Ravishing Reuben's Restaurant

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to score a dinner at the well-known restaurant, Reuben's in Franschhoek. All thanks to my parents who were paying...

Having heard of Reuben's many a time, I was so excited to be finally eating there. For those of you who don't know, In 2004, Reuben won 'Chef of the year' and 'Restaurant of the year' in the Eat Out magazine's Johnnie Walker Awards, and is considered one of the most prestigious restaurants in South Africa.

I was completely blown away by the professionalism and attention to detail. Portions were perfectly satisfying and not too big. I cant stand feeling too full when leaving the table, and it also gives your taste buds a chance to try some dessert afterwards!

The setting is of a contemporary look with amazing art works on the wall and very high ceilings. The bar counter is made from the wing of an old DC10 airplane which makes a great feature.

The varied menu consists of dishes such as:

- Prawn and asparagus tempura, yuzu-shallot and sour cream dressing, dill and sweet wasabe

- Pork belly, potato, leek crème, spicy cucumber-lemongrass salad, chilli and ginger caramel

- French style onion soup with melting Epoisse on brioche toast

- Blue cheese, mascarpone, onion tart, rocket- salad, tomato jam

Enough to make your mouth water, right? I ended up choosing the ostrich steak that came with a butternut puree, creamy spinach, parmesan polenta drizzled with this amazing sauce that I have no idea what went into it! We all ended up passing around spoonfuls of our little treasures and I came to the conclusion that this has to be the best restaurant I've been to yet.

Its well worth the drive to Franschhoek to dine in utter luxury at Reuben's. Why not stay the night out there and make an evening out of it?

I would recommend going in the evening with a good groups of friends and enjoy lots of wine and laughter.

Happy Food. Happy photo's. Happy life.

My first attempt at lasagna

Last night I tempted in making my first lasagna for my digs. After seeing my mum and maid make them since I can remember, I thought it was about time I made one. I thought I would be a master.. how hard can it be? However, an hour and 40 minutes later we only ate!

To warn those of you who haven't yet made a lasagna, these are the silly mistakes to avoid:

1. Read the label of the lasagna sheets box to check if the pasta needs pre-cooking or not. After getting my digs mates to help take the cooked pasta apart and pick at the semi-edible ones, I realized something terrible has gone wrong!

2. Know how to boil spinach properly. I embarrassingly had to phone my mum to double check. Also, don't forget to cut the middle stems.

3. Make sure you make enough cheese sauce so that the lasagna is creamy. The sauce mustn't be too thick.

Otherwise it was delicious and a real home-made meal. I got raving reviews from my personal audience, besides my silly mistakes. Next time, I'll cut my preparation time in half!

Happy food. Happy photos. Happy life.

My 21st birthday lunch

So my 21st birthday lunch is coming up this weekend and I'm having an Italian lunch at a family friends wine farm in Franschhoek. The theme is Under the Tuscan Sun and its going to be a small gathering of close family and friends. I've got a jazz band playing and the most incredible lunch menu that I thought I'd share with you from the well-know chef Duncan Doherty of Rust en Vrede restaurant.

The excitement is building up this week with friends and family arriving from Durban. I will share with you all my photos of my lunch on the weekend. But for now have a look at this Italian lunch menu and let me know what you think..

(Manor house venue)

Under the Tuscan Sun Lunch Menu

Mezze platters

Parma ham

Coppa ham

Salami

Olives

Sundried tomatoes

Aubergine dip

Red and yellow compote

Tuscan salametti

Bread sticks

Olive ciabatta

Mains

Chicken cacciatore

Veal stuffed with olives

Orzo salad

Tuscan panzanella salad

Caprese salad

Baby wild mushroom and mozzarella pizzas

Dessert

Morag's white chocolate cake

Little bowls of tiramisu

Mmmm... now my mouth is watering.

Happy food. Happy photos. Happy life.

Crush online magazine

Michael Oliver, one of South Africa's most respected food and wine experts, has launched an online food magazine called CRUSH. I only discovered it a few months ago, but have been loyal in reading his every issue.

It brings a new dimension to reading a magazine, with interactive features and icons. It makes reading a magazine fun and exciting. I love the layout and photography. There are some great recipes and foodie tips.

And have I mentioned it's for free?

If you're not already a subscriber... then visit www.crushmagonline.co.za to sign up.

Happy food. Happy photos. Happy life.

Chicken pot pie

I found this useful recipe to make a delicious home-made chicken pie. It's a great way to show-off to your guests by presenting it in little Le Creuset pots.

Looks amazing and tastes amazing! A cozy and tummy-filling winter meal.

Happy food. Happy photos. Happy life.

The kitchen in Woodstock

For those of you who haven't yet ventured into the Woodstock side of life, you're missing out!

Yesterday I grabbed the most delicious "love sandwich" from The Kitchen restaurant in Sir Lowry Road, opposite the Michael Stevenson gallery, Woodstock. It started out at the Biscuit mill on weekends making their famous all-in-one delicious sandwiches and due to its success, it is now a quirky, quaint little food haven.

You feel as if you've entered your grandmothers pantry, with vintage art pieces and quirky cutlery adorning the walls. A whole wall is filled with collectable old tea cups and saucers. Each cappuccino comes in a different cup and each plate of food is served on a different plate. The whole experience is delightful.

You can choose from a salad bar with an array of couscous dishes, salads and meats for R45 and up. You can also choose a sandwich prepared to your liking for R45. I battle choosing what to fill my roll with as everything just looks so delicious! Their chicken is free range and oh! so tender.

I suggest you pop into this trendy little food gem for lunch or meeting up with friends for a cup of coffee. You can't help but feeling inspired when you leave!

Tel: 021 462 2201

Happy food. Happy photos. Happy life.