Review Karoo - Cattle & Land - Fourways Johannesburg

'As South African as it gets' is the heading on the website. Curious as I am, I book a table for four and look forward to an evening of South African Dining in Karoo - Cattle & Land with good friends.

First I want to apologize a million times to you who have followed my blog for the past couple of months. I admit I haven't been the sharpest pencil in the packet these days and I am so sorry. Due to the fact that I started a new job two months ago, I lost focus on what is really important in my life: writing & eating!! So guys, be aware.. I am back! And I look forward to more Summer!

The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. Currently sheep farming is the economic backbone of the Karoo with other forms of agriculture taking place in areas where irrigation is possible.

Karoo - Cattle & Land is famous for their red meat, ribs and fresh fish. To complete their African style menu they offer Boerewors and Bobotie. The atmosphere in the restaurant is good. It is very busy this Saturday night with a huge variety of food lovers that sit at the nicely laid wooden tables, some by themselves, others in groups.

First impression at the entrance:

• Friendly staff at the entrance
• Very busy
• Convenient temperature
• Wonderful salade bar in the front
• Nice finishings
• Modern

We sit down at a table in the back area and order a good bottle of wine (Hidden Valley Stellenbosch) to start the evening. The ambiance is fantastic. The music is soft, although once in a while when quiet at the table for a few seconds, I hear Jamiroquai, Sinead O'Connor and other all time favorites. Great songs!


Our friends ordered Butternut soup for starters. The soup was creamy but very thick. The chicken livers, prepared with piri piri, were great. I ordered carpaccio. The dish was thinly sliced, (too salty!) topped with roquefort cheese and rocket. For mains our friends ordered crumbed chicken breast lightly fried and served with Karoo sauce. Surprisingly enough the Chicken Schnitzel was really good. It would never be my first choice in a Steak Restaurant with South African traditional dishes. But that is just my opinion. Because it is my blog, I am allowed to have an opinion. Especially when it comes to food!

I recently read a book from Anthony Bourdain. He reminded me not to order food, that is not a fast seller. Which means that the chicken sold in an Steak Restaurant is probably not your best option as it comes to taste and expiry dates! :) But anyway..

Peter ordered Spare Ribs, finished off on the flame grill with basting sauce. The ribs were an absolute winner, the marinade very tasteful. I ordered Traditional Bobotie dish, served with yellow rice. For dessert Melktert, a good choice and such a difference to the melktert in the retail shops. Jammie!!

While we were still enjoying our starters, the waiters walked up to our tables with our mains. Such a big mistake, and bad communication between the front area and the kitchen.
 
Overall experience?
Okay. Karoo Cattle & Land serves good food, the place has a great and modern atmosphere and it is a nice overall experience. I loved the choices the Salad Bar had to offer.

Value for money?
Starters range from R40,- to R55,-. Mains range from R75,-  to R165,-. Desserts are R35,-. For the wine we paid R150,-. It was not cheap but it was worth the money spend.

Food        3/5
Service     2/5
Ambiance 4/5

Overall review
3.0

Warm Regards,

Abigail Summer

Review Cup Decadently Yours - Morningside Johannesburg

Hi there, 

Today I spend an hour and a half at Cup Decadently Yours in Morningside. I had to wait for my appointment at the hairdresser's. I noted the wrong time in my diary (how foolish), and had some time to spend. Therefore, I went to Cup Decadently Yours and had soft drinks. I absolutely loved it!

Wedgewood nougat, twinnings tea, fat free - non dairy smoothies, great cappuccino with heart shaped cookies on the side. All in a pink environment with sweet and friendly waitresses in pink and light blue dresses and waiters in pink and purple shirts.
Besides lunch, they serve coffee and tea in different flavors. What to think of a French Vanilla Coffee, a Dutch Chocolate Coffee (Recommended!), an Irish Cream Coffee, a Rooibos cappuccino, a mango smoothie?

Also they have a popcorn machine, lots of sweets and cookies for sale and even teapots! And what I loved was the branding on the serviettes. Lot's of time spend on details. Although it is a relatively open space, exactly in the middle of the shopping center, it did not feel like that. It was quiet, peaceful and a perfect place to drink a coffee in the morning by yourself, waiting for an appointment, or have lunch in the afternoon with a couple of friends or just the two of you. The heart shaped cookies, pink colours and general sweetness might lead to a romantic afternoon :)

So as I said, I love this place. I did not order lunch but I'll definitely come back once to review their sandwiches. Therefore I am not able to review this beautiful lunchroom for now as I am used to.

I can and will absolutely recommend the smoothies. Once seated on the classical chairs, enjoying the environment, you'll agree with me about Cup Decadently Yours.

Warm Regards,

Abigail Summer

Review Fisherman’s Plate – Cyrildene – Johannesburg

This weekend we went to China Town. Having been in Johannesburg for more than a year, this was my first visit. Our mission was to have diner at the Fisherman’s Plate, at Derrick Avenue in Cyrildene.

A Garmin could be of sufficient help when you do not know the route. If you type in the correct address Abigail! Which I did not (stupid!). We drove straight to Derek Street, following the instructions from our friendly Garmin-lady. From there we realized we were in the wrong street with nothing China alike.
We looked up the address again and typed in the right one this time! But..
From Derek Street to Derrick Avenue you cross Hillbrow. It is known for its high levels of population density, unemployment, poverty and crime. I read that once before I came here and stayed away from it as long as I could. Now we were forced to drive through Hillbrow, for the first time since I arrived in Johannesburg. It was okay but I did not feel completely safe. Especially because it was dark, and lots of people were out on the streets. Nothing happened by the way :)

Anyway, we arrived at the right address. It was just around the corner.. We parked in an extremely busy but cosy street and were on our way to Fisherman’s Plate. As we walked to the restaurant we enjoyed Derrick Avenue with all its Chinese restaurants, electronic equipment shops, supermarkets, hairdressers and massage salons. Also the flavors from the apartments above all these shops, made us very hungry.. :) A big sign above the door pointed us in the right direction. 

First impression at the entrance:

•    Fluorescent lights
•    Plastic plates/bowls on the tables
•    Lovely wall painting on the right side
•    Relaxed atmosphere
•    Sweet white little curtains at the front
•    Not busy

Fisherman’s Plate offers delicious Taiwanese cuisine; especially the seafood is really good. So I heard.
We tried the deep-fried salt and garlic prawns with vegetable noodles and rice. As well, we tried the sizzling beef with vegetables and we ordered chicken as well. The bony chicken was not what I expected. I expected chicken fillets I guess, cut in smaller pieces together with a sauce. The sauce was good though but the skinned and bony chicken just was not for me. The sizzling beef with paprika, onions and carrots in a wonderful soya sauce was unforgettable.
The prawns were also fantastic. Although I found it a bit awkward to eat them. The 'heads' were deep fried and therefore eatable as well. 

What I loved was that each guest is allowed and advised to bring own drinks. They have soft drinks, beer, and an average choice of wine, but there is not always enough stock. Especially if you book for a group, bringing your own drinks is advisable. We ordered two Windhoek beers. In stock. Ice-cold. 

Overall experience?
Okay, nice total experience.

Value for money?
No. I think it was too expensive. We paid 280 ZAR for three plates (prawns, chicken and beef) for two people, rice and noodles and two beers. An average price at Saigon (in Rivonia) for instance is 90 ZAR per person with exquisite service and a chic and warm atmosphere.

Food         3/5
Service      n/a
Ambiance  n/a

I reviewed the food and not the service and ambiance for Fisherman’s Plate.

A piece of advice people. If you decide to go there, check the address before you drive off into the night. China Town, it is just around the corner.. It gets you closer to new places!

Warm Regards,

Abigail Summer

Best films ever..

Hi all, 

Every decade, the British Sight & Sound asks an international group of film professionals to vote for their greatest film of all time. The Sight & Sound accolade has come to be regarded as one of the most important of the "greatest ever film" lists. Described as "by far the most respected of the countless polls of great movies-the only one most serious movie people take seriously." 

The first poll, in 1952, was topped by Bicycle Thieves (1948). The Sight & Sound Top Ten Poll 2002:

1. Citizen Kane
2. Vertigo
3. The Rules of the Game
4. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II
5. Tokyo Story
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
7. 7. The Battleship Potemkin
8. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
9. 8 1/2
10. Singin' in the Rain

I must admit. I have not seen any of these movies! Where have a been over the past two decades? I do love watching movies, but I was so surprised to have missed all 10 of these movies that I decided to post the list.

This weekend more reviews. It has been a while, and I can't wait to spend some money in restaurants in and around town and tell you everything about it!

Have a wonderful weekend guys..

Warm Regards,

Abigail Summer
http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/

Pasta with sweet tomatoes, aubergine and mozzarella - Jamie Oliver

Today I am going to try one of Jamie Oliver's recipes. I love his shows on television and I do think he is the most gorgeous chef on earth. Also he is lucky with his accent, it is lovely. Although it is described as mockney or fake, it has become famous over the years. Particularly the use of the Hindi word 'pukka' (meaning brilliant or solid) refers to him.

Some of the newsflashes in which he was the center of attention:
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Oliver)

In 2003, Oliver was ranked number 28 in Channel 4's poll of '100 Worst Britons'. The poll was inspired by the BBC series '100 Greatest Britons'. The poll specified that the nominees had to be British, alive, and not currently in prison.

In 2005, Oliver was widely criticized by animal rights groups for slaughtering a fully conscious lamb on his TV show (my God!). Some critics believed his act would scare meat eaters into becoming vegetarians, which they stated as good television. I would never become a vegetarian to be honest but I am happy to not have seen this video..

Also in 2005, Jamie Oliver embarked upon his school dinners campaign to improve the quality of food fed to pupils. While the campaign was arguably successful, at the time it was a highly controversial shake-up for students and parents, some of whom believed that the students should have a healthy option available, but still be given the choice as to what they want to eat. (agreeable I guess)

In September 2006, Rawmarsh Community School, South Yorkshire, UK, made headlines after a handful of parents revolted against Oliver's lunch plan (in which all 1,100 pupils on site were fed two portions of fruit and three vegetables every day) by delivering junk food from local shops to the pupils through the school fence. (who are these people for Heaven's sake? So much for setting an example!!) One parent dismissed Oliver's food as 'disgusting rubbish' and declared: 'Food is cheaper and better at the local takeaways.'

Well guys, believe me he knows how to make a good healthy vegetarian dish :)

For this Pasta with sweet tomatoes, aubergine and mozzarella dish you would need:

• 350 gr pasta (whichever you like)  
• 1 large firm aubergine
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 x 400g tins good-quality plum tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons thick cream
• a large handful of fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped oregano
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 x 200g ball of buffalo mozzarella
• 4 large handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Slice up the aubergine into 1cm thick cubes and heat a griddle pan. Meanwhile, put 4 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan on a medium heat. Add the aubergine for seven minutes on medium heat. After that add the onion, garlic and dried oregano and cook for a few minutes, until the onion is soft and the garlic has a tiny bit of color. Then add the tinned tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar. When the tomato sauce is reduced, season it carefully with salt and pepper. Cook on slow heat for 15 minutes, then add the cream. Cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce mixture together with the torn-up mozzarella and basil. Serve immediately.

 Thanks for sharing this recipe Jamie, you are amazing!

Warm regards,

Abigail Summer

Review Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa - Johannesburg

Hi there!

After a weekend of lifting boxes, cleaning offices and joking with the builders, we finally settled in a new office. The result is amazing and we were quite happy about it and very satisfied after all the hard work we have done. Peter and I decided to celebrate our achievement and we booked a table at the excellent Restaurant of Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa.

This five star Hotel is unique, exclusive, up-market, for either business or leisure. Once the private home of the current live-in owners, John and Anna Thacker, the property was originally bought from the Little Brenthurst Trust of Oppenheimer fame, and consisted of 10 acres with horses and stables and rolling green lawns. Portions of the property have been sold off, but it has retained its stately, park-like ambiance with huge mature trees and prolific bird-life.

First impression at the entrance:

• Unique
• Historical 
• Peaceful
• Elegant
• Italian decor
• Friendly staff

The entrance was difficult to find because there were no visible signs in the street. After we finally found the entrance we were most friendly welcomed outside and enjoyed the peacefulness and quietness in the garden. You feel at home immediately in the restaurant area. Soft classical music in the back, nicely laid out tables with dark red table cloths, comfortable white leather chairs (see picture) and nice staff.

They have just enlarged the restaurant area and the doors were not quite finished yet, which meant during dinner we were getting cold and asked to move. This was not a problem and the staff helped us changing tables to a warmer area in the middle of the restaurant. Supposedly the doors will be closed before wintertime, so don't worry. The hotel is running very well. Apparently all suites are fully booked for the World Cup 2010, at least that is what the friendly waitress told us.

The bread rolls and butter were served in a silver dish. The bread was divine, the butter was a bit hard and salty. The serving dish reminded me of an ashtray at first, which I guess it wasn't. Or it was never used as an ashtray I hope. Otherwise if you have just stopped smoking, this could be an idea for your silverware! Or if you love silver like me.. don't leave it in your cupboards but use it at your dining table. We ordered white wine from a long list of wines. The pale wine had a delicate roundness and attractive notes that made it an equally good choice.

We ordered Namibian oysters as a starter, served with lemon wedges, Red onion vinaigrette and Caviar! Delicious!!
After that Peter ordered Grilled Fillet of Beef served with Oxtail cannelloni, mashed potato and Truffle sauce. I ordered Slow Roast Duck with crisp raspberry and plums, greens and star anise sauce. After 15 minutes of ordering our mains were served on hot plates, and I was curious to compare this Duck with my first experience (eating Duck at Le Canard) that I immediately attacked the dish with my cutlery to taste it.

Duck is always on the fatty side and I read on the internet that this is why the Chinese make pressed duck. They literally press it to get the fat out. If you never have tasted Duck before it is difficult to explain why it is so divine. It has no white meat to it so it is sort of like turkey with a flavored glaze. I loved it.
Peter's dish was very good. The potato mash was lush and the beef fillet was perfectly cooked, medium rare as ordered. Juicy from the inside nicely browned from the outside, right temperature and good layout of both plates.

The dessert was something else. We shared Baked Alaska together.
This dessert is made of ice cream placed in a pie dish, lined with slices of sponge cake and topped with meringue (made from whipped egg whites and sugar). The entire dessert is then placed in an extremely hot oven for just long enough to firm the meringue. The meringue is an effective insulator, and the short cooking time prevents the heat from getting through to the ice cream.

We were lucky to have shared the dessert as it was too much for the both of us. The sugary taste, combined with the richness of the egg whites, the softness of the sponge cakes and the cold ice cream is a lovely combination and they actually prepared it well. Just too much guys, thanks for your generosity but undo-able if you already had a starter and main course.

Overall experience?
Excellent. The friendly staff made this a great experience we will remember for a long time. Although the Duck at Le Canard is still my ultimate favorite.

Value for money?
If you know this all costs us nearly 600ZAR including an expensive bottle of white wine, I would say it was definitely worth the money. The food was exquisite, staff knows etiquette and customer service and the ambiance was peaceful and quiet.Too bad that it was chilli in the restaurant and that we were the only customers inside! That's why I came to the following conclusion:

Food        4/5
Service     5/5
Ambiance 3/5

Overall review
4.0

Warm Regards,

Abigail Summer

Muffins from Heaven

Just wanted to say, I love muffins. All varieties and flavors as a matter of fact! I was curious what I could find on the web about these lovely cupcakes and was surprised to find so many articles about how to get rid of your muffin top?? That's another subject for another blog I presume. Lots of recipes as well, which I loved.

For people who have been sleeping their earlier life.. muffins are made with a specific ingredient such as blueberries, chocolate chips, raspberry, cinnamon, pumpkin, date, nut, lemon, banana, orange, peach, strawberry, boysenberry, almond, and carrot, baked into the muffin.. and they are heavenly. My all time favorite is a cappuccino muffin and I missed that on the top 10 list I found on http://www.faqs.org (see below)

Here's the list of 10 muffins that readers from their website rated as the best ones:
1. Chocolate Chip
2. Pumpkin
3. Cranberry Upside Down
4. Lemon and Poppy Seed
5. Strawberry and Banana
6. Cherry Ricotta
7. Blueberry
8. Mocha
9. Blueberry Streusel
10.Apple and Cinnamon

Well? Would you agree? Or would you rather change the subject to muffin tops? Or to what happens to you (unfortunately) when having too many muffins? Please share your thoughts.. and your muffins from now on I guess.

Warm Regards,

Abigail Summer