{"id":22352,"date":"2011-07-04T10:37:08","date_gmt":"2011-07-04T08:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=22352"},"modified":"2012-03-02T20:21:18","modified_gmt":"2012-03-02T18:21:18","slug":"de-huguenot-estate-marries-history-and-modernity-in-pniel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/restaurant-news\/de-huguenot-estate-marries-history-and-modernity-in-pniel\/","title":{"rendered":"De Huguenot Estate marries history and modernity in Pniel!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I was invited by Manley Communications to try out the new The Marianne restaurant, which opened on Saturday on the De Huguenot Estate, almost two weeks ago.\u00a0 While the property was not yet ready to receive guests at that time, the lunch\u00a0gave us a good indication of the good things to come.<\/p>\n

The 2,8 hectare De Huguenot Estate was bought by Tom and Marianne Gray about five years ago, previously having owned Highlands Guest House in Kenilworth.\u00a0 \u00a0The property is located alongside a wall that was built in the past year, whilst the road repairs in Pniel were done, with the Johannesdal name on it.\u00a0 Tom told me that Johannesdal was a block of eight plots that was allocated to freed slaves, who settled in Pniel, and they named their joint land Johannesdal.\u00a0 De Huguenot Estate is one of the blocks, and has the most magnificent view onto the Groot Drakenstein mountains.\u00a0 De Huguenot Estate has one of the oldest buildings in Pniel, in which the Grays live, previously having been a stable and which was built in 1820, about\u00a0twenty-five years before Pniel was founded.\u00a0 We couldn’t have chosen a better sunny winter’s day, which enhanced the enjoyment.\u00a0 In the distance we were shown the recently acquired 550 hectare property of Dick Enthoven, owner of Spier, which stretches all the way to Boschendal, and where he will set up polo grounds.<\/p>\n

The property has four luxury suites, one of them a\u00a0Honeymoon Suite, and will be looking to attract wedding business.\u00a0 It has the Harry Q Bar (at which Chef Tanja\u00a0will be serving what she calls “Floating Food”, being\u00a0reasonably priced ‘sharing’ tapas with a difference) and Fra\u00eeche Deli and Caf\u00e9 (to serve freshly baked breads, pastries, scones,\u00a0quiches, and cakes, as well as all day breakfasts, and\u00a0other lunch and treat options), and The Marianne restaurant.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Marianne is a generously sized room with a fireplace, facing the mountains, and looks onto a massive oak tree, the valley and the mountains.\u00a0 The walls are painted a soothing grey, and this is the colour of the staff uniforms too, apt given the owners’ surname!\u00a0\u00a0 For the lunch we were seated at one long table, being\u00a0a collection of wedding planners, event co-ordinators, and writers.\u00a0\u00a0 Antique furniture is married with modern.\u00a0 The impressive star heading up the kitchen is Chef Tanja Kruger, a talented winner of\u00a0the Chaine de Rotisseurs Young Chef of the Year 2008,\u00a0and a member of the South African Culinary Olympic Team,\u00a0who moved from Hunter’s Country House in Plettenberg Bay, having worked at Lanzerac, the Radisson Hotel and Five Flies before.\u00a0 Her Sous Chef is Christo Pretorius, 2010 Unilever Young Chef of the Year.\u00a0 The patissier is Olga Puru, who will be doing the baking, and will make the wedding cakes too.\u00a0 A vegetable garden has been established, and Chef Tanja will be focusing on using the freshest produce to prepare her food on Slow Food principles. Marianne Gray is charming, and she made us laugh when she said she is the owner of the wonderful new property, but cannot cook an egg nor does she drink alcohol!\u00a0 But it is clear that she loves people and is a good entertainer and hostess.\u00a0 We were welcomed with a glass of Colmant sparkling wine, and I enjoyed the Thelema Red wine.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Our menu was printed on classy silver paper, and was representative of the food to be served\u00a0at The Marianne, with prices indicative of what will be charged.\u00a0 We were offered a choice of seven starters, nine main courses and eight desserts, and we could see each others beautifully presented dishes as they came out of the kitchen.\u00a0 I chose Rabbit for the starter, my first ever, a pistachio crusted saddle of rabbit and bacon pressed flank, served with liver parfait, an apple and raisin chutney, pickled shimiji and succotash (a corn, bean and tomato stew), which will cost R75.\u00a0 Other starter choices are a Baby Iceberg salad, and Cauliflower custard\u00a0and sweetcorn velout\u00e9 (R40), Oxtail ravioli and Fairview Chevin and apple terrine\u00a0(both R55), Quail curry (R65), and Pan seared scallops served with black pudding and sugar snap pesto (R75).\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Main courses range from R80 – R135, and I chose the Sticky pork belly, which was served with apple and sweet potato puree, celeriac remoulade, apple crisps, roasted root vegetables and honey cider jus (R120).\u00a0\u00a0 It was hard to choose a dish out of the\u00a0list of beautifully presented options, and I look forward to coming back, to try some of the other main courses, including Asparagus and mushroom bolognaise; a Caramelized onion, olive and Brie tart; an interesting sounding “Exploration of fish pie”; Prawn laksa, served with basmati rice and a laksa curry sauce; Roast rack of lamb; Chalmar beef sirloin; and “Hot smoked free range baby chicken”. For dessert, which all cost R45,\u00a0\"\"<\/a>I chose the Valrhona dark chocolate fondant, which oozed thick rich chocolate, and was served with honeycomb, milk chocolate ice cream as well as chocolate soil.\u00a0\u00a0 Other choices were a passion fruit souffl\u00e9; Orange cr\u00e8me caramel; poppyseed pannacotta; banana split, which was a deconstructed collection of deep fried banana custard, macerated cherries, caramelised banana, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and nut brittle; Sticky toffee pudding; and Blue cheese trifle.\u00a0 What impressed was the Cheese board, which one can make up from a selection of eight cheeses, including\u00a0an aptly named\u00a0Huguenot, each costing R20, and to which one can add homemade watermelon preserve.<\/p>\n

The Marianne Restaurant\u00a0adds another fine dining restaurant to the Stellenbosch Restaurant Route<\/a>, <\/span><\/strong>and adds\u00a0another splendid restaurant to the Helshoogte Pass area, which includes Tokara and Delaire Graff.\u00a0 I will be trying out the other dishes at The Marianne, and also Fra\u00eeche.\u00a0 I liked the friendliness of the owners, and know that De Huguenot Estate will become a new food lovers’ destination in what is now South Africa’s new gourmet centre.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>POSTSCRIPT 14\/7:<\/strong>I returned this evening, to try the Harry Q bar for tapas – good quality, and value for money Seafood pops (hake and prawn tempura) at R45, Chicken Satay (R35), and home-made Marshmallow with a Valrhona chocolate ganache dip (R40).\u00a0 Other tapas one can order include soup, mini Caesar salad, Caprese salad, ‘nude oysters’, Franschhoek salmon fish cakes, smoked gnocchi, pea and ham risotto, Aubergine Roulade, Pepperdew poppers, Spiced pork riblets, Fried Fairview Crotin, Beef short rib croquettes, and venison boerewors.\u00a0Sweet tapas range in price from R30 – R40, and include homemade chocolate brownies, truffles and fudge, macaroons, and strawberries, all of which can be ordered with Valronah ganache or toffee sauce, at R10 each.<\/p>\n

Manager Philip told us that owner Marianne has protested about the use of her name for the restaurant, and therefore it\u00a0is now\u00a0called de Huguenot.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>POSTSCRIPT 7\/8<\/strong>: I had my first lunch since the opening of de Huguenot to the public today, struggling to book telephonically earlier in the morning, but managing to do so by Twitter.\u00a0 The restaurant was heavily booked, and had\u00a0a nice smoky smell from the lit\u00a0fire.\u00a0 The restaurant windows allowed one to see the snow-topped Franschhoek mountain peaks in the distance.\u00a0 A vase with daffodils and anenomes was on the table.\u00a0 Fortis Hotelware cutlery was laid on the table, on a\u00a0quality white table cloth.\u00a0 The serviette was forgotten.\u00a0\u00a0 The menu has not changed from the one we saw at the launch lunch, as written about above.\u00a0\u00a0 A bread plate with a home-made seed loaf and two rolls were brought to the table with parsley-topped butter a minute before the food was served.\u00a0 I loved the seedloaf so much that Manager Philip sold me the left-over loaf.\u00a0 I ordered Asparagus and Mushroom bolognaise, made with lime spaghetti,\u00a0a tomato sauce, and topped with parmesan shavings (R75).\u00a0\u00a0It probably was not the best representation of Chef Tanja’s culinary skills.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a>Much more interesting was the Banana Split, which was a deconstructed dessert with slices of banana, a deep fried banana custard, macerated cherries, nut brittle, chocolate sauce, and a ball of chocolate (R45).\u00a0The waiter that served me lacked polish and experience, and his service was not reflective of the quality of Chef Tanja’s food.\u00a0The winelist look rather weathered from heavy use.\u00a0MCC’s offered are Moreson’s Miss Molly (R150), Colmant Brut Reserve (R35\/R195), and Graham Beck Brut (R235).\u00a0 White wines by the glass are Thelema Sutherland Sauvignon Blanc (R25\/R99), and Ken Forrester Petite Chenin (R25\/R99).\u00a0 Red wines by the glass are Thelema Mountain Red(R25\/R99), and Ken Forrester Petite Cabernet\/Merlot and Petite Pinotage (R25\/R95).\u00a0 Six Shiraz options are offered, ranging from R145 for a 2010 Guardian Peak to R325 for Hartenberg 2007.<\/p>\n

POSTSCRIPT 14\/10<\/strong>: Sadly the De Huguenot Restaurant will close down on 31 October. \u00a0Fra\u00eeche is no longer happening, and the Harry Q bar will become a breakfast, lunch and dinner venue. \u00a0The venue will focus on weddings and events.<\/p>\n

POSTSCRIPT 2\/3<\/strong>: Sadly, De Huguenot Estate will be auctioned on 14 March.<\/p>\n

de Huguenot\u00a0Restaurant, Fra\u00eeche Deli and Caf\u00e9,\u00a0and Harry Q Bar, <\/strong>De Huguenot Estate, R310, Helshoogte Road, Johannesdal, Pniel, between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.\u00a0 Tel 021 885-1240.\u00a0 www.dehuguenot.co.za<\/a> (Website still under construction).\u00a0 Open ‘360\u00b0’, as Chef Tanja put it, Mondays – Sundays for breakfast and lunch, and eventually for dinner.<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com<\/a> Twitter:@WhaleCottage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was invited by Manley Communications to try out the new The Marianne restaurant, which opened on Saturday on the De Huguenot Estate, almost two weeks ago.\u00a0 While the property was not yet ready to receive guests at that time, the lunch\u00a0gave us a good indication of the good things to come. The 2,8 hectare […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[124,20,31,21],"tags":[2085,12140,12137,12152,32378,12139,224,12426,11772,1736,253,12133,499,12136,8996,12010,32369,2291,226,12132,2887,12135,410,1688,3961,12143,1383,12131,393,9273,8154,12130,12666,12141,12128,12134,12153,12138,52,32376,6086,9182,1074,12008,12142,59,12129,11693,277,32373],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t