Tag Archives: Wimpy

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 27 March

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Good news for long-haul travellers from the UK is the announcement by its government that from April 2015 the Air Passenger Duty will decrease, with the tax falling away on all flights with a destination less than 2000 miles from London, and the tax to be levied on destinations 2000+ miles from London will be at a lower rate. The UK has the highest departure tax ‘in the Western world‘, which has increased by 470% since 2007!  It also is the country with the second worst rated air tax and airport charges in the world!

*   Metrorail is to receive R233 million from the Transport Ministry to address its commuters complaints: too few trains, not frequent enough, not punctual, dirty, broken carriage windows, infrastructure problems at Cape Town station, lack of security, and no communication about delays, reports the Cape Times.   Upgrades to track infrastructure will also be addressed.

*   Lufthansa, Condor, TUIFly, and Air Berlin are cancelling flights and expecting delays due to public sector ground Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: Tashas in V&A Waterfront friendly staff, shocking unhealthy food!

Tasha's Fruit and lights Whale Cottage PortfolioMy 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 WaterfrontTasha's Rayne Roll Whale Cottage Portfolio 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

Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 31 October

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The Washington Post recommends Mullineux Chenin Blanc and AA Badenhorst Secateurs as two of five good food pairing wines.

*   SAA is discounting flights between Johannesburg and New York or Washington to $855 for the dates 10 – 30 November, in a promotion called ‘November to Remember’.

*   The SA Vodka Festival, which was scheduled to be held at The Lookout in the V&A Waterfront from 30 October – 1 November, was cancelled a few hours before the doors were to open!  No explanation has been provided to exhibitors and to the public to date.

*   South Africa’s first Mzansi Latino Festival will be held at the River Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine headline news: 5 July

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine headline news

*   A World Cup of Wines has been suggested, tongue in cheek, on Tim Atkin’s blog!

*   Elliott, the red Coca-Cola Crate Fan in the V&A Waterfront, erected for the 2010 World Cup, is being dismantled, the V&A has announced.

*   Famous Brands has just opened Steers in the UK, already having opened a number of Wimpy restaurants in that country, reports Business Day

*   The ‘Kate Effect‘ has ensured that London has not suffered the post-Olympic tourism dip which most host cities, including those in South Africa, go through after a world event.

*   Mainland China and Hong Kong are the target of a Wines of South Africa (WOSA)  marketing campaign, writes HKTDC Research. Continue reading →