Tantalising Tapas at Culture Club Bar de Tapas

Noble Savage – he said:

A week ago we went to Lima, a tapas restaurant at Monte Casino. Honestly, they can’t really be considered a tapas joint; the portions are just too intricate to align to the casual nature of what tapas is supposed to be. So with a (real) tapas craving, we decided to head out to Hazelwood to check out Culture Club.

To those who haven’t been, Hazelwood is exploding into an eatery mecca. Go early to find parking, or be a hipster and take your penny farthing. But just go check it out, there really is something for all tastes (even vegetarian, I’m told).

Culture Club is a really laid-back, comfortable place to be. No pretence, no posturing; what you see is what you get. I decided on a bottle of the Warwick First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon, which goes with everything, and is always a winner.

My Initial thought was that the menu is a bit limited. I ordered the bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeno poppers, crispy garlic and parsley squid, and the chorizo pesto lollipops. Obviously to be shared with my better half (and tucking into her order). The poppers were just spicy enough; tasty, without causing internal bleeding and aneurisms. The lollipops were okay-ish, but ultimately not my favourite. But the squid. Holy tentacled splendidness, Batman! This is how squid/calamari should be prepared!

The falafel balls were also quite tasty (should you be into that sort of thing), and the breads and dips were amazing – if you only have one thing at Culture Club, go for the Taramosalata with pita. They also do spreads and bread – we had the biltong pate and bacon jam – which is nice way to wind down your visit to this establishment.

We’ll definitely be back! This is such a great place to sit and chill with friends, or hide in a corner with your partner. It really does cater for most tastes, without selling out just to cram as many people as possible in there (I’m looking at you, Spur). Many people are put off by tapas because they think it’s too expensive. We each ordered three items, had way more than enough to eat, and the bill came to the same as it would have at a “regular” restaurant.

So try it. You won’t be sorry!

Boozy Foodie – she said:

No need for me to do a full review – Noble Savage said it all!

And, as aways – his photos are much better!

There is a lot of hype about this eatery – and I can fully understand why.  Super tasty food, and the ideal venue for long and lazy lunches (or dinners for that matter – we are just the opposite of vampires, we very seldom go out at night)!  And a good wine list -and options to have ‘wine by the glass’ always a good idea when having a selection of eats to nibble on –  with a good selection of cocktails.  A word of warning though – you must book in advance, it is a very popular spot indeed.

So, until next time Culture Club, we will be back!!

(Can’t help but hear Karma Chameleon in my head very time I say “Culture Club”)

PS:  We paid for our own food and drinks

 

 

Lovely Lima!

Women’s Day Part II

Noble Savage – he said:

Leaving the big, bad CBD behind, we headed for the artificial make-believe wasteland that is Monte Casino. We heard about new tapas joint called Lima Tapas Bar, and decided to go check it out.

After a quick stop at Skoobs (the main reason I would go back to Monte’s), we braved it up the stairs to Lima. And WOW! The décor punches you right in the face! It has an almost Steampunk-esque feel to it – lots of leather and copper highlights, with interesting wallpaper all over.

We were seated at a big wooden table, in a quiet corner of the restaurant. It took us a while to take everything in – the décor treads on a fine line between elegant, and ostentatious (personal opinion).

The wine list is not bad, but let’s be honest, we weren’t there for the wine. The menu is quite interesting, but I already had my heart set on the lobster sliders. I honestly can’t remember what the rest of the party had, as all my focus was on devouring these tasty three little burgers. Definitely worth the price!

After the sliders and some wine, I decided I needed desert. So, in keeping with the burger theme I just made up, I went for the sushi burgers. It’s basically regular sushi dressed up as a fat American (also known as an American). It was really tasty, if a bit tricky to handle.

Overall, Lima is quite impressive. For me personally, the décor is a bit over-done. The food is really creative and well thought out, but the look and feel of the restaurant could distract one from the intricacies of your meal.

And with that, Women’s Day was over. Not with a bang, but with a nap…

Boozy Foodie – she said:

I was super impressed with the decor and ambience of Lima Tapas Bar!  I must admit,  we don’t often go to Montecasino, had a few very average experiences at the restaurants there. But I was blown away by Lima.  Walking up the stairs, I was struck by the gorgeous wallpaper (my Mom has got a jacket that looks like that!  LOL!  But in a good way :)), contasting beautiful with the prominent use of copper and leather.

I spent some quality time paging through the menu – described as Latin American Fusion. Which would maybe explain why there are relatively few ‘tapas’ dishes on the menu – and I thought the tapas selection was quite pricey – admittedly, I wasn’t sure how big the portions are?   I originally thought we would order a selection of smaller dishes to pick on, but when I paged though the menu I changed my mind anyway – there were a lot of ‘spanish style’ dishes that caught my eye instead!

And the drinks menu is just as interesting!  A good wine selection, and cocktails galore.

It wasn’t easy to make a decision on what to order, because everything looked really good. There is a vast selection of meat dishes on the menu, but I decided to try the paella – and man, it was so tasty and delicious!

 

I ordered a side of garlic and corn arborio rice and although it was absolutely scrumptious I shared it with the rest of our party because it actually wasn’t needed to supplement the main dish (but usually I tend to overdose on carbs, so that’s nothing new!).  Lovely intense tomato flavours with a hint of paprika and juicy prawns – perfect! It is honestly the best paella I ever had in a restaurant.  Or anywhere for that matter!

And then, I just had to try one of the cocktails – don’t you just love this copper mug?  Yes, that was the main reason I ordered this – because of the mug!   A cool and refreshing, gingery end to a fabulous meal!

I honestly love this place!  I love the decor – it is really beautiful, the food is fabulous and the service was good.  It isn’t ‘really’ a tapas bar in the traditional sense of the word – if fact, they may be selling themselves a little short because it is so much more.

If you are looking for something different – go for it!

PS:  this isn’t a sponsored post, all meals and drinks were for our own cost

 

Why we still love The Neighbourgoods Market (aka Women’s Day Part I)

Women’s Day Part I

Noble Savage – he said:

I think it’s safe to assume that most Gautengers have heard of the Neighbourgoods market by now. To those of you just coming back after realising Australia is like Robben Island without the view, Neighbourgoods is a market in Braamfontein featuring an eclectic selection of street foods, various food-related vendors, and, of course, wine.

We went on the special Women’s day market, because… public holiday. The market is normally every Saturday, but because it was a public holiday, a bunch of people decided it would be fun to have run through the CBD. After dodging all the flotsam and jetsam, we found parking just outside the alley where the entrance to the market is located (don’t worry, it’s safe).

As it was quite early, not all the stalls were 100% ready. At least the wine-in-a-plastic-sealed-wineglass place (AKA Cheers) was ready, so I had me some walkin’ around wine. Everyone has seen the big-ass paella pans, but unfortunately was still in the warming-up process at the time. One for next time is Che Argetine grill – their meat looks amazing (get your mind out of the gutter please)!

Another vendor worth checking out is Sumting Fresh. You can’t miss this place. Just follow the loud signing, normally led by Hezron Louw of Top Chef SA fame.

With the wine quickly eroding my ability to budget, it was time for a late breakfast/early lunch (I choose to call this meal “leakfast”). I decided on a bacon-wrapped mozzarella sandwich from Craving (I think that’s the name – forgot to make notes…). This might have been the closest I have come to a religious experience. What a sandwich!! Juicy bacon covering a cheesy holy grail of delight, on a perfectly toasted roll with all the trimmings – it’s almost explicit how good this sandwich was…

We had other lunch plans, so we couldn’t stay for long. If you do decide to go through, take the whole day. There’s so much worth trying, and you could easily spend the whole day just trying out all the goodies.

Boozy Foodie – she said:

Because my Saturday mornings are always very hectic, I was super excited to see that Women’s Day will be “Neighbourgoods Market” day!  I’ve always loved the place – and there are not a lot of places where you can get bubbly and oysters for breakfast!  *happy place grin*

 

So, as usual we started out with a stroll through the market to see what is on offer.  We haven’t been there in a while, so it was good to see some new vendors as well!  While Noble Savage found himself some ‘party pack’ vino to sip on (it is actually Spier Cab, so don’t judge!), I decided to rather settle for a caffeine fix.

I found Mighty Monk Cold Brew Coffee quite interesting!  Apart from the yummy brownies available, and the coffee concentrate that makes a couple of litres of cold brewed coffee, they have “Nitro” coffee on tap (looks a bit like stout beer).  The peeps explained to me how it works, and it must’ve been too early for me to properly remember, but all I know it is real good!  The last time I had cold brew coffee was a couple of years ago in the US and it good to know that it is making its appearance here – as a good quality coffee.

On the upper level there is a huge bar area with lots of seating available and The Craft Cocktail bar already buzzing, prepping all the yummy ‘pink drinks’ for Women’s Day. As the live band was setting up, we were checking out the Designer section – unique and handcrafted items that you probably won’t find anywhere else.  Feeling inspired by all the pretty things around me (yes, I am such a girl), I decided to find me some bubbly. Pity that the oysters were sold out (although we were some of the first people there… so… uhm…).  But, there was luckily enough Graham Beck Rose to go around!

While sipping on my ‘pink drink’ it was great to just relax and do some people watching.  And that is one of the reasons I love Neighbourgoods.  It is a cozy little hub of creativity, vibey activity and gourmet goodies right in the middle of the Johannesburg CBD.  A little micro-cosmos of awesomeness and deliciousness, one of my ‘happy places’.

 

We paid for our own stuff 🙂  And I realise once again how crappy my cellphone pics are!  😛  Anyway, you get the idea.

 

 

Good Food and Wine Show 2016 Fresh! (Event Review)

Noble Savage – he said:

Right, so off we go to the Good Food and Wine Show. To those of you that don’t know, it’s one of the biggest food events in the country. “It’s Africa’s largest culinary event, and it launches with the theme Fresh. It’s all about the prevailing global obsession with sustainability and a healthier planet, and it’s inspired by the global trend for urban farming and the gradual urbanisation of rural contexts.” That sound a bit Hipster-ey to me, but what the hell, we decided to give it a bash!
Disclaimer: I’m not going to detail every exhibiter – I don’t want to type that much, and I’m sure you don’t want to read that much. If a stall is not mentioned, it doesn’t necessarily means it was kak; I probably just didn’t get to it. So just chill!

The plan was to first have a look around, and then start looking at specific things we’re interested in. That plan went up in smoke when we walked past Dee Oyster Bar. In addition to oysters and MCC, She had what she calls a “Sushi Oyster”. It’s an oyster (duh!), with ginger and soy balls, topped with a little squirt of wasabi. Holy shit! Incredible! And it went down a treat with the Krone MCC on offer (also known as the real Breakfast of Champions).

Breakfast done – time to get back to the original plan of first looking around. Then we found the wine area. And the plan flew out the window. Again. Now this isn’t a wine show, so there weren’t many wines on offer (and a lot of stock was shifted the previous day, which limited some selections), but the ones there were worth the tasting.

We decided to attend the Wine Theatre presentation facilitated by Lloyd Jusa, sommelier at Five Hundred at The Saxon, and winner of Wine Service Award at the 2015 Eat Out Restaurant awards.

His approach to the tasting was to take all the participants back to the basics – to not rush, but rather take in all the details of the wine. And what an extraordinarily simple, but amazing approach. One tends to forget that a good wine is the sum of all its parts, and Lloyd’s approach helped me to remember to pay attention to the role all these parts play to create the bigger picture.

Wine tasting done, so time to get back to the plan. Oh wait, we’re famgry (like hangry, but more violent). The Philly Cheese Steak spring rolls from TG Gourmet Catering looked interesting, and we took an order of their chicken wings to round it off. Still peckish after that (the portion sizes were fine, we were just THAT hungry), and we got some sliders from Elegant Thyme Creations.  And these little burgers really hit the spot.

Right, back to the plan. Oh fuck, Gin! Newly launched Ginifer small batch craft Gin first. Now I don’t think of myself as a Gin expert, but this was really incredible. This is the type of Gin you can sip neat. After that, we went next door to Wildered Gin. Not quite as good as Ginifer, but still better than most of the top-shelf Gins on offer at retailers. Then, back to Ginifer, for some cocktails – all fresh ingredients (e.g. freshly squeezed fruit instead of store-bought juice) prepared on the spot. I had the grapefruit and star anise G&T. Simple idea, amazing taste. I will definitely make my own during summer.

At this stage we were winding down, so the plan was abandoned altogether. We walked through the stalls, and saw some interesting exhibitors. Everything from knives to macarons to snails was on show – the passages were quite busy, so we couldn’t get in everywhere we wanted to. That being said, we did get to do everything we wanted to, so showing up early pays off again!

This type of exhibition should happen more often, as the exposure it gives to small and medium businesses is priceless. Couple that with the experience of tasting and smelling a smorgasbord of interesting things, and it really is a no-brainer. Whatever show is up next, just attend – it is time well wasted!

Boozy Foodie – she said:

This was my first time attending the Good Food and Wine Show, so I was very excited to go, especially because there was a lot of buzz and hype about this year’s show.  Was curious to experience the focus on the senses – the leading theme of this year’s show.

Walking in, I immediately walked to the “Sensorium” – an interesting experiment in smell and sound, and it evoked fond childhood memories and a general ‘feel good’ vibe.

But, first things first – breakfast! J I won’t repeat the details as Noble Savage has shared it already – a perfect start to the day!

We moved on the wine tasting area, spending some quality time there. Like we normally do if there’s wine around…. First we stopped by the wineries we don’t know THAT well, like Louisvale (good chardonnay!), Ruitersvlei (really enjoyed their SMV), and La Cave (lots of potential – yummy reds all around), and the also the good old favourites like Raka, Welgemeend, Vergenoegd, Wildekrans etc. We heard from all the exhibitors that the previous day (Saturday) was extremely busy, so stock levels were running low at some of the stalls.

From there we moved on to the Wine Theatre with Lloyd Jusa, the head sommelier at the Saxon. And again, I won’t repeat the comments already shared – thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

By that time, we NEEDED food!

 

After ‘lunch’ we tried a few gins – my favourite, also being Ginifer’s fabulous cocktails (had the naartjie and rosemary one, yummy indeed) – really enjoyed “Angel Heart” as well. There was a fun and busy vibe at the stall, beautifully decorared – and I saw afterwards that they did win an award for it as well. The GFWS was also the official launch of this first ever dry gin produced in Johannesburg. A real treat!

What I bought home:

• Alvi’s Drift Thornlands MCC – not available in store. The first time we tried this delicious, premium bubbly was when Germain Lehodey, the sommelier at Mosaic at the Orient introduced it to us during our visit there. We are planning a trip to the West Coast in October, and already planned our route to make a stop at the farm in Worcester to stock up again!
• Real Food Factory’s shitake mushroom pesto and shitake mushroom & sundried tomato pesto. Both are delish – not very ‘herby’, the sundried tomato is VERY tomatoey, really enjoyed it.
• Sally Hansen’s dark chocolate with crispy nougat – needed to keep my sugar levels up after all that wine tasting 😉
• Fusion Chocolates and Sauces – homemade truffles all the way from Walkerville (the salesperson told me that everything is hand made in a mini-factory set up in a garage) – SO decadent, mouthfuls of awesomeness! Very interesting combinations of flavours, definitely not the ‘usual’. I must say, I finished my ‘stash’ in record time. Now, to get some more!

I could easily have spend another day there – there was so much to do and see, like the various local and international chefs at the Chef’s Open Theatre etc. There was really something for everyone to see and do, real experiences that made this a proper food and wine ‘show’, not just a glorified undercover food market.  There was good variety of ‘brand names’ and smaller entrepreneurs, giving everyone equal exposure.  We will be back next year – probably for the entire weekend!

Pièce de résistance! (Review: Brasserie de Paris: Waterkloof)

Yes, we are setting the bar quite high for a first post/review.  From posting numerous random Zomato and Tripadvisor reviews, we decided to rather start blogging – it is a lot more fun isn’t it!

Noble Savage – he said:

So, it all started by trying to find a place to treat my wife for a very successful event she planned. I knew it had to be a special place, as my wife is quite special (and not in that way). “Fine dining Pretoria” Google results were like a list of Australian inventions; not much there, and nothing you want.

Then I remembered attending a Bastille Day event at Brasserie de Paris. I was impressed by the Modernist design of the building – an exceptionally striking landmark in Waterkloof Ridge. We were interested in the restaurant (specifically because I’m a massive Francophile), and decided to “one day” visit it to celebrate something significant, like a birthday, or resisting the urge to punch a politician in the throat should the opportunity present itself.

So, decision made! I checked out the menu online (great website, by the way), and I think at this point, I should address the elephant in the room: this restaurant can’t exactly be described as affordable. But I thought fuck it, that’s what credit cards are made for.

We arrived (after parking in the staff parking lot – customer parking is around the corner), and were immediately impressed by the building itself. Even the door was remarkable! We were shown to our seats, and my coat was checked (I know, right! RIGHT?!) The staff at the restaurant are like ninjas; they seem to sense when they are needed, sorts you out, and then disappear again. The ambiance inside is classy but cosy; classic without being boring.

Other restaurants in the same price point tends to be overly designed, appealing to people who drive a Range Rover Sport, and have lion statues at their gates. The Brasserie de Paris approach is to let the food speak for itself, and not be overshadowed by unnecessary décor trying to impress the ignorant. And boy, can the food speak for itself!

I started with the French onion soup. This dish is equal parts traditional and fucking fantastic! It’s like a hug wrapped in onion, bread, and cheesy goodness. This was without a doubt the perfect starter for the chilly evening. I then moved on to a dish named “A Taste of Lamb”. The dish is made up of a basil crust rack, rosemary lamb pie, and sun-dried tomato and pine nut loin. Well balanced, and full of the flavours one would expect to complement the perfect lamb. All of this was washed down with a Tokara Cabernet Sauvignon – it might not be a sommelier’s first choice, but to us worked well (the wine list has some incredible wines on it, but most was outside my price range).

Additionally to the A La Carte menu, the restaurant also has a five course degustation menu, available with or without a wine pairing. When we go back, this will definitely be the option we go for – according to the hostess, the portion sizes of this option is slightly smaller, so one need not feel like a bloated, beached whale after the fact.

And we will go back. This was probably one of the best restaurant experiences I’ve ever had. And is that not the point of going to a restaurant? Sure, you could eat at home for less, but you’ll not get this experience at home. Unless of course you can hire a bunch of oiled Eunuchs to follow you around, chanting the lyrics to “You’re so vain”. So go on, live a little, and treat yourself to a truly exceptional dining experience.

Boozy Foodie – she said:

(I apologise for the quality of my pics – my phone’s camera obviously can’t handle romantic lighting very well ;))

I find it difficult to find more to add to Noble Savage’s impressions of this fabulous restaurant.  Except to just nod in agreement 🙂  I didn’t have a jacket to check in, but was also very impressed by the service, ambiance and quality of the food and presentation of Brasserie de Paris!

The menu is quite French traditional, which is of course exactly what it is supposed to be!  From the fresh french baguette and butter, to the ‘bite of goodness’ amuse bouche (puff pastry, stir-fried veggies and Crème fraîche – apologies to the chef if I got it a bit wrong) to the delectable chocolate truffle at the end.

The Onion Soup starter was absolutely delicious and very moreish, and I purposefully left the cheese-drapped “croutes” for last – so it was one big mouthful of yumminess.  And don’t you just love the soup bowls?

I ordered the “Trio Fillet” and to quote shamelessly directly from the menu:  “Trio Beef Fillet; crispy bone marrow, truffle butter, wild mushroom duxelles, pommes frites and cognac sauce”.

And I REALLY can’t choose which fillet serving I enjoyed more.  The crispy bone marrow (the little ‘ball’ you see on the photo) was a mouthful of decadence and the truffle butter was heavenly.

We skipped desert, but were served the most delicious chololate truffles when we received our bill. My other half isn’t big on chocolate, but really enjoyed it (to my disappointment, thought I will get both!).

Agree fully, will be back to try the degustation menu!  Thanks Noble Savage, it was such a fabulous treat!

http://www.brasseriedeparis.co.za/

*PS This meal was for our own expense, this isn’t a ‘paid for’ review.