Tag Archives: Pierre Jourdan

New Franschhoek Wine Valley Food and Wine Route puts Franschhoek restaurants and wine estates on the map

The Franschhoek Wine Valley (the new tourism body name, the “Tourism Association” part of the name recently having been dropped) Food & Wine Route has been launched to the media, and soon will be presented in a new map, that will reflect the wealth of 42 restaurants, 48 wine estates and 3 delis and shops that sell foodstuffs in and around Franschhoek. The new Food & Wine Route is a good marketing reaction to the increasing dominance of Stellenbosch as the new gourmet center of South Africa, and its large number of wine estates, even though the tourism association’s website still refers to Franschhoek as the “Gourmet Capital of South Africa”!

Last year we wrote about the Food & Wine Route when it was first announced, and from the initial information it appeared to have a broader focus initially.  Now the Route is more focused, and will incorporate mainly the restaurants and wine estates that are members of Franschhoek Wine Valley.   Interestingly, the geographic delineation of Franschhoek has been broadened to incorporate the wine estates and restaurants on the R45 between Klapmuts and Simondium, including Noble Hill, Backsberg, and Babel at Babylonstoren, on the basis that they have become members of the Franschhoek Wine Valley association, even if they fall under the Paarl wine district.   Strangely, Glen Carlou has not chosen to be part of the Franschhoek Food & Wine Route, it being one of the first properties one passes when driving to Franschhoek on the R45.

Tania Steyn, the Marketing Manager of Franschhoek Wine Valley, explained that this new project consists of two parts.  The first is the Food & Wine Route map, in A3 size, which will list all the restaurants and wine estates, the one side featuring those in the village, and the other side those that are outside Franschhoek.   The Food & Wine Route map will replace the most handy Franschhoek Wine map, which guest houses and their guests have found to be useful in highlighting all the Vigneron members in Franschhoek.  The second part of the project is an e-commerce platform for specific Food and Wine Route Experiences, that one cannot visit spontaneously without a booking.  The bookings will be made on the website, and it is hoped that visitors to Franschhoek will book a number of such experiences, and will therefore stay in the area for longer.

The wine estates on the new Franschhoek Wine Valley Food & Wine Route are Akkerdal, Allèe Bleue, Anthonij Rupert Wines (L’Ormarins and Protea brands, and home of the outstanding Motor Museum), Backsberg, Boekenhoutskloof, Boschendal Wines, Chamonix, Colmant Cap Classique & Champagne, Dieu Donnè Vineyards, Franschhoek Cellar, Glenwood, Graham Beck Franschhoek, Grande Provence Estate, Haute Cabriere (with Pierre Jourdan sparkling wines), Holden Manz (previously Klein Genot), La Bri, La Chataigne, La Motte (with Pierneef art gallery), La Petite Dauphine, La Petite Ferme, La Manoir de Brendel, Leopard’s Leap, Lynx Wines, Maison, Mont Rochelle, Moreson, My Wyn, Noble Hill, Plaisir de Merle, Rickety Bridge, Solms-Delta (with interesting slave museum), Stony Brook, Topiary Wines (newest Platter 5-star sparkling wine in Franschhoek), Val de Vie, and Vrede & Lust.   These wine estates can be visited without appointment.

Those estates for which one must book a winetasting are Eikehof, Franschhoek Pass Winery (Morena sparkling wine), Haut Espoir, La Bourgogne, La Roche estate, La Vigne, Landau du Val, Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons and Von Ortloff.  Bellingham Wines, Klein Dauphine, La Chaumière and Veraison Vineyards are not open to the public at all, but their wines can be bought at the highly regarded Franschhoek wine shop La Cotte Inn on the main road in the village.

The Franschhoek restaurants and food outlets on the Food & Wine Route are Allora, Babel at Babylonstoren, Backsberg, Boschendal Restaurant, Boschendal Le Café and Boschendal Le Pique-Nique, Bread & Wine, Café Allèe Bleue, Cafè BonBon, Col’Cacchio Pizzeria, Cosecha Restaurant at Noble Hill, Dalewood Fromage (but not open to the public), Dieu Donnè Restaurant, Dutch East, Elephant & Barrel, Essence, Fizz Affair Champagne Lounge, Franschhoek Kitchen at Holden Manz, Freedom Hill Restaurant, Fyndraai Restaurant at Solms-Delta, The Restaurant at Grande Provence, Haute Cabrière, Huguenot Fine Chocolates, Kalfi’s, Fromages de France (La Cotte Inn),  Le Bon Vivant, Dish @ Le Franschhoek, Le Verger The Orchard Restaurant (Le Franschhoek Hotel), The Common Room, The Tasting Room,  L’Ermitage Restaurant, Mon Plaisir at Chamonix, Mange Tout, Monneaux, Reuben’s, Rickety Bridge, Ryan’s Kitchen, Salmon Bar, The Country Kitchen, The French Connection, The Grill Room, The Jam Jar, The Olive Shack, and The Polo Club Restaurant (at La Vie). Oddly, Pierneef à La Motte is not listed, and one hopes this is just an oversight.   Other missing restaurants are Café Benedict, BICCCS, Chez D’Or, Cotage Fromage at Vrede & Lust, Crepe & Cidre, Café Le Chocolatier, Café des Arts, and the Franschhoek Food Emporium.

The Franschhoek Food & Wine Route Experiences which one can book include the following:

*   Solms-Delta Cape Music Tour, teaching participants about “Cape rural and vernacular music”. R 50 (minimum of 6 persons).  Monday – Sunday.

*   Plaisir de Merle “Award-winning wines wine tasting”. R 20, and R40 if cellar tour added. Monday – Saturday

*  Plaisir de Merle Flavour Sensation Tasting, food and wine pairing. R 50.  Monday – Saturday

*   Plaisir de Merle Wine & Chocolate Tasting. R 50. Monday – Saturday

*   Charcuterie Tasting with Neil Jewell. R 25 – R105. Daily before 11h00 and after 15h30

*   Franschhoek Cellar Cheese and Wine pairing. R 35.  Daily

*   Huguenot Fine Chocolates Chocolate Tour and Tasting. R 25.  Daily 11h00 and 15h00

*   Chamonix Grappa & Schnapps Tasting. R15.  Daily

*   Dieu Donné Micro-brewery and beer tasting. R15 beer tasting and R 35 for full bewery talk and tasters.  Daily

*   Babylonstoren Guided Garden Visit. R 20, Wednesday – Sunday 10h00 and 15h00.

*   Le Bon Vivant Surprise Menu. R 485 for 5-course meal and wine, R360 without wine. Daily except Wednesdays.

*   Food and wine pairing at Pierneef à La Motte. R 195 for 5 pairings, extra R 50 for glass of La Motte MCC. Tuesday – Sunday 12h00 – 14h00.

*   Cape Gourmet Delights Tour, with stops at Grande Provence, Moreson and Vrede & Lust. R1995 per day includes “light lunch”. 10 persons maximum.  Monday – Friday.

A walking tour as well as a talk on ceramics are part of this programme, but seem out of place in not having anything to do with Wine or Food.

One hopes that the Franschhoek Wine Valley Food & Wine Route map will indicate which wine estates, food shops and restaurants sell foods, such as the vegetables, breads and chocolates at the Farm Shop at Pierneef à La Motte; salmon products and breads at the Salmon Bar; the Mediterranean delicacies at The Olive Shack; wonderful freshly baked wholewheat bread at Grande Provence; breads and sweet treats at Café BonBon and Café Benedict; olive oils and balsamic vinegar at Allèe Bleue; heavenly chocolates as well as breads at Café Le Chocolatier; Truckles cheeses at Franschhoek Cellar; and a selection of home-made pies, preserves, dips, cold meats and breads at the new Franschhoek Food Emporium.   It would be good if the fortnightly Farmers’ Market at Holden Manz also be listed.

We salute the Franschhoek Wine Valley for putting together this initiative, and trust that the Food & Wine Route map will be finalised and printed as soon as possible, given that the summer season ends in two months’ time.   We encourage Franschhoek Wine Valley to add the names of the omitted Franschhoek restaurants, by encouraging them to sign up as members, so that the map can be as representative of the food and wine delights in Franschhoek as possible.

POSTSCRIPT 22/4: The new Franschhoek Wine Valley Food & Wine Route maps have been made available, and can be collected from the Franschhoek Tourism Bureau, or from Whale Cottage Franschhoek.  Oddly, it lists the two Pick ‘n Pays too, under the ‘Franschhoek Restaurants & Food section”.  Following our recommendation above, the Franschhoek Food Emporium was added, but Café Le Chocolatier, Café Benedict, BICCCS, Chez d’Or, Cotage Fromage, Crepe et Cidre, Café des Arts, and the new Le Coq are not on the map.  Other sources of food to buy, as listed two paragraphs above, are not indicated on the map.

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

Restaurant Review: Dinner at Grande Provence a special treat

I have been to Grande Provence many times, yet have not written a review of their dinner, but have written about their High Tea,  and Chef Darren Roberts’ visit to Hong Kong late last year.   A pre-Valentine’s Day dinner on Sunday evening was a very special treat, not just in terms of the quality of the food served, but also because of the service, the beautiful interior, and extreme friendliness.

It started when Food & Beverage Manager Donovan Dreyer came towards us as we walked to the restaurant from the parking area, to welcome us.   He had called earlier in the day, to confirm the reservation, and had apologised for not being there, as he had the evening off.  He seated us, introduced us to our waitress Shasta, and was most helpful in printing the menu for me.   He then went off, after sending two glasses of sparkling wine to the table, with the compliments of Grande Provence.

Since 2005 Grande Provence (previously belonging to Count Augusta) has belonged to a Dutch consortium called The Huka Retreats, under the management of Alex van Heeren, and they also own Huka Lodge in New Zealand (usually on the Top 100 world accommodation lists) and the privately owned Dolphin Island in Fiji.  The business card describes the positioning of the company to be :”Intimate . Sensual . Elegant”.  Grande Provence supports good causes, and its highlight is the annual fundraising lunch prepared in honour of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, sponsored in its entirety by Grande Provence.  This year it will be held on 29 May, and Grande Provence Chef Darren Roberts, his Huka Lodge counterpart Michel Louws, Rudi Liebenberg of the Mount Nelson Hotel, Gregory Czarnecki of Waterkloof and Roland Gorgosilich of the Grande Roche will each prepare one of the five courses.   I have attended two of these outstanding lunches in the past.

Chef Darren has worked as a Pastry Chef at L’Heiner Konditorei in Vienna, as well as in London, Johannesburg, Melbourne and the Seychelles.  Before joining Grande Provence last year, he worked at Farncourt Hotel, and he has been a restaurant consultant.   He always makes time to come out of his kitchen to say hello.

Similarly to Delaire Graff and Glen Carlou, Grande Provence invests in art and also has an art gallery, with regularly changing exhibitions.   I love the interior decor of Grande Provence, and Virginia Fisher is the decorator to the group of properties, and is based in New Zealand.  The tasting room has a counter made from industrial steel, and the bar chairs are the cleverest I have ever seen on a wine estate, with a tractor seat, surprisingly comfortable to sit on.   In the restaurant, she used industrial steel tables, and blue chairs in the two outside rows, and the finest white leather high-back chairs in the central row.   The restaurant has a fireplace too, and is lit, even on some nights when it does not seem necessary.  The table has linen runners in white with blue stripes, which look a little like fancy drying cloths.  The wooden salt and pepper grinders look ordinary and out of place with the silver theme (same criticism as at Glen Carlou), given the stature of and price one pays for a meal at Grande Provence.  Two sets of cutlery are laid, and the glassware is excellent.  Each table has a silver side table (more attractive than the wooden ‘handbag tables’ at Mange Tout) on which the ice bucket and the water jug go, leaving the table free for the really important reason for being there, being the food!  Staff wear black ‘GP’ branded shirts, and black pants, with a grey apron. I was happy to see that the denim staff clothing has been done away with. 

The menu is in a holder made from the same fine white leather, as is the winelist.   One must have a minimum of three courses, costing R295, four courses cost R380, and five courses R 450.   Once again, a three course meal is more than adequate, as one receives an amuse bouche as well as a palate cleanser too, adding a further two courses.  While the courses listed are identifiable as starters, mains and desserts, one may choose any three on the menu, and in any order, even if one has the dessert first!  Unusual is the bold red note on the menu that one should advise the waitrons if one would like breaks between courses.  We absolutely loved the mini wholewheat loaf that was served in small slices, containing pieces of fruit, and topped with poppy and sesame seeds.    It is sold in the tasting room, and costs R15 a loaf.   An amuse bouche was brought to the table, being a mushroom tart with mushroom puree, similar to a quiche, and placed on top of the most crispy fried parma ham, and hidden under basil leaves when served.  I was impressed with how warm the plates were when they were brought from the kitchen, and I cannot recall when last I experienced a hot plate on my restaurant visits.  My starter of Tempura langoustine tail, blackened corn and tomato was brought to the table in a soup plate, and the sweet-tasting sweetcorn velouté was poured into the plate by a waiter at the table, with much more style than we had experienced at the new Planet Restaurant at the Mount Nelson Hotel.  The tempura batter was very light and not very crispy.   My partner had ordered a Green Pea and Shimeji mushroom ravioli, which he enjoyed, but felt it to be salty.  Other starters are Tom Yum prawn risotto, caramelised eel and foie gras terrine, rillettes of duck, pork and rabbit, quail, Stilton and curried pear tartlet, carpaccio of beetroot, and duck prosciutto.  A palate cleanser of plum sorbet and lemon compote was a surprise course. 

I loved the juicy Tagine of duck, served with green olives, dates, pistachio nuts, sweetcorn polenta and walnut arancini (with a R25 surcharge).   I missed Chef Darren’s colourful plating touch, as the plate only had shades of brown on it.   My partner’s Asian braised pork belly, by contrast, had colour appeal, with oranges creating a colour contrast, and was served with tatsoi, roasted onion infused mashed potato, and a hazelnut and apple crumble.  Further main courses to choose from include Baby chicken, hake, beef fillet with lobster tail, springbok and Karoo lamb neck.  Donovan had told me that the most popular dishes ordered are the Grande Provence Seafood Selection, with his own special XO broth that Chef Darren came back with from Hong Kong last year, and crème brûlée served with a strawberry salsa, and a refreshing strawberry and mint sorbet served on a spoon, which was my dessert choice.  The brûlée was soft and creamy.  My partner chose the Prince Albert Regal cheese, served with brioche and olives.  Other dessert options are chocolate calzone, summer fruit jelly and a chocolate tart.

The winelist has mainly Grande Provence (including Angel Tears) wines, and the wine prices are roughly 50 % of cost of sales, influenced by availability and awards won.   We were impressed with the generous wine quantity poured by the glass.  My reaction to the chilled (17°C) 2007 Shiraz was picked up by the waitress, and she came back with a bottle at room temperature, and allowed me to taste that one as well, and I far preferred the non-chilled glassful.  The paper in the wine list we were given seemed heavily used.   Innovative was the first page listing of all the awards that the Grande Provence wines have won.   Wines by the glass include the Grande Provence Chardonnay (R56/R180), Sauvignon Blanc (R46/R160), Viognier and Chenin Blanc blend (R42/R140), Cabernet Sauvignon  and Shiraz (both R55/R190), Pinot Noir (R60/R230) as well as Angel Tears Sauvignon Blanc (R22/R80), White (R20/R70), Red (R22/R80), Pink (R20/R70) and Blanc de Blanc MCC (R45/R200), very affordable prices.  The Grande Provence, the wine estate’s flagship wine, costs R700.  Pongracz (R185), Pierre Jourdan Belle Rosé (R44/210), Piper Heidsiek (720) and Billecart Salmon Brut Rosé (R1500) are also available.

Donovan proudly told me about the new Rosetta imported coffee range that they will be introducing soon.   Grande Provence guests will be able to order their coffee made from beans of the origin of their choice, much as one can order a type of tea.  Beans will be available from Papua New Guinea, two options from Ethiopia, Panama, Brazil, and Indonesia. The Illy coffees will remain the baseline coffee at Grande Provence.

Grande Provence has been an Eat Out Top 10 restaurant, its previous chefs Peter Tempelhoff and Jacques de Jager having been awarded this accolade.  I am convinced that Chef Darren can achieve the same, and have found him to be one of the most creative platers and food designers, especially as far his desserts go.  I felt disappointed that our dinner did not reflect enough of this talent, which I have seen on so many previous occasions, and I told Chef Darren so when he came to say hello.  Our waitress was good and attentive, but I was annoyed when she interrupted a heated discussion between my partner and I, just to ask our permission to serve the next course, an odd touch, as one is normally in the hands of the chef as far as serving timing goes. A sign of the professionalism of Grande Provence, and of F&B Manager Donovan, was his call the following day, to check if everything had been to our satisfaction, proactively requesting feedback.  It is this care and friendliness that makes me go back to Grande Provence over and over again.

Restaurant at Grande Provence, Main Road/R45, Franschhoek.  Tel (021) 876-8600.  www.grandeprovence.co.za. (The website contains the menu, a profile of Chef Darren, and a description of the restaurant interior.  Disappointingly there is no Image Gallery to display Chef Darren’s beautiful dishes).  Monday – Sunday lunch and dinner.

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

Review: Grand Dédale Country House is grand and relaxing!

For a mid-season break, I chose to spend a weekend at Grand Dédale Country House, on the Doolhof wine estate on the Bovlei Road in Wellington, about ten days ago.  I could not have chosen a more relaxing and grander place than this 5-star hotel and its excellent restaurant, which is on the Wellington Wine Route. 

Doolhof is part of a farm that was awarded to the first owner in 1709, and means ‘labyrinth’ in Afrikaans.  It probably was given this name because it was at the end of a cul de sac.  The current owners Dorothy and Dennis Kerrison bought the farm from the neighbouring Retief family.   The homestead was renovated by Mrs Kerrison, who is an interior designer in the United Kingdom, and her initial R7 million budget had doubled at the end of the project.   Money does not appear to be an object in the tasteful design of the very spacious rooms, and almost every detail has been thought of.   Angelo and Tina Casu rent the 6-bedroom homestead and cottage from the owners, having signed an eight year lease, and have called their establishment Grand Dédale, which means ‘large labyrinth’ in French.  The Casus have managed Grand Dédale for the past 17 months, and previously were with the Winchester Mansions in Sea Point and Palmiet Valley in Paarl. 

The house is an old Cape Dutch house, with new additions cleverly married into the Cape Dutch origin of the house.  Some aspects, notably the staircase to the upstairs loft rooms, are extremely modern. The high gloss marble tiles in the public rooms on the ground level have been criticised by some as not being suitable for a Cape Dutch house, but I felt that they looked perfectly clean and chic.  The star attraction for me was the 15 meter salt water pool.  Parking is away from the homestead, at the winery, a benefit in not seeing any cars, but a disadvantage in not being able to keep an eye on one’s vehicle.   The bedroom I stayed in had three sections, a very spacious bedroom, although a slanting ceiling does create space limitations too, with a more than king size bed, and excellent quality linen.   A second section has a basin, the safe and the hanging space.  The bathroom is in the third section, has a bath with shower over it, and a collection of Charlotte Rhys products.  The high gloss tiles are a bit scary to walk on with wet feet, but a very generously sized bathmat is made available.  Airconditioning is a great advantage to cool things down in the renowned Wellington heat.   There are more than enough towels provided, hung on two heated towel rails.  Towels are refreshed continuously.   A fruit platter is in the room, and there is a turn-down treat every night (tasted like fudge).  An iPod player is next to the bed, and one can request iPods to listen to.  

From the terrace and pool area one looks onto the side of Groenberg, and below is the most lucious looking field, on which cows graze.  Angelo laughed when he told me that they are the eco-friendly “lawnmowers” at Doolhof.  A paddock with ex-racehorses is adjacent to the field.

The Room Directory is one of the most comprehensive and best presented that I have seen, bound in a neat brown leather cover, and detailing information about the wine estate (380 ha, Kromme River runs through it, located between Groenberg, Limietberg and Sneeukop), suggestions for day trips, a description of the public areas in the house, the location of the TV lounge in the upstairs loft (there is no TV in the bedrooms, strange for 5-star), and the location of the Spa Room (which I had read about, but was not proactively informed about), the Breakfast serving time, that light lunch and snacks are available, that a complimentary high tea is served in the afternoons (a combination of cake, fresh fruit and a savoury item), and the invitation to enjoy canapes and a glass of Pierre Jourdan sparkling wine before dinner with the other guests (quite colonial in its nature, but a good way to meet the other guests, as one is separated when dining).  Three bar fridges stock beverages in various sections of the guest house, and are complimentary to guests.  The bar fridges are a great idea, as mini bar fridges in rooms are noisy.  The Doolhof winetasting is complimentary to the guests of Grand Dédale.

Breakfast is served on the terrace, and is a generous buffet of different cereals (I loved the Chef’s mix of crunchy and healthy muesli ingredients), fresh fruit as well as a fruit salad (one morning I was intrigued to see a bowl with an unknown white fruit, which was made by the Chef from the inside peel of a watermelon) and different yoghurt flavours.   Cold breakfast treats are offered, and on one of the mornings it was salmon and créme fraîche served on rosti.  Cold meats and cheeses are available, as are home-made jams and breads.  A treat was that John organised frothy cappucinos for me each morning, and kept the ice water supply coming.  A beautiful vase with a rose and a bougainvillea was on each table.   At breakfast one is shown the dinner menu for that day, and one can say if one does not eat a particular ingredient.   I saw the menu changed for one dinner due to my couscous feedback, which reflects great flexibility.  There are no choices on the menu, and therefore the kitchen checks proactively on its guests’ tastes.

Dinner is served on the terrace, with the most wonderful view onto the greenery below.  John and Angelo are in attendance.   Canapés are served with the glass of bubbly.   Heila Basson is the Chef, and Angelo calls her a ‘boeremeisie’.   She previously worked at Grootbos and at Seasons at Diemersfontein.  She has been at the Taj, to train in their kitchen, and will soon join Luke Dale-Roberts at The Test Kitchen for a short session, before he comes to Grand Dédale to cater for a wedding with Chef Heila on the wine estate.  The table is beautifully set, with a silver underplate, professional folding of the serviette, and three sets of Italian Pinti cutlery, to prevent any stretching across clients.   The butterdish and salt and pepper containers are all in silver, making the woven bread basket out of place. However, its content was wonderful, being bread rolls with different toppings.  I love poppy seed rolls, and was amazed to find these in Wellington, of all places!   An amuse bouche is served, prior to the three course meal.  On the first night it was a spicy bobotie, served with mango chutney.  The bobotie was unusual, made from diced rather than minced meat, and with an unusual taste, colourfully presented.   The starter was a beef sirloin carpaccio served with feta crumble and a sesame dressing, adding a sweet taste.    The main course was Norwegian salmon served with sweet and sour balsamic beetroot, mash, a vodka créme fraîche sauce, and roasted pumpkin seeds, creating a good colour contrast on the plate.  I found the pumpkin seeds too hard relative to the soft textures of all the other ingredients.  Dessert was a nougat terrine with berries, moreish, and chewy in texture.  On the second day the amuse bouche was a courgette and brie cappuccino, served in a little coffee cup, an unusual combination and very tasty.  The oregano potato gnocchi starter served with a wild mushroom and gruyere sauce was absolutely delicious, but did not have any contrast in colour.  We were spoilt with a second starter when we discussed mozzarella, and Angelo proudly allowed all the dinner guests a taste of Wellington’s Buffalo Ridge mozzarella, in the form of a small Caprese salad.   The main course was lamb rump, served a little too rare and with too much fat.   The dessert was a pineapple tarte tatin served with homemade milktart ice cream, an unusual combination, but was delicious.   Dinner costs R335, for a three course meal, but includes an amuse bouche and a cheese platter as well, actually making it a generous 5-course meal.   One must book to eat dinner at Grand Dédale if one is not staying over.

The winelist offers Pierre Jourdan for R170 as a Cap Classique, and Champagnes offered are Dom Grossard and Brugnon Brut.   Wine by the glass is from Doolhof and costs R40, but is not mentioned on the winelist.   It is poured at the table from a bottle (I ordered a glass of Doolhof Shiraz 2007) in a silver basket.   The Doolhof wines are good value: Unoaked Chardonnay R 90; Oaked Chardonnay R 154; Cape Robin Rosé R 63; Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon R116.  In the Legends of Labyrinth range, Dark Lady pinotage and Lady in Red each cost R117 and The Minotaur R250.  Wellington wines offered are Nabygelegen’s Lady Anna (R120), its Chenin Blanc (R130) and Snow Mountain Pinot Noir (R235).  Diemersfontein Carpe Diem Viognier and Chenin Blanc cost R190.  Each wine is described, and the vintage specified. 

There is little to suggest to improve at Grand Dédale: a desk lamp on the desk/make-up area; training staff to not move one’s belongings from a chair or a bed (this is a common problem in accommodation establishments and is an irritation); allowing one to park outside the house; any means of improving cellphone reception would be very welcome, and the limited reception should be mentioned in correspondence (I am on 24/7 duty for my business, even when away for a weekend, and I had not made arrangements to divert the company phone line to a colleague’s cellphone, until I arrived and realised the impact of the reception problem on my business); addressing the blocking of outgoing e-mails by the server (incoming e-mails arrived safely), which problem was solved by downloading e-mails at The Stone Kitchen/Dunstone winery, which has a free wireless service which works easily and perfectly, but is only open until 16h00; a TV in each room; instructions on how to switch off the lights in the various sections of the bedroom; a blind for the bathroom window, so that one is not woken up by the light coming through in the morning; a warning to guests that there is 4 km of dirt road, the first part being very bumpy, and therefore not suitable to drive for all motor vehicles.   What I did request while I was there was attended to immediately by Angelo.

It is not inexpensive to stay at Grand Dédale Country House, but I was lucky to benefit from a hospitality discount.  The accommodation cost includes a full breakfast, all drinks from the guest bars, a small high tea, canapés before dinner and a glass of Pierre Jourdan.    If one stays for two nights, dinner is free of charge on one of the two nights, as is a bottle of Doolhof wine.  One has little choice to eat out in Wellington, so one is almost ‘forced’ to eat there, but it is an absolute pleasure to do so, to not have to drive on the gravel road, or to drive all the way to Diemersfontein, or even to Paarl, to find a relatively acceptable restaurant.   If I can manage to leave the laptop and cellphone at home, I would be back for a next visit, to have a proper break! 

Grand Dédale Country House, Doolhof Wine Estate, Bovlei Road, Wellington.   Tel (021) 873-4089.  www.granddedale.com

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

Restaurant Review: Franschhoek Kitchen refreshingly new!

Inquisitiveness led me to one of Franschhoek’s newest restaurants, the Franschhoek Kitchen, which opened three months ago, on the recently renamed Holden Manz Wine Estate.   I had not seen anything written about it nor heard anyone recommend it yet.  Despite the incredibly hot 42°C day, I was impressed with the refreshing approach to the restaurant, and its chef Bjorn Dingemans. 

The restaurant was previously called Genot, which had been built on the Klein Genot wine estate.  The estate had belonged to Angie and Joey Diamond, but they had to hastily sell by auction last year.  Surprisingly from a marketing perspective, the new owners have decided to change the brand name to Holden Manz, and even the Klein Genot wines will be rebranded in future.   Information about the new owners Migo Manz and Gerard Holden is scant from the staff, saying they are international businessmen.  They are about to open a contemporary African art gallery on the main road in Franschhoek.  The restaurant is into its third phase – it had opened originally under the eye of Bertus Basson from Overture and his colleague Mark.   They withdrew after a year when they did not make money there.  Then Angie Diamond tried to do her own Baia-meets-Franschhoek fish restaurant, which did not succeed either.  Now it has a new chef and a new name, with some of the old staff.

On the surface little has changed.  Branding off the Huguenot Monument Road refers to Klein Genot on the brown provincial signage, but once one reaches one’s destination, the new elephant-themed Holden Manz branding is visible on signage boards and flags.   The security is new, with one half of the narrow gate closed, which means that no one can enter nor leave, even worse so if cars arrive simultaneously from both directions, as happened when I visited.   When I spoke to the security guard, he was very defensive, and said he was busy with paperwork in his security hut.   Not a good welcome, with a wait in the Franschhoek heat.   I became even more nervous when I saw only one car parked outside the cellar and restaurant, and more so when I saw them sitting outside, and not in the restaurant upstairs.   I received an unplanned shower from two sprinklers, which were watering the vines on the way to the restaurant.  

A person looking like a Restaurant Manager asked if I wanted a booking.  However, I had called and made a reservation two days before, and found it odd that he did not seem to know about it, especially as there were no other guests!   He never introduced himself, nor came to speak to me.  I was seated outside, and it probably was a mistake, as the fans on the terrace just circulated the already very hot air.  But Chef Bjorn came to the table when I asked some questions which the waiter Lorenzo could not answer.   He indicated immediately that he knew who I was, as he follows bloggers!   We had never met, and he came to Franschhoek from the UK.   He exuded confidence, told me he grew up in Somerset West, trained at the Greenhouse at the Cellars Hohenhort, and then worked at Soho House in Babington, under Chef Ronnie Bonetti, who used to be the Head Chef at the River Café.  He told me that he has a patch of land behind the restaurant in which he can plant his vegetable and herb requirements, making him self-sufficient up to 80 % of his fresh produce requirements.  Salmon is sourced from the trout farm close by.  On Holden Manz he also has access to figs, peaches, grapes, apples and pears, which he can use in his dishes, and he proudly told me that he makes his own chutney.   He has free reign in terms of his menu and kitchen, and changes his lunch and his dinner menu daily, hence it is printed on paper.   The menu is introduced with “please ask us for the provenance of produce & seasonal offerings, we aim to source only organic and local food”.  It ends as follows: “fruits, vegetable & herbs are sourced from our gardens when in season”.  (The menu on the website is very similar to the one I received on Thursday, which means that only one or two items are changed daily).

As far as the decor goes, nothing inside the restaurant has been changed by the new owners – the chandeliers, the purple upholstered chairs around one table (the others are covered with a more subtle beige velvet) and two couches on one side.  The Kitchen is massive, and is open to the patrons to see from their tables.

The view from the restaurant terrace is onto the wine estate’s vineyards and the Franschhoek mountains in the background.   Tables are laid with good quality napery, and contemporary cutlery.  The waiter brought an attractive looking dish with fresh rosa tomatoes from the garden, mixed olive oil and balsamic, and ground salt and pepper.  A very crispy ciabatta was brought to the table, and I had to stop the waiter when he wanted to serve a second slice of the lovely bread.   I started with the Smoked salmon, rosa tomatoes and asparagus salad, beautifully presented and perfect for the hot day (R60).  Other starters that day were tomato, buffalo mozzarella and garden basil salad (R55); soup (R45); beef carpaccio, rocket and parmesan R(60);  grilled squid (R55); and sea bass carpaccio (R55).  Two persons can share an antipasti platter with cured meats, olives, mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach and grilled bread, good value at R75.   It was too hot for a main course, although I was tempted by the prawns and asparagus dish (R160), and will come back to try it.  Other main courses cost under R100, for a pasta of the day, angel fish, and linefish.  Duck breast costs R125, steak R100 for ribeye, and R135 for fillet; lamb chops cost R145.

I loved the description by Chef Bjorn of his Messy Martini dessert, served in a martini glass, with crumbed meringue, fresh cream, blueberries, strawberries and sprinkled with chopped nuts (R40), a steal at the price and a refreshing end to a surprisingly successful meal.  Other dessert options cost R45 for chocolate pot, lemon tart, and a cheese platter.

The winelist is also printed on paper, and Klein Genot wines feature in all varieties offered, and is the only brand served by the glass, except for the sparkling wine, which is by Pierre Jourdan, at R42 (R170) for a glass of Brut and R59 (R235) for the Belle Rose.   A small selection of no more than three brands is offered per variety.  Only the Klein Genot vintages are supplied, not those of the other brands.   No information about the region of origin is provided.   Other than the Klein Genot 2007 Shiraz (R57/R170), Heron Ridge (R120) and Kevin Arnold’s (R395) Shiraz are sold. 

The Franschhoek Kitchen was a breath of fresh (but hot) air, and I will certainly return, to see what Chef Bjorn has up his sleeve next.  He is planning classic movie nights on Wednesdays, accompanied by a three-course meal.  I wish him and the owners more business, as it felt extravagant to have the chef prepare the meal for me alone, but I did not complain!   I was impressed that the sprinklers had been switched off when I went back to my car, and that the security guard had the gate open for me when I left!

POSTSCRIPT: 11/1  I returned to Holden Manz for the Farmer’s Market last Saturday, which was not a typical representation of the foods which are normally available at the fortnightly markets, I was told.   Tonight I went for dinner with my nephew, and had a Caprese salad, with fresh rosa tomatoes and tender basil, served with a rich Buffalo Mozzarella, as a starter, and the prawns and asparagus for the main course.   I would have preferred the prawns to be deshelled, and had to ask for a finger bowl.   The sprinklers were set on a lower level, but still wet the pathway to the car.  The responsiveness by the security staff at the gate could be faster.   The restaurant has received a number of bookings since this review was published on Saturday, Chef Bjorn said proudly.  Now that I know the name of the Manager Martin, he is more responsive, and less introverted.   Chef Bjorn will also take over the Blog and start a Twitter account for Franschhoek Kitchen.

POSTSCRIPT 18/1:  I returned to Franschhoek Kitchen with two Whale Cottage Managers this evening, and all three of us had the linefish – Carole and I both chose the kingklip, served with baby potatoes, asparagus and the freshest Rosa tomatoes from the Holden Manz garden (R90).  Marianna had the sea bass, and found its taste ‘wilder’.   The kingklip was a generous and juicy portion, outstanding in preparation.  Chef Bjorn spoilt us with a platter of wonderful ham and salmon, mozzarella, greens, and olives, served with toasted ciabatta.   For dessert he sent us trial portions of new desserts that have been added to the menu – a brandy panacotta and a white chocolate mousse, the latter being an especially big hit, indulgently tasting a little like cookie batter with a soft meringue topping.    We had a wonderful evening, impressed even more by Chef Bjorn’s cuisine.   When one eats at Franschhoek Kitchen, one gets a glass of Klein Genot Rosé for free with the meal.

POSTSCRIPT 23/4: I returned to the Franschhoek Kitchen on a cold Easter weekend evening, and enjoyed the cosiness of the fire in the restaurant, as well as the good winter-style food prepared by Chef Bjorn Dingemans – wild mushroom and white truffle risotto starter, pork neck stuffed with sage and apple, and a selection of the desserts, including new pastry chef Stuart’s carrot cake, and poached pear and vanilla cream cheese, which the chef sent to the table.  It is good to hear that lunches are getting busy at the restaurant.  Evenings are still quiet, but guests can be collected from guest houses by the Holden Manz shuttle.

POSTSCRIPT 7/8:  Last night I enjoyed one of the Fondue is Fun evenings at Franschhoek Kitchen, which have been a sell-out success since they were introduced earlier this winter.  A fondue pot with boiling oil was set in the centre of the table, and surrounding it was a collection of glass jars, containing fish, chicken, beef strips and prawns, and bowls of boiled potato pieces and crumbed mushrooms.  Sauces one could dip the meat and vegetables into before cooking them were a champagne batter, sweet chilli sauce, and jus.  A collection of spices was also available for dusting one’s fondue items: cajun, fish and vegetable spice.  Delicious crispy bread was available.   We were offered a glass of new Holden Manz port, in an elegant glass.  The fun really started when all the diners were divided into groups, and wine manager Guy Kedian became the quiz-master, testing the Trivial Pursuit knowledge of all present.  Correct answers were rewarded with a point, and for each incorrect answer, the team lost a point.  This brain-taxing exercise was followed by a wonderful Lindt chocolate fondue, with which was served pieces of fruit, Brownies and donuts, all delicious when dipped into the chocolate.  Everyone had a wonderful fun evening.  Further Fondue is Fun evenings this month take place on 17 and 27 August, and cost R150, excluding drinks.

Franschhoek Kitchen, Holden Manz Wine Estate,  Green Valley Road, Franschhoek.   Tel (021) 876- 2729.  www.holdenmanz.com. (The website contains the menu, still lists the festive season specials, and has a small gallery of only interior shots, with no food shots.   A blog has been started, with only three posts to date).  Open Tuesday – Saturday 10h00 – 22h00, and on Sundays 10h00 – 15h00. (The menu says: “sunday is family day – slow cooked lunch or braai”).  No Breakfast is served, only lunch and dinner (the website says Breakfast is served every second Saturday when they host the Farmer’s Market, contrary to the waiter’s information).   Picnics are also offered.

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