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Chef Bruce Robertson returns to Cape Town, plain sailing at The Boat House!

After a three year absence from the restaurant scene in Cape Town, former The Showroom Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Chef Bruce Robertson has returned to Cape Town to create The Boat House home eatery in Scarborough. His cuisine and plating is as exciting as it was before he left, and he is not only a perfect chef but the perfect host too.

We got to know Chef Bruce when he opened The Showroom with its open kitchen, which meant that he was in the foreground, showing his great ability to chat to clients, and to get them to return.  A change in career plan led him to cook at sixteen private camps in Southern Africa, spanning Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, and the Okavango, cooking his special dishes in often challenging kitchen conditions, and hosting guests.  The love for this extraordinary lifestyle grew from a link he had to an American tour operator company, which brought adventurous gourmet tourists to the Cape, and Chef Bruce led them on exciting culinary journeys, usually preparing their meals out in the open, enjoying the challenge of the outdoors to create unforgettable holidays for the visitors.  He has moved from cooking with passion, to lifestyle cooking, and his beautiful young daughter was the most important reason to bring him back to Cape Town, he said.  The setting of The Boat House in Scarborough, close to the beach, is perfect, and the beach house has a guest room he rents out too.

From the prim and proper Chef Bruce that I remember, in his white chef’s uniform at The Showroom, the new Chef ‘Barefoot Bruce’ is dressed in jeans and a white shirt, barefoot, and looking very relaxed and unstressed. The welcome was a warm hug, and included a tour of the house, his assistant Tom offering us a glass of sparkling wine, an exceptional Cederberg Blanc de Blancs Brut not commercially available elsewhere. We initially sat on the upstairs terrace, another four guests having booked too. A surprise was to learn that Chef Bruce grew up in Pretoria.

One should not think that Chef Bruce’s food is as casual as his dress. Effortlessly he was preparing the food in his open plan kitchen/dining room.  As one chats to one’s table companions one is not so focused on what Chef Bruce is doing in the kitchen.  He comes to the tables regularly, checking all the time that all is in order and to one’s satisfaction, and he provides snippets of information about his food or about the Cederberg wines.  Chef Bruce not only has culinary skills, but he could recareer as an interior decorator too. In eight months he has made a home of the house, with all his special things, creating groupings of this and that,  with lots of family photographs, and his past restaurant awards grace the walls with many other special pictures.  He has two rustic wooden tables covered with glass tops and matching chairs, with the odd ghost chair (Chef Bruce probably was the first restaurateur to use them in a restaurant, at The Showroom), a reminder of his great career.  If there is one thing that will stand out about the lunch then it is the most beautiful composition of half a lime, olive oil, salt and pepper, butter, and the cutlery, on a sheet of miniature tiles, providing perfect ‘compartments’ for the items, and doubling up as a side plate.  A beautiful warm mini-seedloaf was added to this collection.

There is no menu or winelist, and Chef Bruce told us that he almost exclusively serves Cederberg wines, ‘wines with altitude’, the area having a unique terror with very hot summers and snow in winter.  He found the Cederberg wines after an extensive search to find the perfect wines to match his cooking.  Chef Bruce explained that he wanted us to have three wines for our savoury dishes, and that he did not want to prescribe which wine we should pair with which dish.  The 2011 Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc wines have pronounced aromas, and the Sustainable Rosé is made from Shiraz grapes from a single block, a lovely pairing with the main course.  For dessert we were offered a glassful of Cederberg Shiraz 2008 as well as a lovely Bukettraube 2011, the latter playing the role of a dessert wine, Chef Bruce said.

Chef Bruce also told us that there is no choice on his menu, serving a “Table d’Hôte, lunch served to guests as a warm home gathering, where the host has prepared what the guests will be served.  My home is yours”. His menu is mainly fish-based, given his location and theme, and he gave us a little green SASSI-friendly lecture, confirming that he will not touch red nor orange categorised fish types, and therefore salmon and kingklip will not be prepared in his home.  He also said that 99% of his produce comes from within 10 km of his home, keeping it local and carbon footprint friendly.  One has the choice of a three course or five course meal, and we chose the former, while the other table had the latter. Chef Bruce adjusts the serving time to the number of courses each table orders, and we ran behind the other table because of all of our talking and Tweeting!    Not having a menu, it is hard to capture exactly which ingredients make up each dish, as Chef Bruce talks as fast as before, so I asked him to e-mail it to me afterwards, to make sure that I did justice to each dish. To date, Chef Bruce has not repeated any of his dishes, always challenging himself, and keeping it fresh for his guests.  Chef Bruce introduced Tom as his Restaurant Manager, sommelier, waiter, and right hand man, and he was constantly checking on my water glass, and poured the six wines.

Our first course was a Seafood Chowder with home-made gnocchi dumplings, chorizo, courgettes, baby basil, a spicy prawn bisque, and seaweed confetti, the latter most probably not seen or picked up by most.  Chef Bruce is proud of his handiwork, and because things are so relaxed, he comes to the tables to show the special little touches, something one would not experience in a regular restaurant.  For the main course Chef Bruce had prepared pan-fried Cape Gurnard, a fish I had not eaten before.  It is also called the Cape Sea Robin or ‘korhaanvis’. While not the easiest fish to clean and prepare, Chef Bruce likes using it because it is so plentiful.  He served it with baby spinach, his own spicy home-made tomato and olive chutney, finger beans, thyme, Niçoise cream, and cream of olive oil potato, all making for a beautiful dish with interesting flavours.

The ‘Cape Malay dessert’ required quite a bit of explanation.  Chef Bruce made a panna cotta-like melkkos Boerber jelly from sago, wonderful samoosas filled with stewed fruit and Old Brown Sherry, chocolate meringue sprinkled with Nachtmusik liqueur, malva pudding with rooibos liqueur, yoghurt, honey caviar, and pomegranate molasses, a beautiful collection of different tastes all served on a pure white tile, a proudly Cape Town dish! The ‘honey caviar’ would not have meant anything to us at all, and we probably would not even have picked up the little balls, had Chef Bruce not come to our table before serving the dessert, and asking us to guess what they were. We could taste the sweetness, but could never have identified them to be pollen. Although our 3-course menu did not include a cheese course, Chef Bruce wanted me to try it. Presented on a wooden board with textural bumps created via caramelised sugar, it consisted of ‘rondebokkie’ cheese I had never heard of before, mature cheddar, black fig chutney (‘suurvy’), mint, and a chilli bite. Eating at The Boat House is not only for sustenance, but it is most educational too, because Chef Bruce is so excited about his discoveries that he spontaneously shares them with his guests.  The second course in the 5-course menu is a home smoked snoek pâte served with a fresh pea and mascarpone cream on ciabatta, with Chef Bruce’s kitchen greens.

While Scarborough is as quiet and isolated from the rest of Cape Town as it was on a last visit more than ten years, everything has changed, now having one of the hottest secret eateries in this suburb, worth the drive of about 60 km from the city centre.  One can also book a picnic basket from Chef Bruce, and one is sure to be equally spoilt, given that Chef Bruce originally designed Warwick’s gourmet picnic.

The Boat House, 36 Beach Road, Scarborough.  Tel 083 305 8533. www.chefbrucerobertson.com Twitter: @ChefBruce  Monday – Saturday lunch.  Maximum of 12 guests.  3-courses R325, 5-courses R495. Must be pre-booked.

POSTSCRIPT 3/11: Chef Bruce Robertson moved from Scarborough to Simonstown, where he opened The Flagship, a restaurant and guest house.  Very very sadly he passed away from leukemia today, diagnosed only a few days ago.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage

Restaurant Review: Dear Me is green and blooming impressive!

I was not sure what to expect from Dear Me restaurant, which opened about three weeks ago in the city centre, from its name.  When it got a thumbs up from Michael McKenzie, whose judgement I value, we decided to have lunch there last week. 

From outside on Longmarket Street one cannot appreciate what creativity is inside the three storey building, having a demure canopy with the Dear Me branding on the outside, and that is it.  One enters a spacious open plan restaurant, which leads to a small deli space as well as the counter on which the coffees are made by barista Nash.  The overall colour scheme is green, with green plastic moulded chairs, and a fun green flower pattern running from the bottom of the wall, even painted over mirror tiles.  Magazine and newspaper holders have been erected onto the columns, a clever use of space.   Even more interesting are the herb holders attached to the ceiling, each holder with a different herb, which can be pulled down, and watered every 10 days or so, the holders being cleverly designed in that they have their own irrigation system.  Similarly chef Vanessa Marx can cut some herbs for her dishes from these holders.  This clearly is a ‘green’ restaurant in more ways than one.  The wall alongside the staircase is a rough brick one, the unplastered effect adding an unusual dimension to the restaurant.

Dear Me and its upstairs bar Tjing Tjing belong to ex-accountant Ilze Koekemoer, very humble about her ownership of this beautifully restored 181 year-old building, which is predominantly painted in grey.  Ilse utilised South Africa’s übermaster interior decorator Francois du Plessis (he does all Newmark Hotel properties, for example, the Queen Victoria Hotel being his latest project).  Ilze says she always wanted to have a restaurant.  She said that she can cook, but that Vanessa does it better.   On the second floor is a little seating area with couches, as well as a boardroom table, with chairs as well as a couch around it for seating, over which a collection of plates has been hung. A large function room in white, including the flooring, the curtaining and walls, leads off the landing.  It is used for Thursday evening dinners, and for events such as wine tastings and art exhibitions.  I loved the crispness of the green chairs, the same as in the restaurant, in contrast to the white.  On this level is a most impressive large painting by Matthew Hindley, which one sees as one comes up the staircase.  Hindley is a graduate of the Michaelis School of Fine Art, and spends time in Berlin regularly.  He has been a disciple of ‘Gesamtkunst’, combining painting, sculpture and drawing, writes Wikipedia.   I was particularly impressed by a smaller painting by the same artist, which was hung in an alcove which was unpainted and looked unfinished, but so by design, and brought out the best of the painting.  On the third level is the Chinese-inspired Tjing Tjing bar, which opens at 16h00, and at which tapas dishes are served when the roller doors of Dear Me have closed after the lunch service.  Clients access the bar from the restaurant entrance, by going upstairs.  The Tokyo wall in this room attracts attention, filled with photographs of a recent visit to Tokyo by Ilze and her husband, and over a part of which the designer has placed a logo.  This loft room is open plan, and has an interesting wood ceiling.  It opens to an outside balcony, with pizza oven, and here one can sit on warm evenings.  The name Tjing Tjing is a ‘South Africanised’ version of the words one uses to toast one’s friends when having a drink, Ilse explained.

There is a strong presence of ex-staff from Caveau in Newlands: Chef Vanessa’s ex-link to this restaurant is a surprise, given the poor image Caveau has, and her wonderful creativity at Dear Me.  She worked for Pete Goffe-Wood previously at his PGW Eat and Kitchen Cowboys, and then worked in Europe as well as in London.  Returning to Cape Town, she worked at Cassia on Nitida wine estate, before joining Caveau.  What is interesting is that Vanessa is a diabetic too, and is working closely with the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital just up the road in the setting up of a Diabetes Unit.  What was impressive is that the menu offers Dear Me guests vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free and starch-free options, and diabetics can be catered for as well, if Vanessa is informed.   The very efficient waitress Rumby, and the very knowledgeable wine hostess Ronel, are from Caveau Newlands too.  The waitress wore a grey overall with yellow piping and pockets, a refreshing break from the black and white waitress dress one normally sees.  I liked Ilze’s pants, fitting into the decor theme both in terms of design and colour.

The menu feels crisp and new, and this is because the menu is changed daily, with the date identified.  It has a full page introduction of its ethos: “Our aim is to provide you with high quality food reflecting our core values of integrity, respect and diversity in an informal and accessible environment”.  Recognising that not all patrons have the same requirements in what they eat, Dear Me states that “our menu is designed to be flexible enough to always provide options for individual dietary requirements and our kitchen has a can-do flexible attitude”, which we experienced on our visit.  Only fresh and seasonal produce is used, and they follow “artisanal principles and will prepare all our food naturally to ensure maximum benefit to our customers”, preserving nutrients and ensuring goodness of the food that is served.   Dear Me has chosen smaller suppliers who share the commitment of Ilse and Vanessa to ‘sustainable and ethical food production practices’.  The sustainability extends to another ‘green’ side of the restaurant, and it is conscious of its carbon footprint and impact it may have on the environment, and “wherever and whenever we can, we reduce, reuse and recycle our waste”.

The last sentence in the introduction explains the origin of the unusual name of the restaurant: “You should be able to eat with us every day and never feel guilty about compromising your personal food value and beliefs – the ideal was the inspiration for our name, Dear Me”.

The wooden tables have no table cloths, but quality material serviettes.  The cutlery is by Pintino from Italy.  I loved the presentation of the wholewheat and sourdough bread, wrapped in a napkin and held together with an old-fashioned wooden peg, presented on a beautiful green lotus-shaped plate. Nine main courses were offered, and six of these could be ordered as starter portions too.  Each item on the menu, bar the soup, had a wine suggestion, with a bottle and wine-by-the-glass price. Six of the dishes were indicated as having a health alternative.  Michael ordered the roast sweet potato, caramelised onion and goats chevre tart (R45) as a starter portion, very creamy, and the salad served with it had a good dressing, while I had organic Elgin tomato soup, basil and pecerino croute (R35) to start, perfect for a rainy day. 

For his main course Michael had grilled spatchcock quail (R110), and proclaimed it to be delicious, to be full of flavour, and none of the flavours jarred, he said.  I had slow roasted free-range pork loin served with butternut fritters, wilted greens, crispy sage and cooked apples (R98), the pork being somewhat chewy.  It was served with a very serious looking knife.   Other menu options were organic baby fig and shaved bresoula salad (R58/R78); home-cured trout gravadlax (R65/R85); grilled aubergine, curried split pea vinaigrette and feta salad (R46/R66); seared Lourensford trout (R105); and Chalmar beef sirloin (R125).

I could not resist trying the desserts, even though they are relatively expensive compared to the good value starter/main course prices.  I managed to encourage Michael to share a quince and apple crumble topped with shaved almonds, with almond milk ice cream and walnut praline (R50).  We were surprised to be generously served a dessert each, but to be charged for one only, mine coming with diabetes-friendly ice cream, proactively organised by Chef Vanessa, without us having asked for it.  I found the crumble to be a little dry, but liked the quince and apple combination to which raisins had been added, and the ice cream tasted as good as that which Michael would have been served.  Other dessert options were a chocolate torte (R60), lemon posset (R45), rhubarb soft-serve (R35), a selection of local cheeses (R65), and chocolate truffles can be ordered at R10 each.  Nash came to our table once I received my cappuccino (R16), and he spontaneously talked to us about the coffee, which comes from the Espresso Lab at the Old Biscuit Mill, where he did his barista training.  My cappuccino was made from a blend of organic coffee beans from Ethiopia, Brazil and Panama.   He said that the blend makes a full-bodied, distinctive tasting coffee, as the beans are not over-roasted, comparing it to food that should not be overcooked.  There are no additives or pesticides used in the production of the coffee beans, Nash assured us.

The two-page Breakfast menu looks wonderful, and is presented on a pay-for-what-you-choose basis, which is innovative and rarely offered.  Different muesli options, including the wonderful Bircher muesli, cost R 30, and one can add fruit (R18), and/or lactose-free or low lactose yoghurts at R8 each.  A fruit plate costs R35.  Porridge costs R18, to which can be added seeds or nuts (R8), or fruit (R18). French Toast comes in three options, ranging from R35 – R50. Boiled eggs and soldiers cost R22, to which can be added bacon and vegetables, costing R18 each.  Poached eggs cost R45, to which can be added hollandaise sauce (R8). Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine and truffled scrambled eggs are also available, the latter costing R70.  Plain scrambled/boiled/poached/fried eggs cost R10 only, while a basic omelette costs R15, to which one can add bacon, charcuterie, smoked trout, anchovies, mushrooms, spinach, capers, avocado and more, the cost of each specified.

Dear Me offers its patrons free filtered tap water.  I liked the wine storage area underneath the staircase, and the attractive impactful storage containers. The wine prices range from R20/R77 for Cape Atlantic Sauvignon Blanc 2010, to R68/R270 for Glen Carlou Pinot Noir 2009 on the menu.  The winelist is bound in a leather holder, and looks impressive.  Each page has the Dear Me logo on it.  There are eight MCC’s, ranging from R43/R170 for Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel to R455 for the Cederberg Blanc de Blanc.  Graham Beck Brut Rosé (R49/R195) and Colmant Brut Reserve (R65/R260) are also served by the glass. There are five Shiraz choices, Rickety Bridge costing R42/R165 and Migliarina R300.  Tamboerskloof Shiraz is also available by the glass, at R49/R195.

Dear Me is one of a number of new exciting restaurants to open, where the focus is strongly on the interior, making a strong visual impression, and allowing one to escape from a busy and stressful outside world.   There was nothing to fault at Dear Me at all, and one could not believe that the restaurant had only been open for two weeks when we ate there.  While it is the type of brasserie at which one would want to pop in regularly, parking (or lack of) during the week is a deterrent, but one is advised to park in the Netcare hospital parking garage on Loop Street.  Dear Me is refreshingly different, admirably green, admirably health-conscious, good value for money, and very friendly and welcoming.

POSTSCRIPT 4/4: I returned to Dear Me today, to finalise the winelist and Breakfast write-up, which I had missed last week, probably in talking too much!   I have added it above.  I had Chef Vanessa’s refreshing Caprese Salad starter portion, with Buffalo Mozzarella and fresh basil (R55).

POSTSCRIPT 14/4: I returned for Thursday dinner, with my colleague Marianna, so that she can recommend it to our guests.  Interior designer Francois du Plessis was having dinenr there, and came for a chat. He told me that Gregor Jenkins made the dining table upstairs, and he also crafted the tables at Dash restaurant at the Queen Victoria Hotel.  One pays R 240 for three courses, which is excellent value, as an amuse bouche and a palate cleanser are brought to the table as well, making it a five-course meal in fact.  If wine is added per course, it costs R 350.  Five courses cost R 350, and R 480 paired with wine.  Ronel looked after us most of the time, the first time that I had met her. Four choices of starter and main course are offered, and three desserts.  For her starter Marianna had the Tataki of yellow-fin tuna with pickled cucumber and ginger, oshi toshi and soy, while I chose the Wild mushroom risotto with parmesan and truffle oil, both outstanding.  The palate cleanser was a thick and creamy ginger and fig sorbet.  Marianna’s main course was Asian broth, kob, shitake mushrooms, noodles, lemongrass, ginger and chilli, a colourful and tasty dish.  I was most impressed with my Chalmar beef fillet, tender to cut, loved the crisp green beans and sand-less spinach with the most unusual glühwein-poached pears.  I didn’t like the gorgonzola cream on the steak, finding it too overpowering and rich.  Marianna had Buttermilk panna cotta with roasted rhubarb compote for dessert, while I chose the cheese platter, which I was less happy with, mainly due to the very dry and hard Melba toast.  I enjoyed a glass of Rickety Bridge’s Shiraz 2008 for R42, and had a small taste of port with the cheese, with the compliments of the restaurant.   The service was attentive and informative. A surprise was the noisiness of the downstairs restaurant, which Francois said he is working on to contain.

POSTSCRIPT 16/2: I have received an e-mail, announcing a new Pantry addition to Dear Me, with home-made breads, also available in wheat-free and gluten free variations, diabetic-friendly treats, relishes, cookies, buttermilk rusks, muffins, almond torte, and macaroons

Dear Me restaurant, 165 Longmarket Street, Cape Town.  Tel (021)  422- 4920. www.dearme.co.za (The website reflects the green interior design theme, and contains the most current menu.  There is no Image Gallery to reflect Chef Vanessa’s lovely food.  The winelist is not on the website.  There is no information about the Tjing Tjing Bar).   Twitter: @DearMeFoodWorld.  Monday – Friday 7h00 – 15h00, dinner on Thursday evenings.  Tjing Tjing opens at 16h00, until late.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.comTwitter: @WhaleCottage

Two Cape hotels on Telegraph Top 50 best hotel world list

Two local Cape hotels have made it onto The Telegraph “50 best hotels in the world” list, which the paper published on 31 December.  Writers of the Telegraph  Travel section selected the top 50 hotels, and divided them into three rates brackets.  The two Cape hotels both featured in the £150 – £300 per room per night price range, the mid price range.

La Residence  in Franschhoek is a very low key property locally, with little visible advertising.  Its business comes from international advertising and word of mouth.  Its biggest claim to fame is Elton John, the famous guest who comes to stay whenever he performs in Cape Town, and he always thanks the owners, Liz and Phil Biden, during his concerts.   When La Residence moved to its new site in Franschhoek, John was consulted as to what he wanted in terms of decor for “his” room.   Surprisingly, “his” room is not any larger than the other rooms that face the dam outside.  “His” room has an Indian decor style.   Every room is unique in its decor, created by interior decorator Ralph Krall.

The article describes La Residence as follows: “An 11-suite extravagance on the slope of Franschhoek, the Cape Village that is probably South Africa’s prettiest.  No expense has been spared.   Each of the suites has its own decor theme, from Buddhist retreat to French decadent, while the public areas are a riotous collection of Louis XIV furniture.   Persian carpets, plus objets, art and fabrics from India, Indo-China, France and Italy and everywhere else.  And it works thanks to the impeccable taste of Liz Biden, the proprietor”.

Grootbos  is located outside Hermanus, just beyond Stanford, before one gets to Gansbaai, and is known for its focus on conservation, not only of fynbos, but also of whales at De Kelders close by and other sealife, such as penguins, on Dyer Island.  The article writes as follows about Grootbos: “Found on one of the finest whale-watching coastlines, this five-star retreat offers unadulterated luxury without the guilt.  Every effort has been made to assimilate these fabulous private lodges – complete with all mod cons, state-of-the-art bathrooms, four-poster beds and unsurpassable views – into the environment.  And what an environment: a 1750-hectare reserve that is home to more than 740 different species of plants and the impossibly white sands of Walker Bay”.

Some of the other hotels that made the Telegraph Top 50 list include Mama Shelter in Paris, Mykonos Grace Hotel in Mykonos, Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Place in Budapest, Villa Marie in Saint Tropez, The Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai,  Four Seasons George V in Paris, Four Seasons New York, Four Seasons Istanbul, The Dorchester in London and The Carlyle in New York.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com   Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Restaurant Review: Towerbosch at Knorhoek is a magical feast!

Even though Towerbosch Earth Kitchen on the Knorhoek wine estate has been open for a year, it has suddenly become en vogue, with media coverage creating awareness.  When we were told that our lunch stop on the Eco Wine Tour would be at Towerbosch, I was delighted, as what I had read about the restaurant sounded good.

Towerbosch means ‘magic bush’, and it is a unique restaurant setting with a neat lawn, a pond from which you imagine fairies arise at night, and an unusually shaped thatch-roof building.  Inside, the large restaurant room has an interesting structure on the ceiling, made from white-painted woven branches from the farm, from which hang the lights, and an interesting collection of cups, saucers, family trinkets, and cutlery, a modern take on the chandeliers of Pierneef a La Motte.  The interior decorator is Neil Stemmet, who also did the decor of Cuvee at Simonsig.  Interesting too is the collection of tables and chairs, most of them completely different, some with wooden tops, others with white tops, and the chairs linked to each table also differ vastly.  Everywhere there are collections of farm food, e.g. a table with two pumpkins, another containing a bowl of lemons, and a lovely vase with proteas on the table near the entrance, on which the Knorhoek wine range is displayed.   A wall contains a collection of plates, as one would have in mom’s home.  A lounge/library corner with a couch and bookshelves adds to the homely feel.   Stemmet says of his decor: “My inspiration came from my carefree inner child and love for natural artistry.  I decided to steer clear of artificial, modern luxury to make room for an unassuming, homely eat-out destination where the senses are transported to a faraway, enchanting fairytale, almost back to one’s childhood, while indulging in a languid, home-cooked meal”.   The music is a mix, and very South African, including “Suikerbossie”, but a jazzed up version of it.   There is a large fireplace, but is not large enough to adequately heat up the restaurant on a cold wintry day.  Blankets are available to warm one up, and heaters were brought to tables that needed more heat.

A display blackboard lists the menu for the day, which changes daily to reflect the availability of supplies.  As we were a group of nine, we were served a “feast table”, an unusual but clever homely presentation of the food in bowls from which one helps oneself, rather than a plateful being dished up for each person, just as one would eat this “boerekos” as a family at home.  To start, the most wonderful warm home-baked bread with fresh farm butter, and ‘konfyt’ was served, to get the appetite stimulated and to soak up the wine we had tasted in the morning on the tour.   Our main course was brought to the table, and consisted of smoorsnoek, chicken pie, a massive platter of to-die-for pork with crackling and the most wonderful roast potatoes, sweet potatoes, a bean and potato mix, a Greek salad with the most generously big chunks of feta and fresh fresh greens, and a tomato salad.  We could not help thinking that this meal was like “Ma se kos”, a typical South African Sunday lunch in the middle of the week.  We could have had melktert or malva pudding as a dessert, but declined due to the magnificent feast.  In keeping with the Boerekos theme, there is no cappuccino machine, but ‘moerkoffie’ in a plunger is served.  

On Sundays Towerbosch serves something different – an Asado Argentinian meal, consisting of their lovely farm bread and butter, empanadas, soup or smoorsnoek, two or three meats from the barbeque, and dessert, at the cost of R165 per head.

We drank a bottle of Knorhoek Shiraz 2005, a lovely smooth wine.  We laughed when we saw a metal bucket brought to another table, serving as an ice bucket!   The Knorhoek wine estate is a member of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative.  Only Knorhoek wines are available at Towerbosch, and include Two Cubs White Rosé, and Red, and Knorhoek Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Reserve and Pantere.   Prices look very reasonable, and only a small add-on relative to the cellar price makes them affordable.

Whilst we did not get to meet them, the chef couple are Carmen van der Merwe and Wesley Muller, who previously worked at Terroir and Beluga.  The chefs’ focus is on slow cooked and simple “traditional family meals”, with ‘heritage fare’ served on big platters.

The choice of this restaurant for lunch for the Eco Wine Tour is motivated by the use of the recycled tables and chairs in the restaurant, the growing of their own herbs (with vegetables to follow), and their wonderful home cooked meals.  Even though we all loved the four wine estates we visited, the highlight of the Eco Wine Tour was the magical lunch at Towerbosch.   A definite for a repeat visit.

Towerbosch Earth Kitchen, Knorhoek wine estate, Knorhoek Road, Stellenbosch. Tel (021) 865-2114 www.knorhoek.co.za. Open for lunch Wednesdays – Sundays, and for dinner on request for a minimum of 15 guests.   On the Stellenbosch Restaurant Route.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com