD attractions. Pasta Café is cozy and quaint – definitely more of a café than a restaurant.

The lack of good authentic, home-made pasta was the motivation for the concept behind Pasta Café. The owner, Tyron Pillay, who hails from Johannesburg, felt there was a definite gap in the market for a store that made fresh pasta daily using only the best ingredients.

Everyone has nostalgic memories of their favourite meals from their childhood. This is exactly what Pasta Café wanted to bring into their menu. Good authentic rustic Italian fare with a restaurant quality meal that is on-the-go. From this concept, “Just like my Nonna’s was born”.

The Chef ~

Head Chef Martin Van Der Walt, grew up with a strong French influence, from his grandmother. He learnt from a young age how to enjoy great meals, made from scratch using locally sourced seasonal fruit and vegetables. Having such a great foundation from his paternal grandmother helped to shape him into the chef he is today.

Once he left school he was fortunate enough to work at Italiano in Johannesburg, under the mentorship of Hugo and Maria from Bologne. Martin was given a wonderful foundation in the basics of making authentic Italian fare, just like their Nonnas made it. His love for cooking was awoken once again and he decided to make it his career.

When Martin was approached to work for Pasta Café he jumped at the opportunity, excited to be involved in this unique concept. Finally Martin was able to use his wealth of experience and knowledge, to put together a great menu incorporating the essential elements, which make Pasta Café such a wonderful Italian experience.

The Experience ~

While perusing the menu we snacked on beautifully fresh bread, dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar – so simple yet so yummy!

Martin, the head chef, suggested trying six different dishes off the menu and sharing. Giving us all the opportunity to try a variety of dishes.

My hubby Grant loves Carbonara, so this was his first choice. Carbonara is a combination of fresh cream, egg, pecorino cheese, parsley and bacon. This was a huge hit!

The dish on the menu which caught my eye, was the Lamb Thyme Agnolotti – pasta filled with garlic, lamb, thyme and ricotta. It was absolutely stunning and definitely my favourite.

Next up is a firm family favourite! Pasta Alfredo – a combination of oak smoked bacon, mushrooms, cream and pecorino cheese. I loved the smokiness of the bacon!

We decided to try one seafood option and went for the Salmone. This Pasta Salmone, was a bit different to the ones I have had before, which tend to be quite creamy. The Pasta Café Salmone combines smoked salmon, white wine, fresh chillies, red peppers, leeks, lemon zest and parsley. I would say this is the perfect dish if you are watching your weight and don’t want anything too heavy.

My daughter loves Pesto, so naturally we had to try that. I on the other hand, am not a lover of pesto but the Pasta Café’s version is lovely. Fresh basil pesto, parsley and fresh cream – very simple but very tasty!

Lastly, on Martin’s recommendation, we tried the Roast Butternut Agnolotti. A stunning combination of roast butternut, pistachio buts and burnt butter. This was probably my second favourite out of all of the dishes {it is difficult to choose they were all that good!}. I think the addition of pistachio nuts, is what makes this dish special.

The Pasta Café offers the option of a single or double portions, as well as a great new family size meal! You can opt to sit down or take-away, with an choice of 6 different pasta types, all freshly made. They also offer one gluten free option, which changes daily.

Another great offering is being able to order bigger dishes for a dinner party at home or a special birthday. The bonus is you do not need to cook but can still impress your friends and family! Simply order ahead of time and collect on the day of the party.

Check out the Pasta Café Menu for more info on all the dishes they have on offer. Call Pasta Café on 076 089 9174, to place an order or book a table or email them.

Location: Shop 1 Cape Royale Luxury Hotel, Green Point, Western Cape

Disclosure Ranking:4

Eating Out, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Taste

Spasie Underground Restaurant

If you love eating out but are in need of something a bit different, then Spasie Underground Restaurant is definitely the place for you! When I first saw mention of Spasie Underground Restaurant on Twitter, I was most intrigued. Which would make it was no surprise, when the invitation to dine there popped up in my inbox – I jumped at the chance.

Spasie Underground Restaurant is certainly not your run of the mill eatery! Nestled amongst the eclectic mix of bulidings in Bo-Kaap, once the HQ of Haas Coffee, Spasie is both unexpected, as well as charming, which makes the concept even more successful.

A dining experience rather than just a meal out, Spasie Underground Restaurant is the concept of Greg Zeleny, who you may know as the founder of Secret Eats. At Spasie, guests gather at a long chefs table for a more intimate evening of dining, enjoying great company, amazing food and wine.

Each week a guest chef is invited to Spasie Underground Restaurant, to create a custom 4 or 5 course menu, complete with wine pairings. Chefs are given complete creative control, giving them the opportunity to move away from their daily routine and create something truly magical and different in the Spasie kitchen!

Spasie is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for dinner and soon to be open for Sunday brunch. The “chefs table” menu is on offer on Thursday and Friday evenings, with Wednesday themed as a “speakeasy” evening, also known as #PWW or Pocket Watch Wednesdays.

Our menu was prepared by Chef, Jaco Redelinghuys from Yoco Eatery in Durbanville Cape Town. Chef Jaco is all about bringing fine eating to everyday life, he is passionate about food and fresh produce.

The art is in the eating. ~ Jaco Redelinghuys

The wines paired with our menu, for the evening, were all from Kaapzicht Wines in Stellenbosch. We started our evening with a French Onion Soup Tarlet, paired with the Kaapzicht Chenin Blanc .

Next on the menu was a beautifully presented Vegetable Mille Feuille. The vegetables were wonderfully al dente, lightly charred, with a slight smokey flavour. The mille feuille was served with creamy Goats Cheese and a delicious Parmesan Crumb, for added texture. The dish was paired with a marvelously crisp Kaapzicht Sauvignon Blanc.

As a palette cleanser Jaco served a Passion Fruit Sorbet, made from home-grown passion fruit – it was amazingly zingy.

For mains we enjoyed a perfectly cooked Fillet Mignon, served with La Pomme de Terre, Root Vegetable Puree and Green Beans. The fillet was paired with the Kaapzicht Cabernet Sauvignon, which complimented the dish beautifully!

For desert Jaco served the masterfully crafted and aptly named French Countryside in Autumn. When the dish first arrived, we were all in awe of the creative genius behind such an artfully presented creation – it really looked too beautiful to eat! The mushroom, made from meringue, was set on a bed of “chocolate” soil, edible leaves and stones, with berries dotted about to cut through the sweetness.

What a delicious meal and fabulous evening at Spasie, it is definitely something we will do again soon. Thank you to the great staff and the remarkably talented chef Jaco, from Yoco Eatery.

Booking for these exclusive evenings is essential and cost from R650/person, which includes your complete food and wine experience. To see the list of upcoming chefs and make a booking visit the Spasie Underground Restaurant website or call them on 021 422 1492.

Image Source: Jaco Redelinghuys – ST Photography

Disclosure Ranking: 4

Eating Out, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Taste

Volare at Peddlars & Co

Volare “to soar or fly”

I have always loved Italian cuisine and a recent trip to Italy reaffirmed this love. I am not talking run-of-the-mill pizza and pasta but real authentic Italian food!

Imagine my delight when Grant and I were invited to dine at Volare at Peddlars & Co, in Constantia! Peddlars, a local landmark, has become one of the most recognised and beloved destinations in Constantia.

As one of the more recent additions, Volare became part of the Peddlars & Co family in 2012. The restaurant recently underwent a complete menu revamp, at the hands of talented chef Brad Ball. Brad Ball has been a name synonomous with Bistro 1682 at Steenberg, for the past five years! He recently joined Peddlars & Co to put his stamp on this Cape Town institution and bring it up to date, with the rest of the culinary world. One of Brad’s ideas for Volare was for it to be a dining experience, rather than just another meal out. The menu is anything but ordinary and in my opinion a much-needed addition to the Constantia Valley!

As I mentioned we travelled to Italy recently and one of the main highlights for me, was eating Italian food as it was intended – fresh local produce, simply prepared, with the most heartfelt passion! {and not a Hawaiian pizza in sight!} One glance at the Volare menu and I was transported back to Tuscany.

The main thing to understand as far as Italian dining goes, it is not meant to be “fast food” but rather a feast! A feast which is meant to be enjoyed leisurely, with friends and family, accompanied by a few glasses, or in some cases, bottles of wine.

We started of our evening, sipping on a glass of wonderfully chilled Steenberg Chardonnay MCC, while perusing the mouth-watering menu! It could not really get much better than that!

For our Antipasti course I started off with the Burrata, while Grant decided on the Tuno Crudo. The Burrato was absolutely delicious – the softest Puglia mozarella, with tapenade, baby tomatoes, micro basil and wafer-thin focaccia toast.

The Tuno Crudo was as delicious – yellowfin tuna carpaccio, with capers, lemon, a heady basil emulsion and a shallot dressing.

From the outset I had my eye on the Farfalle Primavera, which I chose for my Primi course and Grant had the Pork Ragu Pappardelle. Both dishes were amazing but if I had to pick a favourite the Farfalle Primavera would win hands down, in fact I would go back to Volare just for that! The combination of peas, leeks, zucchini, parsley oil and pea shoots, in a rich creamy sauce, was definitely the best vegetarian dish I have ever eaten! The Pork Ragu Pappardelle was a flavour packed, hearty dish, of braised pork belly, tomato, fennel seeds, rosemary, topped with a goats cheese fondant.

Admittedly by this stage we were both almost full but this would not deter us from experiencing more of the new menu. My choice for our Secondi course was the Roast Porchetta, which was Oak Valley pork belly, with artichokes, sage, Parma ham crackling and brocollini.

Grant opted for the Controfiletto, a mouth-watering Chalmar sirloin, with the most delicious rosemary potatoes, roast garlic, gremolata and asparagus. The flavour combinations of both dishes were spot on, I just wish I had the space to finish it all!

We were told that we could not leave without trying a desert and it had to be the Chocolate Torta! OMW!!! Nothing short of desert heaven! I don’t have a very sweet tooth but this desert is pure perfection! The sublime combination of Valrhona chocolate, espresso ice cream and chocolate crumble was right up my alley and we scoffed the lot!

I would like to say a big thank you to Brad Ball and all the staff at Volare for a truly magical Italian dining experience! Volare is contemporary Italian cuisine at its best! We will definitely be back soon, to sample more of the amazing dishes from their wonderful new menu.

Contact Details: Opening Times: 11am – 11pm, Telephone: 021 794 7747, Email, Address: 13 Spaanschemat River Road, Constantia, 7800, Cape Town. Directions: From Cape Town, turn into Ladies Mile from the M3 freeway and turn left. Just before the first set of traffic lights, turn left onto Spaanschemat River Road, you will find Peddlars on your right.

Image Source: Images 1,2,3,6 & 9 Coutesy of Claire Gunn Photography

Disclosure Ranking: 4

Eating Out, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Taste

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

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