Tag Archives: Nic van Wyk

Cape Town and Winelands restaurants have a heart for Valentine’s Day!

Valentine's DayNumerous restaurants in Cape Town are offering special Valentine’s Day offers for Friday 14 February. We will update the list as we receive new information.

Cape Town

*   Catharina’s at Steenberg: Seafood Menu platter R1750 per couple; 5 course Valentine’s Set Menu R750 per person; and Vegetarian Valentine’s Menu R750 per person.  All three options include a glass of Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Rosé 2011.  Tel (021) 713-2222

*   The Restaurant at Cape Point Vineyards, Noordhoek:   4 course dinner R495, or R650 with wine pairings.  Nadine performing.  Tel 083 444 7088.

*   Frères Bistro:  3 course dinner with complimentary glass of Nicolas Feuillatte champagne R 395 per person.  Tel (021) 418-1609

*   Diemersdal Farm Eatery, Durbanville: Tapas platters and desserts as well as complimentary glass of MCC R 550 per couple.  Tel (021) 976-1810

*   Azure at the Twelve Apostles: Welcome drink, rose, and 4 course candlelight dinner R 795 per person, includes chance of winning half carat diamond from Uwe Koetter valued at R15000.  Tel (021) 437-900

*   The Kraal at the Twelve Apostles: Kir Royal welcome drink, picnic basket includes a bottle of Bouchard Finlayson Blanc de Mer, R1500 per couple.  Tel (021) 437-9000

*   Mondiall, V&A Waterfront: Oysters and glass of bubbly, 3 course dinner R350 per person.  Tel (021) 418-3003. Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 18 November

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Passengers want comfort when flying, and are prepared to pay more to secure this comfort on long haul flights.

*   Wilhelm Pienaar, Nederburg winemaker, led a tasting of the 56Hundred range at the residence of the South African High Commissioner to Kenya last week, oddly with entertainment by dancers from Botswana!

*   Kfm’s Breakfast Show with Ryan O’Connor and his team is broadcasting from The Rubens at The Palace Hotel in London, sister hotel to the Twelve Apostles, The Oyster Box, and Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve,  all belonging to the Red Carnation group,  until Wednesday. (received via FIVE STAR PR)

*   The Beachhouse Red 2010 is the only South African wine in the ‘Wine Pick of the Week‘ in the Vancouver Sun.

*   South African born but London-based Chef Petrus Madutlela is a member of Continue reading →

Summer arrives just in time for ‘Season of Sauvignon’ Festival on Durbanville Wine Route!

Durbanville Roses in bottles Whale Cottage PortfolioLast year I attended the ‘Season of Sauvignon’ Festival, my first visit to the Durbanville Wine Route. Today and tomorrow the fun-loving Durbanville wine valley once again celebrates a grape variety it has become synonymous with, the eleven wine estates winning awards, Diemersdal having recently won the 2013 Champion Young Wine for their Sauvignon Blanc, the first time in the history of the Young Wine Championships that the top wine comes from Durbanville.

The launch function for ‘Season of Sauvignon’ was held at Klein Roosboom, owned by Karen de Villiers, who has a wonderful decor touch in making her weathered cellar the centre for tasting the best wines of the Durbanville Wine Route, and pairing these with foods especially prepared for us by the regions’ top chefs. Rose petals were strewn on the floor, and the cellar had an old world romantic Continue reading →

Top 2013 restaurant dining trends!

Dining TrendsAn American hospitality management company Benchmark Hospitality International has just released its ‘Top Dining Trends for 2013‘, based on observations by the chefs and culinary experts in its 39 hotels and restaurants.  The bottom line is that diners look for ‘Fresh, local, and in season‘!

The trend to fresh and seasonal food is not new, the hospitality group says, ‘it’s what our grandmothers did day after day. They knew exactly what their family dined on as they had grown it in the garden and purchased it from the local butcher. It was fresh, in season, and bursting with flavor’. This is what diners want today as well, they conclude.  These are the top dining trends they identify: Continue reading →