I was recently invited by Little Black Book event organiser Marina Nestel to two launch functions at Lou Lou’s Bar, a top new nightspot as well as daytime eatery, which has opened in the Cape Quarter in De Waterkant.
Tag Archives: Melrose Arch
New Mondiall Chef Riaan Burger is a dish, new Winter Menu delicious!
Last week I ate lunch at Mondiall twice. The first was a family lunch, and the second was an invitation to try the new Winter Menu at Mondiall and to meet new Chef Riaan Burger, who has been at the restaurant for six weeks. The experiences were chalk and cheese. Mondiall has been repositioned as a French Brasserie, serving ‘refined comfort food’, rather than as an around-the-world restaurant when it opened.
The family lunch followed the scattering of the ashes of our late mother, which we had done in Table Bay on the yacht IQ, which moors outside Mondiall. I was very
disappointed with the lunch, which was a special group menu, a reduced version of former Chef Peter Tempelhoff’s menu. Chef Riaan was not working on the Freedom Day public holiday, owner Patrick Symington was not there, and Reservation Manager Mandy Smith whom I had dealt with in making the booking and discussing the menu, was not there either. The let-down was the waitress, and poor communication between Mandy and the Manager Franco. The food quality was not as expected either. I admire Patrick for proactively sending a sms to ask how the lunch went, and I told him about my disappointment. What was amazing was the glazed pork belly, offered as a Tapas dish, served with crackling, and a honey soy glaze. This dish remains on the new menu. Continue reading →
WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 2/3 April
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* PriceWaterhouseCoopers has secured an agreement for Fournews Developments (Johannesburg-based restaurant group with News Café and more) to buy the Moyo brand, to secure the continued operation of Moyo in Kirstenbosch, Blouberg, Melrose Arch, Zoo Lake and at Pier in Durban, and thereby save 500 jobs. Moyo restaurants in the V&A Waterfront, Fountains in Pretoria, and at Spier have closed in the past month.
* The weak Rand has affected tourism in two ways: the lead times of travellers in making bookings have shortened dramatically, often to the same day, and tourists have more money to spend when they arrive.
* Amarula Cream has won a gold medal at the 2014 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the first accolades for the brand in the USA, and a springboard for its future marketing in that country. The brand has also been voted as one of the world’s top bar brands, according to a survey commissioned by Drinks International. The Continue reading →
Restaurant Review: Tashas in V&A Waterfront friendly staff, shocking unhealthy food!
My friend Whitney and I decided to give the new Tashas in the V&A Waterfront a try, after we had both heard good things about the restaurant, which opened in the previous Mugg & Bean space a month ago. It was a poor experience, leaving a bad taste in our mouths, both Whitney and I getting ill from the food.
The owner and chef Raynne Roll told us that each of the eleven Tashas created around the country over the past eight years is themed decor wise, and has signature dishes and specialist wines to tie in with the theme. The theme of the Waterfront
branch is Spanish, and hence the additional Tapas menu and Spanish style cakes, which are unique to the branch. Bowls and paella pans have been bought in from Spain for the new restaurant. Tashas Constantia is French Country inspired, Pretoria is South African, Melrose Arch is ‘Sushi, Oysters and Champagne’, Rosebank in Johannesburg is New York, and the Nicolway branch is Portuguese.
I arrived before Whitney did, and walked in from the mall entrance, where the branding is so small that it is easy to miss. The iron gates do not look relevant to a