Tag Archives: Mixology

New Exhibit A Fine-Dining restaurant of Chefs Rikku Ó’Donnchü and Warwick King opens on 1 November, Proudly South African focus with international twist!

Last week I enjoyed the special Heritage Day lunch at pop-up SŸN restaurant on Bree Street, and after the lunch I heard the first details of the permanent fine-dining restaurant opening on 1 November, to be called Exhibit A. The restaurant will be located on the 3rd floor of the Villa 47 building at 47 Bree Street. Yesterday I returned to the restaurant to hear more details from the chefs about their new 46-seater restaurant.  Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 16 April

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Pop-up restaurants are here to stay, and are increasingly supported by food lovers who are prepared to pay a premium to attend such a restaurant.  They give young chefs an opportunity to try their hand in running their own mini-restaurant.

*   Cape Town’s Tourism Big Six has grown to the Big Seven, with the addition of the Cape Town City Walk, a new service which is to be launched on Saturday 18 April, a walk covering the Company’s Garden, the Fan Walk, St George’s Mall, Waterkant Continue reading →

Fine Brandy Fusion: an evening of fine flavours, Bisquit takes the cake!

Fine Brandy Fusion This Is Brandy Whale Cottage PortfolioOn Thursday evening my friend Bettie Coetzee-Lambrecht and I attended Fine Brandy Fusion at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, having been invited by Manley Communications.   Fine Brandy Fusion is a fine showcase for the local brandy industry, the Bisquit cognac with South African links being our highlight.

At the registration desk we received a goody bag, and a booklet of coupons, to allow us to taste brandy cocktails and taste some of the 50 fine brandies neat.  Immediately on entering we passed a smallish restaurant, catered by the Convention Centre kitchen.  The food quality of the Convention Centre has been poor at every exhibition attended in the past, but picked up when its new Chef Warwick Thomas arrived a year ago, reaching a new low at World Travel Market Africa last month.  I was immediately sceptical, but the food options which were displayed in a refrigerated unit looked better (just from the plating) than I have ever seen there before.   We received two food couponsFine Brandy Fusion Food Whale Cottage Portfolio each, which Bettie used for linefish and I ordered tasty calamari rings, Bettie saying that it would be important to line our tummies for the brandy tasting to come.  We both ordered a cheese platter as well.  The service was excellent and professional, and the prices very reasonable at about R50 each.  We felt severely under-dressed when a fashionista wearing fur and her partner shared our table! Continue reading →