Tag Archives: Whale Cottage Portfolio

Tokara Delicatessen a huge improvement, with new management and chef!

Mimagey first visit in 2010 to what was then called Tokara DeliCATessen was very disappointing. In July the ownership team of the Tokara Restaurant took over the management of the now named Tokara Delicatessen, and moved its Chef Aviv Liebenberg from its Tokara Restaurant to the Delicatessen, raising the bar greatly!

Previously the Tokara Delicatessen was managed by Tokara owner GT Ferreira’s wife and daughter, and a succession of chefs was in the kitchen over the years. Food was average and service poor, but the building Continue reading →

Bistro13 pops up at pop-up Hands On Street Food by Nic van Wyk at De Warenmarkt!

imageA year after opening at Stellenbosch Vineyards, Bistro 13 has opened as a pop-up restaurant at De Warenmarkt in Stellenbosch, called Hands On Street Food by Nic van Wyk.

I popped in at De Warenmarkt yesterday, and was lucky to find owner a chef Nic van Wyk in attendance. He motivated their three-month presence at the trendy new Deli/retail outlet/restaurant space as an opportunity to offer employment to former staff members who approached him for a job, but which he can not accommodate at his Bistro 13. He has given
the staff at the pop-up a three-month contract. Chef Nic follows in the footsteps of  Chef George Jardine, who opened up with De Warenmarkt in July as its first pop-up. Chef Nic helped plan the pop-up at De Warenmarkt when it first opened.

The menu is casually written on a paper sheet behind the payment counter, but A5 copies of it is also Continue reading →

Cape Winemakers Guild Auction 2015 reaches new records!

Cape Winemaker Guild bottleThe 31st Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) Auction 2015 held at the Spier Conference Centre today achieved almost the same total as last year, at R11,8 million, despite 264 fewer cases having been sold today. Record prices for red and white wines were achieved, with an increase in the average price per case of 10%. The average price per case was R4599, or R767 per bottle. The 2015 revenue generated by the Auction was about R 100000 lower than that of 2014.

The 55 wines sold at the Auction today were 34 red wines, 17 white wines, 3 Méthode Cap Classique, and a dessert wine. The highest price achieved at the Auction was for the Kanonkop CWG Continue reading →

Terroir launches its fresh and saucy new Spring menu at Kleine Zalze!

imageYesterday I tried the new Spring menu of Chef Michael Broughton of Terroir on Kleine Zalze estate. The dishes are refreshing, and each dish is characterized by Chef Michael’s love for distinctive sauces.

The invitation to lunch at Terroir had come in winter, Manley Communications inviting me to try Terroir’s winter small plate main course menu. I do not get to Stellenbosch that often, having been in Franschhoek more often, and the one time that I could make the lunch the restaurant was closed for its winter break. Despite the winter special having expired on Continue reading →