After calling for nominations in 30 different Best of categories for its Best of the Cape Awards, Kfm announced the five Finalists in the 30 categories throughout the day yesterday.
The restaurant industry has been fortunate to receive strong support in the Awards, an industry which has been severely disadvantaged during the past 18 months of Lockdown, 5 out of the 30 Best of categories being restaurant-related.
There was trouble brewing for most of the remaining six contestants on Thursday evening, when the Koekedoor Season 2 episode 8 focused on beer, and its role in watching rugby at home, accompanied by beer and beer-related snacks. Craft beers were the hero of this episode. Continue reading →
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Sharing services such as Uber and Airbnb are coming under pressure to comply with laws of running their businesses and paying taxes, some countries reacting strictly, and others welcoming their input to the expansion of the economy. Uber was banned in Germany for a while, but has been allowed to operate again. Airbnb has picked up problems in Barcelona for breaching the city’s rental rules. A number of court cases in the USA alone relate to payment of gratuities to drivers, advertised as being included in the price, but drivers do not appear to be receiving their full gratuities.
* The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has moved its presentation date to Monday 1 June 2015, having hosted the awards at the end of April for the past twelve years. The awards recognise the best restaurants in the world. In 2014 only The Test Kitchen made the prestigious top 50 list. (received via media release from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, forwarded by Tamsin Snyman)
* Saronsberg has relaunched its Provenance range with a new label, depicting the ‘From Earth, From Water‘ sculpture by Angus Continue reading →
For the first time Chef Seelan Sundoo has opened his own restaurant, after having been used by investors and operators in the past to be their front man, but not getting the recognition from them for the following he has, which I observed when I was invited to enjoy lunch at Seelan Restaurant & Bar at Quay 5 in the V&A Waterfront yesterday. Seelan Restaurant & Bar reflects the past connections of Seelan as chef at the Grand Café and La Perla, but his Shimmy Beach Club and Reserve Brasserie past are not visible.
Seelan worked as Head Chef at La Perla in Sea Point for many years, and he has employed eight staff from La Perla. One cannot help but feel that one is in La Perla, with the smart white tuxedo jackets which the male-only waiters wear. Seelan was attracted to The Grand Camps Bay, which he headed up, with Justin Paul Jansen at
his side. Justin displayed his knack of attracting patrons to the restaurants, remembering their names and faces, and offering excellent service. The woven cane chairs in the outside section of Seelan remind one of The Grand. Justin was offered the opportunity to open The Reserve on St George’s Mall, and Seelan moved to The Grand on the Beach. Justin later called in Seelan to open the Reserve Brasserie, and to be its Chef. When The Reserve closed down, Justin went to New York, and Seelan started up the Shimmy Beach Club as co-owner, being its front person. It being time to move on, Seelan made the long overdue decision to open his own Mediterranean style restaurant. Justin said that Seelan is a ‘man of taste and class’, and that Shimmy Beach Club did not suit his style. Continue reading →