Swartland Country Market – Part 1 of 2

I first saw the article for this the day before and thought that it would be a great market to see. But after getting home pretty late on Friday/Saturday I wasn’t keen on driving to the Swartland. Saturday afternoon I actually read the article and realized that the festival was at Kirstenbosch, a 5 minute drive from home. After a quick decision and a promise to myself that I would only look, taste and not buy, I headed out.

Arriving at the market, I realised that it was much smaller than I expected. But there were plenty of wine makers around and it was the perfect way to spend a Saturday in Cape Town: a sunny day, the mountain in the background, and a glass of wine in your hand. I must admit, it was my first outing on my own. So I was a bit nervous about how to chat to the wine makers. Normally there’s a friend around to nod at whatever nonsense I say, convincing the seller that I’ve been doing this for years. 

I started at Pulpit Rock. I was quite intimidated as there were so many people huddled around this table. So I quietly asked to taste their Chenin Blanc (2015) and their Swartland Stories Shiraz Pinotage Grenache (2013). The Chenin had a tropical nose and on the palate you tasted the green apple. A lovely fresh wine. The Shiraz Pinotage Grenache was a lovely dark shade of red. On the nose was red fruits, while on the palate was blackcurrant and chocolate with a little bit of smokiness.

After a nerve-wrecking experience at Pulpit Rock, I headed to Winkelshoek where a friendly face welcomed me. After 2 glasses of wine I was relaxed and had my game face on. On offer they had the Schenkfontein wines and the Weskus wines.  First I tried the Weskus Chenin Blanc (2015), which was light and fruity. Next I tried the Schenkfontein Shiraz (2015), which was also light and had a red fruits taste. I was surprised as to how light both wines were.

Then was Wildehurst Wines, which had 2 wines to taste: Veloblanc (2015) and Velorosé (2015). The Veloblanc was a white blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier, and Colombar. It is an unwooded wine that is light and has a tropical fruit nose. You could taste pears and nectarines. The Velorosé was delectable. On the rose was strawberries and on the palate was berries. Both wines are clearly meant to be enjoyed on a sunny, summer day.

I made my way to the more well-established vineyards. First was Kloovenburg, that was established in 1704 and is the oldest vineyard in the Riebeek Kasteel. I started with the Sauvignon Blanc (2014), the first for my day. The wine had a hint of green colour and a tropical fruit aroma. On the palate was peaches and green apple. Then the Shiraz Rosé (2014), that was a lovely colour of salmon pink. The rosé had a strawberry aroma, with a sweet melon taste, although a bit acidic. The last wine I tried was the Shiraz (2013). The wine had a peppery note and on the palate was black and red fruit. I must say my chat with the wine maker was quite interesting. He started off in English and finished off in Afrikaans. I don’t even think he noticed that he switched 😛 . Clearly he also likes his wines 😉 .

As there were 8 vineyards there, I decided to break up this blog into 2 sections. Part 2 coming next week 😉 . Stay tuned folks 😀 .

Bientang’s Cave

I traveled to Hermanus recently for the Whale watching festival. En route to Hermanus I was amping myself for all the amazing whale sights I was going to see. Friday afternoon provided an inkling of hope but Saturday morning provided nothing. Defeated, I gave up on seeing any whales. Queue melodramatic music. However, with one last hope I made a booking at Bientang’s Cave for lunch. If I wasn’t going to see any whales, I was going to sit in a cave and enjoy the view of the ocean.

Bientang’s Cave is a well-known restaurant for enjoying lunch and whale-watching. The restaurant is well-situated, offering seating close to the rockside (inside seating) or outside seating. The outside seating is incredible. You can sit overlooking the ocean or, if  you’re brave, you can sit on the rocks with the mist from the waves cooling you down. It also has an extensive menu, so everyone’s preferences are met.

The oysters was the first thing ordered. That’s always a great idea when you’re at a coastal town. The oysters were so fresh and, even without any Tabasco sauce, they tasted great.

I had the seafood platter for one that had all the seafood you need. The pan-fried prawns were spicy and cooked well. The mussels were cooked in a white wine sauce, that was creamy but the wine was overpowering. The dish also had deep-fried calamari, which was overcooked. I’m also not a fan of deep-fried calamari so not have a grilled option was disappointing. There was also pan-fried fish of the day, which I assumed was hake. The waitress didn’t know either. The fish was tender and seasoned well. The platter also came with slaap-chips (or fat versions of French Fries), that were way too soggy, rice, and 2 sauces (a butter-garlic sauce and tartar sauce).

My creative boyfriend ordered the ordinary calamari burger. The calamari burger consisted of  deep-fried calamari, that came with French Fries as well. The burger was quite ordinary, nothing to excite the palate. If you were hungry and wanted a burger, the calamari burger is for you.

Bientang’s Cave is a great place for whale sightings and to eat something while you watch the whales frolick around. I spent 2 hours watching whales breach and I must admit that seeing them so close to shore is an amazing experience. In terms of food, however, there are plenty of places in Hermanus town that offer better quality food and lower prices.

I give Bientang’s Cave 1 and a half cupcakes (the half a cupcake is for the view 😉 )

   

Review guide:

Poor                   

Fair                    

Good                 

Very Good        

Excellent            

Extraordinary     

Rua

“Offering the best in European street food” was all I had to read to peek my interest in Rua, a recent restaurant that opened in Cape Town. Rua is located in Wembley Square in Gardens, making it conveniently placed. The restaurant is decorated well: it has a wood feel and plenty of Cuban art-pieces, creating a relaxed ambiance. I was already excited about Rua just from the decor!

My boyfriend and I arrived at Rua just after 4pm so it was quite empty, there were only a few tables occupied. After finally managing to get the attention of a waiter, we ordered as many tapas as our stomachs could handle.

First off was the rosemary salted hand cut chips. The chips were seasoned well and were quite thick. But they were soggy, which became unappetizing after a while.

Rosemary salted chips

Next was the Panko Crumbed Prawns with Harissa spiced mayo. This dish was also disappointing. The prawns were doughy, so after a few bites, I felt it was best not to finish it. The sauce was not spicy and tasted like a thousand island sauce. There definitely was no harissa in it.

Panko crumbed prawns

The next dish was the chicken and pineapple springrolls. An interesting combination for a spring roll and came with a sauce, that tasted of hoisin and plum sauce. The chicken was cooked well and the pineapple added sweetness that cut through the heaviness of the sauce. However, the pastry was too thick. There was more pastry than required, making the spring roll heavy.

Chicken and pineapple spring rolls

Out of intrigue we ordered the chicken popcorn. Bad choice again. While the popcorn was crunchy, it was very oily. I enjoy greasy food every now and then but when I can taste the oil is where it becomes too much. The popcorn was also left unfinished.

Chicken popcorn

At this point, we hadn’t finished anything we ordered. The last 2 dishes were the Deep Fried Beef Ravioli and the baby calamari. The ravioli was accompanied by tomato salsa (which was more like a sauce), guacamole and creme fraiche. Most of the ravioli was delicious. The rest was too hard to eat. The ravioli was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, with the beef cooked well. It went well with the accompaniments, add a mexican flavour to the dish.

Deep fried beef ravioli

The calamari came with a garlic aioli and was also delicous. The calamari was cooked well, not chewy at all. Although not mentioned on the menu, the dish came with a salsa that added spiciness to the calamari (and also to the chips 😛 ). The aioli helped with cooling down the spiciness. After the previous 4 dishes, the last 2 were were welcomed.

Calamari

It seems that the dishes are hit or miss at Rua, which is disappointing. The tapas are priced between R25 and R65, which is quite pricey given the poor quality of the food. I must admit though, the tapas were presented well.

Aside from the food quality, the service was poor. This seems to be a problem that a few places in Cape Town suffer from and restaurants don’t realise that poor service ruins your experience. As I mentioned, it was quite empty while we were at Rua so one would think that you will have an attentive waiter. This wasn’t the case. The waiter never checked on us, even when bringing more dishes. Getting the attention of the waiter was another problem, as it took about 10 minutes to get the attention of any waiter and a few more minutes before our waiter arrived.

I was torn between giving Rua zero or one cupcake due to the poor food quality and service. But the ambiance was great! So I’m giving Rua half a cupcake. Sad really, seeing that I was really excited to eat here.

    

Review guide:

Poor                   

Fair                    

Good                 

Very Good        

Excellent            

Extraordinary     

Downtown Ramen

There’s been a number of dives that have opened in Cape Town. One of which is Downtown Ramen that opened in April this year. Downtown Ramen is located in Lefty’s, on Harrington Street. Although the place is small, it’s cosy and warm with the unique art. The menu is also quite small, with the main dish being the Shoyu (pork ramen).

My favourite to start off with is the bao. Bao is a steamed bun that’s normally sweet. Downtown Ramen has 3 varieties: charsu pork belly, beer braised beef shortrib, and smoked aubergine and teriyaki tofu. Both the pork and beef come with a citrus pickle that adds a refreshing flavour to the heaviness of the meat, which is succulent and tender 😀 . The vegetarian option is just as tasty. The spicy pickle cuts through the melt-in-your-mouth teriyaki tofu, with the aubergine adding more flavour.

Aubergine and tofu bao

Beef bao

For mains, there’s four options: shoyu (ramen with pork belly); kimiko(vegetarian ramen option); laksha noodles; and thai beef massaman. The shoyu is a definite must-try! The noodles are done perfectly and the pork belly is tender, although a bit too fatty, while the delicious miso and ginger broth added more flavour.

Shoyu

The laksha noodles are really spicy! That warning is there for a reason. But before the chillies hit you, the laksha is creamy and delicious. The chicken and tofu are tender. However, after a few bites, the spiciness kills your tastebuds. Or maybe my boyfriend and I are just whimps 😛 .

Laksa Noodles

The beef massaman is very much a curry with noodles. The dish contains beef, noodles and potatoes. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this dish as much as the shoyu and was quite disappointed. Although the beef was tender, there was no coconut broth and the dish was very dry. The combination of the potatoes and noodles was a carb overdrive for me and made the dish too heavy.

Thai Beef Massaman

Nonetheless, Downtown Ramen is the perfect place for your ramen cravings, but I honestly wouldn’t go for the curry dishes. The service is great although it does get busy, so getting the attention of the only waiter can take some time. The place gets busy from around 7pm, and doesn’t take reservations, so it’s best to get there early.

I give Downtown Ramen 2 cupcakes out of 5.

    

Review guide:

Poor                   

Fair                    

Good                 

Very Good        

Excellent            

Extraordinary     

Jason Bakery

Jason Bakery can be found on my favourite street in Cape Town, Bree Street. After hearing about the restaurant and looking at the website, with it’s don’t-give-a-damn atttitude, I had to visit it. The mouth-watering photos that were posted sold any hesitation.

The restaurant can accommodate a number of people, both inside and outside, with the outside seating providing a view of Lion’s Head and the Bo-Kaap. So if it’s a sunny day, grab a table outside. And don’t be disturbed by the downhill on the one side, you won’t tumble down the road 😀 .

The menu has something for everyone with: pastries; savoury; all-day breakfasts; and sandwiches. Looking at the menu, I had to try was the Rebel Inside. A cheese and bacon muffin with a medium boiled egg in the middle. It was interesting to look at and I was sad to dig in. While the visual representation of the muffin was intriguing, it was a muffin at the end of the day. Something that hit me the second I bit into it. The egg provides some wetness to the muffin, and it is a delicious muffin, but I think I was expecting something else. Anyway, it’s a good quick breakfast packed with everything, if you’re hungry (it’s a big muffin).

Next was the scrambled eggs with roasted rosa tomatoes and wild rocket. This was ordered with sourdough and chorizo. All the ingredients worked well together as the chorizo provided saltiness and spiciness to the dish. The tomatoes added sweetness and the rocket added more depth. For such a simple dish, it was delightful.

However, my favourite was the breakfast pizza <3. Yes, it gets a heart because I loved every single bite. I finished that pizza on my own – my friend managed to get a small piece 😛 . On the pizza base is Shakshuka (my new favourite dish), chorizo, medium fried eggs, and buffalo mozzarella. Are you getting an idea of how decadent this pizza was, haha? The Shakshuka was divine, with a hint of spice, which was heightened by the spiciness of the chorizo (so you don’t need Tabasco for this dish. Trust me. Learn your lesson from me :-P). The mozzarella added creaminess to the pizza. It was fantastic. I still daydream about that pizza.  

Jason Bakery is a great place for breakfast, brunch or a quick lunch. The food is delicious and interesting. I’m lucky I don’t work near Bree Street, else I’d be there almost everyday. The service is also great and the vibe is chilled. The perfect way to spend your Saturday morning.

I give Jason Bakery 3 cupcakes out of 5.

    

Review guide:

Poor                   

Fair                    

Good                 

Very Good        

Excellent            

Extraordinary     

The Sidewalk Cafe

I’ve been living in Cape Town for just over 3 and a half years now. Although that’s a long time, there’s parts of the city I’ve haven’t explored. Case in point is Vredehoek, which is 10 minutes from me. So when a friend asked me to show another friend around, I saw it as an opportunity to do some exploring as well. After getting lost, we finally ended up at  The Sidewalk Cafe.

The Sidewalk Cafe is located at 33 Derry Street and has an amazing view of Table Mountain. The restaurant has a relaxing vibe as it’s decorated like a beach house. A place to unwind and catch-up, or in my case cross-examine a stranger about their life :-P. What’s more is that it’s part of Madame Zingara, so you can always expect something magical. For me, it was definitely the decor. I felt transported away.
The Sidewalk Cafe offers an a la carte menu and a set menu (of either 2 courses, R120, or 3 courses, R150). Of course I went for the 3 course menu, and so did my companion. In addition, the set menu comes with a free glass of wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot or some bubbles).

For starters, I had the smoked biltong and pea open ravioli. In case you don’t know what open ravioli is, because I had no idea such a thing existed, it’s ribbon-like pasta slices (looks like lasagna). The meal also came with a poached egg. The pasta with only the peas was quite plain and dull. The poached egg added some wetness to the dish and some flavour, but it couldn’t save it. The biltong came on the side, which was disappointing as I thought the dish would have a biltong smokiness.

My companion, chose wisely. She had the queso dip with chorizo cooked in adobo. It smelled amazing! The cheesy aroma had me drooling, wishing I could swap my starter. Aside from being cheesy, it also had the perfect amount of garlic and a little bit of a tomato salsa. With the spiciness of the chorizo and the crunchiness of the ciabatta toast, all the elements worked well.

Then for mains, we had the Kabboljou (which I think is actually Kabeljou and is also known as the South African Kob) with guava achar, spring salad and ciabatta toast. And which didn’t come with toast . It might have been a misprint on the menu. The fish was tender, but lacked seasoning on its own. The guava achar, which was sung by the waitress, was unique. It tasted very much like a curry sambal and it was very spicy (and had too much cinnamon). Placed on top of the fish was roasted guava, which was a pleasant surprise. The guava definitely added flavour to the fish, but it was too sweet for me. Although the salad did help reduce the sweetness of the achar.

Lastly, desert 😀 , my favourite meal. I had the oreo and strawberry white-chocolate tart, because who doesn’t like Oreos??? This was fantastic. The tart tasted just like Oreos and the white chocolate made it more delectable. The berry reduction and cream added even more sweetness to the dish. I loved it!

My companion had the roast apples and strawberries and cream. The roasted apples were tender but needed the strawberries and cream to make it sweeter. If you don’t prefer sweet desserts than the roasted apples are for you :-).

Overall, the vibe at The Sidewalk Cafe and the service was great. The portions were also humongous. However, for the food, enjoying the dishes depends on your preferences. For me, my favourite dish was the dessert (and I’d gladly order it again) but I doubt I’d order the starter or main.

I give The Sidewalk Cafe 2 cupcakes.

    

Review guide:

Poor                   

Fair                    

Good                 

Very Good        

Excellent            

Extraordinary     

Anthonij Rupert Wine

Located also in the picturesque valley of Franschoek is Anthonij Rupert Wine. Aside from its interesting name, locating the wine estate is an adventure of its own. I drove up and down the main road until I finally found it (some 10 minutes later). There’s only one sign and you only see it if you’re coming from Stellies. So if you’re coming from Franschoek town, good luck finding the entrance. Anthonij Rupert Wine is located on the L’Ormarins Wine Estate (so be on the lookout for that as well), which also houses Terra del Capo and the Franschoek Motor Museum. A huge plot of land!

Wine tasting options

There’s various wine tasting options on hand as you can taste the L’Ormarins Cap Classique style wines as well. So being the money savvy analysts we are, my friend chose the Cap Classiques to taste and I chose the Anthonij Rupert red wine range. And then we shared 😛 .

Brut Rosé

We started with the L’Ormarins range. The first was the Brut Rosé, which was a lovely salmon pink. On the nose and palate you got the strawberries and the fruitiness. However, there was a bit of acidity but not too overwhelming.

Brut Classique

The Brut Classique followed, with consisted of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir. I love Bruts so I was really excited to try this. On the nose there was a fruity aroma. When you tasted the wine you had a mixture of citrus, peach and apple. I must admit I did enjoy it.

Optima (2011), Cabernet Franc (2009) and Syrah (2009)

Next, onto the Anthonij Rupert Wines. The first one we tasted was the Optima (2011), which is a Bordeaux-style red blend. An anytime of the day wine (my favourite kind 😉 ). The wine had a cherry cigar aroma. On the palate were blackberries and spice. The wine was very smooth and complex. I enjoyed it some much I grabbed a bottle for the trip home 😀 .

Second was the Cabernet Franc, 2009. The wine was more heavier than the Optima and although the Sommelier mentioned that it doesn’t need to be paired with food, I feel it was too heavy to have on its own. The wine was voluptuous and on the palate you tasted blueberries and blackberries.

The last was the Syrah, 2009. On the nose, the wine comes across as a Merlot as you get the aroma of red cherries and plum (very fruity). While on the palate you get the spiciness, plum and black cherry. According to the Sommelier most ladies like it. I honestly wasn’t a fan.

I must admit I enjoyed my experience as Anthonij Rupert and I think I may be back to taste the other wines in their range. And also to get me hands on their amazing tea combinations.

P.S. A word to the wise, book your wine tasting before you get there, even if it’s 10 minutes beforehand. My friend and I couldn’t get onto the farm at 15:30, an hour before the closing time, as the tasting room was “full”. Funny enough, we had called ahead and there were no problems. Just the security guard being weird . And we were the only ones at the tasting room.

Chamonix Wine Estate

Wine is a vital part of my food journey. Over the past few years, my interest in wine has increased and living in Cape Town has made learning about wine all that easier. Not to mention having friends and family who take their wine seriously 😛 .

Franschoek has some enjoyable wine estates, one of which is Chamonix. Chamonix is located near the Eastern slopes of the Franschoek mountains. The tasting room provides either an amazing view of the mountains or the warmth of a fireplace. Chamonix offers 5 wines to taste.

View from Chamonix

The first wine tasted was the unoaked (or unwooded) Chardonnay. The wine had a tropical fruit nose and when tasted, you could immediately get the apple and pear. It was quite spicy but light. Definitely something I would have on a warm Summer’s day.

Chamonix Unoaked Chardonnay, 2014

Next was the wooded Chardonnay reserve. The wine is kept in the barrel for 14 months. The wine had a heavy oaked taste but you could still taste the tropical fruit and ginger.

Chamonix Oaked Chardonnay, 2013

After that was the Pinot Noir, which is matured for 10 months in oak barrels. A lovely red colour and with a berry nose. The wine was very light but a bit tart.

Chamonix Pinot Noir, 2013

Then was Chamonix’s pièce de résistance, the Pinot Noir Reserve and the wine that won John Platter’s best red wine 2012. The wine is kept for 16 months in a french oak barrel. On the nose you get the berries and one the palate you get wild red berries, cherries, cinnamon and bit of black pepper. I can understand why this wine won in 2012 😉 .

Chamonix Pinot Noir Reserve, 2013

Lastly, we had the Pinotage. This wine is matured in a French oak barrel for 2 years. The colour was a lovely rich red. A complex wine that is a tad tart. But on the palate you get the wild berries and cherries with a bit of spiciness. I think the Pinotage needed to be kept for a few more years in order to enjoy it.

Chamonix Pinotage, 2013

I enjoyed the wines here but they were a bit young and needed to be stored for longer. The setting is beautiful as well but my experience would’ve been better if the somelier explained the wines as opposed to only pouring them and then disappearing.

Fireplace in tasting room

Franschoek Food Market

Franschoek is an hours drive from Cape Town but nestled between mountains and vineyards it’s a breath-taking little town. Every Saturday between 9am and 2pm the town hosts the Franschoek Village Market. Majority of the market is filled with curios aimed at tourists passing through the town but there are a few food stalls.

The first is fruit preserves that’s made by Essie’s Gourmet Preserves. Essie’s was a head chef and supervisor at a factory so some of the preserve recipes are from the factory and some are hers. There’s some really interesting preserves that she has: watermelon and ginger (a bit odd tasting but the ginger comes through); poached pears (it’s like poached pears in a bottle. Really similar to the warm version); tomato relish (perfect for a pizza base); onion and chili relish (spicy 😉 ); and lemon and ginger (a bit bitter and perfect for a cheese platter). Essie also has various salts.

Essie’s Gourmet Preserves

Then there’s Pierre’s Cured Meat, which has a selection of sausages. A husband and wife team, who are located in Pinelands, make their sausages using organic meat from a sourced butcher and doing their own curing and smoking of the meat. Pierre’s Cured Meat can be found all over Cape Town, but especially in the winelands. There’s a variety of sausages with the most interesting being the Ostrich and orange sausage, which had a hint of citrus and had the texture of droéwors. The Chorizo was also great with the smokiness and spiciness balancing well. 

Lastly, there were 2 cheese stalls. The first was Le Petit France Cheese, where the cheese is made in the Natal Midlands with the cultures imported from France. The marmalade is made in the Cape Berg, in the Western Cape province. The blue cheese was delicious and was not overbearing at all. However, the marmalade was too sweet for me.

The second was Madame Fromage, where the chef has been trained in France. The farm is located in Paarl. They can be found in the V&A Waterfront and Old Biscuit Mill (hard cheeses) with the soft cheeses sold through an agent. The hard cheeses ranged from mild to strong. The mild being 3 months old, the second one 12 months old (and has more flavour), with the strongest being 2 years old (and is a bit overpowering due to the black pepper and aging). The semi-hard cheeses consisted of: plain, herbs, chili, cumin (that was delicious as the cumin was subtle), and smoked. There is also Brie, Camembert and Cambrini. If I wasn’t spending the rest of the day in Franschoek, I would’ve have definitely stocked up on their brie and the second hard cheese!

Soft cheeses

Brie, Camembert and Cambini

Hard cheeses

Overall, the market is quite small but the quality of the food makes up for it. It’s tough not to buy everything you taste and the great part is that most of the products are available in Cape Town 😀

 

Paulina’s Restaurant Review

Keeping in theme with Women’s Month in South Africa, I reviewed Paulina’s Restaurant located at Rickety Bridge in Franschoek. Paulina’s is named after the owner Paulina de Villiers who was the first women farm owner in the winelands. The only daughter among 3 brothers, Paulina de Villiers was granted part of the land in 1757.

A friend of mine and I visited Paulina’s under the recommendation of another friend, who mentioned that it normally gets quite busy. Under this assumption, we phoned ahead and booked a table 20 minutes before we got there. Thinking that the restaurant was quite accommodating, we were excited. However, upon arrival the waiter who assisted us had no idea of the booking. Nonetheless, they managed to accommodate us, giving us a reserved table which we were pretty sure was originally reserved for us.

Menu

Having a quick look at the menu and we were ready to order. I ordered the pork belly, served with sweet potato and ginger puree, and my friend had the cajun grilled baby Patagonica calamari. Both of which were full orders (Paulina’s also offers half meals so that you can sample more meals).

Pork belly with Foundation Stone Red wine

The pork belly was delectable. The pork was tender and the pork crackling crunchy. The ginger sauce with sweet chili provided a hint of spiciness without being overpowering. The sweet potato and ginger puree was a bit bland and had a hint of ginger, which I thought it needed more of. The exotic mushrooms accompanying the dish consisted of enoki mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms and were delicious. The mushrooms brought about an earthiness to the dish complimenting the pork belly, while the bok choi was crunchy.  The individual elements complimented each other well, pulled together by the ginger that was infused into the various elements of the dish. It was a good thing that the puree wasn’t overpowered with ginger ;-).

The pork belly was paired with the estate’s vintage range, the Foundation Stone Red wine, which is named after the foundation stone upon which the farm was built. On it’s own, the wine was tart with strong dark berry and chocolate flavour coming through. Paired with the pork belly, the wine became less tart. However, the wine overpowered the meal. I feel that the pork belly could have been paired with a better red wine that compliments that dish better.

Calamari and chorizo with Rickety Bridge Chardonnay

I tried my friend’s calamari and must admit that the dish was not as mouth-watering as the pork belly. The calamari was grilled and cooked well. But was unseasoned and required the green chili sauce, that came with the dish, to make it palatable. However the chorizo stole the show, supplied by Pierre’s Cured Meat (upcoming blog). The spiciness and smokiness of the chorizo was appetizing, making you wish there was more of it on the plate. The dish also came with a salad but why the cherry tomatoes were slightly cooked was beyond me. It added nothing to the dish, whereas having uncooked salad elements added freshness. Once all elements were tried together, without the tomatoes, the dish was tasty, with all elements falling into place. The calamari and chorizo was paired with the Rickety Bridge Chardonnay and the wine’s fruitiness paired well with the calamari.

Overall, the food at Paulina’s was delicious. Add to this the ambiance of the Franschoek mountains and your experience is magnified. The service was a bit slow but the restaurant was busy. However, the willingness of the waiters to answer all your questions and give you tastes of the wines makes Paulina’s a restaurant that is worth visiting again.

I give Paulina’s 3.5 out of 5 cupcake

Review guide:

Poor                   

Fair                    

Good                 

Very Good        

Excellent            

Extraordinary