Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Port Elizabeth's SHAMWARI Townhouse is fine, but firm for overnighters

Since our flight leaves tomorrow at 8am, we are staying in the city at the Shamwari Townhouse, a fairly new property that oozes chic and deco and is run by the same folks that run the game reserve we just came from.

Dinner is a choice of two or three items and is 3 courses for about $30 and is now open only to hotel guests, but that will be changing. So, if you find yourself here in the main city of the East Cape at the end of the Garden Route, dine here.

I started with a slightly sweet SWEET POTATO & COCONUT Soup with Crispy Parma Ham. A dash of fresh pepper made the soup perfect and the bread that was a grain nut was a perfect wipe up for the bowl. Our wine was a divine HAUTE CABRIERE PINOT NOIR 2004 from Cabriere in Franschhoek which was the best wine buy I have seen dining out. At $30 this full of fruit huge nosed wine oozed character and was simnply divine with our without food. If it is $15 in the store, I HAVE to FIND IT!

The main course was a nice TOMATO & CHILI TAGLIATELLE with MUSSELS, SCALLOPS, PRAWNS, Calamari and Basil Pesto with Parmesan. The big treat were the small local scallops which carried their coral, a sight rarely seen back home. The dish itself was a welcome sight after all the big meat and fish we have had...we all chose the pasta and said how nice it was for a change.

Dessert was a Warm Chocolate Fondant with Nougat Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce and it was nice, but I at only half. Our server insisted we try the chef's new AVOCADO Ice Cream, which may have been green but tasted more like rich thick creamy plain ice cream with little avocado flavor. Oh well.

Exhausted from being up since 5am, I ned to get to bed as we head out so early again for the next 3 days!