Getting my Mexican on in Mowbray at Fat Cactus – a review

On the busy Durban Road of Mowbray, somewhat secluded behind trellis work and bright lights, is the Mexican Mecca of the Fat Cactus. We arranged a dinner there, all at the last moment. Fortunately, Bon Jovi was playing live in Cape Town, so the restaurants were fairly empty throughout the city, so we secured a table. Still, there was a very distinct vibe, and only a few tables to spare.

The waitresses are relaxed in their approach and attire, so we waited a while for service, but it was sort of in keeping with the ambience. Continued

A Taste of Mexico from El Burro in Green Point

A Mexican Feast

It was a friends birthday and the plan was to meet up at the mexican place, El Burro on Somerset Road in Green Point. I’d heard many good things about this place and so was excited to try it out. Walking in there was an instant buzz of activity and happy hum of voices in the already packed restaurant – note to self booking is probably always a good idea with this one as this was a week night.

We were a big table, many of whom were strangers to one another (except for the birthday girl – obviously) so the first little while was spent getting introduced to one another and completely forgetting to look at the menu. I had a brief perusal through the drinks section and decided that since I was in a mexican restaurant I should try at least one tequila based cocktail! Continued

Eat Greek Sunday Buffet

The Hellenic Centre

On the first and last Sundays of every month, the Hellenic Centre in Durban North hosts a Greek buffet lunch. My sister in law had told me about this but in typical fashion we had never managed to get a date in the diary … it was the imminent arrival of her second child that forced us to book a table for four for the first Sunday in March.

I’m the first to admit that I love to eat. I mean really, I just love it … and Greek food is no exception to that! The buffet on offer is extensive and for the R120 price tag, it’s well worth it. One can go back for second or even third helpings and children under the age of 10 eat for free. Continued

Dinner at the V&A Waterfront Harbour House

Harbour House ♥

It was my birthday and I wanted to go out for a special meal with my family after plenty of debate we had a restaurant decided only to discover that so many restaurants in Cape Town are closed on Monday. I almost threw in the towel and was going to opt for a take away pizza instead when my boyfriend (who happens to live and work in Botswana) told me he’d arrange everything and I just needed to tell him what time and how many people.

A little while later, I got a message to tell me that a reservation had been made in my name at Harbour House at the V&A Waterfront for 19h00. I have never been to Harbour House, they now have two Cape Town branches the first of which is in Kalk Bay and their newly opened V&A one, however I had heard rave reviews so was rather excited. Continued

Café Paradiso – patio dining in Kloof street, Cape Town

Café Paradiso

Nothing like a Sunday morning brunch with views out over the city bowl, and Table Mountain as your backdrop. Somehow these Madame Zingara types manage to get it right every time, and Café Paradiso is no exception (the restaurant is one of several that fall under the Madam Zingara umbrella).

The buzz on Kloof Street is evident no matter what time of the week you get there, but a weekend in summer it’s even more so. Scooters scoot by – their young, hip, tanned and trendy bearded drivers in sneakers and little else, taxis teem, people lope by in scant, fashionable clothing and parking spaces, when you can find one, are on a sharp incline or decline (a working handbrake is a pre-requisite for breakfast). Continued

Burnedale Centre and Pottery Gallery – A Review

Burnedale Centre

Burnedale Centre and Pottery Gallery is a relatively new kid on the block in Umhlali but its well worth a visit – I was suitably impressed.

Originally a farm, Burnedale is named after an Irishman, John Burne, who as a young man, came to South Africa as part of the 82nd Foot Connaught Rangers Regiment in 1843.  Years later, in 1861 he finished his years of service, moved to Umhlali and built his home on the current site of Burnedale.

The farm and house have now been transformed into a fantastic venue offering a coffee shop, the unique ‘One of a Kind’ where you can find all sorts of gorgeous things from jewellery, cushions, crafts and ceramics.  In need of a new outfit … pop into ‘Kaliko’ which offers an eclectic selection of trousers, shorts, dresses and tops.  There is also a fantastic interior shop and don’t forget to browse the pottery gallery – there is heaps to see! Continued

Mundo Vida in Umdloti – A Review

Mundo Vida in Umdloti

A friend of mine from the Eastern Cape was recently in KwaZulu Natal for a 40^th birthday party so we used the opportunity to catch up over lunch. Our venue of choice was Mundo Vida in Umdloti.  I had eaten there a number of years ago but it definitely doesn’t fail to impress second time around!

Mundo Vida is a stylish, contemporary restaurant located slap bang on the beachfront in Umdloti – any closer to the sea and you’d be wriggling your toes in the sand! The views of the Indian Ocean are magnificent; it’s a superb setting for a long lunch or an early dinner to watch the sunset. Continued

Sage Café and Deli in Umhlali – A Review

Welcome to Sage Café

Every girl needs a happy place and for me, that place is Sage Café and Deli in Umhlali.  Situated in the ‘newer’ part of Umhlali, Sage focuses on healthy, freshly prepared meals ranging from breakfasts to light snacks, lunches and delicious cakes.

Some of the delights on offer for breakfast are mushrooms on toast (absolutely delicious and an enormous portion to boot), Eggs Benedict, a traditional breakfast, a range of omelettes, the ever popular Sage flapjacks served with bacon, potato rosti with smoked salmon and wholewheat toast with cream cheese, anchovette paste, capers, rocket and Parmesan.  Prices for breakfast dishes range from R46 – R48.

The bakery provides a range of freshly made croissants, muffins and homemade cakes – all perfect companions for a cappuccino! Continued

Anatoli – a little piece of Istanbul in De Waterkant

Anatoli

Anatoli has been around since the year dot – 1984, if I’m not mistaken. So I’m not uncovering a little gem here. But it still deserves a mention, simply for the experience.

Food, like everything else these days, is all about the adventure; the sense of pleasure when there is an invitation to overload the senses. Anatoli is wizardry is motion – or is that poetry.

Either noun fits the bill. The food, your reason for being there, is incredible. But so are the waiters, the taste, the sound, the atmosphere – that all combine to leave one feeling pampered, delighted and really disgustingly full.

Housed in a restored century old Victorian warehouse with huge windows, its walls are donned with Turkish rugs and throws. Little green chairs and wooden tables are right out of tea rooms in Istanbul, and hanging from the ceiling are little candlebras that I immediately size up for our veranda – how much is a flight to Turkey? Continued

Lunch at Surval Boutique Olive Estate

Surval Olive Estate

It was the day after the wedding, so sleep had been minimal and of course we had danced the night away so stomachs were grumbling. It was also a birthday so we had more than enough excuses to head off into the town of Oudtshoorn for lunch.

The day was a scorcher so I was really happy to be in an air conditioned car instead of my own which is almost like a sauna. We had driven past Surval on our way to Karusa Vineyards earlier in the week and had heard that is was a good spot for lunch. Continued

Vista Café – A modern day relic like no other

Entrance to Vista Cafe

Vista Café needs no introduction to anyone who works around Cape Town’s foreshore. The café is not only inundated with the breakfast, lunch and coffee crowd but it has also been around for thirty or so years – not necessarily in the same building or under the same name, but run by the Da Souza family since time immemorial.

I rush in here one morning, my car standing illegally idling outside gasping for a chicken pie (not the car, me). I don’t usually gasp for chicken pies, it isn’t my style at all. Neither is it the type of food I eat. Continued

Enjoying The Perfect Coffee In Port Elizabeth

Cappuccino

The promise of a good cup of coffee has driven men to some dramatic extremes. The smell of a good brew roasting and percolating is, probably, one of the most comforting and enticing aromas known to someone that appreciates quality coffee. A good coffee shop must, of course, serve superior coffee and, for that matter, teas and other beverages. However, the complementary food also needs to live up to a high standard for the establishment to qualify.

Therefore, the following places are those that, along with an excellent cup of coffee (or latté, cappuccino, espresso, etc…), also boast good food in Port Elizabeth. Continued

Zoete Zonde in Ballito

Zoete Zonde

On Monday, January 7th I slipped back into routine again, and with that came the end of the festive season indulging, or should that be overindulging? Luckily for me however the line in the sand was drawn on January 7th which meant I had enough time to slot in a visit to Zoete Zonde on January 6th! My father had read about the coffee shop and because I’m always on the lookout for a decent coffee we popped in on our way home from Ballito.

The slogan for Zoete Zonde is ‘your sweet sin’ and indeed it is. The menu is substantial enough that one has a fantastic choice of meals but for me it’s always, and I mean always, about the sweet stuff. The speciality of Zoete Zonde is their waffles and the owner, a native of Belgium definitely knows how to whip up a waffle. Continued

Red Sofa Café, Vredehoek – ‘I Know This Great Little Coffee Shop’

The Red Sofa

Red Sofa Café is low-key, seriously sophisticated and perched on the rise of one of Vredehoek‘s fashionable streets – on the corner of Derry and Exner.

Its WiFi access and plate o’ bacon (yes, that’s a plate of only bacon) seems to have done the trick as the place is already teeming at 9am with the I-work-from-home-but-actually-in-a-café types that manage to look as though they earn their dough simply sipping the froth on cappuccinos and moving their mouse(s) occasionally.

Off to one side (I check) rests the red sofa for which the spot is named, although most of the clientèle are perched up on bar stools at the window facing the street, ostensibly working (ja, right). The veranda will slowly fill so that by the time we leave it’s bustling with pre-lunch coffee drinkers (does anyone work in Cape Town?). Continued

Kosher Spots In Johannesburg

Tasty Kosher Meal

Kosher foods and beverages are those that adhere to certain conditions according to Jewish law. There are a number of specific requirements involved in the preparation of meat, dairy, poultry, fish, and so on. Because our modern foodstuffs are often so processed, the kosher nature of what we consume has been negotiated, to some extent. So, it is always great to know that there are still some eateries that are defined as being kosher and suitable for strict Jewish diners.

Here are three kosher restaurants that are situated in the country’s commercial and economic hub of Johannesburg: Continued