#ZomatoMeetup at Seelan V&A

As you may have seen in my previous posts, I am a little bit in love with the app Zomato which is building strength in South Africa. You can use it to check out menus, reviews or ratings, etc. and so so much more!

Lucky for me I was invited by the kind people at Zomato to a #ZomatoMeetup where a group of foodies get invited to a restaurant and treated to a delicious meal on the house.

I had always heard of Seelan and knew it was at the V&A Waterfront but was very uncertain as to where exactly they were and had never been there so this was a first time for me. To start with, the location is awesome. Its right on the sea and has a spectacular view of both table mountain and the Cape Wheel which makes for quite a sight when the sun goes down.

Upon arriving, I was taken to my table and within 1 minute a fresh welcome cocktail was placed down for me. The excellent service never lowered from this point and I was really impressed by the special attention. Full disclosure: I obviously know that they were out to impress us because we were going to be blogging, tweeting, etc. but they really did an awesome job and I can’t fault them for that.

Starters:

We began with some really fresh and crispy salads, salmon carpaccio and fish soup. The salad was simple but just different enough to make it special from those you would make at home. The salmon carpaccio was slightly boring in my opinion and didn’t have much of a ‘wow’ factor although it did go very well with the salad. Now I get to the fish soup. We had a menu in front of us so we knew that we were in for a severe feast and that we would need to hold back. The soup totally ruined that concept. Too often you have a fish soup that is ‘fishy’ and doesn't really have any other flavour. This soup was perfection. The broth was smooth and fragrant and the seafood inside was a delicious extra that didn’t overwhelm. Most has seconds. Some had thirds. If you don’t try anything else there but this soup, you will leave very happy.

Main Course 1:

The first two mains to come out were Chicken and Duck portions. I absolutely love spicy food and have been known to throw chilli into any dish to give it a bit of zing but I found the chicken to be way too spicy. Maybe it’s because we didn’t have any warning but it was the kind of hot that makes your eyes water. I wouldn’t have been able to eat a full portion and was lucky to have just taken a drumstick. The duck was soft and tasty but a little bit on the dry side, (a brave choice for a large table of guests.) On the plus side, what I liked about the dish was the fact that the chef wasn’t trying too hard to make it taste like anything else. Sometimes you find that restaurants throw sweet sauces and marinades on duck and it can ruin the flavour. This duck was just lightly spiced and cooked so that you just tasted delicious duck flavours.

Main Course 2:

The next course consisted of two massive bowls of curry and some rice to go with it. Already we were getting full but upon tasting the deliciousness we indulged! The options were prawn and lamb. Considering the restaurant specialises in seafood, I was honestly surprised by how good the lamb curry was. The meat was cooked SOFT and the taste was top notch. Unfortunately, because the lamb was so good, I found the prawn to be underwhelming in comparison. It was VERY spicy and felt like it was maybe a bit too spicy for such a gentle flavour but very much enjoyable. If you feel like a really good home-style, melt-in-the-mouth lamb curry then I would give the local curry joint a skip and try this place on for size.

Main Course 3:

Yes. 3 main courses. Try to imagine how delirious we were with over-consumption of food. It was delicious nonetheless. This was one of my favourite courses but I struggled to eat it because I knew that there was still dessert coming. We were served both a steak and a kingklip tagliata. I had anticipated that I would enjoy the steak more but it was actually the kingklip that ended up winning first prize here. I find kingklip can be quite bland at the best of times and I wouldn't normally order it from a restaurant if I were planning on splurging. I was proven wrong! I would come to the restaurant and order the kingklip in order to treat myself! The steak was great too and I found the meat soft and cooked to a perfect medium rare (although I prefer it rare but I can deal!) It was served with the most delicious sun-dried tomatoes and rocket which gave it a fresh and vibrant finish.

Dessert Course:

This course was a selection of bakes and some fruit. I struggled through this course. We had eaten, eaten and eaten some more and at this point it was actually difficult to go on.  Honestly speaking though, I am not a “sweet” type of person and much prefer a sandwich to a cupcake. Our selection included tiramisu, banoffee and chocolate brownies. The brownies were nice and moist but had a bit of a from-the-box flavour and I don’t really like banana so that was lost on me. The fruit was a nice touch and quite refreshing after such a heavy meal. I would have preferred a lighter dessert in the form of sorbet or something but that is coming from someone who hardly orders dessert.

What a spectacular treat by Zomato and Seelan and was very touched to have been invited to this spectacular night out. I would really recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a great night out or a romantic dinner.

My ideal 3 course meal:

Starter: Fish Soup

Main: Lamb Curry or Kingklip Tagliata

Dessert: Fruit platter

Getting Inspired While Cooking

Recently I have been spending a lot of time at home. It seems like it would be lots of fun to not have a strict 9-5 and have all your own time to do the stuff you need to but mostly it just entails watching a lot of series on my laptop.  Needless to say I was in some dire need for inspiration and I found it in cooking, something I have always loved doing!

Don't get me wrong. Not all the food I cook is 'inspired' or particularly special but sometimes it's good to go a little overboard and when I made this particular dish it was one of those days.

Meatballs with Tomato sauce, roasted vegetables and Crunchy Salad 

Meatballs:
500g beef mince
1 egg
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and roll into ping pong sized balls and fry until cooked through and brown on the outside.

Tomato Sauce:
1 Tin chopped tomato
1 Clove garlic finely chopped
1 Handful of fresh basil chopped
1 Onion chopped
1 Punnet Mushrooms sliced

Fry the onions and mushrooms until they are soft. Throw in the tin of tomato with the chopped garlic and half the basil and simmer for at least 1 hour. Right before serving, throw in the meatballs and the rest of the basil, cook for another 10 minutes and serve. Adding cheese to this is really delicious too.

This is also really tasty with penne or rice, if it takes your fancy, otherwise it goes really well with some roasted veggies (butternut, cauliflower, sweet potato, courgettes, etc.) or a nice crunchy salad.

Old Biscuit Mill - Woodstock

So the Biscuit Mill is no stranger to Cape Town and I had stopped going years ago as I felt that it was far too crowded and the prices were pretty high but here I was, a sunny Saturday afternoon with some girl friends at the Biscuit Mill after all that time. 

It's pretty much the same things as before with massive, heaving crowds of people pushing you left right and centre to get their hands the closest gluten-free organic Gatsby or whatever is trending at the time. The prices were also quite high in comparison to other markets in Cape Town but perhaps that's something to do with the rent or whatever.

 

All of that aside. If I am being totally honest, the market wasn’t as bad as I expected and the food was really good. I struggled a bit as I was on a budget and wanted to try everything but there were some winning items.

The Mill has all kinds of stalls including various baked goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, smoothies, cheeses, biltong, meat, gourmet food items of all genres and an awesome selection of beers, wines and cocktails. You really are spoiled for choice here and it actually makes ordering food difficult because you look again and something even better catches your eye. It’s a foodie heaven for sure!

Separate from the market in the retail area was another hidden gem in the form of a miniature chocolate factory. Willy Wonka would be impressed by this tiny little gem and the smell of chocolate wafting through the air is enough to catch any person unawares. For R50 you can even go on a tour which includes cocoa bean culture, the chocolate making process, chocolate tasting and lastly hot coco and ice cream tasting. What a win!

While walking through the queue-like market being pushed about from all directions, I realised what really makes this market special. It’s not the food, the venue, the location or the customers. The people who spend every weekend at the Market making a living out of their products are those who make it the best. They have the best attitude and their love and passion shows in their products.

I met a gentleman named Adam at the stall who was selling fresh fruit and vegetables. He gave us advice on how to cook certain things the best way and really took the time, despite how busy they were, to interact with us as customers. Not only that, but he was funny too.

I personally enjoy other markets to this one much more like those in Stellenbosch, Tokai and Constantia, etc. but I wouldn’t turn down a trip to the Biscuit Mill Market on a Saturday if I were to find myself in Woodstock again because it genuinely has its merits.

Cheers, Darling

Top 5 Free Travel Apps for the Tech-Savvy Traveller

Our cell phones are extensions of ourselves. They are never more than 1 metre away from us at all times and constantly being checked in case something interesting is happening on your ‘IstaTwitFace’ profile.

It makes sense then that the little devices, which we spend so much time on, should play an integral part in our holiday plans. Whether you are travelling abroad or planning a trip nearer to home, your cell phone may be able to assist you beyond allowing you to post your selfies to social media. Here is a list of 5 must-have smartphone apps for any traveller looking to make the most of their next adventure.

1. Trip Advisor

Trip Adviser is a great place to look for restaurants, hotels, attractions and nightlife. The app will search around you, show you your options, with guest reviews and photos, and it will even guide you there. It’s super handy when you are getting to know an area and the guest reviews really help you in making your decision on where to go.

Availability: iOS and Android

2. Google Maps

This handy app is capable of a lot more than you might think and can be very handy in the planning phase of your trip. Imagine you are looking for a hotel in a city which you may not know. Locate it in Google Maps and start exploring! It shows you where hotels are, shows guest reviews and ratings and provides the contact details and web link to their websites. If you think you’ve found a winner, use Street View to explore the surrounding area and take a virtual walk to see what stores, clubs, parks or anything are around that hotel.

Availability: iOS and Andriod

3. Duolingo

If you find yourself in a foreign country where no one speaks your language, it can be scary for a traveller. So why not learn a little before you get there to help you out? Duolingo is a great new app which helps you learn languages, from the basics to advanced, for free. What makes it even better is that each lesson is short and sweet enough that it doesn’t take too much time out of your busy day.  Learn Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian and English from your phone or PC.

Availability: iOS and Android

4. Yelp

At some point in your trip you are going to need to get something to eat. It seems like such a simple idea but sometimes eating in foreign territory and out of your comfort zone can be daunting. Yelp is great because it understands you; well, it feels like it does. You type in the kind of food you want or a particular restaurant and it will find it for you based on your current location when using it. It can also be filtered to suit your needs so if you’re looking for a sushi restaurant within 5 kilometres of your location that cost a little amount of money with high ratings from past guests, it will find it for you. Pretty great. This app is not available everywhere but its growing and is currently being used in 27 popular destinations all over the world. Did we mention that Yelp can be used to find other businesses too? Needless to say, this app has saved my tail more times than I can count.

Availability: iOS, Android, Windows Mobile and Amazon Kindle

5. Wi-Fi Finder

Most apps including your staple Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Skype apps, to name a few, require the internet to function. When you are away from home you are away from your internet connection and this is where Wi-Fi hotspots come in handy. The app, which can be used offline, locates Wi-Fi hotspots, paid and free, in your area and can even provide directions to get to each place. This is one app that you will find yourself using a lot, even in your own hometown.

Availability: iOS and Android

Breakfast with my Bestie at FortySix beans

I am one of those lucky people who happens to live in the same house as my bestie Kelly. This means that we can hang out whenever we are home and instead of a Whatsapp, I just knock on her door.

You know those times when you wake up super early on a weekend and you are craving a great breakfast? Kels and I woke up with the same idea and went on the prowl for just the right place. At this time I should just point out that Kelly and I are Public Relations people and we love food, a lot, so choosing a restaurant is not as simple as just picking a place. This mission has strict guidelines which we wanted to adhere to:
1) It needed to be close to home (Kenilworth).
2) It had to be a place we had never been to before.
3) It must be cheap.
4) There must be an outside section to sit at.

So I went onto my favourite app, ZOMATO, which is the perfect app for anyone who likes to eat out or is super indecisive about where to go when it comes to choosing places to eat. This app is like Yelp, for those who have been to the USA, but its just for restaurants. You type in a restaurant name, the kind of food you're looking for and it comes up with options in Cape Town, or whichever city you are in. You can then apply filters to narrow your search options such as location, price, ratings, etc. Once you get to a list of restaurants you can check out menus, read reviews or even write your own! More info about it here.

So this is how we, eventually found ourselves driving through Wynberg in search of a quaint little coffee shop which we had never heard of before. The place was called FortySix Beans and for those breakfast lovers of the Southern Suburbs, its in right next to the famous Penny Lane in Wynberg.

I have personally had very bad experiences at Penny Lane, the cafe next door which has super cheap breakfast (like really!) and long queues to match it! We found this place, FortySix Beans and gave it a try and boy were we impressed. The service was quick and so friendly. Its the kind of place where you feel like you're having breakfast at your mom's house and the prices are astounding!

Despite the fact that the outside section is in a lane off a busy street in Wynberg, they have made their best efforts to make the place comfortable and clean and the inside is simple but lovely.

We both had hash brown breakfast which comes with 2 eggs, 2 rashers of bacon, hash brown, grilled tomato and a slice of toast for R34. For those who are even more thrifty, however, their menu ranges from R16 onward.

So yes, that was our little breakfast adventure which turned out to be quite a success! I recommend this place to anyone who feels keen for a spot of tea and a yummy brekkie.

Cheers, darling
x

Gibson's Gourmet Burgers and Ribs

 Before I begin, can I just point out how ridiculously awesome this song is?

Monday night has become famous in South Africa for the night when everyone gets together and goes to the Spur for 2-for-1 burgers. Probably one of the greatest restaurant specials ever to anyone on a budget who is looking for some sweet comfort food.

Since its emergence, more and more upmarket restaurants have release similar specials (but with a slightly higher bill at the end of the night.) Gibson's Gourmet Burgers and Ribs at the V&A Waterfront is no different. My housemate Kelly started a new job recently so we took her out to Gibson's to try out the Burger special and celebrate her achievement.

The original plan was to get the the waterfront earlier to skip the queues but we were running late and only got there at about 19:30. The queue wasn't too long and it was made bearable by the quirky and friendly hostess who kept everyone happy with her light banter and by keeping the tables turning. Another pro was the offer of wine tasting in the line. We had a taster of the house rose which was absolutely delicious!

The restaurant itself is actually quite small but remained full until quite late due to the popularity of the place and we soon leaned why! The burgers were on another level and the 2-for-1 special was a welcome friend when the burgers cost up to R120 each. This sounds steep, I know, but with generous, handmade pattys and top-notch toppings, this place was well worth the wait and the price tag.

If you're looking for a change of pace, try is out around pay day. You won't be disappointed!

Source: http://www.gibsonsburgers.co.za/

My weekend: Rocking the Daisies

I am not a fan of trance parties for my own, personal reasons so Rocking the Daisies is one of the few festivals which I attend. This year's festival had very high expectations with great headliner acts, much more space for camping, almost double the tickets sold and a very high price tag on tickets. 

The weekend turned out to be, what we dubbed, "Rocking the Queues" with everything at the festival requiring a person to stand in a queue. The problem was simple. Too many people and not enough of anything to go around including toilets, water (which ran out during a heat wave) and security. On Friday night someone slashed through my tent with a knife and stole all my clothes and toiletries which just left a very bad taste in my mouth. What really killed it for me, though, was the reaction of the organisers. When people Tweeted and Facebooked their complaints to the RTD team, the responses were aggressive and sometimes just plain rude. As a PR person, this really upset me, knowing what further reputational damage the company was doing. It felt to me that if the organisers had just looked up from counting their money and focused on after sale service, some of the problems could have been amended. 

The weekend was a great excuse for me to finally try out the new Hyperlapse app by Instagram which allows you to film your own time-lapse movies on your phone. It was great fun filming bits of the drive up and speeding it up and it made for a really great memory video which I made after the weekend using my iMovie app, another winner which I have used on quite a few occasions while working. The video can be found on top of this post and I have to give music credit for the song titled Innocence Lost by Erik Hassle ft Tinashe.

Due to the heat and total lack of running water, I spent a lot of time under the gazebo at the tent with my friends. This, weirdly enough, was a major highlight for me. I found that it was a great time to catch up properly which you may not be able to do when you are out at a club. When we eventually made our way to the main stage though, Crystal fighters, Rudimental, Shortstraw and Beatenberg were awesome! I am a big fan of Crystal Fighters so for me, their performance was the highlight of the festival. They had incredible stage presence and their music had a wide range of sounds spanning  across genres which made them interesting to listen to. Someone actually said to me "wow! This is better than their recorded stuff." This is, as far as I'm concerned, the sign of a truly gifted group of musicians.

One thing that RTD always seems to get right is the food area and this year was no different. From raw vegan to food trucks to Butlers Pizza, the food stalls this year were a real winner. Having tried an assortment of foods, I would have to say that the bunny chow from Durban's Finest Curry was absolutely the best. I ordered the Butter Chicken Chow and my friend Caitlin got the lamb option (not sure what kind of curry it was.) When she found the lamb too spicy we did a swap and boy, was that lamb one delicious! All food vendors were on top of their games with queues always running swiftly and food being served fast and hot. 

So despite the bad stuff, I still had an absolutely killer time hanging out under the gazebo with my friends and chatting, about the heat mostly, and whatever else came to mind. Perhaps next time we consider spending so much money on a festival, we can go find a nice guest house somewhere instead.

Side Note:

Some good Samaritan showed up at my mom's house and returned the bag on the Sunday after Daisies! It had a travel tag on it from years ago and her address was still there. At least I can say that there are still good people out there. Whoever you are, kind sir, I salute you and I am so grateful to you for returning my bag! 

Cheers, darling x