Constantijn Hahndiek |

A year ago I posted here on my Blog that 2016 was the best year of my life. Looking back on 2017, I can echo this sentiment about 2017, surpassing what was already a fantastic 2016! The year was crowned by the publishing of my first book, and I plan to write two this year. I discovered my Self-Love, and now can truly stand on my own two feet! (more…)

Tags: ‘SwitchBitch: My Journey of transformation from Sour to Sweet!’, 9th Avenue Bistro, Apricale, Apricus Locanda, Ballroom dancing, Benguela Cove, Benguela on Main, Bertus Basson, Bree Street, Buenos Aires, Chris von Ulmenstein, Constantia Nek, Constantijn Hahndiek, Cuba, Darren Badenhorst, De Vrije Burger, DJ Rene Tanguy, Eat Out Top 10, Expressions, Facebook, Foxcroft, Gail robertson, Glen Williams, Graham Goble, Hartford House, Havana, High Court, Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine, Jan Restaurant, Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen, Jean Delport, L’arperge, La Parada, Le Coin de Français, Le colombe, Le Petite Colombe, Leonardslee, Liam Tomlin, Luke Dale-Roberts, McGregor, Michael Mackenzie, Paris, pariserries, Pierino Penati, Retreat, SA Butler Academy, Salsa, Self-Love, Septime, Silent Retreat, Sominue Forbes-Rosé, Spek & Bone, Spiritual, Stuart Bailey, Tango, tapas, Temenos, transcendental meditation, Villa 47, Vipassana, WhaleTales blog

Earlier this week I visited the Jackie Cameron School of Food & Wine in Hilton, and I was delighted to meet the School’s second intake of twelve chef students, and to see how Chef Jackie Cameron and her School is flourishing. (more…)

Tags: Carne, Chris von Ulmenstein, Constantijn Hahndiek, Cormack Keane, Eat Out, Glenelly, Hartford House, Hilton, Jackie Cameron, Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine, Klein salze, Kleine Zalze, Le Chocolatier, Pop-up Gourmet brunches, Rebecca bourhill, restaurants, SA Butler Academy, Terbedore, Top 10, WhaleTales blog

Eleven months ago I visited the artisanal The Gourmet Greek cheese and yoghurt production facility on the Midlands Meander in KZN, meeting the hospitable Greek Dimitriades family. I returned to the cheesery on Thursday, and found that The Blue Cow Deli, which had opened eight months ago. (more…)

Tags: artisanal, Boursin-type, Cape Town, cheesery, Chris von Ulmenstein, Constantijn Hahndiek, curd, Duncan Bruce, Filia Dimitriades, Halloumi, Hartford House, KZN, Lions River, Midlands Meander, the blue Cow Deli, The gourmet greek, WhaleTales blog, whey, yoghurt

I have rarely written about personal matters on my Blog. I am also long past formulating New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of a year. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine that the universe would present me with a year of years in 2016, to top any I have ever experienced! (more…)

Tags: 2016, 2017, 96 Winery Road, Atera, Barbara Lenhard, Bellingham 1693, Benguela on Main, betty Blue bistro, Blaauwklippen, Bocca, Bouchon Bistro, Burrata, Camerata Tinta Barocca, Camps Bay, Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Catharina's, chefs, Chefs who Share, chewton glen, Chris von Ulmenstein, Clayton Bell, coco safar, Constantia Nek, Constantijn Hahndiek, Daniel, David Higgs, Delaire Graff, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, DJ Rene Tanguy, Duncan Bruce, Eat Out Top 20, Eleven Madison Park, Erik Dippenaar, Estela, Exclusive Books Hyde Park, Facebook friend, Flora, Florian Gast, Four & Twenty Cafe, Foxcroft, Giulio's Cafe, Graham Goble, Grand Beach & Cafe, Grant Bacon, Harbour House, Hartford House, Ian Manley, Jacqui Jones, jan, Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen, Jean Delport, Jenny Morris, Karoux, La Colombe, La Parada, La Parada Del mar, La Sosta, Le Bernardin, Le Lude, Leeu Estates, London, Luciano Previtera, Marble, Mari-Louis Guy, Matt Manning, McGregor, Melbourne, Melissa's Mantra Cafe, Michele Mirotto, Michelin, Mondiall, Mulberry & Prince, new forest, New Year, New York, Nobu, noby, one ingredient, One&Only Cape Town, Orangerie, Peter Douglas, Reubens, Roger Jones, romance scammers, Ryan's Kitchen, scamwarners, Seth Shezi, Social kitchen and bar, source, Steenberg, Temenos, The 41, The Clove Club, the harrow at little bedwyn, The Ledbury, The Shortmarket Club, The Stack, tinder, Urbanologi, Villa 47, VISI magazine, WhaleTales blog, Whats App, World's 50 Best Restaurants, Yumcious

la-colombe-garden The Eat Out Top 20 Restaurant List will be announced shortly, and as has become tradition, we have prepared our prediction for what we believe the top twenty restaurants in our country to be. We also announce the judges for the 2016 Eat Out Top 10. (more…)

Tags: Abigail Donnelly, Adele Grewar, Avondale, Benguela on Main, Bertus Basson, Camphors at Vergelegen, Carianne Wilkinson, Cavalli Estate, Chef's Warehouse, Chris von Ulmenstein, Constantijn Hahndiek, David Higgs, Delaire Graff, DW Eleven-13, Eat Out, Equus, Faber, Foliage, Greenhouse, Hartford House, Indochine, Ivor Jones, Jean Delport, John Maytham, Jordan restaurant, La Colombe, Liam Tomlin, Luke Dale-Roberts, Luke Dale-Roberts at The Saxon, Mosaic at The Orient, Nobu, Overture, Pierneef a la Motte, Pot Luck Club, Restaurant at Newton Johnson, Ritz Hotel, Shortmarket Club, Spek & Bone, terroir, The Kitchen at Maison, The Restaurant at Waterkloof, The Tasting Room, The Test Kitchen, The Werf at Boschendal, Tokara, WhaleTales blog

Last year I visited Hartford House for the first time, better known to me over the years as the leading award-winning restaurant in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) when it was headed up by Chef Jackie Cameron. I found a young passionate chef in Constantijn Hahndiek, and an excellently run boutique hotel by GM Duncan Bruce. On my return visit this month, I found that the bar had been raised even higher at Hartford House.

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Tags: Cheryl Goss, Chris von Ulmenstein, Constantijn Hahndiek, Dave King, Duncan Bruce, Eat Out Top 20 Restaurants, Enaleni, Francois van Zyl, Gaynor King, Hartford House, High Tea, Jackie Cameron, KwaZulu-Natal, Laibach, Mick Goss, Richard Haigh, rosemary Dimitriades, The Farmer's Daughter, The gourmet greek, The Ladybird, Tijn Hahndiek, Tijnhuis Tea House

I On Friday I was introduced to artisinal cheese and yoghurt producers The Gourmet Greek, and its owners the hands-on Greek Dimitriades family, on the Midlands Meander.
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Tags: black Brie, Boursin, Cheese, Chris von Ulmenstein, Constantijn Hahndiek, cultures, curd, Dimitri Dimitriades, Duncan Bruce, Filia Dimitriades, gouda, Hartford House, Lions River, Midlands Meander, rennin, rosemary Dimitriades, The gourmet greek, Tijn, WhaleTales blog, whey, yoghurt

Last month Hartford House opened its new Tijnhuis Tea House, offering lighter meals to its hotel guests and to Midlands Meander walk-in guests, as well as High Tea, and a selection of sweet treats, with teas and coffees. (more…)

Tags: Champagne Valley Stone Mill, Chris von Ulmenstein, Constantijn Hahndiek, Duncan Bruce, Hartford House, Midlands Meander, New York, nworld's 50 Best restaurants, Tea House, Terbedore, Tijnhuis, TWG, Valrhona, WhaleTales blog, zee, Zinthle Majola

Today the inaugural ‘2016/2017 Gourmet Guide: Top South African Restaurants, their Chefs & Recipes‘ was launched at the Good Food & Wine Show. Twenty one top restaurants were honored with one or two plates, acknowledging them as the best restaurants in our country.
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Tags: 2016/2017, 95 Keerom, 9tt Avenue Bistro, Abigail Donnelly, Aubergine, Babel, Babylonstoren, Bistrot Bizerca, Boschendal, Bosmans, Ca, Camphors at Vergelegen, Cape Town, Chantel Dartnall, Chef's Warehouse, Cheyne's, Chris Erasmus, Chris von Ulmenstein, Constantijn Hahndiek, De Grendel, Delaire Graff Restaurant, Don Armando, DW Eleven-13, Eat Out, El Burro, Ellerman House, Erawan, Foliage, Four Seasons, Gabrielskloof, Good Food & Wine Show, Gourmet Guide, Grande Provence, Greenhouse, Hartford House, Indochine, Jenny Handley, Juergen Schneider, Kitima, Kloof Street House, La Boheme, La Colombe, La Mouette, Luke Dale-Roberts, Magica Roma, Maison, Map Studio, Marthinus Ferreira, Michael Broughton, Moor River, Mosaic, Myoga, Nobu, On19, Orinoco, Overture, Pierneef a la Motte, planet, Qunu, Restaurant at Newton Johnson, restaurants, Reuben's at The Robertson Small Hotel, Roots, Roundhouse, Rust en Vrede, Saxon, Springfontein Eats, Taittinger, terroir, The Dining Room, The Kitchen, The Pot Luck Club, The Tasting Room, The Test Kitchen, The Werf, Tokara, True Italic, View, Waterkloof, WhaleTales blog, Winehouse, ZBread & Wine

Before visiting Hartford House in August I did not realize that it was located on one of our country’s finest heritage stud farms. I was delighted that owner Mick Goss was my guide to Summerhill Stud, showing me around his ‘largest foreign-owned horse hotel‘ with passion.