Cape Fusion Tours

Spice Route Wine Estate- an artisan playground of endless fun!

Posted on February 17, 2013 by capefusiontours

CBC – artisan brewing company opens on Spice Route!

All I can say is WOW! Charles Back is a marketing genius! By buying the Seidelberg Estate (two farms down from Fairview) – he has created a hub of artisan fun on the Suid Agter Paarl Rd that is too hard to resist.

The first step of the metamorphosis from Seidelberg to Spice Route was to bring the Spice Route wines across from Fairview and to turn the original tasting room into the Spice Route tasting centre. The odd thing about this is that the Spice Route wines are not produced in this area – the farm is in the Swartland region. This is a fantastically hot region and as such the wines reflect this terroir – the heat leads to fantastic robust wines….do not leave without trying the pinotage, the Chakalaka, the Syrah and the Malabar (an awesome robust red blend that I would liken to nectar from the gods!)

He inherited a wonderful tenant called Red Hot Glass – here a talented team develop hand made artisan glass artworks. It is well worth popping in to see them blowing the glass and to check out the gallery.

DV CHOCOLATE

The wonderful thing that has happened on the estate is that it was decided to include a number of artisan businesses as part of the mix of attractions! Firstly DV Artisan Chocolate factory launched in the old Cape Dutch Manor House. Here you can enjoy a wonderful chocolate tasting of 6 chocolates made directly from cocoa beans that have been brought in from 6 different areas in the world. It is an amazing experience as you can actually taste such distinct differences between the chocolates. Click here to read my blog on DV Chocolates. DV chocolates have just launched their coffee range. As they have the equipment to roast the cocoa beans that they have imported, they may as well import coffee beans too! As such you can now head to the coffee bar and taste coffee made from a variety of African coffee beans. Shortly they are launching a coffee shop and will of course be serving all sorts of chocolate treats like brownies made from their own chocolate! Yum!

DV Chocolate found its home in the traditional Cape Dutch homestead

CBC – finally great artisan beer tasting in the winelands!

THE CAPE BREWING CO

CBC tasting

Next to open in the last few weeks has been the Cape Brewing Co (CBC). This is a joint venture between Charles Back, Andy Kung and Swedish brewer Henrik Dunge. I have literally been watching them build the brewery while I have been visiting. Interestingly they launched the tasting areas first while they were still assembling the brewing equipment. In order to launch – the first beers were produced in Sweden and the first locally brewed beers are just starting to come off the production line. They aim to make the finest beer possible using only the finest ingredients. A visit allows you to taste the five beers that they are producing and also gives you a great background into how they are being made. Be warned – when the equipment is operating it is really loud!

BARLEY & BILTONG

Come & stay for a pint or two!

The ingenious next addition was to place a little pub next door to the brewery! Now you have tasted the beers and discovered which one you like – head next door to the Barley & Biltong Emporium and have a pint or two! Here they are stocking Namibian biltong and droewors (ok I know Namibian biltong is good – but still – why not South African

Chose your piece

biltong?). You chose your piece of biltong – they weigh it and cut it up for you. As any local knows – there is nothing nicer then a piece of freshly cut biltong! Yummmmmm! This spot also has a couple of daily light meal options to chose from – as such it encourages you to linger. I love it – well designed – great view – fun and stylish. The only strange thing about is is that there is no music. Somehow – I think some relaxed background music would just be the touch that makes this spot purely magical.

THE GRAPPERIA

My Russians were the 1st to taste here!

Installing the still

Pizza & Grappa!

Wilderer’s has opened a tasting room and pizzeria on the estate. Here you can visit for a tasting – or come and relax and enjoy a pizza and the view! I am not too sure whether one would chose to sip grappa while easting pizza – but it sure will assist you with digestion afterwards! We were there a few weeks ago as they were building the still and as my client’s were fans of Wilderer’s from years of visiting the Cape, they agreed to let us be the 1st to taste there – even though they were not officially open yet!

So – plan a whole day out to Spice Route! Note that Fairview is two farms down on the same road and it is a wonderful spot to head for a wine & cheese pairing! They also have a wonderful restaurant where you can nibble on cheese platters and enjoy freshly baked breads! The Suid Agter Paarl Rd is now a real gourmet playground! Thank you Charles!

Spice Route Tasting is open from 11 – 5pm daily

tasting@spiceroute.co.za

Tel: +27 (0)21 863 5200

Directions:

From Cape Town on the N1:

Take exit 47 on the N1 which is the R44 turnoff for Stellenbosch. Turn LEFT and continue for 6.2km. You will see a sign to the right for Fairview (Agter Paarl Rd) – note that it comes quite suddenly – so watch out for it!

Turn right (3.3km), Suider Agter Paarl Road

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Town Visitor Information, Cape Winelands | Tagged Artisan Beer Tasting, Artisan chocolate, Beer Tasting in Cape, Cape foodie spots, Charles Back, Chocolate & Wine Pairing, Fairview, Favourite Paarl wineries, Grappa tasting in the Cape, Recommended Cape Wine Estates, Spice Route, Spice Route Wine Estate, Wilderer's, Wine Tour tips | Leave a comment

South African Soul Food! What do Black South Africans traditionally eat?

Posted on December 5, 2012 by capefusiontours

Pap is the most common staple eaten on a daily basis by most of South Africa’s population

Ground corn is used to make Pap

The cuisine is not rated as a gourmet cuisine in this country and as such it is very much a home cuisine that you will not find easily in our restaurants. As 80% of our population are black, it is really important to sample this cuisine if you are wanting to experience a taste of our local cuisine!

The staple diet of our people is maize. For the vast majority of tribes, the main ingredient in all meals is what we call Mielie Meal. This is quite simply dried

Samp & Beans – traditionally eaten by the Xhosa tribe from the Eastern Cape

corn that has been ground down to a fine powder (similar to Polenta – but white). For breakfast, most people would cook it into a porridge that is so stiff that it eventually starts crumbling – this is called krummel pap (this literally means crumbly pap). This is usually eaten with sour milk and sugar. For lunch and dinner people eat “pap”. This is a fairly thick porridge and it forms the starch base much as rice or pasta would in Western cuisine. The exception to this are the Xhosa people (from the Eastern

Dried corn and dried beans are used to make the traditional samp & beans combo – it keeps you full for many hours!

Cape), they eat samp. Samp is quite simply the dried corn. Often the samp is combined with dried beans for additional protein. In the rural areas, ladies will cook the samp in a black pot over the fire. It takes many many hours to cook – thank heavens for Western cooking techniques – now it only takes about 3 hours on a gas stove to prepare! Most of the black people in Cape Town are originally from the Eastern Cape and have moved down here over the last 100 years. As such a lot of samp is eaten in

Nyama! A meal is never a meal without meat in African culture!

Cape Town. The consistent dietary theme across all of our tribes is the love of meat – NYAMA! A meal is not considered a meal without meat. As such meat or a meat stew is served with lunch and dinner if you can afford it. In the township areas one of the main take away dishes is meat from BBQ’s (called BRAAI’S in South Africa) on the pavements. People will stop and buy a piece of chicken or a lamb chop or a sheep’s head. Yes, you read correctly. Sheep’s heads are considered a delicacy

by the Xhosa people and are called “Smileys”. The name comes from the fact that when

Smiley – gets its name from the fact that the lips curl up when it is ready to eat – it looks like it is smiling!

you cook the sheep’s head, you will know it is ready when the lips curl upwards – it smiles at you!!!

Chakalaka is a spicy vegetable relish that is often served with the pap/samp and meat stew. There are many variations of this recipe – often it uses up the left over vegetables you have in the house and is usually quite fiery! Always tread carefully when you serve it and remember it is supposed to be a relish – not a side vegetable to be eaten in large quantities!

Vegetables are not eaten in large quantities traditionally. This is however changing as people are becoming more and more aware of the nutritional benefits of eating vegetables. In the

Cape Town townships you will generally find that

Making Chakalaka!

the most commonly served vegetables would be spinach and cabbage which are traditionally cooked together.

Another traditional “drink” to try would be umqombothi. The only way you are going to be able to try this one is if you head into the townships and to a shabeen.

Drinking African Beer made from Maize (umqombothi). Umqombothi is used to celebrate the home-coming of young men

Pam drinking umqombothi!

in Xhosa culture, after initiation and ritual circumcision. The young men are known as abakwetha. The beer is also important when someone is intending to contact their ancestors (known as amadlozi). It is often used during customary weddings, funerals, and imbizos. Today you will still find it in the Shabeens in the townships with mainly the older men gathering to share a large can. This beer is always shared and you pass it on around the circle. It costs around R20 for a tin with around one litre of beer! Great value for money. It is considered rude to not share – so make sure that once you have a sip you pass the tin around! During apartheid the sale of liquor was banned in many of the black areas and as such this traditional beer became part of every day drinking in many communities.

A small glossary of useful words for use in the Cape (home to the Xhosa tribe):

Umqombothi – traditional African beer made from fermented corn

Umbengo – a Braai – a traditional South African BBQ. Note that our black community enjoy the meat well done!

Mpokoqo – these are the traditional African free range chickens – they live a life of freedom – so they are as tough as all hell! They are also delicious! They however need many many hours of cooking to make them tender. In our townships you can buy them fresh – yes – they are usually still alive next to the side of the road and you then can get it beheaded and plucked!

Umngqusho – Xhosa samp and beans

Wors/Boerewors – this is eaten by everyone in this country. Wors means sausage. Boerewors means farmer sausage. This is a traditional Afrikaans sausage that is best cooked on the Braai! (BBQ)

For those of you who are interested to visit a community project in the townships and learn how to cook traditional African cuisine - simply click here for more details

For those of you looking for recommendations on where to try traditional African soul food – simply click here to view my favourite places

Happy eating!

Mzoli’s are famous for their braaied meat!

A visit to Mzoli’s – quiet on weekdays – chaos on weekends!

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | Tagged AFRICAN COOKING, African cuisine, Cape foodie spots, Cape Restaurants, Cape traditional food, Pap, recommended Cape Town Restaurants, recommended restaurants for trying african cuisine, samp & beans, South African cuisine, south african traditional food, what do black south africans eat, where to eat south african cuisine, XHOSA CUISINE, xhosa food | Leave a comment

My new favourite summer restaurant – The Pool Room on Oak Valley Estate – Elgin

Posted on October 19, 2012 by capefusiontours

The gorgeous setting of the Pool Room Restaurant on Oak Valley Estate

The Charcuterie Platter at The Pool Room

I am in love with The Pool Room at Oak Valley Wine Estate! This is a great addition to the foodie scene in Elgin! The Pool Room is a joint venture between a close friend and talented Chef – Nicole Precoudis (of Cilantro and Icon fame in Joburg) – and the passionate foodie Rawbone-Viljoen family that own Oak Valley Wine Estate. This promises to be a marriage made in foodie heaven!

A huge amount of planning, blood, sweat and tears has gone into getting this project on the road.

I loved the commentary on developments from Chris Rawbone in the recent Oak Valley newsletter:

The opening date is set for Wednesday, 24th October. I should be excited, elated even. To the

The deli and flower section of The Pool Room

contrary, I’m somewhat nervous. So much time, energy and passion has gone into this project that it’s hard to believe we’re almost crossing the finish line, yet only at the starting block in a commercial sense. The premise behind The Pool Room is idealistic in many ways. It stands for everything that makes Oak Valley great. An uncompromising belief in the integrity and quality of our products. No short cuts. We tried keeping the menu as simple as possible, focussing mainly on our meat products, grass-fed beef and acorn-fed pork, along with a range of

charcuterie, crafted by Nicole Precoudis, in her on-farm curing facility. Our Wagyu beef, the famous cattle breed from Japan, where it is better known

Sausages made by Chef Nicole from the free range piggies that eat acorns

as Kobe, will be on offer from time-to-time depending on availability. The restaurant is equipped with a custom made wood-fired grill to ensure optimum flavour. It promises to be the quintessential pasture-to-plate experience. Seasonal veggies and herbs will be sourced from our very own garden behind the restaurant while daily

specials will offer patrons the opportunity to order from the chalkboard. We’re bringing

Chef Nicole in action!

Harrods to the countryside. Without Al Fayed.

The Rawbone-Viljoen family were pioneers in the valley – Sir Antonie Viljoen was the first to plant a commercial fruit orchards in the Elgin Valley. Since those early days Oak Valley has diversified moving into flowers – they are now the biggest supplier of cut flowers to Woolworths in the country. Later years saw them trying their hand at wine. I can vouch for the fact that these are some of the nicest wines in South Africa (as do all of the awards that they have won!). Next they decided to try and make use of the huge number of oak trees that they have on the estate and as such moving into free range

Oak Valley has some of the best cut flowers in the country!

piggies that eat mainly acorns was a natural product extension. This led to the idea of starting a line of charcuterie meats. Chef Nicole rose to the challenge and has been working on developing the range for many months – with delicious results………..so nice to have been able to taste a few of the “experiments” along the way……….what a treat!

We headed through to try out The Pool Room last weekend – and were completely blown away! The drive to

The Pool Room Interior

Oak Valley takes just under an hour from Cape Town city – it is quicker then getting to Franschhoek! From when you enter the estate you start unwinding! You truly feel like you have entered into the countryside. The restaurant is stylishly located right next to the swimming pool of the old manor house. Quite simply the Pool Room is located in the families old pool room where they entertained guests in the past. The menu aims to be a “farm to table experience”, it aims to be simple and the food to be simply presented in a

Oak Valley Charcuterie and meats for sale at The Pool Room

manner that brings out the taste of the fresh ingredients. We had the charcuterie platter to share – outstandingly delicious – as well as the vegetarian platter – equally delicious. I then had the burger – which was delicious – I will have to return to try the pork chops – they looked fantastic too! We ended with the apple tart tartine which was outstanding and I wanted to lick the plate! I know we are going to be returning many many times over summer. We spent the afternoon at the side of the pool, simply chatting, relaxing and drinking delicious Oak Valley sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. These are two of my favourite wines in the world – so it was an added treat to be able to enjoy them in such an amazing setting. My verdict – book immediately. This is a very very special treat -

Chef Nicole at The Pool Room

but the prices are really reasonable and as such I predict this spot will become extremely successful.

Note that the wine tasting area for Oak Valley has relocated to the restaurant and is now located at the back of The Pool Room. My only reservation with this is that you would feel a bit conspicuous standing in the middle of the restaurant tasting. Also – rowdy tasters may disturb the diners! It is however a treat to be able to see the restaurant for those that are there …………….so that they know they have to come back and relax at the Pool!

Oak valley fruit trees at the start of spring

Oak Valley attracts a large number of mountain bikers and their supporters on weekends – the track is rated as one of the best for mountain bikers in the country – so if you are into mountain biking – don’t forget to bring your bike. If you are into relaxation – simply head through to the Pool Room for a long lazy afternoon and enjoy the simple dishes that will keep coming from the kitchen. Note that the wine tasting will now be open 7 days a week and you will have the opportunity to shop for fabulous meat

Blue cranes on Oak Valley Estate

products from the charcuterie to take home. Oak Valley is one of the most beautiful estates in the country – so it is worth settling in for the day.

Info for The Pool Room – Oak Valley Wine Estate – Elgin:

Wed-Sun lunch 12h00-15h30

Fri dinner 18h30-22h00

Oak Valley Flowers

Restaurant bookings 021 859 4111

They are an hour away from Cape Town! So not far! For more information on the estate visit their website by clicking here. To find a map and directions to Oak Valley - click here

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Winelands | Tagged Elgin Restaurants, Flowers in the Cape, Mountain biking in the Cape, new restaurants in the Cape Winelands, Oak Valley, Oak Valley Mountain Biking, Restaurants in Elgin, The Pool Room Elgin, The Pool Room Oak Valley, The Pool Room Restaurant at Oak Valley | Leave a comment

Douglas Green Wines – fantastic value for money…..ahhhhh Douglas Green!

Posted on October 16, 2012 by capefusiontours

My memories of Douglas Green are of a brand that my parents enjoyed when I was a child and of course the 1980′s ad with the Japanese Sushi maker saying “Ahhhhh Douglas Green!”

Douglas Green trained as a winemaker in Stellenbosch and was one of the first marketing guru’s in the wine industry. He spotted a gap that many are following today – he saw the gap to use his knowledge to buy the best grapes he could find and to bottle them under a brand label – Douglas Green Wines – which he would build into a brand that represented an accessible high quality wine that could be enjoyed immediately on purchase and bought for a price that represented good value for money.

He began his business with the purchase of the Forrer brother’s Stukvat liquor business in Paarl’s main road in 1938, and he is recognised as South Africa’s first true ‘negotiant’ wine merchant. It was risky and unconventional in his day, but he successfully ignored regionalism in favour of quality and price sourcing grapes and wine from across the Cape to blend his top quality range of wines.

70 years later – they are still one of the most popular wine brands in South Africa and are now available in 50 countries. Their range includes a rose, whites (the chardonnay rocked my boat – it is very lightly oaked and was a perfect wood wine when paired with Italian food!), single cultivar reds and red blends (lightly oaked – ready to drink now or five years). Locally these wines are outrangeously cheap – under R40 a bottle.

Douglas Green Junior – this is still a family owned brand!

If you have not tried their wines – grab one next time you are at the supermarket. My favourites were the chardonnay and the pinotage.

My verdict: I thought there wines were really great – I would buy them for everyday drinking (great price) and would also feel comfortable serving them at a dinner party!

Click here to visit their website.

TIP: If you are living in the UK or the USA look out for The Beach House label in wine stores – this is also made by Douglas Green Wines – so it should be good! It is currently one of the top selling South African wines in the US and the UK

Just for fun – check out the picture below of Marketing Manager for Douglas Green – a great ambassador for his wine as he introduces me to his wonderful range of wines over a great lunch at Burrata

The Marketing Manager of Douglas Green Wines enjoying his job of telling us about his wonderful wines!

Posted in Cape Winelands | Tagged award winning chardonnay Douglas Green, Douglas Green Wines, Great value for money south african wines, South African wine, The Beach House Wine South Africa | Leave a comment

Organic & Biodynamic – Avondale Vineyard Tour……doing things naturally!

Posted on September 5, 2012 by capefusiontours

David – our driver and host offers our 1st delicious wine at Avondale!

Pam on the back of the truck and loving it!

A book could be written about the farming practices at Avondale! Avondale is one of the oldest estates in the Paarl Valley. In 1997 the John & Ginny Grieve (who own Vital Foods) purchased Avondale. In 2000 tragedy struck when a devastating fire cleared the estate. However, out of something harmful came an opportunity. Their son – Johnathan Grieve – rose to the challenge and used the “clean slate” to start trying to restore the nutrients in the soil by using BioLOGIC practices – a term he coined for turning towards Green practices which included the use of Organic and Biodynamic practices. Johnathan has always had green fingers and has apparently been planting things since age 3!

Avondale is open for public tastings – and give you a wonderful introduction to the philosophy of the farm and explain what organic and biodyanamic farming practices are, while you are tasting their wines. However, to get a fuller appreciation of the

Lesley Cox enjoying the ride!

estate and its practices, it is great to book for their vineyard tour.

The tour lasts between 2 and 3 hours and

includes a drive on the back of a truck around the farm, stopping at various points to do wine tastings. You stop to visit the ducks and then head into their gravity fed cellar to learn more about their wine making principles. The cost for the tour is R200.

The first stop for wine tasting was at the top of the farm at the dam, a grand vantage point that offers sweeping views of the valley.

Avondale’s dam’s are high up so that gravity moves the water instead of pumps

Caelli gave us a fantastic intro to Avondale

During the tour Caelli acted as our guide. We visited in winter – so the vines are all currently dormant. It was fascinating passing the homes, the plum trees, the veggie patch with a fun scarecrow and learning about their “natural practices”. The natural practices extends to everything they do: From not using pumps to move water, through to planting 5 different cover crops in winter to do different jobs such as returning nutrients to the soil through to Nitrogen fixing, through to only using natural fermentation practices and building a gravity fed cellar. But, by far the most intriguing aspect is of course the Biodynamic practices. This is literally farming in tune to the moon. The Biodynamic calendar rules when you plant, when you harvest, when you prune and generally

The cover crops looks beautiful! Great that they are functional too!

everything you do with the plants! Interestingly enough this calendar has now been extended to include times for when you should be tasting the wines! Here is a run down of the effect of the cycles in the calender:

Root Phase: The wine will taste flat
Leaf Phase: The wines will show more minerality
Flower Phase: The wines will taste at their best
Fruit Phase: This will bring out the fruitiness in the wines – wines can taste jammy!

So check what phase you are in when booking! Aim for the Flower period of the month!

Avondale winter vineyards with Paarl Rock in the background

The truck for vineyard tours – you need to be able to climb up!

THE WINES:

Caelli looking for nitrogen fixing plants to show us!

The wine making process is a slow and natural process on the estate. They do not add yeast and rely on the natural yeast from the grapes for fermentation. This process is risky and takes more time for fermentation to happen. The philosophy is to do things naturally – but also properly. Consequently the wines are at a premium price level in the market. In my opinion, these are the highest quality organic wines you will find in South Africa. I fell head over heals in love with their Champagne (called Methode Cap Classique or MCC in South Africa) – and had it been a little cheaper – I would have been loading crates into my vehicle!

All of the whites were wonderfully complex and interesting.

Nitrogen fixing can be seen in the roots of this cover crop

I enjoyed the Chenin Blanc and the Viognier blend. Syrah is one of my favourite varietals and their Syrah was fabulous.

Note that they use a very low level of Sulphur in the production of their wine – half of the normal amount. I mention this as many people always ask me where they can find low Sulphur wine. So here is the answer!

THE DUCKS!

Each year Avondale takes on 100 ducks that work very hard to eat all of the snails on the farm. These ducks work from morning to 5pm. As there are predators in the area – they learn to literally walk the plank from the DUCK MOBILE from an early age. Each day their duck minder takes them out to different vineyards in the morning and back to their “home” at night. It was really amusing watching them trying to waddle through the thick cover crop!

In addition to the Ducks, Avondale also introduce wasps to eat the Mielie Bugs when they find them. The wasps don’t seem to become a pest as once they have finished eating them, their food source disappears and they then disappear!

The Avondale Duck Mobile – the ducks get to walk the plank twice a day!

The Ducks hard at work in the cover crop! They have a full time duck minder!

Avondale’s ducks work hard eating snails! They also have to battle through the winter cover crop!

I love the Ducks!

After our visit to the Ducks we headed into the cellar. I loved watching them take the Chardonnay barrels out into the sun to heat them up and roll them – apparently this assists with getting the natural fermentation going! Fabulous – I had never seen this before!

Avondale Rolling the chardonnay in the sun to assist with kick starting natural fermentation!

Contact Details for Avondale Wines:

Click here for their Website - www.avondalewine.co.za

Phone +27 21 863 1976

Opening hours for wine tasting: Mon – Sat 10am to 4pm (Note that they prefer to do the vineyard tours during the week as Saturday gets busy)

Avondale barrel cellar – gorgeous

Pam in the Avondale cellar

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Winelands, The Cape for kids and families! | Tagged Avondale Wine Estate, Biodynamic wines, Ducks eating snails in vineyards, green wine experiences Cape South Africa, organic wines, south africa organic and biodynamic wines, Vineyard tours, wine experiences Cape Winelands, Wine Tour tips | Leave a comment

La Petite Ferme Cellar Tour with John Dendy Young

Posted on September 4, 2012 by capefusiontours

La Petite Ferme Restaurant

It is so rare to be able to do a cellar tour with a member of the family that owns a wine estate. Most estates get too big and then they employ staff to do the cellar tours. A cellar tour is always interesting as everyone wants to learn about how wine is made, however there is something so special in getting to know the history of the estate from the family as well as getting the opportunity to learn about the production of wine.

La Petite Ferme was opened as a restaurant in 1984 by John and Carol Dendy Young. The Dendy Youngs could not have chosen a prettier location – on top of the mountain with sweeping views of the Franschhoek valley below. John personally oversaw the choice of vines to be planted on the estate.

Standing outside in the garden overlooking the vines, with the beautiful Franschhoek valley below

He starts the tour outside among the vines talking about the choice of varietals and route stock, as well as the history of their journey from food into wine.

Dormant Winter vines before pruning

The tour then moves down to the cellar. This is a wonderful cellar to do a cellar tour as the estate is a small boutique winery – as such the cellar is small and intimate, with many of the processes of wine making still being done by hand. John takes you through the stories of how the wine is made by his son – Mark Dendy Young – John is however very much on hand during harvest and during the wine making process to assist. Today the ownership of the property has been transferred to Mark and his wife Josephine.

The barrel cellar at La Petite Ferme

A highlight of the cellar tour is the opportunity to do barrel tastings – very few estates offer barrel tastings anymore………..and it is great fun to do it!

Adele enjoying the barrel tasting!

Kim enjoying the barrel tasting!

Once you have tasted the wine – John encourages you to pour the contents out into the cellar – the theory is that you are assisting with keeping a humid environment – something that is necessary for stopping the barrels from drying out!

Adele doing her bit to keep moisture in the cellar!

From the cellar you head up to the bar area to try the end products!

Time to taste the La Petite Ferme wines!

It would be a mistake to not book for lunch after the cellar tour. La Petite Ferme has been a consistently good restaurant since it opened. The views from the restaurant are amazing and it is our absolute favourite thing to start the lunch sitting on the lawn enjoying the view and drinks. From here you order your food and once it is ready they call you to your table. After lunch we always settle back onto the lawn for the afternoon. La Petite Ferme only opens for lunch – so there is no rush to move on. Don’t plan to spend a short time at this magical spot! Note that during summer this restaurant is very popular – so make sure you book your cellar tour and lunch well in advance. The cellar tour starts at 11am and is free if you are staying for lunch and R50 per person if you are only coming for the cellar tour. For more details visit the La Petite Ferme Website or call them on +27 (0)21 876 3016 e-mail: info@lapetiteferme.co.za (Note that on days that John cannot do the tour – his son – the winemaker – Mark – does the tours.) Ps John has written his own book – make sure you buy it while you are there and he will sign it!

Ps 2 La Petite Ferme is child friendly and has child meal options on their menu. The cellar tour is suitable for older kids as it is fascinating to learn the process of wine making!

Just a few foodie pics to whet your appetite!

La Petite Ferme Rabbit with parmesan

La Petite Ferme Goats Cheese Salad

Relaxing at La Petite Ferme – my favourite thing!

Keith relaxing in the garden at La Petite Ferme

Soooo beautiful at La Petite Ferme!

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Winelands, The Cape for kids and families! | Tagged activities in Franschhoek, Cape Wine, Cellar Tour Cape Winelands, La Petite Ferme, Personal cellar tour Franschhoek, REcommended Cellar Tour Franschhoek, Wine tasting Franschhoek | Leave a comment

The Dog’s Bollocks grows its family to include the Bitches Tits & Deluxe Coffee

Posted on September 3, 2012 by capefusiontours

Sign on the corner of Buitenkant and Roodehek Rd aims to grab your attention. The Dogs Bollocks has found a wife!

The Dog’s Bollocks has found a wife and she has the slightly rude name that I am sure must be grabbing drivers attention as they head down Buitenkant Street. The Dog’s Bollocks are now serving breakfast and lunch – admittedly all under different names – what a fabulously unusual approach! At the back of the L-shaped property Deluxe micro coffee roastery have moved onto the property.

Deluxe Coffee Roastery – at the Dog’s Bollocks

I headed down there yesterday to try their new delicious sounding sandwich menu and to sample Deluxe’s coffees. For those that do not know the venue, it is the initiative of Chef Nigel Woods who simply took over an alley and a small wharehouse space and popped what looks like granny’s furniture into the alley and opened a restaurant that only offers burgers. Check out my blog on the Dog’s Bollocks to read more.

The industrial looking entrance to the Dog’s Bollocks – good to know what you are looking for in Roodehek rd as it is easy to go past!

I was lucky enough to find a free table! A small miracle if you know what this spot is like at night! I chatted to the girls who are manning the cooking station – Nigel is doing the night shift and the ladies look after lunch. Both Megan and Anel were really welcoming and friendly. Megan trained as a chef at Vega and has moved here from Jason’s Bakery. This is Anel’s first job in a “kitchen” and she is loving it! Once I had popped my order of the Hero Meatballs onto the wall (after being warned that this batch had lots of chilly!) I headed into the gorgeous space of Deluxe Coffee and ordered a flat white. The guys who are working behind the counter are seriously nice – they explained to me that the coffee I was having was made from the house blend – 45% Brazil, 45% Guatemala and 10% Ethiopia – it was a rich and creamy blend – smooth and strong and I loved it! How fabulous to have a great coffee spot two blocks away from my home!

Deluxe Coffee Micro Roastery opened here a month ago! The staff are super friendly!

Shortly after my coffee, my delicious sandwich was ready. I know you need to bring most things to the Dog’s Bollocks – they do not serve any drinks other then wine – but I forgot to bring serviettes! My delicious Meatball Hero sandwich was seriously yummy and just about as messy as my burger experiences here!

Dogs Bollocks Hero Meatball sandwich. Too yummy! With serious chillies!

Overall Assessment:

I had one of the best cups of coffee I have had in years -it is so fabulous to have these guys in my “hood”. My meatball sandwich was seriously delicious – quite oily though – so it will have to be for special occasions – this is not a spot to pop into for the health conscious!

The name of the lunch time venue does not resonate well with me. The name the Dog’s Bollocks somehow is quirky and it cannot be mistaken for what it is – however the double meaning of the “B******’s T*t’s just does not feel right – it does not automatically feel like straight humour -I understand that the sign will create attention – which is of course the aim.

Naturally the venue is quirky and fabulous and I must admit I love it! So, I will continue to be a groupie!

The Lunch menu!

Sign on Buitenkant St

Now serving breakfast too!

Cooking lunch!

Address: Roodehek Rd – head down Buitenkant – at the Shell Garage – turn left into Roodehek Rd – you will see the alley on your left. Booking is not possible and tables on a first come first served. For dinner he is now cooking 50 burgers – however – it is still wise to get there at 5pm to get a table. Write your order on the wall! Follow them on Facebook. Note they are also open for breakfast – their operating hours have not been updated on Facebook yet – so I am not sure what to advise! Note they are open Mon – Sat (closed Sunday)

Deluxe Coffee - closed Sunday – simply turn up and relax in this wonderful space! Note that Deluxe Coffee has just opened in Franschhoek next to Reubens. Finally great coffee in Franschhoek! I hear a rumour that Bean There Coffee is also going to open in Franschhoek. Lucky Franschhoek!

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Town Visitor Information | Tagged Best Burgers in Cape Town, Cape foodie spots, Deluxe Coffee, EAting out in Cape Town, New restaurants Cape, Quirky restaurants Cape Town, recommended Cape Town Restaurants, The Bitches Tits, The Dogs Bollocks | Leave a comment

Exciting news: New V&A Market on the Wharf to open in November 2012

Posted on August 29, 2012 by capefusiontours

Under Construction – Foodie market coming soon!

3 1/2 years ago Ruth Munitz approached the V&A Waterfront with the idea of starting a fresh produce market. At the time, Cape Town was not used to having foodie markets and the Waterfront did not agree with her proposal for a market where people could buy fresh produce from artisenal vendors and local producers. A few months ago she was however contacted by the Waterfront and asked to be one of four people contacted to submit a tender proposal for a fresh goods market. She won the tender and work is currently underway to start creating the market.

Location will be the historic Power Station (old Musica store)

It is Ruth’s dream to create a foodie market for Cape Town that can rival the likes of the La Boqueria in Barcelona, Borough Market in London and the Ferry Building Market in San Francisco. This is such an exciting venture and I am going to be one of the first people to go and check it out as soon as it opens. The market will be open from Wed – Sunday from 09h00 to 19h30 and you can simply head down there and stock up from artisenal and organic vendors for your dinner parties! Fabulous!

To quote Ruth:

“It will provide a hassle-free “must stop shopping” experience for anyone who has an interest in high quality food, from the single house-holder to the dinner party host through to the restaurateur looking for the “best of the best” produce on a daily basis. “In line with the trend of going back to basics and the Slow-Food-Movement, the market will offer to V&A residents and businesses, travellers and the hip, hot and happening crowd of Cape Town the opportunity of browsing and shopping at a daily market with a large selection of fresh produce under one roof in a popular and convenient venue”, elaborates Munitz.

For more information check out their website on www.marketonthewharf.co.za

The market is currently looking for high quality vendors – if you are interested – the application form and details are on their website.

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Town Visitor Information, The Cape for kids and families! | Tagged Cape foodie spots, Cape Town Markets, EAting out in Cape Town, Food markets in Cape Town, Gourmet Markets in Cape Town, Traditional South African cuisine, V&A fresh goods market, V&A Market, V&A Market on the Wharf, Waterfront Market | Leave a comment

Cafe Mozart plays again!

Posted on August 27, 2012 by capefusiontours

Cafe Mozart has been an institution in Cape Town’s inner city for 37 years.

It was always quirky and fun with Mozart’s music gently playing in the background – but gradually it became a shabby chic spot and then it just felt shabby! Enter the Madame Zingara group in 2010 and it once again became shabby chic and quirky…..with fab food….and great ambiance. A winning combo for Cape Town!

Daisy from http://www.whatsonincapetown.com at Cafe Mozart Cape Town

I was quite amused to receive an invite from the Madame Zingara group to go and try out Cafe Mozart. What does one do when you are already a groupie of a spot? Naturally one accepts the free lunch! Naturally as I am a groupie – a blog on this spot was long overdue anyway. I had a walking tour on Thursday – so I popped in with guests and then on Friday I met up with a great friend of mine Daisy – who is the fountain of knowledge behind the wonderful website www.whatsonincapetown.com.

Both visits were wonderful and a lovely opportunity to actually enjoy sitting indoors. One of the main drawcards of the spot (for me) is to sit under the trees at the outside tables. I enjoy watching the people passing by and watching those that are relaxing at this lovely spot under the tree with goodies hanging from it and surrounded by a quaint white picket fence. The restaurant was buzzing on both days that I visited – wonderful to see in the middle of winter.

I love chilling out in the outside area at Cafe Mozart

We sat upstairs on both occasions – and I must admit I love how cozy it is up there. I love the clutter and the eccentric decor – it is warm and welcoming. The staff are always lovely at Cafe Mozart. Note that there is only one or two small inside tables next to the kitchen – so if you find stairs a challenge – this spot will not be a great choice for winter. On Thursday I had a delicious chicken burger – but was well impressed with how yummy the fish and chips looked when ordered by my client – I must admit I was suffering food envy! Lucky me going back the next day. Well – the restaurant was not expecting so many people to

turn up for lunch on the Friday – as such they started running out of everything. It makes me feel

Food envy – how delicious do the fish & chips look. Love that they serve it in a colander

so happy for them that they were doing so well! So – no fish and chips for me! They were out of chips! Then they ran out of burger rolls! So I went for the steak sandwich on the recommendation of the waiter – he suggested brown. Unfortunately my worst thing in the world is sweet brown bread! And voila it came on the sweet brown bread! It was however a really lovely lunch. Daisy enjoyed her calamari.

Cafe Mozart Steak Sandwich on brown

The Verdict:

I love it there! Even if the food was not delicious (which it most certainly is!!) – there is something about the place that resonates with me. I just love the energy and vibe of this little spot. It is quirky and I feel relaxed and at home. I can’t wait for summer to relax in the outside area…………..come on sunshine!! (Ps – you must try their cakes! Yum!)

Where to find them?

Click here for their website.

Open Mon – Friday – 7am to 4pm. Saturday 9am – 3.30pm – note you are welcome to simply come and have a coffee or a drink or breakfast or lunch! Sadly they are not open for dinners! What a pity!

Address: 37 Church Street – next to the antique market and in the pedestrianized part

Tel: 021 424 3774

Some of the dishes:

Cafe Mozart Steak Sandwich on brown

The Calamari

*********

More Zingara:

Note that the all the restaurants in the Madame Zingara group are fabulous. I have written some blogs on some of them. Check out my blogs on Cafe Paradiso and Don Pedro’s.

Read Daisy’s review on Cafe Mozart by clicking here.

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Town Visitor Information | Tagged Cafe Mozart, Cafes Cape Town, Cape foodie spots, Cape Restaurants, City bowl restaurants Cape Town, Coffee bars Cape Town, EAting out in Cape Town, Inner city restaurants Cape Town, Madame Zingara, Quirky new restaurants Cape Town, Quirky restaurants Cape Town, recommend | Leave a comment

Don Pedro is back – and it’s fabulous again!

Posted on July 19, 2012 by capefusiontours

Madame Zingara Group signature funky decor!!

Loving trying on the hats at Don Pedros!

Don Pedro’s was a legend in Cape Town for many years – it was a spot where everyone turned up to hang out in the early hours of the morning after partying all over town.

Slowly it became run down and more and more dingy.

The Avo Ritz comes with a “surprise” – Barbie is your take home gift! Who needs happy meal packs!

It was bought last year by the Madame Zingara group – its owner Richard is flamboyant and owns the wonderful tented Madame Zingara theatre/circus which has been a run away success in this country. This later led him to return to the world of restaurants starting the Bombay Bicycle Club, Cafe Paradisso (another spot that had been a old favourite in Cape Town), The Sidewalk Cafe (a slightly odd spot that no one used to go to) and the most recent Don Pedros. With each restaurant there is the quirky fabulous eccentric decor that has followed his roll out, combined with a touch of nostalgia. It seems that he has a magical touch in terms of creating spaces that people just feel comfortable and able to relax. Don Pedros fits the category completely. The decor is quirky, the staff are relaxed and fun and they have combined this

The fabulous ladies who sang for us – they have awesome voices! Yes – this picture would have been better from the front! But it does catch the mood!

with having a sultry singer from Wednesday to Saturday nights. It is a wonderfully chilled spot with fab music and a nostalgic menu.

You are offered martini’s on arrival – the choice of martini options if long, quirky and interesting. I love the assumption that people may want to start with champers – there are retro champagne glasses on each table – ready for you! The menu has retro favourites such as avocardo ritz which comes with a surprise (a barbie doll clutching the glass

Retro Duck a la Orange is a favourite that regulars return for!

- and you can take her home!!) and Duck a la orange (which I had and it was excellent!).

Of course no meal would be complete without ending with a drink that came out of South Africa – the Don Pedro. The Don Pedro was originally whisky blended with ice cream – a naughty adult milkshake which was born in a Seapoint restaurant in Cape Town! Now a days we blend many different liqueurs with ice cream and the result is that there is an

Tanya the fab manager & the tired Don Pedros chef (freshly home from the Cooks on Stage competition!)

Note that you can either go for a large meal or you can opt for their “inside out” menu which offers lighter meals at a really good price. We saw the burger go past from this menu and it looks fabulous – I will definitely return for a burger and a don pedro next time!

For anyone looking for a fun local restaurant with entertainment- this is a fun option.

To book call – 021 4476152. www.donpedros.co.za. 113 Roodebloem Road (the top of Roodebloem rd), Woodstock

It is turning into a spot that the locals love – so I would recommend that you make a reservation. You are still however welcome to turn up late at night for a Don Pedro!

For those of you who are still reading this – here follow a few more pics!

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Town Visitor Information | Tagged Cape Restaurants, Cape Town Restaurants, Cape Town Restaurants with singers, Don Pedro, Don pedros, EAting out in Cape Town, Live Entertainment dining in Cape Town, Local favourite restaurants Cape Town, New restaurants Cape, recommended Cape Town Restaurants, Restaurants with live entertainment/bands, Woodstock restaurants | 1 Comment

What’s cooking in the Cape Winelands?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by capefusiontours

Chef’s Table at the Liam Tomlin Culinary Studio in Franschhoek

A number of friends kept mentioning that an amazing cooking studio had recently been opened in Franschhoek by the famous Aussie Chef Liam Tomlin in conjunction with Leopard’s Leap Wines. I was desperate to get there to check it out! But alas my little touring company was fully booked for March and then April whizzed by…..so finally I got there in May. The school offers a variety of hands on classes, as well as cooking demo’s – which will be called The Chef’s Table. They are planning to try and have a Chef’s Table every Friday during summer. It is of course very important to check the dates online as they will skip some Fridays when they have large bookings that take over the premises.

Liam, who is of Irish origin, won many awards for his restaurant Banc in Sydney. He has also won many other awards as a chef and has written a number of cookbooks. He moved to South Africa in 2004 and consulted on a variety of projects prior to opening The Chef’s Wharehouse in Cape Town. This is a wonderfully funky small cooking demo facility. Here he has hosted many cooking demonstrations himself and has also offered the opportunity for one to attend classes with a variety of local chefs.

This year – he opened the Liam Tomlin Culinary Studio, a hands on cooking teaching kitchen and a “cooks” shop on a premises shared with Leopard’s Leap Wines. Check out the Liam Tomlin Food website by clicking here. From the moment you enter the property you are struck by how beautiful everything is – a large investment has gone into this property and the results are quite simply breathtaking! Below is a picture of the demo area – I love the whisks that have been used for the lights!

The spacious seating area for the cooking demo’s at Liam Tomlin culinary studio

As I really wanted to get some pictures of the demo – we joined a table at the front and had lots of fun with the two lovely ladies we met on the day! Turns out that they are also foodies – so we made plans to come back later in the year together and to do a hands-on-cooking class together! I cannot wait!

The ladies at our table all loved the demo and dishes! We had great fun!

I loved the televisions – they gave you a great view into the pots as everything was cooking! Behind this counter is the hands on kitchen that can take up to 24 people per class. On our demo day it was used by Liam’s assistants to get some of the courses out to all of us! I do love being served!

There are televisions for close up views of the insides of the pots!

Our Menu:

Herb crusted fish: Scroll back up to look at this dish! This was a complete taste sensation – the herb crust can be prepared in advance and left in the freezer – so it is very simple to serve as you are ready for it. This dish was visually gorgeous, a complete taste sensation and I would make it in a heartbeat! I think my mates would think that they had just been served a gourmet masterpiece! Fabulous!

The chicken pie - check out the beautiful result below. Now this one I would never make! It started with making stock using a whole chicken, followed by making your own pastry! Yikes – this one will never be repeated! Too much work for a humble chicken pie! But yikes it was also simply delicious! I think I would have to order a batch from Liam for dinner sometime.

Who knew so much went into making a humble chicken pie?

The dessert was amazing!!

Chocolate Bread and Butter pudding made with stale croissants! I wanted to lick the bowl. It was simple to make and extremely delicious. This little gem is also coming out at dinner parties!

The yummiest bread and butter pudding ever!

The setting:

The Verdict:

The Chef’s Table on a friday is a great idea! It is from 11am to 1pm. The cost is an incredibly great value for money R250 which includes the demo of 3 dishes, eating the 3 dishes and having a lovely glass of Leopard’s Leap wine with each course. Note that there are also other classes available – check out the available class dates here. To contact Liam Tomlin Food call +27-21 876 4156 or e-mail info@liamtomlinfood.com Location: Just past La Motte wine estate on the R45 as you are heading into Franschhoek.

The Recipes

Herb Crust (Makes 10 portions)

200g Unsalted butter

200g White bread crumbs

75g Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

25g Picked tarragon leaves, finely chopped

1 Garlic clove, finely chopped

Lemon juice, Salt, Freshly ground pepper

Blend together the butter and breadcrumbs in a food processor until they resemble a crumble mix. Add the chopped herbs and garlic and continue blending until you have an even, green-coloured crumb mix. Lightly season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Pour out the mix onto a sheet of greaseproof paper and cover with another sheet of greaseproof paper. Using a rolling-pin, roll out the herb crust into a sheet roughly 1cm thick. Place in the freezer to firm-up after which, it can be cut to the required shape and size.

Pan-fried Kingklip with Herb Crust - Serves 4

Paring: Leopards Leap Classic Chardonnay 2011

6 Ripe plum tomatoes

25ml Basil oil

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice, Salt, Freshly ground pepper

15ml Olive oil

4 x 100g Kingklip fillet with skin removed

10g Herb Crust

Pre-heat the oven to 180⁰c on the grill setting. Blanche, refresh and peel the tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes and lightly season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Brush a circle of basil oil on to each plate. Arrange the tomato slices overlapping on to the centre of the plates. Leave out to come to room temperature.

Season the Kingklip lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy based frying pan over a medium heat, Place it presentation side down into the pan and cook 3/4 of the way. Remove the Kingklip from the pan and transfer them to a buttered baking tray. Cut the herb crust into 4 pieces large enough to cover the surface of the fish.

Lay a piece of herb crust over the top of the Kingklip. Place in the oven and cook until melted over the fish. Remove from the oven and place a piece of Kingklip in the middle of each plate of tomatoes. Spoon a little basil oil over around the tomatoes.

Liam Tomlin’s Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding

Serves 4

pairing: Leopards Leap Merlot 2010

3 Croissants

50g Unsalted butter

1 Vanilla pod

300ml Cream

300ml Milk

8 Free-range eggs

175g Caster sugar

50g Raisins

50g Dark chocolate broken into small pieces and chocolate

25 g Apricot jam

15g Toasted, sliced almonds

Cut croissants in 5cm thick slices and spread with butter. Split the vanilla pod and place in a saucepan with the cream and milk, slowly bring to the boil. While it is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl. Allow the cream mix to cool a little, and then strain it onto the egg yolk stirring all the time.

Arrange the sliced croissant in individual ramekins, sprinkling the raisins and chocolate between the layers leaving the top clear. Pour the warm custard over, lightly pressing the croissants to help it soak in. Leave the puddings to stand for 15 minutes before cooking.

Pre-heated the oven to 160°c. Place the ramekins into a roasting pan and place in the oven. Pour hot water into the roasting pan to come three-quarters the way up the side of the ramekins to create a bain-marie. Cook the bread and butter puddings for 25-30 minutes until the custard reaches setting point. If it appears too runny, return to the oven for a further 5 minutes before checking again. Carefully remove the bain-marie from the oven and allow the puddings to cool slightly in the bain marie.

Warm the apricot jam with a little water to thin it out slightly. Brush the apricot jam over the surface of the puddings and sprinkle the toasted almonds over the top.

Postnote: If you are keen to visit the cooking school as part of a wine tour day out, check out our tour option here. Note that attending the Friday Chef’s Table is subject to them running the classes on the friday you are visiting the Cape.

POSTNOTE 2 – Aug 2012: I have been advised that they are likely to move to a Cape Town central venue in October. Check out their website for more details.

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Winelands | Tagged AFRICAN COOKING, AFRICAN COOKING CLASSES, Cape foodie spots, CAPE TOWN COOKING CLASSES, Cooking classes in Cape Town, Cooking in South Africa, Cooking in the Cape, Cooking in the Cape Winelands, EAting out in Cape Town, Laim Tomlin Food, Liam Tomlin Cooking, Liam Tomlin Culinary Studio, Traditional South African food | Leave a comment

Artisanal Chocolate in the Cape – from Bean to Bar!

Posted on May 8, 2012 by capefusiontours

Literally from Bean to Bar!

It took a visit to DV chocolates to realize that chocolate has become a commodity. Chocolate is of course made from Cocoa Beans. These beans come from many different regions and their flavour profile not only changes from region to region – but will also be affected each year by things such as climate – eg a dry year. As such chocolate can have an estimated 600 different flavour compounds!!

So how do the big chocolate guys make their chocolate taste uniform? The answer is that they have to use additives to try and balance the flavours – these additives can be natural – like adding vanilla – but still ……….it seems like such a shame to not be able to actually taste the proper flavours of the beans. The de Villiers were fed up with not being able to get artisan chocolate that tasted as it should in South Africa and as such started a small chocolate factory in their garage in Hermanus. There were however obstacles in selling to retailers when they told them they were using a garage! As such they have recently moved premises to the gorgeous Cape Dutch Manor House at Spice Route Winery (the old Seidelberg Estate, which is next door to Fairview).

Visiting them is an absolute treat and a complete education in artisenal chocolate making. They are one of only about 6 manufacturers in the world who take only the pure single origin cocoa beans, roast them and then add some sugar. All of their chocolate is 70% cocoa. As such they can make the boast “from bean to bar”.

It is an absolute delight to do a tasting with Cornell de Villiers. She is seriously passionate about their venture. She takes you on a journey. You get to taste raw cocoa beans and then the toasted beans (actually quite yummy and could be quite “moreish”).

DV Chocolates is located in the beautiful Cape Dutch Manor House on the Spice Route Estate

Then you move onto the “Round the World” chocolate tasting – which is the reason you came. Who knew there would be so much more to the tasting then simply coming to munch one of our favourite items in the world!

R20 to taste chocolate made with roasted Cocoa beans from around the world

Freshly roasted Cocoa Beans – delicious!

Showing what a fresh Cocoa bean looks like

This tasting is a fantastic way to show the differences that the use of specially sourced cocoa beans from specific origins has on the outcome of the final product. You will be able to easily discern the different flavour notes on each chocolate that you taste. Note that the flavours of the beans from the same plantation can change each year due to factors such as weather. As such you will see that they have a sticker on each bar – they could not print the flavour notes onto the bars packaging as each year they can change!

The discriptions that they have chosen are perfect!

The Round the World chocolate tasting!

The Chocolates:

It is also interesting to look at their rating on each chocolate based on items such as acidity, fruity, bitter & acidity.

Chocolate made from beans from the Caracas area!

Fascinating – Madagascan beans make a very different chocolate!

DV Chocolate’s sexy packaging. Note the sticker with the tasting notes!

Colour coded for regions!

1st Batch Chocolates

Overall assessment: A great experience!! I loved it! I love Cornell’s passion and will be back to visit them a lot on my tours. I can’t wait to try out their other experiences.

Other tasting options that can be done by prior arrangement:

Chocolate and Wine pairing with Spice Route Wines (60 min)
A 1.5 hour chocolate workshop with the chocolate maker Pieter De Villiers. He will take you on a tour of his factory and explain the process in detail! Sounds fabulous to me and perfect to take curious kids who like to know how things are made!! Who does not want to know how chocolate is made?

Moving forward:

They are planning to open a brandy lounge – apparently chocolate goes well with spirits! It sounds like a lovely idea!

Visit DV Chocolates website for more details - http://www.dvchocolate.com

Address: Spice Route Winery (next door to Fairview), Suid-agter Paarl Rd, Paarl. Tel no: +27 (0)21 863 0854. e-mail address for Cornell de Villiers: cornell@dvchocolate.com

Postscript for chocoloholics! COCOAFAIR

I recently discovered another artisanal chocolate from Bean to Bar shop at the Biscuit Mill in Woodstock in Cape Town. It is called Cocoafair and is a joint venture between a Danish guy and an Italian Chocolate maker. Here Antonino has a slightly different philosophy – he combines beans from different regions and sees what makes for the best taste in the end product. As such the range and variety are huge – the end result is delicious! I missed the novelty of being able to taste single origin beans – however I did love his chocolate! If you are serious about chocolate visit them during the week rather then on the crazy Saturday market day as they won’t have much time to chat. It did not however stop me from asking him lots of questions between customers! Antonino advised me that they had met up with DV chocolates recently and all saw each other as allies in setting up a market segment for artisenal chocolate that never existed in our country before! I love it! Note that Cocoafair offers extremely well priced chocolate! It is definitely worth a visit!

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Town Visitor Information, Cape Winelands, The Cape for kids and families! | Tagged Artisan chocolate, artisenal chocolate, bean to bar chocolate factory, Bean to Bar chocolate manufacturers, cape cuisine, Cape foodie spots, Chocolate and wine pairing tours, Chocolate South Africa, chocolate tasting in the Cape Winelands, Chocolate tour in South Africa, Chocolate tour in the Cape, DV Chocolate, Gourmet tours South Africa, learn how chocolate is made in the Cape Winelands, small chocolate makers, Wine Tour tips | 1 Comment

Summer in the Cape – my favourite moments!

Posted on April 19, 2012 by capefusiontours

Pammy on Table Mountain on a perfect day!

I love summer in the Cape. Somehow everyone seems more happy when the sun shines! Including me! In Cape Town it feels like our summer only really starts around Xmas – finally everyone comes out to play! In December Cape Town starts becoming vibey – a combination of foreigners and locals are around and there is a real buzz. To me it is a time of exploring, of sitting at side walk cafes, of enjoying sundowner picnics on the beach and of catching up with friends who jet in from all over the world.

This blog is going to simply be a picture essay of some of my favourite fun moments from this summer living in one of the most beautiful regions in the world – the Cape! It is also a great excuse to show you some of my favourite photos from summer!

Vergelegen Hydrangeas in flower

A fantastic long lunch at La Motte's restaurant Pierneef with my friends from Livingstone Safaris

The gorgeous tasting room at Stark Conde - I love their Cab & Shiraz too!

I love the colours of the Bo-Kaap area in Cape Town. Magical - they reflect the pride people have in their area!

Taal Monument Paarl - controversial & gorgeous!

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens - an awesome setting!

The "chapel" design tasting room at Ataraxia Wines in the Hemel-en-Aarde wine valley

Bouchard Finlayson Pinot Noir - too yummy!!

Summer vines in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley!

On of my favourite wine makers - Neils Verberg from Luddite wines - makes the cover of Wine Magazine!

Babylonstoren - my love affair with their organic gardens continues - it is quite simply beautiful and well worth a visit!

Babylonstoren - selling aubergines in their shop. Love the presentation

The dam on Babylonstoren - seriously gorgeous view on top of the mountain

I loved the Pot Luck Club!! Still need to get to the Test Kitchen!

A perfect day at Cape Point with Karen!

Mussels in Paternoster overlooking the beach! Heaven!

A toast to the end of a great summer in Cape Town!!

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's, Cape Town Visitor Information, Cape Winelands | Tagged Cape photos, Cape Town, Cape Wine information, Hemel-en-aarde valley, Luddite wines, Table Mountain, Vergelegen | 1 Comment

The Boat House – Table D’Hôte with Chef Bruce Robertson in his home!

Posted on April 2, 2012 by capefusiontours

Right – for peasants like me who have no idea what Table d’hôte means – lets demystify it!! It simply means opening ones home to people to pop in and have a meal with you.

This is a great new concept. Take one top South African chef – Bruce Robertson – combine a beautiful wooden house overlooking the sea on the peninsula – add some very gorgeous decor (this boy has taste!) and two tables that seat a maximum of 12 people – plus a relaxed chef in his home environment who can cook barefoot…………… and you get a chef inspired to be creative, relaxed and able to interact and chat to his guests. From the visitors side you get to be able to relax, interact with your charming host and chef, enjoy all of the touches down to the bread tile, sea view, table decor and of course, 5 courses paired with the most delicious Cederberg wine!

So, lets slow down and deconstruct my new favourite thing in Cape Town

Fab setting with the ocean in the background!

The oh so awesome bread tile next to each setting!

Love the bread tile - you have everything you need!

A fab bunch of ladies from Livingstone Safaris

The lunch table at the Boat House

Our relaxed barefoot chef getting the first course ready:

Chef Bruce plates the starter - Course 1

Course 1 - Calamari with chorizo - yummy!

2nd Course: Too yummy for words!

Mackerel with Marscapone - the yummiest dish of all!

My favourite course!! A complete flavour burst!

Main Course: Bruce sources Sassi green fish for his lunches – he aims to only use sustainable produce and to use as many local ingredients as possible.

Bruce prepping his fresh fish

Course 3 - Sustainable fish - Sassi - green!

Course 4 and 5: Local Cheese plus Cape Malay inspired dessert – Melk kos plus stewed fruit stuffed samoosa

Bruce telling us about the upcoming cheese and dessert course! Yummm!

Seriously fab to have every course paired with Cederberg Wines!

Melk kos with a stewed fruit samoosa!

Bringing in the local flavours into the dessert

The dessert was interesting, creative and beautifully presented – I liked the fact that Bruce brought some of the local Cape Malay flavours into his creation.

The cheeses - a goat, a cow and a buchu infused cheeza!

I loved the cheeses – they were beautifully presented with a chilli bite which could be used as a bread substitute with the cheese. Great cheeses – one was however a strong goat – not a favourite of mine – but I loved the matured cheddar!

THE VERDICT:

I loved it. How wonderful to be able to visit Bruce in his own home, and what a home, it is on the sea and it is gorgeous. Just visiting this space would be special to me. Add to it spending time with a very relaxed and charismatic host, who is passionate and full of energy, plus the opportunity to watch a top chef working in a relaxed and laid back environment – and then to sit back and enjoy five delicious courses paired with delicious wines. This was my idea of paradise! Book immediately and spoil yourself. Current cost R490 for 5 courses including wine. Bookings must be made in advance and must be pre-paid!

PLUS GOURMET PICNICS

Beautiful picnic baskets

You can call Bruce 24 hours in advance to book a gourmet picnic. It has been so well thought through – he provides hats, kikoi’s (beautiful pieces of fabrics) to sit on, a basket with plates/cutlery/gourmet goodies – all for R300 per basket. He recommends a protected areas in front of his house for picnics as it is often windy on the main beach. This looks like a magical option and I can’t wait to come through and try it!!

STAY THE NIGHT!

Stay the night with Bruce!

Chef Bruce has a spare room – so you can come and go through your own entrance at the front. This makes great sense to book if you are there for a 5 course meal paired with wines as it is a long drive home! The cost is around R800 for the room for the night. Breakfast can also be booked at a nominal extra rate.

Contact details for Chef Bruce Robertson:

chef@chefbrucerobertson.com

Telephone: Mobile: +27 83 305 85 33 or landline: +27 21 7801789.

Website: www.chefbrucerobertson.com

Note: you need a minimum of two people to book. It is currently only for lunch and it must be booked and paid in advance. Do not just turn up at this home for lunch! You will be given a list of other dining options on the peninsula if you do!

……………more of the Boat House:

I fell in love with Bruce’s home – he has a really fantastic sense of style! So if you have read this far – feel free to keep going and check out some awesome photos of his home below.

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | 1 Comment

On a Roll – Dog’s Kitchen! Cape Town opens its first gourmet hot dog restaurant!

Posted on March 31, 2012 by capefusiontours

Rolling on with the blogging we went to try out On a Roll and to chat to Peter Ayub in his Dog’s Kitchen. This blog has been sitting in my drafts folder for a few weeks as life has been rolling on! I better hurry up with it as it looks like there will be lots of gourmet worsies to chose from by the time I publish this!

Extra yummy gourmet Dog!

I am definitely spotting a move away from fussy fine dining and towards quirky, value for money places – with a little touch of nostalgia. Most have taken street food into a funky off street venue. Some try to keep the “feel” of the street like the Dog’s Bollocks. Another one will be “the pop up” trailer which is being launched by Bertus from Overture – in oder to track their trailer you will have to follow the website! Brilliant and fun!

ROLLING ON:

Oh my gosh – what a creative menu – I wanted to try all of the options! We settled for getting 4 different options and cutting them all into 3 so that we could try as many options as possible. To give you some idea of the menu – check out a few of his very creative options below:

Thai Lady Boy

Chicken Sausage with Mango, Pickled Ginger, Coriander & Coconut Cream

Double Chick
Chicken Sausage with Brandy Flamed Chicken Livers and a Hint of Chilli

German Shepherd
Bockwurst Sausage with German Mustard, Granny Smith Apple and Sauerkraut

Heart Stopper
Käsegriller Emmenthaler Sausage with Tomato Carpaccio and Mixed Salad Greens

Chihuahua
Cabanossi Sausage with Charcoaled Pineapple, Guacamole and Blackbean

…………so hard to chose! Add to it that Peter is a chef and he has gone searching for the best quality Worsies he can find in the region – you will want to try them all when he describes them – he is really passionate about Worsies!

THE SETTING:

They are located in Mowbray – directly across the road from the Fat Cactus. This is the perfect location as there is a shortage of fun restaurants in the Southern Suburbs and there are also a large number of university students in the area. I think this spot will be a winner with the students as it is great fun and is really reasonably priced.

THE WINE:

In retrospect I did feel a little bad about bringing my own wine to such a reasonably priced spot. I just could not resist taking Bertus Basson’s chenin blanc to try and pair with a gourmet hot dog! For some time I have known that he is planning a gourmet hot dog venture – so researching hot dog wine pairing is research any friend would undertake! The verdict: the Collaboration Chenin Blanc stood up to even the most whacky gourmet hot dog combo – and even enhanced it!! I would urge Peter to list it! Check out the wonderful ice buckets below! Do you think that Peter is trying to tell us to pair beer with our dogs?

Overture's Collaboration Chenin Blanc visits the Dog's Kitchen!

Bertus's Collaboration Chenin in a glam Windhoek Ice Bucket!

DINNER – SHARING THE DOG’S:

Loving all of them!! I need to return to try out the rest of the menu!

We divided up each “Dog” into thirds and all did a taste test of each Dog.

Pam loving her Dogs! Definitely On a Roll:

Pam getting ready to enjoy the Dog's!

Kari and Aninie getting ready for the feast!

Overall Assessment:

Delicious, fabulous, creative, yummy, moreish (not a real word – but it should be.) We will be back!

CONTACT DETAILS:

Call 021 685 9916

Website: www.dogkitchen.co.za

Address: 78 Durban Road, Little Mowbray, Cape Town (directly opposite the Magic Cactus!)

Hours: Tues – Sat 12 noon until late!

Owner: Peter Ayub – peter@senseoftaste.co.za

PETER OWNS A COOKING SCHOOL IN CAPE TOWN AND ISTANBUL – see the website below for details!

His cooking school is in Cape Town & Istanbul!

Rolling on!!

It seems like gourmet hot dogs have become the new theme! The guys from YoursTruly Restaurant in the city bowl have opened:

HAWKS AND HOUNDS ( a friend passed on the background below – I have no idea who wrote it – so thank you for sharing to the writer!)

From the creator of Yourstruly, comes the newest edition to Long Street’s café culture. Crêpes and hotdogs are the order of the day at this hip new spot. Enjoy them in the vintage wood panelled space, or simply take them away in their signature brown cardboard triangle. We recommend the chocolate crêpe washed down with a glass of their homemade lemonade (at only R5 a glass).

263 Long Street | City Centre | Cape Town | +27(0)82 655 6116

Check out the GUY WITH A CAMERA BLOG for some visuals of this spot – BEAUTIFUL!

A WORS ROLL – Bertus’s “Worsie” trailer goes live!!

Hee hee – not so live yet that I can find the newly launched website – it is going to be called A WORS ROLL and the new website is supposed to be something along the lines of http://www.aworsroll.co.za. The concept is going to be a mobile trailer and you will have to keep checking the website in order to find the trailer around the city.

Expect gourmet hot dogs with a good twist as this is owned by Bertus Basson of Overture restaurant. Bertus is one of our country’s top chefs – so if he wants to play with hot dogs – I will be a complete groupie!! Follow this space for updates!

UPDATE: Their website has gone live: www.dieworsrol.co.za – they have launched it more as an outsource – ie let them know if you are having a party or a function and they will be there – cost R35 a dog! Not quite as exciting – but it will grow and morph in the future!!

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | Tagged Bertus Basson Hot Dog restaruant, Cape foodie spots, Cape Restaurants, Cape Town Southern suburbs fun restaurants, Collaboration wines, Cooking classes Cape Town, funky restaurants Cape Town, Gourmet hot dog restaurant Cape Town, Hot Dogs, New restaurants Cape, New restaurants in Cape Town, On a Roll - the Dog's Ktichen, On a Roll Restaurant, Peter Ayub, Quirky new restaurants Cape Town, recommended Cape Town Restaurants | Leave a comment

DV CHOCOLATE

THE CAPE BREWING CO

BARLEY & BILTONG

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THE WINES:

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The Verdict:

Where to find them?

Some of the dishes:

*********

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Chef’s Table at the Liam Tomlin Culinary Studio in Franschhoek

Our Menu:

The setting:

The Verdict:

The Recipes

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The Chocolates:

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2nd Course: Too yummy for words!

Main Course: Bruce sources Sassi green fish for his lunches – he aims to only use sustainable produce and to use as many local ingredients as possible.

Course 4 and 5: Local Cheese plus Cape Malay inspired dessert – Melk kos plus stewed fruit stuffed samoosa

THE VERDICT:

PLUS GOURMET PICNICS

STAY THE NIGHT!

Contact details for Chef Bruce Robertson:

……………more of the Boat House:

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ROLLING ON:

THE SETTING:

THE WINE: