We left Cape Town and headed east yesterday morning with wine tasting stops along the way (If you want an amazing Bordeaux blend to age get the very pricey ERNIE ELS (yes the golfer)...it's divine). Our lunch stop was here in Franschhoek (meaning French corner) where the Huguenots settled centuries ago. Le Quartier Francais has a true French country feel and the area has a real feel of Napa decades ago before it got busy, but with taller and starker mountains surrounding.
The inn has a highly rating dining room open for dinner only called the Tasting Room, but we ate lunch at ICI on the terrace at a gorgeous marble table with huge upholstered comfy chairs.
The wines were local, as everything is in the region and from MORESON Winery nearby, but have been made a little fun by the property for their table wine. The white, a Chenin Blanc 2009 is called Miss MOlly Hoity Toity and the red was a Merlot 2008 called in In Your Bed (it features a label with a dog jumping into your bed). The red was super with my starter of EISBEIN & FIG TERRINE, Pear Chutney and Grilled Ciabatta. This terrine was a chunky treat of local pork (Eisbein) that was loaded with flavor and again a wonderful use of the local ingredients. The Crunchy BILTONG, Radish & Celery Salad with Pumpkin Seeds and a BUCHU PARMESAN Cream under it was another local novelty.
The biltong I mentioned before is the local version of jerky, here crispy like bacon bits. Buchu is another native herb with hints of mint, lavender and eucalyptus and has these huge oil glands on the tiny leaves (it was used as a diarrhetic at one time) but with a bit of cream and parmesan it was a tasty treat at the bottom of the bowl. Saldhana Bay MUSSELS with White Wine Cream & Roasted Garlic were irresistible as well.
Most of us had the Pan Roasted KINGKLIP with Potato & Artichoke Ragout with Caper Salad and adored this fish found only here at the tip of Africa. It is a thick fleshy deep sea fish, yet mild and flak with loads of flavor and the preparation did it such amazing justice. The Wild MUSHROOM RISOTTO with Preserved Lemon, Rocket (Arucola) and Parmesan Salad was a rich treatment of this pasta dish that was also adored by all as we tasted. The Slow Cooked POR BELY with Dried Tomato and Polenta Spatzle was heavy of course but featured almost fatless belly that was crispy on the edges and also a hit with us all.
We wanted to leave, but dessert was a necessity and I tasted the divine STICKY BRANDY PUDDING with Green Apple Puree and Toffee & Date Ice Cream, a modern yet ingenious take on the traditional British pudding. A cup of BOURBO VANILLA Kohisan ROOIBOS Tea was yummy and even said it would boost weight loss...I WISH!
We all knew we would come back to Le Quartier Francais and ICI as well as the elegant African-styled TASTING ROOM!
