The publishers of the Gourmet Guide 2020 have made it really difficult to write this post, in that it is not revealing its full list of 36 restaurants that received its one, two, or three plate awards on Monday, until January 2020, its website states. One can surmise that it wants the Gourmet Guide 2020 to be bought so that it can generate income. By January these Awards will have long been forgotten! Continue reading →
Tag Archives: Facebook
Little-known hospitality consultancy Hospitality Counsel announces Top 10 Chefs and Restaurants 2019!
It was a Facebook post by Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen of South African/French restaurant JAN in Nice that alerted me to the Hospitality Counsel 2019 ranking of our countries top ten Restaurants as well as Chefs, when he thanked them for being included in the Top 10 Chef List. No other restaurant or chef on the two lists appears to have announced the accolades from the Hospitality Counsel, awarded at an event called the 2019 Luxury Tourism Awards! Continue reading →
Book Review: ‘Life Simplified: A Transformational Book’ by Nianell disappoints!
I have heard singer Nianell perform, and read the glowing profile of her past success of her first published book ‘Knowing who I am’ that made me react to a post on Facebook about her second book ‘Life Simplified: A Transformational Book’, and requesting a review copy from JDoubleD Publicity. I found the book to not live up to its hype. Continue reading →
Returning home to Cape Town after three months on the (European and South American) road as a Solo traveler !
My post below comes from Facebook, a post I wrote in the last few days of my journey through eight countries, walking and dancing 1,2 million steps and just under 1000 km in three months. It was a tongue in cheek story about my journey, motivated in writing my third SwitchBitch Book, but also to share with my Blog readers the World’s 50 Best Restaurants I ate at in Lima, Buenos Aires, Santiago in Chile, Rio de Janeiro, and a Michelin star restaurant in Lisbon, with other great and not so great restaurants, and the interesting Mendoza wine region in Argentina, synonymous with Malbec and the largest in the country. I will be posting stories as soon as I have settled in again and got over the jet lag. Continue reading →
Sweet Service goes to El Corte Inglis Porto; Sour Service Award goes to Uber Lisbon!
The Sweet Service Award goes to El Corte Inglis department store in Porto, which has a fabulous free collection service at key tourist points and hotels in Porto. I made use of it to get to the store from the Se Cathedral, and to be dropped off back at my hotel. The second driver was a tour guide, pointing out key tourist attractions to me. On arrival at the store, I was told about the VIP promotion for foreigners, receiving 10% off on their purchases, which credit can be redeemed in certain departments. Whilst my shopping experience with the MAC cosmetic assistant was far from satisfactory, the Cosmetics Manager made up for it by assisting me with the payment of my purchase of their lipstick, given that the line that I like is to be discontinued. I was also invited to the restaurant, to enjoy a free Pasteis de Nata, and a glass of Port or a cup of coffee, graciously substituted for a lovely Tetley’s Tea when I requested it. And I could use the 10% credit to buy a fruit knife for my Camino journey. Continue reading →
Facebook, Instagram, and Gmail accounts back up again, after a severe hacking attack!
My Social Media accounts were severely hacked while I was in the air flying to London on Tuesday evening 28 May. It has taken a week, and the extreme patience and cleverness of a dear friend, to unhack my Facebook and Messenger, Instagram, and Gmail accounts, everything now back up and running since yesterday. Continue reading →
WhaleTales Blog and SwitchBitch Book 3 go on a new exciting adventure, step by step!
Today is the first day of a three-month adventure on three continents, and including five countries. Not only is it a personal journey, but it also completes my SwitchBitch Book 3 which I stated writing two months ago, and gives me the opportunity to visit and review restaurants I eat at on my Blog. Continue reading →
Former Gåte chefs create SŸN Development Group, release first details of their new Cape Town restaurant!
On Friday I was lucky to bump into Chefs Rikku O’Donnchü and Warwick King in Camps Bay, the two rockstar chefs who masterminded and led Gäte Restaurant at Quoin Rock wine estate outside Stellenbosch until the end of March, and to spend time with them to obtain first details about what they have planned for their new restaurant. Continue reading →
Sweet Service Award goes to Sorbet Camps Bay; Sour Service Award goes to Facebook/Instagram!
The Sweet Service Award goes to Sorbet in Camps Bay, and its owner Debbie, for her service recovery. When I went for a Pedi, I did not notice until I got home that the staff member assigned to me had used the wrong colour on my toes, despite me asking for the nail polish Sorbet Ice is Nice colour to match that of my finger nails. Debbie offered for the nail colour to be redone the following day, an offer I accepted gratefully. This is the second Sweet Service Award for this Sorbet branch. Continue reading →
Restaurant Review: Doubleshot coffee shop offers double service in Plett!
Doubleshot in Plettenberg Bay is a cosy friendly coffee shop with a range of freshly baked sweet and savoury treats, and excellent coffee. It is worth giving this establishment a shot, the best breakfast venue on our Garden Route trip two weeks ago. Continue reading →