Constantia Nek has been a famous halfway stop and tea room, first operating in 1929. It is by far the oldest restaurant in Cape Town, and its recent transformation into La Parada and Harbour House has rejuvenated Constantia Nek, and has given the building a new lease on life, making it the social centre of Constantia.
Tag Archives: Peugeot
Terroir restaurant offers generous Winter Special menu!
On Friday I tried the new Winter Menu at Terroir, it being anything but wintry weather-wise. The lunch was set up at short notice by Eske of Manley Communications, who had extended the invitation on behalf of the restaurant, as my planned trip to Greyton was confirmed that morning. Continue reading →
Restaurant Review: Helena’s Restaurant at Coopmanshuijs nowhere near 5-star!
I had read good thing about Helena’s Restaurant at Coopmanshuijs, and was left with an impression that it was a must-try restaurant. It was a severe disappointment when I had dinner there last night, especially in terms of service and ambiance. It does not match the level of the 5-star hotel in which it is located.
I had booked earlier in the day, when I walked past, surprised to find the 16-bedroom five-star hotel on popular Church Street in Stellenbosch. When I arrived just after the World Cup Continue reading →
Restaurant Review: Jan Restaurant haven of style, superb cuisine, and SA hospitality in Nice!
Last Friday my life changed, when I had the pleasure of meeting the nicest possible Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen in the world, and eating at his Nice-based Jan Restaurant, which opened almost two years ago. To my knowledge it is the 
only South African chef-owned restaurant listed in a Michelin Guide!
I first heard about Chef Jan from the Facebook page of Errieda du Toit, and was granted a Friend request! I loved his photographs, and the Michelin Guide listing achievement for one of our locals made me determined to visit Continue reading →
Restaurant Review: Illyria Coffee Concepts most stylish coffee shop in Stellenbosch
I had heard about the newly opened Illyria Coffee Concepts in the recently refurbished and modernised Eikestad Mall in Stellenbosch, well-positioned next door to Woolworths. It is the most stylish coffee shop I have seen in a long time (the last contender for this accolade, Black at 15 on Orange, has closed down). It serves a collection of stylish cakes and other sweet treats, but disappoints on the savoury side.
The coffee brand Illy dominates visually, and the decor theme is red and white. There are beautiful white leather chairs and tables, the tables perhaps a little too low for the chairs, and the food is served with very stylish Abert cutlery, a material serviette and small Peugeot salt and pepper pots (I have also seen Peugeot at the Planet Restaurant and at Delaire Graff Restaurant). 
The cakes, muffins and cupcakes are beautifully made, and come from a supplier in Franschhoek. I was disappointed with my baguette, filled with cheese, tomato, lettuce and cucumber, although tasty and not expensive at R29, did not match the style standard of the sweet treats served at Illyria, and was just presented on a white plate with potato chips out of a packet, which I did not eat, and defeated the choice of the healthy baguette filling.
The menu is printed on a laminated hard board. What is clever is a number of well-priced combination offers, each including a cup of coffee/cappuccino/tea. So, for example, a muffin, a small chocolate cupcake and a small carrot cupcake, with the beverage, costs R25; chocolate nut cake, lemon meringue and the beverage costs R45; chocolate brownie and beverage R30; carrot cake, chocolate cake, baked cheese cake and the beverage costs R 35; and a carrot cupcake, beautiful looking Belgian white chocolate cupcake and the beverage costs R40. Individual cake slices are charged at R27 – R35. Salads start at R39 for a salad made with vegetables, and costs R45 if made with pasta or meat. Sandwiches start at R29, and cost R36 when filled with meat. A cappuccino is well-priced at R13, teas cost R11, muffins R15, and croissants cost R16 served plain, or R26 when filled with cheese and ham. Deliveries are done to other businesses in the Eikestad Mall and surrounding area.
Illyria is owned by a family collection of brother Ramon Corie (not the friendliest restaurateur, in my experience of his Manouche, a Lebanese restaurant in the same street in Stellenbosch), sister Shaan and brother-in-law Richard Gaybba, and sister Tamsyn Pienaar. I was impressed with the Illyria Loyalty Card which I received when paying the bill, offering a free coffee for every 10.
I was impressed with the decor, and I am sure that the new menu that is being worked on will look at improving the savoury offerings and presentation. It is a very comfortable modern place to relax in, and well airconditioned for the Boland heat.
Illyria Coffee Concepts, upstairs, Eikestad Mall, Andringa Street, Stellenbosch. Tel (021) 886-8522. No website. Open Monday – Friday 8h30 – 18h00, Saturday – Sunday 8h30 – 14h00.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
Restaurant Review: Delaire Graff Restaurant is friendly professionalism and class!
In the past one and a half years that the Delaire Graff Restaurant has been open, I have had two excellent and one negativeexperience, the last one unfortunately having left such an impression on me that I did not return for a year. Last week I went back, and was blown away (almost literally by the South-Easter too) by how professional and friendly Delaire Graff and its staff are. The restaurant is not inexpensive, and therefore it is the perfect place at which to celebrate a special event or achievement. Its setting above the Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch gives it a perfect view onto the surrounding vineyards and mountains.
The wine estate must be one of the Winelands’ properties which is supported by one of the largest investments (the owner is Laurence Graff, a Switzerland-based jeweller owning 30 branches of Graff Diamonds around the world, in the news last year when one of its London stores suffered the biggest jewellery heist ever). Graff bought the estate from John and Erica Platter, spent millions of Rands and years of time to redevelop the property, first building the Delaire Graff Restaurant, winery and winetasting centre, and earlier this year adding the Delaire Graff Lodge with Indochine restaurant. I have written previously about the monumental artwork spread across the estate, not only in terms of the top artists whose work is displayed, but also the sheer size of many of these. The artwork displayed is by father and son Anton and Lionel Smit, Dylan Lewis, William Kentridge (the s-shaped leather seating in the restaurant was matched in colour to the Kentridge!), Deborah Bell, Fred Schimmel, Sydney Khumalo, Cecil Skotness and Maurice van Essche.
As I entered the restaurant building I could not miss the new Lionel Smit painting in the reception hall, overshadowing even the massive Christmas tree. The attention paid to decorating the Delaire Graff building for Christmas cannot be overlooked, with massive Christmas trees in the restaurant, reception hall and winetasting room, each decorated in a specific colour scheme, putting me into a Christmas spirit I have not experienced in a restaurant so far. As the external gates were open when I arrived, the gatehouse could not report my arrival, so that there was no one to personally welcome me in the car park, as used to be the case. Yet there were three staff members in the massive Reception Hall, all beaming in friendliness, but none asked where I was going and if I needed help to find my way to the restaurant. I did note a new shop selling clothing as well as some display stands selling Graff jewellery off the Reception Hall, which had opened a few days before. (Both the jewellery salesladies were not available when I wanted to get an idea of prices, and the clothing shop salesladies hazarded a guess at R80000 for a pair of diamond earings).
But once I had reached the restaurant, charming new Maitre’d Nadia Kotze was waiting for me. She had reserved a table inside because of the wind, but I chose to sit in a sheltered section outside, due to my cellphone being particularly active that lunchtime. Quickly a table was set up, a jug of ice water brought to the table, with a lovely linen serviette, WMF cutlery, and a Peugeot grinder for the pinkish Himalayan rock salt filled with lots of mineral goodness, with a matching pepper grinder. Everything is colour matched in the restaurant, the interior designer being David Collins from London, in that the table underlay, the decorations on the Christmas tree, the menu and the winelist cover all are in shades of yellow/gold/orange. The menu holder is stylish, with blue edging inside. Music is piped throughout the building, and has a distinctly European feel, including French and Italian songs.
Chelsea came to introduce herself, and offered me a choice of three breads – ryebread, focaccia sprinkled with rocksalt and rosemary, and ciabatta. Nadia pointed out the barbeque as we stepped outside, with which chef Christiaan Campbell is experimenting, she said, preparing kingklip and chicken on it on alternate days. Staff look smart in white shirts and black pants, and a black Delaire branded apron. Everyone coming to the table beamed, and called me “Mrs von Ulmenstein”, showing their professional touch without familiarity. Even Johann Laubser, the Delaire Graff Estate GM, came to greet me. Nadia has only recently moved across from Zacharay’s at Pezula. She has previously been a Food & Beverage Manager at the Liz McGrath Collection of hotels, and has done the cruiseliners. Chef Christiaan has been at the restaurant since it opened, and must be one of the few original restaurant staff still there. Chef Christiaan laughed when I said this to him, when he came to say hello, and said quietly that he is a loyal chef, a nice answer! He said that they had been disappointed to receive negative feedback about the restaurant’s service levels, but had taken stock earlier this year, and have addressed the shortcomings in this regard. The service I received was excellent.
Given that it was the chicken barbeque day, and that I sat close to the barbeque outside, I ordered the Roast chicken, confit leg deep-fried in a batter, and a smoked corn and parsnip mash. I loved the colour the corn added to the mash, and the smoky barbeque taste of the roast chicken (R155). Having been ill for the four days prior, my appetite was not yet back to normal, and therefore I took some of the dish home. Starter options cost between R85 – R105, and include paprika squid, buffalo mozzarella, goat’s cheese fritters, cured beef, ceviche of red fish, and yellow fin tuna. Main courses start at R110, for Primavera, and peak at R295 for Cape Rock Lobster. Other main courses include fish and chips, pork belly, seared salmon trout, Waterberg beef, and line fish. A number of sides can be ordered too. Nadia was such a good salesperson that she persuaded me to have a refreshing fruit feast for dessert, being apricot panna cotta, with nectarine sorbet, star anise marshmallow, plum soup, with macerated apricots (R55). Other dessert options cost R65, and include a chocolate sandwich, pistachio nougat, and strawberries. Gelato costs R25 per scoop. “Handcrafted cheeses” can be ordered at R95. Interestingly, the dessert and cheese options each had a wine pairing suggestion on the menu. I had a lovely frothy cappuccino with my dessert, expensive at R30.
The winelist contains the Delaire wine collection, including Sauvignon Blancs (R170 – R320), Chardonnay (R210), Rosé (R140), Shiraz (R175), Red Blend (R220), Port (R320) and Semillon Noble Late Harvest (R300). A small selection of other wine brands is offered per variety. Champagnes are by Taittinger (R1500), Billecart-Salmon Rose NV (R1650) and Louis Roderer Cristal (R7750). Méthode Cap Classiques range from R245 (Colmant Brut Reserve) to R950 for Graham Beck Cuvee Clive. Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc costs R170, and an imported Domaine Lafond Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc costs R620. Pax Verbatim 2007 Shiraz costs R295, Cirrus 2006 R455, and Stark-Conde Three Pines 2007 R 550. Wines by the glass cost R 40 – R 55, and are predominantly by Delaire, with Bon Courage Brut Reserve costing R55.
The bathrooms at Delaire Graff are the best-smelling, cleanest, and tidiest I have every experienced at any restaurant. I had not seen the tasting room before, and saw in it not only the attractively labelled Delaire wines, branded shirts, but also the latest Platter and Rossouw’s Restaurants guides. My eye also caught the attractively packaged Delaire Graff chocolate slabs and mini-chocolate collection packs, which looked like they could make the perfect Christmas presents, even if not inexpensive. Michael walked me out of the building to the car park, a nice touch I remember from the early days of Delaire Graff Restaurant.
Delaire Graff Restaurant has an interesting counterpoint with the “new” Tokara Restaurant with chef Richard Carstens across the road. I could not see any dramatic changes to the Delaire Graff Restaurant menu as a result of the “new” competitor, and the service is very much improved. It will be interesting to see how both restaurants fare on the Eat Out Top 10 restaurant list in 2011.
POSTSCRIPT 7/8/11:I popped in at Delaire Graff this afternoon, after lunch at the close-by de Huguenot Restaurant. I was impressed once again with how classy and professional this wine estate is. It was the perfect afternoon to sit outside. I had a frothy, almost creamy, cappuccino, and a study in strawberry with it – there were dried and fresh strawberries, strawberry granite, meringue crumbs, vanilla pastry creme, black pepper shortbread, and strawberry ice cream, a refreshing and attractively presented dessert.
Delaire Graff Restaurant, Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch. Tel (021) 885-1270. www.delaire.co.za (The website contains menus for both Delaire Graff Estate restaurants, and has an Image Gallery). Mondays – Sundays lunch, Mondays – Saturdays dinner. Booking is advisable.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
Restaurant review: Planet Restaurant puts Mount Nelson Hotel amongst the stars!
After a closure of a few months for a complete make-over, the old Cape Colony at the Mount Nelson Hotel is no more, and what has arisen in its space is the new Planet Restaurant, based on an extension of the planetary theme of the Planet Bar, opening about three weeks ago. It gives the restaurant, and the hotel with it, a modern feel worthy of the quality of Chef Rudi Liebenberg’s culinary skills.
For a new restaurant to have so much money thrown at it is unusual, with ads in the Sunday Times costing a fortune, even if they are in black and white, and obviously the decor changes were expensive too. Therefore it was a surprise that when we tried to make the booking a few days prior to our dinner, it was such a struggle to make it with Emmanuel, one of the Maître d’hôtel. Chef Rudi has been at the hotel for two years now, but the restaurant staff is refreshingly new. Restaurant Manager Andreas van Breda moved to Cape Town after a long stint at Claridges in London. For the first time the restaurant has a sommelier, and they could not have appointed a nicer person than Carl Habel, whom I first met at Myoga, and who remembered my love for Shiraz when he came to say hello, even though he was off duty, a reflection of how good he is at customer service. He enthused about his new job, and his respect for Chef Rudi, whose focus is on quality produce, and on sourcing local ingredients, which makes it easy for him to pair the Planet Restaurant’s food and wine. It is hard to believe that the Mount Nelson, one of Cape Town’s top hotels, has never had a sommelier before! It was lovely to receive the warm welcome at the entrance to the hotel from Osnat Gropper, the concierge, and a Twitter friend.
The interior design was done by DHK Interiors, and they have used a less-is-more decor approach, removing the piano and the old-fashioned Capescape mural (excellent decisions). As one walks down the passage from the Planet Bar, one notices the panels of strings of blue and clear glass balls, representing the planetary theme, interspersed with massive mirrors with illustrations representing the signs of the zodiac, which is carried into the restaurant itself. Unfortunately not all twelve signs are represented, so I was disappointed to not see Sagittarius on one of the mirrors, having come for a birthday celebration. The new restaurant is a clean crisp white space, with a central chandelier and new carpet that echo the planetary theme. The furniture has been replaced, with brown tables, and velvet-covered cream chairs. In the centre the seating is leather couches. The tables are covered with boring placemats (for the stature of the restaurant and the hotel it could do with a good quality tablecloth), beautiful cutlery from Hepp Exclusive, good light glassware, and a set of modern salt and pepper grinders from Peugeot, which I had also seen a few days earlier at the restaurant at Delaire Graff. The planetary theme is extended into the sparkly covers of the winelist, the menu and the billfold, as well as on the inside first pages of the menu and winelist.
The menu is extravagant, running to many pages, with a few items per page. It is printed on a good quality cream board. It has an introductory statement by Chef Rudi, and is signed by him, stating: “Our kitchen is all about a journey, a journey with many new and sometimes unexpected variables and it is for this reason that we come back inspired and motivated every day. ….The foundation of our process starts with respect, respect for the ingredient, respect for the process, respect for the end product and respect for the guest. The majority of our ingredients are sourced locally and prepared using a wide range of modern as well as classical cooking methods”. An insert offers the “Chef’s Suggestions”. Two tasting menu options are available, strangely a “Vegan Journey” one listed first, followed by the “Journey”, a non-vegan one, both charged at R380 per person for a minimum of two persons to order, and consisting of six courses each. Each wine recommendation for the tasting menu is priced separately. Thereafter the menu has a la carte menu options. Commendably items on the menu are specially marked with a symbol, reflecting them being vegetarian, vegan and containing nuts, where relevant.
Before we could think of choosing anything, complimentary glasses of Genevieve MCC were brought to the table, as was a small plate of canapés (duck rillette, salmon and feta, as well as ostrich tartare). If an amuse bouche is a first presentation of the skills of the chef, then this plateful was a disappointment. We had to ask for the bread. Three bread options were offered – ciabatta, country bread (the waiter could not explain exactly what this bread contained) and garlic bread. Starter options range in price from R65 for a “tomato variation, jelly, cloud, sorbet, greens, basil”, not easy to imagine what exactly is served; to R165 for crayfish ceviche and Namibian red crab remoulade. Duck and quail terrine, smoked salmon trout, and oysters are also available. One can also order soup and salads, including a crocodile salad (R90), a menu item from the old Cape Colony menu. 
I chose a cold asparagus soup (R85) as the starter, and it was a surprise to have the plate served with a tower of asparagus mousse topped with thin slices of cucumber. I have seen ceremonious pouring of soup at a table, but the waiter pouring the soup out of the water glass brought from the kitchen by hand, without it being on a tray or in a prettier container, spoilt what I am sure the chef had intended for the presentation of the dish. I found the dish very bland. It was served in an interesting soup bowl, with a hole in it for design effect. The advertised egg yolk was left out of the dish, for no reason. My partner had a slow-cooked free-range egg with local cured ham and mature gouda, served with a pinotage reduction, which he enjoyed, but commented on the runny egg white. This dish was on the old Cape Colony menu too, and clearly is a hit, for it to have been retained. For my main course I chose an extravagant abalone and crayfish dish (R295). The abalone was tiny, making me feel guilty in having chosen something that was clearly undersized (or alternatively out of a can). It was cut into two, cooked, coated with herbs and then sauteed in butter, but did not have a distinctive abalone taste at all, the herbs overpowering the usually distinctive taste. A tiny crayfish tail (more guilt), as well as asparagus spears and sweet corn added colour and taste to the dish, but I missed the velouté advertised on the menu as being part of the dish. No fish knife was served with this dish. My partner’s flame-grilled beef fillet was butter soft, but the sautéed mushrooms, potato foam and mini fondants were so badly over-salted that he could not finish them (R170). Other main course options are a pea risotto (R95); monkfish fillet, chicken, pork cheeks and belly, and mussels and calamari, all costing R150; Karoo lamb (R190); and springbok (R180). For those able to eat more, there is a choice of six desserts, costing around R65, and two cheese options. Friandises were served with the excellent foamy cappuccino (R20). 
The 24-page winelist specifies vintages and origin, and is introduced with a page of “Sommelier’s latest discoveries”, which were three Solms-Delta wines: Amalie (R60/R175), Langarm (R35/R155), and Hiervandaan (R70/R310), the serving by-the-glass specified at 175ml, making them expensive. Five “Methode Cap Classique” 150ml wines-by-the-glass are listed, including Pierre Jourdan Brut (R45), Simonsig Brut Rosé (R50) and Genevieve Brut (R60), and surprisingly, the champagnes Billecart-Salmon Rosé (R320) and Veuve Cliquot (R210) were also listed under this heading! Ten white and seven red wines-by-the glass, the former ranging from R35 – R65 per 175ml, and the latter ranging from R45 – R75 per glass, are offered. I was disappointed at the small selection of red wines by the glass, and that none of them included a Shiraz. The rest of the winelist separates white wines into “Crisp and refreshing”, Fragrant and Floral”, “Rich and Opulent” and “Signature and Cellar”. Red wines are categorised into “Silky and Smooth”, “Elegant and Fresh”, “Rich and Concentrated”, and “The Great Reserve”. Unique Vin de Constance and Hamilton Russell Pinot Noirvertical vintage selections are also available, but require big cheque books! Shiraz options by the bottle include Groote Post Reserve (R270), Waterford Kevin Arnold (R430), Saronsberg (R475), Cirrus (R1020), Hartenberg Stork (R1020), Saxenberg Select (R4435), De Trafford (R760), and Fairview Beacon (R515). Knowing my love for Shiraz, Carl recommended the Saronsberg 2007, a wine not usually available by the glass. On tasting, it was acceptable, but it had a taste to it that I did not like, the more I drank of it. We were not charged for the wine.
Having eaten at The Test Kitchen and Planet Restaurant on two consecutive nights, it is clear that the Planet Restaurant is more of a special occasion restaurant, with the staff smartly and professionally dressed befitting the five star status of the hotel, while the food at The Test Kitchen overall was better. The service levels were on a par. The Planet Restaurant still needs time to settle in, and for its quality to be consistent, whether Chef Rudi is on duty or not. The advertising has not yet offered a return on its investment, as we were one of only five tables in what seemed to be a quiet hotel. Having been on the Eat Out top 20 restaurant shortlist whilst at The Saxon, it will be interesting to see if Chef Rudi can take the Planet Restaurant onto the star top 20 restaurant shortlist for 2011.
Planet Restaurant, Mount Nelson Hotel, 76 Orange Street, Gardens, Cape Town. Tel (021) 483-1000 www.planetbarandrestaurant.co.za (No menu or winelist on the website, and disappointingly almost no food photographs in the Gallery). Monday – Sunday dinner only.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage Twitter: @WhaleCottage