dining at the Royal Livingstone by Anantara at Victoria Falls, Zambia is delicious and depends......on what, who knows (8-20-18)

For our last night in Zambia we decided to try the Uber expensive hotel restaurant at the Royal Livingstone by Anantara. 

I should mention that the previous night we went to the hotel bar to enjoy some burgers and salads and the service was so herenden us that it took almost 2 hours to get our food and then it all came out so wrong... Luckily they didn't charge us for most of the meal.

 The ensuing night was a much more productive evening and of course the  Restaurant manager and her team were all over us after what happened the previous night.

 We had just returned from an amazing cruise on the river on the African Queen and we were not that hungry and each of us ordered only an appetizer or main course.

Bunny Chow was a slow cooked venison with curry gravy and peas in a quasi-popover/muffin that was supposed to look like a bunny; a fairly small main, but tasty.

Royal Oxtail Stew comes with stuffed Zambezi cabbage and was a hearty tasty main, while the starter of Slow cooked Crocodile Tail was in a huge salad with peas and was bigger than some mains. The salad was cold and we all said the dish would be better if the crock meat was warm, but the breaded meat was oddly cold(think cold chicken fingers).

My Ifisashi was a local treat made with sauteed spinach, ground peanuts, potatoes and Nshima, a large white corn polenta bun that sat atop the creamed spinach-like dish that was delicious.

The bread won no prizes, but our Voldeling Baldrick Shiraz 2016(the menu said 2014. but they were out of that)from Voor-paarderberg in South Africa was a winner at 35$us...one of the cheapest on the.menu.

Grenadilla was the lone dessert of passionfruit mango jelly with coconut parfait and was okay at best.

An interesting meal for sure, but not a winner, though surely  better than the previous night where everything went wrong.

 This is probably the last meal I will write about from Africa since the next 4 nights in Botswana are at private reserve camps which you would have to book through me to enjoy the wonderful food there!

Francshhoek's FOLIAGE fares fabulously (8-15-18)

As we prepared to move east to Sabi Sand Gamer Reserve(where we are now for 3 days--no reviews here, the food is great at Savanna Private Game Reserve) we headed out for our last dinner in wine country.

Foliage came with many high recommendations and is great for anything and everything with a huge varied menu for everyone, vegetarians, carnivores, even vegans. Managed by Tawanda, who greeted use at the door with a huge grin and seated us taking our drink orders and getting us water, it is a simple setting a terrarium of shoots and windows on one side facing the street, and probably will never win a décor competition. Our server Paulette explained the menu and helped us to make some choices, but since it is a la carte and we were quite full from lunch, we decided to share many dishes so we could taste more.

There was a Bread Selection for 25rand(barely $2) which we all shared and it had a yummy Buchu Seed Loaf with an onion baguette(Sam grabbed that) with a Pork Lard spread made with parmesan crumbs. There was also a tasty and novel Babaganoush spread made from pickled aubergine.

Same started with a Beetroot Carpaccio, Tartar of raw beetroot & pickled radish, smoked beets and granadilla His main course was a gorgeous Charred Beetroot and Burnt Corn Risotto with nartjie(those mandarin/satsuma oranges found here) foam and mushroom puree. He was ver happy with the menu and his choices.

I ordered up a glass of Chamonix 2016 unoaked Chardonnay as I had tasted it with the winemaker Thinus Neeling ( a handsome and totally entertaining gent, who became the youngest winemaker ever in South Africa 4 years ago at 25!)just two days prior. A fab amuse of Bitterballen(which we have not had in years since our last Holland America cruise) made from Pork Crackling crust and stuffed with Venison that had an awesome Guava Paste Dip that was more like a fruity spice sauce. Sam got a potato tuile with pickled radish and guava puree. A great start for sure.

Two of us split two starters and mains each with ours being the Garden Vegetables, Herb powder(turmeric), Berry Sherbet Powder, Ginger & Lemongrass Mayo, Charred Beetroot, Pickled Cauliflower, Onion & Radish, Heirloom Carrots and Lentil Puffs, which was a divine salad that would make anyone and everyone happy. The other starter was Salmo's Raw milk Fig Leaf cheesecake with Forest foraged herbs & Gooseberries. Paulette explained that Salmo was 14 years old and milked his cow and made raw milk cheese supplied to the restaurant for making this savory cheesecake served on a digestive biscuit crust. It had a smoky flavor and was served with an amazing Spice tomato vinaigrette which was really a candied tomato jam that made the very rich and flaky cake truly wonderful.

The others shared the same cheesecake and their other starter was Neil's Bacon Steamed Bun in ramen broth with Beetroot, Radish, Pumpkin Seed & Celery Root Pesto which was good, but apparently the beet covered up all the bacon taste leaving it to be a Beet Steamed Bun!

We both split the same mains starting with the BBQ & Braised Eland Brisket, Potato Gnocchi, Braised Red Cabbage, Cauliflower Confit & Grilled Carrot. When Paulette placed it down and announced the anise puree, I almost died, but luckily we could not taste a bit of licorice. The meat was a tad dry at the center but the sauce was plentiful and superb making up for that one minor flaw. Even better was the BBQ Warthog "Skilpadjie" or sausage, with Apple Chutney, Marrog(spinach) Pomme Puree, Prickly Pear & Radish Salad with Onion Puree. I have to say this was my first warthog ever and it was superb indeed; tasty, tender and full of gamey, buit not overpowering, flavor. The preparation was akin to pulled meat with a somewhat wrapped sausage.

Will tried and liked the jammy Topiary Shiraz with his game, while I adored the 2016 La Motte Millennium of Shiraz, Cabernet, Pinotage and Grenache, an excellent blend.

It was a fine meal as we headed back to the magnificent Leeu Estates to pack up for our trip east the next day.

Last lunch in Franschhoek: CHEF's WAREHOUSE at Maison(winery) will make your mouth water (8-15-18)

We chose the Maison winery's wonderful tapas restaurant CHEF's WAREHOUSE for our final meal not knowing they have a 400rand($26)per person set tapas lunch, but it was all terrific, even if too much food.

We got blankets to keep us warm since it was slightly chilly, but a beautiful day and we wanted to sit outside and enjoy the chickens wandering around with the mountain views. There were huge linen napkins and I was happy to get to taste some of the MAISON wines before settling in on a glass of Chenin Blanc 2016 Reserve, creamy, rich and full flavored.

The tapas arrived in groups (many photos as always on FB) and Samuel got his own veggie choices as well.

We started with Franschhoek Trout Tartare in fragrant oil, tahini-soy dressing, pickled and fresh white radish, kale and tempura fried celery leaves, a superb mixture with texture and tastes that popped with every bite as each dish did.

Citrusdal Ostrich had a beetroot laquer, glazed baby beets, woodfired spring onion and marinated daikon radish with ginger.

Beef Sirloin Pastrami was to die for with Horseradish Catalan Custard, Spiced Onion Relish, Charred Spring Onion Salsa, Sour Cream and a Homemade Soft Pretzel.

For Sam there was a Glazed Beet dish akin to the ostrich with no meat.

The next grouping was Miso-Cured Chicken Liver Parfait with Watercress, Maison Fennel Cured Bacon and a toasted raisin and pecan brioche. For non pate lovers there was a vegan rice roll with kimchi, but Sam chose the Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes.

The paired tapa for us all was Cauliflower and Yoghurt Risotto with Tandoori Cauliflower, candied spiced cashew nuts and deep fried onion that was indeed a superb if very rich dish.

The final group was Roasted Free range Chicken Thighs with poached organic juvenile chicken egg, the Jerusalem Chokes & Truffle Dressing.

Glen Oak Smoked Ham Hock Croquettes were richly sinful with aged gruyere, west coast mussel veloute and broad bean salsa, an ingenious creation for sure.

Lastly was Pan Fried Hake with a Malay-Spiced Seed and Sultana Crumb, Blood Orange and Lime dressed garden leaves with almonds.

Sam chose the Creamy Roasted Parsnips Polenta with Salsa Verde and parsnip crisps.

Truly an amazing lunch but we could not move or eat another bite.

Franschhoek's LA PETITE COLOMBE may replace Le Quartier Francais, but it comes up a bit short (8-14-18)

Our second night in wine country took us to the one year old  "younger sister" of the famed La Colombe in CapeTown which has settled into gorgeous digs where the world famous Le Quartier Francais held court as one of the world's top dining spots for years. We were warmly welcomed into the intimate space with blonde wood floors, well-spaced tables with elegant white linens and comfy upholstered tan chairs. This was our first sighting of a real linen napkin(they use paper almost everywhere due to the water crisis), although it was quite small in size. At the back corner of the dining room was a large opening in the huge kitchen were we also later went to "meet the chefs," and a small bar is at the front, although it was empty.

There are only two dining options here, a set menu of 10+ courses for 1195rand($83) or 7+ for 795rand($55) and these can be paired with wines as well(800 or 550rand respectively or $53/$37US). Tell me where you can go anywhere in Napa or another fine wine district of the USA, France or even Spain and dine for this amount at the top restaurant. We all did varying options and Sam even had a complete veggie option(995 or 680rand=$66 or $45), so the staff were super accommodating with that as well as allergies and dislikes. They also agreed to pair non-alcoholic options for the folks that did not drink and the sommelier Andrew graciously took it on as a challenge and succeeded.

The first "course" which I did not count in the above numbers was Caraway Sourdough, home churned butter, sesame and roasted yeast which came powdered on top of the butter. It was indeed a tasty bread, but we knew how much was coming and refrained.

The first course was a Poached Oyster in Pernod, Grapefruit, Verjuice, Dill, Apple & Celery which was switched to the veggie/non shellfish option for us as we detest Pernod. I adored the Pea Veloute, although it was more frothy than a true creamy veloute with and came with quail egg, lemon, radish, pea dust, shoots and a cucumber salsa verde. Colmant Blanc de Blanc N/V from local Franschhoek was a nice refreshing pairing, but paled next to the amazing Le Lude top notch bubbly Will & I had tasting at a private tasting that morning. 

Sam chose the Asparagus, Kimchi, Avocado, Kalamansi & Sesame which came with an Apple Fresca cocktail made with lime, burnt lime, lychee and mint.

Yellowfin tuna came with aubergine, miso, kalamansi gel, avocado, apple, kimchi, fennel and sesame and was a superb dish if muted even with all the ingredients. The paired Mullineux "Old Vines" 2016 from Swartland was tasted the day before as we stayed at the Leeu Estates which merged with Mullineux. All their wines are superb and this Swartland blend of Chenin Blanc, Clarette Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon Gris(yes there is such a grape) and Vioginier is a huge winner in my mind.

"Cape Wagyu" beef came sliced thin with a thinly sliced Scallop, Bone Marrow, Celeriac & Wild Garlic Broth, Horseradish, Gochujang & Pickled Shitake Gel. This was a superb blend of surf and turf and paired with a Domaine de Dieux Chardonnay 2011 from Hemel-en-Arde which was also superb. I wondered why in later winter here they chose to do so many white wines(there were only 2 reds), but they were indeed all superb.

Sam had moved on to Miso Aubergine, Egg Noodles, Gochujang, Celeriac & Wild Garlic Broth with Yaki-reduced paste, so you can see how they take the meat/fish options and make them vegetarian. The non shellfish version simply replaced the scallop with extra Wagyu! A lime/cranberry/apple drink arrived with dehydrated blood orange for Sam & Steven.

Ravioli of Langoustine with curried Hake Veloute, caramelised Cauliflower Puree and Coriander Foam having a distinct curry flavor and was paired with a Saxenberg "Limited Release" 2011 from Stellenbosch which blended 50% Sauvignon Blanc aged in steel and 50% Semillion in oak which was a nice take on the traditional Bordeaux white.

At this point we were all asked to head over to the kitchen counter where the young head chef explained his take on the British breakfast "Egg & Soldiers." Small egg cups broken off at the top had a sauce of foie gras and small finger sandwiches of foie gras were laid atop the shell for us to dunk in the "sauce." It was indeed divine, and the paired wine was a also a play "Die Soldat" Grenache 2016 from Ouwingerdreeks in Piekenierskloof was a brilliant red.

After the little show called "Meet the chefs" on the menu where the chef had indeed introduced much of the kitchen staff and explained their jobs, we returned to the table for a Palate Cleanser of Black Orange Sorbet served in a frozen orange rind.

 Linefish, which is the generic South African term for fish of the day, came next, and was Mauritian Sea Bass, here with soubise, smoked Mussel, Squid, Endive, Chorizo & Creamed Leeks in a Beurre Blanc. We went back to white wine with a Rickety Bridge "Paulina's Reserve" Semillon 2016 made just down the street, but I was still craving red wine which would have worked with the fish & chorizo if a lighter Pinot Noir or such. Will really detests Semillon and got a replacement of Rijk 2011 Chenin Blanc.

 The veggie plate was Butternut Harissa Risotto with herb mousse, soubise & hazelnut dukkah, paired with a Rooibos Teas iced with cinnamon and star anise fashioned like and "Old Fashioned."

Our next course was the Seared Duck Breast with Creamed Leeks, turnip, Jerusalem artichokes, Savoy Cabbage, Rhubarb & Lavender Jus paired(finally) with a delicious red Bouchard Finlayson "Galpin Peak" Pinot Noir 2016 from Hemel-en-Arde(a region that literally means "heaven on earth").

This was the end of the savory courses and we moved onto two desserts(one if you did the shorter menu as two of the above courses were also choices if you took the shorter menu):

Foxenberg Goat's Cheese  with curd, Goat's Milk Caramel(think cajeta), kouign amann(a croissant like pastry), Guava Ice Cream and Tamarind Crumbs paired with an okay Vondeling Sweet Carolyn 2007 Muscat from Voor-Paardeberg, a region I had never even heard of....but then there are so many!

The second dessert was the winner of Valrhona Itakuja(55% dark Brazilian chocolate) Cremeux with Pineapple, Mango, Macadamia, Crumb, Passionfruit(I think they said the chocolate was fermented with passionfruit?) and Lemongrass Dust with Mango Sorbet. The Thelema Late Harvest Semillon 2014 from Stellenbosch was a sweet viscous hit as well.

Le Petite Colombe Treasures was the last "course" and arrived in an adorable treasure chest containing Roasted white chocolates and Salted Caramel Macaroons.

Please don't ask how much weight we have gained and I have tried to hit the gym daily...it's tough, and I will head there now.

Will thought the meal a huge hit, I personally felt some of the courses were big hits, but overall it fell short of what a 3star Michelin should be, although they don't have those ratings here.

Stellenbosch will steal your heart and INDOCHINE will intrigue your palate at the Delaire Graff Estate Winery(8-14-18)

Our wine tastings today brought us to the magnificent Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch with gorgeous art, scenery, wine and food in the most beautiful of Relais et Chateaux settings. We had a super VIP wine tasting with winemaker Morné Very and then a superb lunch at Indochine. Some of chose mains, some a couple of starters instead and we were thrilled to see Sam had his own huge vegetarian menu. He chose the most beautifully presented ever Spring Rolls, but they were not super exciting on the palate. His Grilled Miso Eggplant with Smoked Aubergine Puree and Sesame was just as beautiful and tasted much better as well.

Here Papadams came in the form of beetroot, chickpea and rice and there were four sauces: a fermented chilli with large "fat cook" fried dough balls in them, chimichurri, carrot puree and a spectacular spinach humus. I enjoyed a small glass of the Delaire Graff Sunrise Brut MCC (methode Cap Classique, the term used for sparkling wine from the region) which was delightful and then a glass of the superb Swartland Chenin Blanc (which we purchased to bring home).

The Edamame and Shitake Potstickers were a big hit as well. Laksa of Brisket Soup with langoustine dumpling, housemade curry noodles, cured egg and pickled mustard greens got an OK from Will, but the two mains were excellent. Beef Rendang was tender  brisket with lemongrass, coconut & cinnamon curry, pickled tapioca, cucumber salad, coconut rice and raita while my Red Cutty of Prawns with linefish dumpling, pumpkin seed pesto, pickled red cabbage and red curry cracker resting on top(think thinnest lavash) was divine. One small error did occur when our server asked about allergies and we said we had one with shellfish, yet the Octopus came with a side salad with shellfish sauce. He tasted the salad and rejected it instantly, luckily nothing bad ensued and the winery just called to make sure he was okay, so A+ on the follow up, but not good on the listening in house.

Dinner tonight is at the famed La Petit Colombe....getting hungry thinking about it now.

seeking Indian food in Franschoek (South Africa Wine Country), then be sure to make it MARIGOLD(8-13-18)

After driving from CapeTown the just over an hour east to Franschoek and having enjoyed two wonderful wine tastings to start our 3 night stay here, we headed to downtown Franschoek and MARIGOLD, a simple but charming spot on the main street where Indian food shines. Nolundi, our server, said to please call her Lulu, and we started to peruse the huge menus. 

Pappadam of rice and chickpea arrived with mint-coriander sauce as well as beetroot atchar or pickled beets) which actually all combined to taste pretty amazing.

One of us settled on the Thali a set menu of several street food starters, mains and sides; a kind of tasting menu on one giant plate that comes in a vegetarian version as well. Samuel went right for the Aloo Matar Somosas of potato and pea with tamarind chutney for his starter and I ordered a bottle of wine. The DeMorgenzon Maestro White 2015 was a gorgeous 330rand ($23+) from Stellenbosch that was a Rhone blend style of Rousanne, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Vioginier & Grenache Blanc that we all agreed was spectacular and would work well with all the spicy food. Lulu came back to say that if the 5 of us ordered 5 starters and 5 mains, the wine was free. WOW, what a deal! We all settled in and chose:

Aloo Tikki Chole Chaat was a fried potato patty, Bengal gram, chickpea curry sauce with onions, coriander and mint chutney that we all loved as well as the superb Dal Makhani or black whole urad lentils. Lamb Kebabs were spiced perfectly Tandoori style with masala yogurt sauce.

We loved everything but also realized that the wine from the day was getting too much and a glass of red with the mains was in order rather than a bottle. Lulu brought over almost all the reds served by the glass to taste!

Allee Bleue Starlette Pinotage from just around the bend as well as Eikehif Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 were nice but I settled on the Porcupine Ridge 2017 Syrah while Vince chose the Gentle Giant Haut Espoir 2012 Red and Will went for a beer.

The mains were as varied as they come from a truly scrumptious and buttery Butter Chicken of Murg Makhani with creamy onion tomato masala sauce to my Mutton Rogan Josh made from mutton knuckles, Kashmiri chillies, spices and yogurt that fell off the bone and melted in my mouth. Sam loved his Mughlai Vegetable Biryani as well as a Garlic Naan, while we shared a Naan stuffed with chili, coriander, onion and paneer(cheese).

Jeera Matar Polao was a simple but needed side of basmati rice with peas, cumin and coriander.

It was a superb meal and we all left full ready for bed for our next day here in Wine Country loaded with more fun and tastings. Check out my FB page for photos of the meal and the tastings!

FOXCROFT in CapeTown's Constantia District is delightful (8-12-18)

For our last night we ventured about 20+ minutes south of the waterfront to see our friends Jenny & Rhynhardt who work for Giltedge/Frosch Southern Africa and make all our of clients (and us) super happy when travelling here. We chose Foxcroft as it is open on Sundays and also because it is right near the office and their homes. Unfortunately for Samuel the restaurant had just changed its a la carte menu with many veggie options to a set price "Sunday Supper Club" for 375rand (about $25) for 4 courses with few veggie options he was happy with. On the other hand we loved the free extras of Steenberg bubbly, gin and tonic or a Noon Gun IPA Beer to start.

Our server Mike was full of enthusiasm and told Sam the chef would handle him but the starter of Roasted Cauliflower Mousse, Tandoori, Lemon Pickle, Sultana & Naan bread was declared way too weird for him. On the other hand we were delighted with the Grass-fed Beef tartare with Stout Mustard, Wild Garlic, Smoked Egg Yolk Espuma, Pickled Veggies and grilled sourdough which all 6 of us had. We adored the Oldenburg Viognier 2016 from Stellenbosch which we started but moved to a Constantia FIVE 2013 blend produced just blocks away(for the tartare) composed of 29% each Cab Franc & Cab Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot & Malbec which was divine.

Returning to the white was no issue for the Poached Line Fish or Panga with Charred Corn, Seaweed and Noodles in a slightly spicy Thai broth which almost everyone chose. There were two who went for the Pork Belly & tentacles which came with miso aubergine, peanut & Coriander. I did learn that here tentacles mean squid, not octopus!

Sam had a Sunchoke (without Mushroom) with Crispy onion, grapefruit & soft herbs that was sadly also not a hit.

The mains were superb Free-range duck with Gauteng, Mustard Leaf, Parsnip puree, swiss chard and spiced blood orange jus which came with a confit leg dumpling mixed with duck liver and wrapped in a mustard leaf which was brilliant. Others chose the Slow -cooked Lamb with Waterblommetjie(water lily), smoked tomato, polenta and marjoram, which was also a tender hit. Alas, Sam's Fermented Wheat (without the porcini), with egg yolk, Hugenot and burnt rosemary was better but left him hungry and wanting a simple room service pizza when we got back to the hotel.

Desserts were delish with Warm Hazelnut Cake, Whipped Azelia, nartjie(Satsuma) and celeriac being a top choice for 3. The Rhubarb Financier with Dulcey, yogurt, celery leaf and lime was a perfect pastry and my Belnori Tanglewood was a cheese lover's dream with this soft goat cheese mixed with dates, pickled onion and walnuts.

Check out the FB photos . Before we parted a glass of Stellenbsoch 2016 dessert wine called "Kika" from Miles Mossop was ordered and our guests would not let us leave with out a glass of iced Amarula, the sweet, yet milky South African dessert liqueur.

A fun last night in CapeTown for all but Sam....now onto wine country.

CapeTown's The Test Kitchen will tingle your taste buds for the top food experience in all Africa(8-11-18)

We started planning to go to The Test Kitchen, truly known as the top dining experience in all Africa, over a year ago. Reservations are accepted only on-line for a three month period on the first of the three months prior. For this August, our D-day was June 1, and I was set to wake at 2am EDT to make the booking when a dear friend of mine put me in touch with a genius concierge here in CapeTown who did all the dialing for us. He came through and the five of us headed to the old warehouse that the unassuming restaurant less than 10 minutes away from our hotel on the Waterfront. Our arrival was like a speakeasy(or the Wizard of Oz), where a head appeared through a hole in the door and asked our name before letting us in.  Ushered into "the Dark Room" we were seated on a sofa and chairs with a low table. A map was laid in front of us (FB photos) showing where the chef had journeyed over his life and these destinations would be the sources of our six starters. A cocktail list was provided and we ordered away, not knowing we were allowed to try as many as we liked. They were all exciting and fun from my Papaya and Quince Margarita to my final Lapsang Souchong Old Fashioned.  The Pink Drink-Num Num & Rose was beautiful and came in a non-alcoholic version for those not drinking as did the Apple Crumble. 

The snacks began to arrive with the Billionaire (from Scotland) being proffered in a gold metal box. Porcini mushroom shortbread had truffle jelly, duck liver parfait, truffle infused dark chocolate and gold leaf. The vegetarian version was a Barley Tart with Parmesan, shitaki and radish. Indeed every allergy, dislike or other was completely accommodated with no questions!

Korea was represented with a tray of Baby Organic Vegetables(from a farm near Joburg) with a fermented soybean dip akin to gogujang called Ssamjang. The servers moved so fast, we really did not have one, as a team we can only say they were all terrific. One brought over small flakes of Marmite crumble which she mixed into the dip. While I do not care for Marmite, here the flavors all balanced out and it was barely noticeable. Indeed so many flavors were involved here, it was hard to discern them all.

Japan was a sushi-style tuna with a mustard cream powder(wasabi-powder-like), mustard greens and a piece of cabbage to roll the whole thing up with chopsticks. I managed to loose my chunk of superb grade tuna, but luckily it landed on my drink coaster and was saved! 

Timing was of the essence here and we moved quickly and gobbled everything up as England arrived with a tray of huge Pork Cracklings that were cooked to perfection(crunchy and not greasy or hard) and seasoned with dehydrated Jerusalem Artichoke salt(made with Malden Sea Salt from the UK). A pewter-like tankard partially filled with Guinness Stout was placed next to the tray and our server poured burnt flower foam into it to make a creamy beer-based dip for the yummy delights. 

Tartare is always a highlight, but we moved onto South Africa for Blesbok, one of the great delights of this country's game foods, prepared with chilli dressing on a pumpernickel crisp with beetroot, smoked garlic aioli, truffle red wine puree and parmesan. I adored my ostrich tartare the night before, and both dishes deserve great merit, but this bite(or two) was a revelation.  (Sam got all beetroot in his)

Mauritius moved in next with a Coconut Langoustine on a chick pea crisp with coriander pesto, and creme fraiche. A frozen shellfish & coconut oil was shaved over the dish which was also dressed with turmeric, compressed apple and yuzu jelly.  The non-shellfish folk had a burrata dish similarly prepared without the frozen oil.

Our journey in the "Dark Room" ended in India with Lamb roti(tofu for Sam) which had Masala cured lamb with peanut salsa, compressed cucumber, charred jalapeno, lime labneh topped with dried angel hair chillis. 

We were escorted into the next room, a large bright open space with about 15 tables and some bar seating at the huge open kitchen space as Mariette Sparkling Chardonnay from Stofberg was poured for us all as the ensuing 8 course menu was described. It was hard to absorb everything, but it was clear this was the deal of the century with the price per person at 1800Rand(about $105) and only 750($44)-750($53) rand more for wine parings of various levels. There was also an amazing tea(served chilled) pairing option for $23(400rand) for those who do not drink alcohol, which was extremely thoughtful.

Duck Fat & Roast Potato skin bread arrived with a Roasted Stinging Nettle Oil & Salted Butter, but we tried to refrain from eating the adorable miniature loaves placed before each of us knowing what was ahead.

I asked the server about the large recyclable paper napkins and they explained it was to avoid washing linens due to the water crisis.

Smoked Scallop Sashimi in Mushroom Ponzu with Jerusalem Artichoke and Shaved  Fresh Truffle was first and deliciously light. For the top level wine pairing which we choose a Hokusetsu YK35 Daiginjo Sake was the perfect foil.

"Winter Citrus" was Naartjie(Satsuma) & Dill Snow, King Crab and Trout over a Lime Yogurt Panna Cotta which was revealed with liquid nitrogen and adorned with the most colorful of miniature flower petals. Sam got a similar presentation with Turnip & Kohlrabi! Iona One Man Band White 2016 from Elgin was a delicious blend of Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon. 

TTK Poke Bowl was rice, master stock jelly, kimchi cucumber, sesame and more flower petals with a skewer of perfectly cooked Wild Boar laying atop the small cup-like bowl. The meat was perfection, and the wine was a Spieonkop Riesling 2016 also from Elgin. The tea pairing here was called Genmaicha which was a funky flavored tea reminiscent of the detested orange wine!

More tartare arrived in the form of Smoked Beef with Red Wine Onion Dressing, Frozen Celery Leaf Pesto, Horseradish Foam and Yorkshire Tuiles, the name of which was the brunt of several "tree" jokes. The tuiles it turned out was a deconstructed Yorkshire pudding crisp like flatbread (for those, who don't know Yorkshire Pudding think popover). The wine was a crisp Jean Roikap Provincial Rose 2016 from nearby Franschoek, where we head tomorrow for three days in wine country! Sam got a cauliflower and parmesan tartare substitute which incidentally had the same smoky aromas and flavours that ours did!

The next course offered a choice and since we were two couples we chose to each order one and switch halfway. In the amazing 3-3/4 hour long meal, these were the only two courses that did not totally blow me away or impress to no end as indeed every other bite all night did. Market Fish was a local Red Roman (from the Indian Ocean) with Black Forest Ham & Fish Bone Extraction, Walnut Cream, Anchovy Puree and a braised Octopus Tentacle as well. It arrived with a delicious Mulderbosch 2009 Chardonnay which was showing its age beautifully. The other choice was the Pig Head Salad with Pork Pie consisting of Confit of Pig Jowl with Red Cabbage, Blue Cheese and Celeriac Crepe. The Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2013 also from Elgin was quite dry and unlike our Oregon Pinots did not exhibit huge forward fruits and was much drier, but was delicious nonetheless.

Our main main was Springbok with Beetroot, Bone Marrow, Hazelnut, Curd & Cacao Nibs as well as Duck Liver, Dukka Crumbs and crunchy Fried Beetroot slices(like the Terra chips we get at home, but tiny). Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 also from Franschoek was a wonderful full bodied ready to drink Cab that was simply brilliant.

Pear Trifle was a pre-dessert with Bourbon Ice Cream with Creme fraiche, Victoria Sponge(cake), Poached Pear and Gels with coffee beans followed by the "TTK Banana Split" composed of Banana Jam, Coffee Sherbert, almond chocolate ganache over a banana cocoa nib cake with banana ice cream and pistachio crumb.

A yummy Klein Constantia 2011 Vin de Constance was sweet, yet not super viscous and had acidity to it akin to a Sauternes.

As if this were not enough a plate of freeze dried raspberries, rhubarb gummy bears, black currant gummy bears, custard shortbread with rhubarb jelly and blood orange ganache and indigenous bachu-herbs----PLEASE don't ask.

It was not only tons of fun and one of the best dining experiences ever, it was indeed quality ingredients that had our taste buds bursting over and over with each and every mouthful.

Oh what a night.

The staff here all work together as a team and when we asked for a 15minute break before the Springbok, no questions were asked; everyone did an amazing job, but it was Louise we remember for her kindness and patience while I wrote everything down....and am still having trouble sorting it out here.