{"id":65694,"date":"2015-01-25T00:07:17","date_gmt":"2015-01-24T22:07:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=65694"},"modified":"2015-01-29T18:49:03","modified_gmt":"2015-01-29T16:49:03","slug":"restaurant-review-biga-cafe-bakery-deli-in-hermanus-has-organic-breads-very-rude-owners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/restaurant-review-biga-cafe-bakery-deli-in-hermanus-has-organic-breads-very-rude-owners\/","title":{"rendered":"Restaurant Review: Biga Cafe, Bakery and Deli in Hermanus has ‘organic breads’, very rude owners!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Biga<\/a>Within 2 minutes of walking into Biga Caf\u00e9, Bakery, and Deli the rudeness of co-owner Hanli Carstenson came to the fore, and this continued from her, magnified by a rude departure ‘greeting<\/em>‘ from fellow co-owner Glen Herringshaw, when I popped in there yesterday, after visiting the Hermanuspietersfontein market further down the street!<\/p>\n

Biga (meaning sourdough starter in Italian, Hanli said) has been open since December, and has taken over the space of former Season, one of the few restaurants in Hermanus which I enjoyed eating at (mainly for its calf’s liver and mash). \u00a0It has also taken over some of the space of Hornbill House, an art gallery, which still exists but in a reduced space.<\/p>\n

On arrival I photographed the interior, and the Bakery treats. \u00a0I wanted to photograph the breads, even though most of them were\"Biga<\/a> wrapped in paper, making it hard to recognise them. \u00a0I asked the staff member manning the Bakery sales who the owner is, and he could not remember the name. \u00a0Hanli arrived, to write down the names of the three owners, and stood in the way of my bread photograph. \u00a0I asked her if she could stand out of the picture, but she refused, saying that I would have to wait until she was done! Suspiciously she asked me why I was taking photographs (I had not intended to write a review initially, but after what I experienced there, I decided to take notes). \u00a0The waiter told me that Hanli had previously managed the Gecko Bar in Hermanus. \u00a0Glen told me proudly that he owned two restaurants in Cape Town, both of which I had not heard of before: Nag’s Head in Noordhoek (now owned by Bobbie Skinstad and renamed The Toad in the Village seven years ago) and Restaurant 101 at Simonsvlei, appearing to have been owned by him more than 10 years ago! \u00a0A Google search did not bring up Glen’s name at all, and it appeared that Hanli had misspelt his surname as ‘Herningshaw’<\/em>! Glen Herringshaw is the General Manager of Brandability, a promotions company. \u00a0 Third co-owner is Charl Myburgh, Sales Manager of Brandability. \u00a0I was told that there is a silent partner too, with the emphasis on the ‘silent’<\/em>!<\/p>\n

Devon, the waiter serving me, was new to the restaurant and to Hermanus, so had to go backwards and forwards to get my questions answered. He was willing to assist, and came back regularly to check if all is OK, an unusual good touch of service. \u00a0The restaurant is very spacious, and much lighter than I remember of Season, and one steps straight into the restaurant, instead of having to take a side \"Biga<\/a>door. The Season section now is the open-plan bakery, it appears, and other dishes probably are prepared in \"Biga<\/a>the former Season kitchen. One can still sit outside in an enlarged patio covered with greenery, helping to protect one from the heat of the day. \u00a0Outside one sits at the bunk benches which Season had previously. \u00a0 There is ample seating, probably catering for 50 patrons or more, very rustic basic tables and chairs set up inside in different sections, facing the parking, inside the ‘Deli’<\/em> section, against the Bakery, and in what looked like the coffee-making area with an unusual library! \u00a0No more than four tables were \u00a0taken in the hour in which I was there. \u00a0The tables have a cactus plant in a terracotta pot, natural Himalayan salt and black pepper grinders, \u00a0sugar sticks in a ‘blikbeker’, unbranded balsamic vinegar and olive oil bottles, \u00a0and a tin can containing paper serviettes and the cutlery.<\/p>\n

\"Biga<\/a>The ‘Deli’<\/em> name is a misnomer, represented by only one shelving unit, which contains tomato chutney, \"Biga<\/a>Oryx desert salts, Bourbon vanilla sugar, sweet chili sauces, raspberry preserve, coffee plungers, Eric Todd peri-peri sauces, The Treat Company crisps and sweets, Leo Foods biscotti and biscuits, and Beer Bread Mix. \u00a0At the entrance one can decant olive oil from \u00a0a large Hemelsrand container, at R 110 for 1 liter and R55 for 500ml, in the branded tin, or R20 less if one brings one’s own container.<\/p>\n

The menu and winelist is printed on two A4 sheets. \u00a0It is introduced as follows: ‘We keep it simple with healthy ingredients, good bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, locally sourced wherever possible’. \u00a0 A<\/em>n all-day Breakfast is served. \u00a0 It states that its ‘organic bread<\/em>‘ is baked fresh every day, and contains nuts, organic flour, seeds,and grains. \u00a0Breakfast options are widespread and unusual: croissants (R18 – R20), Gypsey ham and cheese croissant (R28), Banana bread with mascarpone and preserved figs (R35), avocado and tomatoes on toast (R27), fruit salad (R25), granola parfait (R27), French Toast (R35), and free-range scrambled egg \"Biga<\/a>with tomato jam and organic bread (R 27). Scrambled egg on a croissant costs a surprising R8 more!<\/p>\n

I ordered the egg with bread, and asked for the tomato jam to be excluded, but there was no reduction on the price, I was told, as it was a\u00a0‘free addition<\/em>‘ to the plate! I ordered avocado in its stead, at an extra R10. \u00a0The bread is not toasted, and one receives a slice of rye bread (with a very hard crust) and one of ciabatta, with two melted portions of butter. \u00a0I asked for cold butter, which waiter Devon brought. \u00a0I had asked Devon to ensure that no salt or pepper or any additive such as balsamic vinegar be added, \u00a0but it arrived drizzled with olive oil, and covered with salt and pepper, with a pea shoot as garnish. \u00a0Devon took the plate back and had the egg made again. \u00a0The next challenge was ordering a glass of orange juice, which only comes with carrot and mint. \u00a0After some negotiation, I was allowed the glass of pure orange juice (R15), delicious with lots of ice on the very hot day.<\/p>\n

The Lunch menu offers a platter of ‘Artisan Breads and dips’<\/em> at R 35, with German cured meats costing R45 extra, and Fairview cheeses at R20 extra. \u00a0Quiches cost R49. The Biga Burger costs R65, with add-on options priced separately. \u00a0Hot tartines cost R69, and cold ones R49 – R85. \u00a0Salads cost R55 – R75. \u00a0Sandwiches range from R35 – R45. \u00a0 Only five ( Hornbill Pinotage and Cape Blend, Hermanuspietersfontein Bloos, and Walkerbay Cabernet Sauvignon and Ros\u00e9) of the 13 wines on the ‘Wine Menu’<\/em> are from Hermanus, ironic as the restaurant is in the Hermanus Wine Village precinct, and at the start to the Hermanus Wine Route! \u00a0Only two wines are offered by the glass. No vintages are provided.<\/p>\n

The display of the small selection of Bakery treats includes croissants (R18 – R20), salted chocolate caramel tarts (R18), and carrot\"Biga<\/a> cake cupcakes (R20). \u00a0The bread prices are not visible.<\/p>\n

The music at Biga was lovely, Cuban-style, with a short unwelcome interruption of some heavy pop. \u00a0There is more energy at Biga than I ever experienced at Season. \u00a0 I stopped at the entrance to pay, after having requested a chocolate croissant as a take-away. \u00a0A man sitting at the bar counter, who turned out to be Glen, begrudgingly answered some questions, becoming ruder and ruder as he went along. \u00a0He then aggressively told me that no one else has ever complained, and I replied that I had not complained, but that a number of mistakes had been made in respect of my order. \u00a0I had not voiced any dissatisfaction to the waiter, other than requesting that the mistakes be rectified. \u00a0He did not get up when speaking to me, and had not made any effort to come to my table to find out if all was to my satisfaction before. \u00a0He then lambasted me for having asked Hanli to move for the photograph, embellishing the feedback with a number of f-words, which was shocking, coming from a co-owner, and in addressing a customer. \u00a0Ironic is that the bill comes with a questionnaire, requesting a rating of food quality, service quality, and atmosphere, \u00a0as well as suggestions for improvement. \u00a0The final blow was Devon – when I received the bill for R72, I gave him R102. I was shocked when he asked me if I wanted change, implying a 40% tip!!!!!!!! \u00a0With two of the three co-owners being so rude, and so many errors made, time will tell if Biga will survive seasonal and fickle Hermanus!<\/p>\n

POSTSCRIPT 29\/1:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0A reader of this blog has questioned the claim of ‘organic bread’<\/em> sold by Biga, and a call to Biga identified the source of the flour as Eureka, which is NOT organic. \u00a0Eureka owner Nico confirmed that it is not organic, and said that their flour has: ‘No additives, preservatives, or bleaches’!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Biga Caf\u00e9, Deli, and Bakery<\/strong>, Hemel-en-Aarde Village. Hermanus. \u00a0 Tel (028) 125-0025. \u00a0www.biga.co.za<\/strong><\/span><\/a> (under construction) No Twitter. On Facebook and Instagram. \u00a0 Tuesday – Sunday Breakfast and Lunch.<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio:\u00a0www.whalecottage.com<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 Tel (021) 433-2100, Twitter:@WhaleCottage Facebook: \u00a0<\/strong>click here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Within 2 minutes of walking into Biga Caf\u00e9, Bakery, and Deli the rudeness of co-owner Hanli Carstenson came to the fore, and this continued from her, magnified by a rude departure ‘greeting‘ from fellow co-owner Glen Herringshaw, when I popped in there yesterday, after visiting the Hermanuspietersfontein market further down the street! Biga (meaning sourdough […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[3,124,75,27383,20,21],"tags":[2187,29650,29635,29640,29646,29643,12137,29644,32378,253,29647,2381,270,29638,29637,29636,29648,32377,2503,26158,3438,29645,20059,19921,29649,29639,18303,773,17849,29642,3625,4786,25655,29641,21221],"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