Brian Berkman's Blog

Final food and wine. Cheers.

Brian Berkman — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:45:02 GMT

This is the end of my journey with you at the table.
It has been wonderful having you as my guest and I hope that you have enjoyed our meals and drinks together as much as I have.
I am preparing myself for bariatric or weight-loss surgery next year. I will continue to write about travel, but my limited diet won't allow me to write about restaurants or wines the way that I have.

I look forward to a healthier and lighter me. This is my gift to myself.
Speaking of gifts, here are some suggestions of tipple and foodie gifts.
What's interesting about the Graham Beck Sauvignon Blanc, given that I've written about wines from Darling and Durbanville recently, is that it is made from grapes from these areas from seven different vineyards. The grapes were handpicked and first tasted for ripeness and flavour development. I get that characteristic Sauvignon Blanc tropical fruit on the nose and lovely crispness after drinking it. You could gift a bottle (or case) of this with confidence.

Forget about paying through the nose for poncey French Cognac when our own KWV 10-year old has been voted as the Best Brandy in the World at the International Spirits Challenge, reclaiming the award it first won in 2007 and beating more than 1 000 entries in the process. If you must add Coke to it revel at least in the knowledge that you are doing so with the finest brandy. If you love the good stuff, explore Jorgensen's Distillery's Savingac Potstill Brandy. I drink their artisan gin and when they have stock available next I will buy a bottle of their brandy. Make arrangements to visit them in Wellington before you go.
I've mentioned David Nieuwoudt's fabulous Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc previously, but it gets another airing here as the perfect gift – it comes wrapped in a jacket of quality paper affixed by a gold label – how festive is that?

The Boschendal Grande Vin Blanc Sauvignon Blanc is another of the wines in the tropical-fruits-with-zesty-minerality style, but their Grande Cuvee Brut MCC scores higher points with me than some of the famous Champagne products. I prefer it over Moet.
Lindsay Hunting of Slaley olive oil says that any locally produced olive oil is far better than anything imported.

He mentioned hair-raising stories of how imported "olive oil" is mislabeled and adulterated. His Leccino-Mission olives blend is peppery and spicy, full of character, while the 100% Leccino olive oil is the perfect one to use for bread dipping. A foodie will always appreciate a gift of estate olive oil.
My favourite store, Le Creuset makes the best cast-iron pots and pans that will last a lifetime. They are costly so be prepared to pay upwards of R1000.

They have newly launched a range of wine accessories that are so affordable I'm even considering them as stocking fillers. I love their Champagne Star cork opener and their elegant yet inexpensive foil cutter. Their metal wine pump removes the air from opened wine bottles so that you can keep three bottles open at a time and not lose any quality to oxidization. It is the perfect gift for a wine lover. Le Creuset's brilliant staff will also wrap items for you.

We always associate Crabtree & Evelyn with skincare products, but they also have a super range of jams, chutneys, teas and melt-in-your mouth butter biscuits. Their packaging is so beautiful you don't even have to wrap them.

Thanks again for being with me. Happy holidays.

Brian Berkman's Best of the Best restaurants 2011

Brian Berkman — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:53:58 GMT

Best Restaurant: The Greenhouse
Cuisine that is fun and inventive without being contrived – the entire experience from the Peter Rabbit-statuary to the edible soil on the plate will delight.
Templehoff's modern cuisine in this setting is even more arresting. Like the spectacular nine hectare gardens that surround the hotel, what is served on the plate is fragrant and dazzling -a thing of beauty to look at and to eat.
Nothing is as it seems at The Greenhouse and you'll be forgiven for following one of the stone bunnies down the rabbit hole. Beetroot and goat's cheese lollipops are served in edible grass and a diminutive "Scotch" egg, made from crumbed quail's egg with prawn suggest what is to follow.
The Greenhouse,
The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel,
Constantia. 021-794-2137.

Best fish: Hook, Line & Sinker
The selection of fish is always limited to what's freshly available – typically it will be tuna, kabeljou and perhaps Swordfish with wild prawns and Patagonian calamari. Dessert is a fabulous crème brule, a "wicked chocolate pot" and recently also a minted version of the former. At lunch, except Sunday where it is a la carte, ale-battered hake and chips cooked in palm oil are served on newspaper directly on the rustic wooden tables.
Stefan has an armoury of sauces and he decides which sauce will accompany your dish – a sharp vintage cheddar white sauce, his version of Old Man's with mustard and Jack Daniels' Bourbon and "green stuff" or "red stuff" made from an undisclosed mix of herbs and spices.
Hook, Line & Sinker,
382 Crescent Road,
Pringle Bay.
028 273 86 88
(Look for the blue roof and painted fish.)

Best sea view: Azure
Azure is ticking all the right boxes with its commitment to sustainable seafood and its involvement with StreetSmart. The menu is divided into dishes created by Bea Tollman, founder of Red Carnation, that owns the hotel, and those created by executive chef Henrico Grobbelaar. Henrico's previous profession as an engineer before coming to food has taught him the importance of structure – each flavour in the dish seems to build upon and enhance the first.
Leave space for Bea's famous baked cheese cake – a soft, rich bottom layer of cream cheese and an upper deck of sour cream which bakes into a layer that teases your teeth and tongue before it sinks, like into quicksand, into a cloud. And then there's the views, views, views.
Azure Restaurant,
12 Apostles Hotel,
Oudekraal
021-437-9000.

Best pizza: Grand Café & Beach
It is a glittering spectacle, iridescent as the setting sun fires up the white sandy beach and the iron warehouse shimmers like mercury. Light reflects off everything – the vast chandeliers and Venetian mirrors; the silver ice buckets; the diamonds on the rings and ears of patrons.
By dark, candles light up long tables of diners still with the feet in the sand. In the warehouse the pace is frenetic, long-aproned waiters shimmy past tables and through queues of people wishing they had one. This is not the spot for a quiet night out but it is for their crisp-based meter-long pizzas.
The Grand on the Beach,
Granger Bay.
021-425-0551,
sms 072-586 -052 or
email beach@thegrand.co.za.

Best Sunday brunch: 15 on Orange
Rather than pile-up your plate to the brim with gleaming oysters from the buffet, ask one of the brilliant waiters to bring a dozen or two to your table. Taste the zesty gazpacho soup, salmon sashimi, Tuna tataki, proper Greek salad and tuna ceviche. From the hot buffet enjoy top-notch tandoori chicken and Thai seafood curry with salmon, calamari and mussels in a rich coconut cream.
The dessert selection of individual confectioneries is superb. Too often hotels skimp here using factory made items, margarine and poor quality chocolate. This pastry chef has the skill and the budget to create masterpieces, and he has.
15 on Orange Hotel,
Grey's Pass,
Gardens.
R265 per person.
021-469-8000.

Best cakes: Treat
You too will circle the table like a cooped up jaguar being taunted by each plate – one more alluring than the next. Treat offers cakes that few others do and displays them in such an elegant manner – some under large glass domes that imprison and yet magnify their deliciousness – others on pedestals. There are platters of chequered squares of coconut ices, ooey-gooey chocolate brownies and pies and slices of quiches. The baked cheese cake with a sour cherry topping is evil as is their signature dish, the red velvet – a beetroot-red vanilla cake with a marshmallow coating that has been flamed. Also try spicy apple; the orange and poppy cake; humming bird with pineapple and cream-cheese topping and a chocolate cake topped with Lindor truffles.
Treat,
12 Bella Rosa Street,
Rosenpark, Hertex Fabrics.
021-914-7041.

Best value: The Common Room at LQF
When food and service is as outstanding as its famed sister, The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais, this is extraordinarily good value. Consider that all the ingredients used by executive chef Margot Janse meet the highest ethical eating standards you won't find food this good at this price elsewhere.
Feast on stellar strawberry daiquiris to start, and end with Amarula coffees, served in flasks (each enough for two) and in between on fish pops on colourful sticks with the chakalaka sauce, divine ham and cheese bitterballen with sweet apple mustard, lamb frikadelletjies with flat vetkoeks and raïta and satay spiced squid, in a spicy peanut and coriander sauce.
A mini pizza with pulled Springbok shank and cabbage is a winner and short rib and bacon crumble reminds us of cassoulet. More traditional tappas like pan-fried sardine fillets with anchovy salsa are also available.
The Common Room,
LQF, Main Road,
Franschhoek.
(021) 876 8442.
www.lqf.co.za

Best Power Table: Tower restaurant, Westin Grand.
Take the corner 19th floor table with floor-to-ceiling glass on either side to prove that you're king of the castle. Eat carpaccio of smoked duck and then the velvety summer squash soup with luscious ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers. Lamb comes three ways: slow-roasted meat which is shredded, in a terrine and then grilled lamb loin all with mashed potatoes and truffle oil. The olive oil-poached Norwegian salmon with burnt citrus endive, gnocchi and a white chocolate sauce is inventive and delicious.
The Westin Grand, Foreshore.

Best for sundowners: Maestro's on the Beach
Right on Milnerton beach this popular spot spans pizzas to salads, to burgers to pastas to grilled steaks and stews. The Roquefort salad is packed with crumbled blue-veined cheese and interesting and fresh greens. The grilled line fish is served with Med-style veg and your choice of starch. Come here for friendly service, acceptable food and amazing views. Chicken Tikka pasta is a favourite.
Maestro's On The Beach,
Milnerton Golf Club,
Bridge Road,
Milnerton.
021-551-4992

Best Italian: 95 Keerom
One of the city's finest restaurants, enjoy Milanese cuisine where the focus is on the best ingredients and classic recipes. Giorgio Nava has a number of restaurants but you will find him cooking here and coming to each table to present the specials. Lamb comes from his Karoo farm and tuna, which he serves seared with a fresh tomato sauce, is fished by people he knows well. The fresh lobster pasta is perfect to start followed by richly fragrant osso bucco and parmesan enriched polenta. The chocolate soufflé has become almost as famous as the acclaimed Nava himself.
95 On Keerom,
95 Keerom Street,
Cape Town.
021-422-0765

The Common Room reviewed and Durbanville's regional dish revealed.

Brian Berkman — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:09:02 GMT

Aside from Pieter Dirk Uys and beautiful orchids, Darling is better known for its fine wines especially those from Groote Post Estate. Winemaker Lukas Wentzel makes two delicious Sauvignon Blancs.

The easy drinking and more affordable 2001 is lovely but try to get your hands on the special, award winning 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve where only free run juice from the first pressing is used in the making of the wine. Cloof Estate, also in the Darling area, has bottled the taste of summer with their Summertime SB.

The bikini on the label says a lot about what you'll find inside – wine that's easy drinking, fruity and fun. Both Groote Post and Cloof wines have rich fruit flavours which are indicative of the region.
Terroir is the term in wine that describes what the soil gives to the finished product. The Durbanville Wine Valley has run with an idea suggested by Diemersdal's Thys Louw – to serve a dish that reflects the Terroir of the area. Many wine estates in Durbanville now offer Lamb sosaties with pumpkin 'stampkoring', cumin sauce and pumpkin pickle as the regional dish. A starter portion is R65 while a double skewer is R120.

I loved the "stampkoring" or pearl wheat served "risotto" style with the roasted pumpkin and the pickle adding the brighter pumpkin flavours. Aside from being a clever marketing idea that will further define the region, it is absolutely delicious to eat. I look forward to seeing how different estates interpret the dish although I'm told that the cumin sauce and pickle recipes have to be followed exactly.
www.durbanvillewine.co.za

We all know that The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais tops global and local restaurant awards. There are only two reasons why you haven't eaten there: you think it is too expensive or you haven't been able to secure a reservation.

The good news is that food and service at the adjacent Common Room is as outstanding as its feted sister, only casual. Also, it is extraordinarily good value. We feasted, ordering far too many courses than we should have, and quaffed stellar strawberry daiquiris (think grown-up Slush Puppy) and ended with Amarula coffees, served in flasks, for R200 per head.

Most of the dishes are R35/R40 except for Chicken or Beef - whole roasted chicken and gravy (R135) or 400g fillet with béarnaise (R180). But, like all the ingredients used by executive chef Margot Janse, you won't find better elsewhere. Not satisfied to use free range chickens, hers are pasture raised – the new high bar in ethical eating.
The food is witty, inventive without being contrived, and moreish. We ordered two dishes at a time to share as we cosied up to the outside fireplace. It was a chilly evening so we were the only table outside while inside was packed.

First came the fish pops, on colourful sticks with the chakalaka sauce and divine ham and cheese bitterballen with a sweet apple mustard. These were perfect over drinks.
The not-to-be-missed lamb frikadelletjies are served with flat vetkoeks and raïta and eat well with the satay spiced squid (softer than you will find anywhere else) in a spicy peanut and coriander sauce.
A mini pizza with pulled Springbok shank and cabbage is a winner (and don't be surprised if you find similar on next year's Col'Cacchio's celeb menu).

The short rib and bacon crumble reminded me of a cassoulet while the pan fried sardine fillets with anchovy salsa was probably the most traditional of Spanish tappas.I finished with a jar of brownies while JP had the apple and speculaas spice pie.
Open daily from 7.30am for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Book a table.
The Common Room,
LQF,
Main Road,
Franschhoek.
(021) 876 8442.
www.lqf.co.za

When Brian Berkman isn't cosying up to fire places he assists clients with public relations campaigns. Follow BrianBerkmanZA on Twitter and see www.BrianBerkman.com.

A Tavolo, Top Sauvignon Blancs, Kebab Mahal.

Brian Berkman — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:39:00 GMT

A Tavolo is both a great name for a restaurant and an instruction worth following – this is a table you should go to.

Both Nigella Lawson and Ina Garten – my foodie gurus – rave about pasta with salmon and vodka. I ordered it and now I can see what the fuss is about. The zucchini chips are also delicious to pick at while waiting for other guests to arrive. Our guest arrived far too soon and we had to share the crisp, thin-cut baby marrow – greedy, I know.

Real, milk-fed veal is less often found in Cape Town than the menus claiming to serve it. Some will serve baby beef, others will serve pork so I was very pleased to be told by the waitress that there was no veal available for the Cotoletta, the thin cutlet shaped like an elephant's ear.

They did still have one portion of rolled and stuffed shoulder though which was fabulous. The night we dined the place was buzzing – busy and noisy in the way that gives an establishment great atmosphere but makes hearing each other a challenge. Frankly, the prices are so reasonable, and the food so delicious, it is worth eating there and chatting another time.
Library Square, Wilderness Road, Claremont. 021 671 1763.
www.atavolo.co.za

As the number of quality players in the wine industry increases, so does the number of choices. We shoppers are under increasing pressure when we buy wine – especially if we want to expand our experience. What stands out for me looking at the publicity picture of the Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc winners is their aprons – proof that even in the most accessible cultivar of wine there is the need for producers to join forces and market their category and not just their brand.

Coordinating judge Christian Eades makes a valid point: "The debate that has raged recently between proponents of "grassy" Sauvignon Blanc and those of a more "fruity" style is not that helpful.
What ultimately matters are the issues fundamental to all wine assessment: flavour intensity, balance, length but also the relative success of the winemaker to elevate a mere agricultural product to something worthy of contemplation."

Notable from the The Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group of South Africa (SBIG) FNB Top 10 is David Nieuwoudt's evocatively named Ghost Corner 2011, from Elim which tops the list. I prefer "grassy" over "fruity" and this wine satisfies beautifully. Moreover, the design and packaging is exquisite to look at. It feels expensive and, at R165, is the most costly on the list. The Lutzville, Cool Climate 2010 at R26.99 is the least costly and my recommendation for a wine to always have in the fridge – it is food friendly, even insofar as supporting spicy dishes.

Interesting that the Wade Bales Winemaker Selection, Thys Louw 2011, for the Wine Society is included in the Top 10 yet his wines for his family's Diemersdal label didn't make it. I especially love the Durbanville Sauvignon Blancs and his wine is 100% Durbanville grapes. At R49.00 it is a good buy, despite being in the "fruity" camp.

Fruity wines tend to go well with spicy food so when you re-visit Kabab Mahal – a long-time favourite of mine, as I did for the first time since I left Sea Point, order a fruity Sauvignon Blanc. New owners have shaken up the team who are now serving North Indian dishes that demonstrate the richness of flavours possible when cooked properly.

I noted improvements in the breads served. The Baigan Mirchi Ka Salan and the superb Hydrabadi aubergine are musts and the richly spicy Kashmiri lamb Rogan Josh is a winner. The kulfi ice cream is still some way from being as special as it once was.
Kabab Mahal, 315 Main Road,
Sea Point. 021-434-0008.
www.kababmahal.co.za

When not quaffing Sauvignon Blanc, Brian Berkman assists clients with public relations campaigns. Follow BrianBerkmanZA on Twitter and see www.BrianBerkman.com.

Keenwa restaurant reviewed.

Brian Berkman — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:44:38 GMT

Keenwa serves home-style food from Peru. While you may find Ceviche on menus elsewhere, I found all the flavours here new.

Set in a Cape Victorian building, the interior is fresh with colourful designer chairs and a banquette that runs the length of the restaurant.

The images on the wall are the same as those used on the table mats which feature photographs of Peru with a cut-out to insert one's self. I haven't been to Peru so can't vouch for the authenticity of it, but eating there certainly transported me away from Cape Town.
Potatoes were discovered near Lake Titicaca and Peru claims 3000 potato cultivars so it isn't surprising that they feature so heavily on Keenwa's menu. Their ceviche is served with sweet potatoes (R75).

The lime flavours that cooked the fish and prawns were fresh, but I didn't expect to find bones, which detracted from it. The Tiradito Clasico (R65) presents fish, thinly sliced in a spicy lime sauce.

My choice of Anticuchos, marinated and grilled beef hearts on skewers, was served with boiled potatoes with egg and sauce made from Feta and chillies. I've not knowingly eaten beef heart before and looked forward to it. I did wonder about the Inca practice of ripping human hearts out in sacrifice and if this dish, originating in the 16th century, had some connection to that. The meat is very darkly coloured and not especially delicious. I found it a little tough with a vinegar undertone.

The Lomo Saltado, while extremely popular in Peru, is really a beef stir-fry with peppers, onions and tomatoes, but with the addition of potato chips. Very good to eat and at R95 very good value, too. I asked for a side order of Quinoa, pronounced keenwa, which is a grain. Our excellent waitress described it as a cross between rice and couscous, but with many nutritional advantages. It doesn't have much flavour of its own.

The dish I enjoyed the most was Arroz Chaufa (R85) described as fried rice with chicken and prawns. It tastes a lot like paella, which I love.
I think if I'd ordered differently I'd have enjoyed the experience much more. I'd been to an event at Keenwa and tasted dishes, largely off their lunch menu, I'm told, that popped with flavour and excited me to try more.

Alfajores is a perfect dessert to share if you just want a nibble at the end of your meal. The portion is two perfect short-bread style disks filled with Manjar Blanco, which tastes similar to blancmange or Dulce de Leche.

People who travel to Peru will encounter Cuy or Guinea pig, which Keenwa's website is emphatic about not serving at the restaurant. Another classic in Peru is Pisco Sour, a drink that I cannot recommend more highly. Reading about its unequivocal history is interesting. The combination of Pisco, a spirit made from grape, lemon juice, sugar syrup, egg white and a garnish of bitters ticks all the right boxes. Very refreshing but it packs a delayed punch.
Keenwa, 50 Waterkant Street,
Cape Town 021-419-2633.
www.keenwa.co.za

Ever innovating, NoMU have taken the Caring is Sharing idea even further by allowing you to purchase four sample-size products from their online store, which they will mail to you, or to anywhere in the world, free.
I like that it allows me to try their range without having two thirds of a tin of something I don't like (although that hasn't happened yet), but more than that I like that I can send my South African friends abroad a brilliant local product and make them miss home, even more, without leaving my desk.
www.NoMu.co.za

When Brian Berkman isn't gloating about the wonderful life we have in South Africa, he assists clients with public relations campaigns. Follow BrianBerkmanZA on Twitter and see www.BrianBerkman.com.

Hook, Line and Sinker and Hussar Grill as good as ever.

Brian Berkman — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:00:22 GMT

Just like a favourite pair of jeans, there are restaurants we keep returning to. Here are two of mine:
As weekenders in Pringle Bay we eat at Hook, Line and Sinker restaurant in the village more than any other.

Over the years we have become friends with owners Jacqi and Stefan Kruger so we know the booming voice and idiosyncratic irascibility are symptoms of people passionate about what they do and who want nothing else than for guests to have a great time – as long as it is on their terms. I like eating here so much I'd recommend you simply shut-up, say please and thank you often and eat.
You can, and people often do, try to assert yourself. There really is no point.

I always start with the bisque while JP orders the mussel soup. I love the creamy sweetness of the bisque. Piled with chunks of their home-baked ciabatta, this is ultimate comfort food. By contrast, the mussel soup has a strong peppery note and delicious acidity from the tomatoes – think of it as the West Coast in a bowl.

The selection of fish is always limited to what's freshly available – typically it will be tuna, kabeljou and perhaps Swordfish with wild prawns and Patagonian calamari. Dessert is a fabulous crème brule, a "wicked chocolate pot" and recently also a minted version of the former.
At lunch, except Sunday when it is a la carte, ale-battered hake and chips cooked in palm oil are served on newspaper directly on the rustic wooden tables.

Perhaps it is the farm butter or the fact that fish is cooked in a pan over a flaming wood fire, but I haven't found fish this good elsewhere. Stefan has an armoury of sauces and he decides which sauce will accompany your dish – a sharp vintage cheddar white sauce, his version of Old Man's with mustard and Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey and "green stuff" or "red stuff" made from an undisclosed mix of herbs and spices.

Prices are extremely reasonable and we eat three courses for less than R180 a head. If you, like them, prize artisan beers and boutique wineries, you will be pleased with their drinks selection, which is less costly than elsewhere, as they don't apply the usual 300% mark-up.
On Wednesday and Sunday nights they serve steak and prawns. We book our table at least three weeks in advance and are already on waiting lists over the December/January period.
Hook, Line & Sinker, 382 Crescent Road, Pringle Bay. 028 273 86 88 (Look for the blue roof and painted fish.)

I attend a fortnightly meeting that ends after 9.30pm. It is pretty hard to find a restaurant happy to serve new tables at that hour so we most often go to The Hussar Grill, in Rosebank. We almost always have to wait a few minutes at the bar before a table large enough for us is free. I marvel that The Hussar Grill stays full, even on a Tuesday evening.

The steaks are always good and I like that vegetables accompany the order. Recently I had a burger for the first time. 175g of pure beef for R58 is brilliant value considering it includes a sauce which is usually listed on the menu for R22, and your choice of starch or salad.
I love their onion rings and have, on too many occasions, slaughtered their 800g Hog ribs (R155), which are unbeatable.

Great to have old-style grill house interiors, tip-top service, reliably consistent quality that is also good value. No corkage is billed despite them having an excellent wine list.
The Hussar Grill, 10 Main Road, Rondebosch. 021 689 9516

When Brian Berkman isn't revisiting old favourites, he assists clients with public relations campaigns. Follow BrianBerkmanZA on Twitter and see www.BrianBerkman.com.

The Greenhouse at Constantia-Hohenort Hotel and Willow Creek.

Brian Berkman — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:40:56 GMT

Peter Templehoff has received much acclaim for his cuisine. As executive chef of The Collection by Liz McGrath, he is responsible for feeding guests at The Cellars-Hohenort in Constantia, The Plettenberg and The Marine Hotel in Hermanus.

The Cellars-Hohenort is the sort of old-fashioned hotel that has proper room keys, on chains, and rather than expecting you to make morning tea and coffee yourself, they ask for your order before you retire at night. Templehoff's modern cuisine in this setting is even more arresting. Like the spectacular nine hectare gardens that surround the hotel, what is served on the plate is fragrant and dazzling - a thing of beauty to look at and to eat.

I prefer not to eat multi-course tasting menus so was relieved to see that I could just order four courses. Amazingly, there were simply too many dishes I wanted to eat on the seven-course tasting menu that we opted for it nonetheless. I don't know when last that happened.

Nothing is what it seems at The Greenhouse and you'll be forgiven for following one of the stone bunnies down the rabbit hole. Beetroot and goat's cheese lollipops are served in edible grass and a diminutive "Scotch" egg, made from crumbed quail's egg with prawn suggest what is to follow.

The fabulous bread selection arrives in a bamboo steamer with bread sticks that protrude like a lobster antennae. In the flickering candle light I'm sure I saw them twitch. A mini-flower pot comes with a mini garden – a new-born carrot – so tiny and full of flavour – a sugar snap pea that bursts with flavour, a chicory leaf and, under the edible soil (breadcrubs, chocolate etc) a dreamy green from crème fraiche and nasturtium.

Rich, pan-fried Foie gras has a tart raspberry gel that rids the mouth of the cloyingness before flavours are rounded with the warmly savoury notes of the onion marmalade and puy lentils. Crumbed Asian mushrooms provide crunch.
An artful prawn and avocado roll follows, but it is the Fynbos-smoked ostrich tartar that convinces us this menu is designed to delight all the senses. It is served in an "ostrich shell" on a plate with a Xmas wreath garnish.

I ask if this, too, is edible. It isn't. First we see the pale horseradish foam – it matches the colour of the egg shell perfectly and underneath, in layered flavours and textures the avocado mousse, tomatoes and shredded ostrich. My mouth is assaulted by hot, smokey, silky, slimy, and tart flavours and sensations – exquisite in every way.

Oven-roasted quail with egg sous vide (cooked in the bag), a technology that is one of Templehoff's hallmarks can be checked out online. (See www.PeterTemplehoff.com for his essay on the technique).
The penultimate flourish is a "camembert cheese cake", a surprise I won't spoil for you and the creamiest and tastiest roasted pineapple ice cream served with pine nut biscotti. The final delight is a diminutive hat stand with mini macaroons and chocolate truffles. Expect Alice or the Queen of Hearts to appear any moment.

Where others have contrived, copied and fiddled the flavour out of their food – Templehoff has created a feast that will delight and can be enjoyed by everybody.
The Greenhouse, The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel, Constantia. 021-794-2137.

Willow Creek has introduced two innovative products that have really impressed me. Gourmet Squeeze is a plastic bottle that looks like glass, with an eye through which I can squeeze olive oil into a dish but which also allows me to shake a few drops out at a time. Their credit-card sized Snap and Squeeze dispenses 8ml of Willow Creek Olive Estate's award winning Directors' Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Cabernet Sauvignon Balsamic Vinegar respectively. I love that I can pack a picnic salad and now have the wherewithal to perfectly dress it without having to lug heavy bottles around.
www.willowcreek.co.za

When Brian Berkman isn't jumping down proverbial culinary rabbit holes, he assists clients with public relations campaigns. Follow BrianBerkmanZA on Twitter and see www.BrianBerkman.com.

Treat yourself to Treat & Dine Kismet-style at Mezbaan

Brian Berkman — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:36:15 GMT

When Table 13 opened at T&Co, part of the excitement was having a restaurant inside a décor shop. With Treat, situated in Hertex Fabrics, the excitement is their wickedly attractive buffet of visually bewitching and, I can confirm, fabulously tasting cakes and treats.

When we lunched, I circled the table like a cooped up jaguar being taunted by each dish – one more alluring than the next. If I were to commit sugar suicide, it would be here.
What, I'm sure you're thinking, about all the other Afternoon Tea and confectionery offerings I've raved about before? What makes this spot so special?

Treat offers cakes that few others do and displays them in such an elegant manner – some under large glass domes that imprison and yet magnify their deliciousness – others on pedestals; platters of chequered squares of coconut ices; ooey-gooey chocolate brownies and pies and slices of quiches. I've seen displays far grander and others far busier – for me, like Goldie Locks, this one was just right.

We ended our meal with baked cheese cake with a sour cherry topping and, the following day, returned for red velvet – a beetroot-red vanilla cake with a marshmallow coating that has been flamed. Next on the list are spicy apple; the orange and poppy cake; humming bird with pineapple and cream-cheese topping and a chocolate cake topped with Lindor truffles.

We also had brilliant sandwiches – chicken mayo on ciabatta (R42) and chicken, honey mustard with red onions and Parmesan (R42). The coffee smoothie (R22), served with a barber-pole striped straw is divine. My gunpowder and fresh mint tea (R15) came in a French Press that made me feel so very healthy it negated the guilt of the cake of moments ago.
Treat,
12 Bella Rosa Street,
Rosenpark,
Hertex Fabrics.
021-914-7041.

On a return visit to Mezbaan, in the same Bo Kaap location, but now under the management of Hilton Hotels, I experienced the same consistency in the food, but was disappointed that our waiter didn't coach us how to order. When we dined previously it was in a large group and the food wondrously arrived ideally proportioned. This time we ended up with far too much food.
Mezbaan's competitor set – the superb Bukhara and Bombay Brasserie - are almost on its door step. While Mezbaan's menu is slightly different, it isn't sufficiently other to distinguish itself. Perhaps its unique selling point is that no alcohol is served.

Located on the first floor, the interior is enchanting with carved screens and gem-coloured lanterns. You expect Marlene Dietrich to appear like a vision from Kismet.
There is also a long, raised table. We ordered the Ajmo Tandoori Jhinga (R60), which was prawns (I think five) in mild mustard seed paste, garlic and chilli; Paneer Tikka (R60) kebabs of homemade Indian cheese marinated in mild spices and usually a favourite dish of mine with roasted cumin flavour and chilli.

Another favourite and a dish I order regularly when we eat North Indian cuisine is Butter chicken (R70), where tandoori-cooked chicken is served in a rich tomato and butter sauce.
I suppose I should have known better having had a Biryani (R105) at Bukhara before where they also serve a huge portion covered with a dough lid, but then I think the waiter should have advised.
The dish is designed for two to eat it - the lamb was succulent and utterly delicious. The yoghurt and cucumber raita is moistening and cooling.

We ordered a Qeema Paratha, a layered bread with mutton mince, which I haven't seen on menus elsewhere, but it didn't arrive.
The yogurt and mango Lassi (R29) is silky and soothing – an essential accompaniment to spicy Indian cuisine. They also offer the traditional Sweet and Salted flavours as well as Strawberry, which I will try another time.
Mezbaan,
The Hilton Cape Town City Centre,
Buitengracht St, Cape Town.
021-481-3700.

When Brian Berkman isn't dreaming of Dietrich, he assists clients with public relations campaigns. Follow BrianBerkmanZA on Twitter and see www.BrianBerkman.com.

HQ - the USP is steak.

Brian Berkman — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:08:02 GMT

The Unique Selling Point or Single Minded Proposition are tools in marketing to help separate one brand from the next in the consumer's mind. Like Ford famously said "you can have any colour as long as it is black", so too has HQ Restaurant claimed as its USP, you can have anything as long as it is salad, steak and chips.
Based on what seemed like a full restaurant the Friday we dined there, Capetonians, so precious about not being told what to eat or when, are queuing up for it.

HQ in Cape Town, (one recently opened in Sandton, Johannesburg too) is based on the L'Entrecôte concept in Paris. Many will remember L'Entrecôte Express restaurant in the now closed Heerengracht Hotel that tried the idea in the 1980's.

Perhaps the appeal lies in the relief from the zillion choices we have to make daily – at HQ you choose how you'd like your steak cooked – the chef recommends medium rare. There are a few more dessert choices and cocktail and wine choices, but for the main part you sit, you eat and you leave.
Rather than offer fillet or rump as options, here the steak is sirloin, which is tastier, albeit chewier than fillet. Your R155 includes a fabulous green salad – the best thing about the meal and proof that it is possible to get a well-dressed salad, with crisply fresh leaves and a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts, that tastes brilliant. I wish other restaurants would also offer a small green salad as a starter like this. It is amazing how many people used to talk about the salad that La Perla restaurant used to bring to the table as guests arrived.

The grilled steak is served sliced with melted herby Café de Paris butter as the only sauce and the accompanying thin-cut chips are good and plentiful. A second round of chips and sauce is offered half-way through the meal. It is possible to order a double portion of steak – the second one is brought as you finish the first, so that it remains hot. I would have preferred to have half of my steak brought later too as it was cold by the time I reached the end.

All desserts are R25 and a choice of seven feels overwhelming after the "will it be sirloin or sirloin?" routine. I did a double-take at the price – most upscale spots offer desserts northwards of R40, so I was thrilled at what was delivered: an elegant, unadorned slice of lemon tart – a welcome departure, even for one as greedy as I – from the vulgar, American-sized cake portions with berries, with ice cream, with mint bush etc. that is so commonly served. The lemon tart really was superb. I'd ordered the same dish at their sister restaurant, Sotano in Mouille Point and had a mouthful of raw pastry, so to be served a perfect piece was a double pleasure. There was just the lightest crust of caramelised sugar as the topping – so minimal I just saw the light reflecting off the tart and not the sugar-topping itself. In the mouth, an impossibly thin, sweet crunch before the tartly tender lemon curd and then delicious pastry yield. Our other choice of cheesecake also didn't disappoint – laid so bare and vulnerable on the plate.

On Fridays Bongo-playing DJ Rene is at the decks; there is two-for the-price of one dining on Monday's and a 125g sirloin lunch can be had for R99. When you consider some restaurants charge R155 just for steak, HQ delivers value. The setting is smart, service pleasant and the knock-out cocktails are around R40.
HQ Restaurant, Heritage Square, Shortmarket Street, Cape Town. 021-424-6373. www.hqrestaurant.co.za

When Brian Berkman isn't wishing for simple, small, salads and unadorned desserts, he assists clients with public relations campaigns. Follow BrianBerkmanZA on Twitter and see www.BrianBerkman.com.

Il Cappero - Sicily in Cape Town.

Brian Berkman — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 07:43:48 GMT

Il Cappero, the caper, is drawing a more salubrious crowd back to Barrack Street. I like everything about it – the owners Aldo and Cetti are charming in the warm way Italians are; the décor is simple, with photos taken by the owners on the walls. The food, billed as home-cooked Sicilian, is delicious.

The couples' life story is romantic – he was a pilot in the Italian air force, she a professor of geography with a keen interest in history. Fast forward a few years and he is captaining yachts and she is cooking for crew and guests.
They visited Cape Town while on the sea, loved it and decided to return.

He is born in Rome and she in Palermo with regular family visits to Tuscany, but the food here reflects the kitchen from the South.
A favourite Italian bar snack, Arancini, are balls of risotto with a cheesy centre which are crumbed and deep fried. Aside from the perfect thing to do with left over risotto, these moreish bites are hard to resist – not surprising considering Sicilians have been serving them since the 10th century.
We three shared starters – a parmesan cake (think soufflé) served with a pink pepper and balsamic reduction – a fabulous combination of textures and flavours; Capunato – similar to ratatouille, but with almonds and raisins and Parmigiana di Melanzane – a baked, layered eggplant dish topped with cheese that I could eat every day.

I eyed the house special, Uova di Riccio, a pasta with a sauce made from the eggs of sea urchins. I'd had this dish at Mezza Luna restaurant on the corner of Riebeek and Long Streets in the City and loved it, but thought to try something new – Osso bucco, tomato-based veal stew, but this time with anchovy mixed in to the parsley and lemon rind condiment that's added at the end.

The meat was beautifully tender and the accompanying mashed potato wonderful with the rich juices of the stew. At first the anchovy was pungent and a little strange, although I cook lamb with anchovy so I wasn't averse to the idea. After a few mouthfuls the salty pungency melted into a delicious, resonant base note that made the whole dish taste so much more delicious.
I was pleased I didn't recognise anyone in the restaurant as I sucked on the marrow bones with such gusto I messed on my shirt and made that embarrassing shhhh sound that kids make when getting the last bit out of a milkshake.
I tasted the Involtini – veal flattened and rolled, stuffed with pecorino cheese, raisins, pine kernels and breadcrumbs and then grilled, served with lemon. Aldo said in Italy the veal is much younger and I think I'd probably prefer this with veal's softer milk-fed flesh.

The third dish, basically fish cakes with tomato sauce, was extraordinary. The fish cakes in the Polpette Di Pesce in Salsa tasted like proper fishcakes made with more than one kind of fish, while the thick tomato sauce had all the ruddy beauty of a sauce that had been cooking, slowly for many hours.
If you're a fan of the Godfather movies (who isn't?) live the part with Cannolo Siciliano – a crisp biscuit tube filled with ricotta and crystallised orange peel. If your face isn't covered in icing sugar and cheese, you aren't eating it properly.

The Semifreddo (half frozen) Pistachio with chocolate is also recommended and, although it says it contains rice on the menu, I, fortunately, couldn't taste any of it. Expect to pay about R50 for antipasti, R70 for pasta, R80 for fish, R20 for sides, R95 for meat and R40 for dessert.
If you loved Babette's Feast for the food, you'll likely love their screening of Il Gattopardo, a 1963 Italian classic, between October 25 and 30, which will have a special menu served inspired by the items in the movie.
Il Cappero,
3 Barrack Street,
Cape Town.
021-461-3168.

When Brian Berkman isn't eating like a Mafioso, he assists clients with public relations campaigns. Follow BrianBerkmanZA on Twitter and see www.BrianBerkman.com.