From my Next 48 Hours column
People go to great lengths to be noticed. They purchase smart cars and overtly tattoo themselves. One way to get noticed, for a fraction of what it costs for a car and without even a smidgen of pain, is to order the seafood platter for two at Azure, The 12 Apostles Hotel’s seafront restaurant. This is a deluxe experience (the seafood platter alone will set you back R895) but the service, setting and venue represents excellent value.
The Mozambican Langoustines arrive on a skewer Espetada-style which clues us into exec chef Roberto de Carvalho’s Portuguese roots. I’m transfixed by the excess. While the waiter pulls them from their stake I am enticed by the pot of mussels in a rich Pernod cream sauce that offer themselves to me like a willing lover.
Demand 500g West Coast Crayfish, 350g Mozambican Prawns, two pieces of 110g Line Fish, 300g grilled baby Calamari tubes 150g West Coast
Mussels and Potato Wedges, Rice, green salad and home-made Piri-Piri sauce which is outstanding (a searing flavour but not as hot as many sauces where you just taste chilli), garlic saffron sauce and lemon Beurre Blanc.
What a feast.
We were invited to sample their newly launched seafood addition to the Sunday lunch buffet which, at R155 is outstanding. I salute their decision to offer a supplementary menu rather than hike the price of the buffet. This way, if you’re feeling flush, you can have the buffet and order a la carte. Bookings for Azure are understandably essential. 021-437-9000.
Another way to be noticed is to travel with your dog. Aside from being a honey-pot for admirers, travelling with pets can be challenging. The 12 Apostles is a pet friendly hotel. Their sister hotel in London is equally so. Your pooch (I imagine they may have second thoughts about you checking in with Beulah, your Baboon Spider) will be extremely happy.
At “41” in London’s swanky Kensington (overlooking The Queen’s stables) and across the road from Buckingham Palace, they even have a pet concierge (seriously) who will take your dog for walks, arrange its meals and baths etc. A special doggie bed with Do Not Disturb signs is included. Although I travelled with a human companion, their extreme pet care is just an iota of what we enjoyed. Although the rooms were small, they were luxuriously appointed. The real value of this hotel lies in its location and exclusivity. The lounge area is modelled on a gentlemen’s club with almost floor to ceiling timber panelling and library shelves. Unlike many luxury hotels that have public spaces in which wannabees can loiter, “41” is reserved only for resident guests. www.41hotel.com.
Some diners even risk being shouted at to be noticed at Hook, Line & Sinker in Pringle Bay. Enjoying the best seafood this end of the continent in a no-nonsense home-cooked environment is risky businesses if you don’t follow these instructions: Don’t arrive without a reservation. Don’t ask if the fish is fresh. Don’t ask if the delicious rolls are home-baked and don’t, on pain of death, ask for anything not listed on the chalkboard menu. There will be two or three starters – prawn bisque is my favourite; a selection of fish and prawns and calamari when available, (I usually order tuna with Stefan’s old man mustard and Jack Daniels sauce) and either crème brulee or chocolate pot (with or without a caramelized sugar topping to end.) 028 27 386 88.
[09-Dec-07]
Brian Berkman
Dog’s day out
I am really into dog friendly restaurants.
There is nothing more welcoming than when the waiter offer to bring your dog a bowl of water.
Some patrons get quite irate that a dog might be in their area of dining; they are usually German tourists and have a clear disposition to territorial boundaries. I think it must be a primordial pecking order displayed by hyenas and other carnivores.
Others usually love to see a little dog and want to hold him/feed him and chat about their own.
I recommend Bravo where this doggie friendly service is forthcoming and the pizza is good too.
It’s also a great way to get noticed!
Our West highland terrier, Hector, is a major chick magnet and get’s more attention than Brian Habana wearing a bandana at Cubana.
Will Gubb
[11-Dec-07]
Will Gubb
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