Traveling Chomps

Kara's Cupcakes & Ritual Roasters in Napa

2009-09-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

I've had Kara's Cupcakes say half a dozen times now. Finally decided that these cupcakes look better than they taste. I'm quite a dessert fiend myself but really these are kinda overrated. Am a sucker for the pretty packaging however and once again couldn't resist the temptation. This time round I had 2 cupcakes, a banana caramel one and a chocolate one with raspberry frosting.

Oh such pretty cupcakes:

If you end up getting the cupcakes in Napa, definitely stop by Ritual Roasters. Afterall, there's nothing better than cake + a perfect coffee.

Chomp Meter:
Leaning towards a 3.5 chomps for Kara's. High scores for presentation and a mean frosting. Taste wise the cupcakes are ok. A tad heavy and sweeter than I'd prefer and left me feeling all sugared out.

Kara's Cupcakes (Oxbow Market - Napa)
610 First Street, Suite 19
Napa, California 94559
P 707 258-CAKE (2253)
info@karascupcakes.com

Pica Pica Maize Kitchen - Oxbow Market Napa

2009-08-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Weather today was gorgeous after a too hot Saturday. We took a drive out to Oxbow Public Market in Napa. Our first visit there even though we've been to Napa quite a number of times. Not surprising since there is so much to indulge in there!

First stop was Pica Pica Maize Kitchen. It's in the Oxbow Public Market "food court". Food court is in quotes because the Oxbow Market is much nicer than your regular food court but nevertheless the best way to describe it :p Needing to save room to try as much as possible during this visit, we decided to share a skirt steak arepa (Paballon), Yucca fries (Pasapalo), and a salad (Bululu).

The salad was very refreshing! Passion fruit dressing, pineapples, roasted peppers, corn, jicama and quinoa. Quino is hard to describe if you haven't had it. Apparently grain is not an accurate description (see wikipedia). Quinoa is pretty common in South America and looks like little worms. Morsels & Musings has a pretty photo of quinoa.

The arepas (skirt steak, plantains, beans, cheese) were good though the skirt steak was a little dry. The highlight for me was the Yucca fries. They were nicely battered and the sweetness of the yucca gave them an almost syrupy taste. Hard to describe but a must try!

Chomp Meter:
Hmm more like 4.25 Chomps for what it is. Exceeds expectations for a casual restaurant in a food market and perfect for lunch! Pica Pica comes highly recommended by our Venezuelan friends. The focus on corn is interesting (I believe there's a larger variety of corn in South America) and I found the food to be yummy. I'd definitely be back for more but not before I try the other restaurants there hehe.

For tourists though, there are only so many meals you can have in Napa so I don't think this makes the list just yet.

Pica Pica Maize Kitchen
610 1st St
Napa, CA 94559-2602
(707) 251-3757

Bleaux Magnolia Review

2008-11-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

Where: Napa Valley, CA
Specialty: Creole / Cajun Food

One of the perks of being further north is the shorter distance to Napa! We took an impromptu trip there on Sunday to buy some wine. After a long day of wine tasting and some shopping, we decided to try Bleaux Magnolia located in Napa's town center for dinner.

The restaurant is in the unlikeliest of places, on a back street, near a garage and CVS. It looks sort of cute on the outside anyway so we decided to give it a try.

Our waitress presented us with the option of dining outside or inside. We picked the patio area outside and were kept warm and toasty with the heat lamps. Very cozy even in November! The servers were also very friendly, no wonder Bleaux Magnolia is highly rated on service.

We ordered several dishes among us. For appetizers, we got the Mac N Cheese as well as the Pulled Pork Lumpia. For mains, we had the Seafood Gumbo, Cornbread Crusted Catfish, and the Fried Chicken and Waffles.

The food was very well done. I especially liked the pork lumpia which was served in a very crisp egg roll of a shell. The fried chicken was nicely fried too. My only complaint is that the gumbo was lacking okra which I love!

Lumpia (L) Mac and Cheese (R)

Chicken and Waffles:

Gumbo and Catfish (L) Yummy Jalepeno Cornbread! (R)

Chomp Meter:
I've read some reviews that the food served isn't particularly authentic and I agree. However, if you come with the expectation that Bleaux Magnolia is a New American restaurant with cajun/creole influences, the restaurant does excellently. Another perk is there's no corkage fee for bringing your own wine!

Bleaux Magnolia also serves Jazz brunch on Sunday afternoons and a little off the beatn path, this may be a good restaurant to throw into the Napa vacation mix.

Napa
1408 Clay St
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 252-2230

Michael Mina's Review - Please avoid ...

2008-11-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

Where: San Francisco, CA (Union Square in the Westin)
Specialty: Overpriced, over-rated mediocre food

Against our better judgement, we headed to Michael Mina's to celebrate my birthday. The initial plan was to have dinner at Gary Danko's but P wasn't able to get us reservations and MM was the backup. Really we should have heeded the advice we found on Chowhound ...

Here's how it works at Michael Mina's. You have the choice of a 3 course pre-fixe ($100) or the tasting menu ($135). There are also several options where you have to top up for crab or wagyu etc. We decided to go with the pre fixe menu.

Mini's Selection:
- Foie Gras Trio (Add $15)
- Maine Lobster Pop Pie (Add $15)
- Mission Bienvenudo (Tres Leche, Flan, & Mole Pudding)

P's Selection:
- Bacon Wrapped Scallop / Chowder Trio
- Liberty Valley Duck / Foie Gras
- Chocolate Florals (Panna Cotta / Chocolate Ice cream)

Anyhow we headed there without much expectation and hoping for the best. The meal started off with the lobster amuse bouche, which was dare we say, good? We were so hopeful...

Amuse of lobster salad, ravioli, and consomme. Isn't the consomme cup cute? :)

Next, the foie trio. The dish was poorly executed. The balance of flavors wasn't right and the most unforgivable part was that the seared foie gras wasn't even warm!! I could barely swallow it ...

The scallops were ok. Then came the mains. I don't really know why I ordered the Maine lobster having just come from the East Coast but who can resist lobster. The presentation is rather neat since it comes in this bowl with a huge domed piece of bread on top. Don't worry you don't have to attempt to break this up yourself ... our waiter expertly dished it and recreated a lobster:

Tadah! The lobster was good though I thought they were a little heavy handed with the cream sauce. Nothing to write home about.

Now on to P's duck. It seems like cooks at very different skill levels prepared the dish. P had a seared foie gras too which was good and fresh off the skillet :P However, the duck part of it was cold. Perhaps left out too long, and since it was served rare, that made the whole thing just gross ....

OK ok so I think the pastry chef has to be the star of the evening. The desserts were absolutely delicious and well executed. I loved the fruity flavors (pineapple/guava) with my tres leche cake, the mango bits in my flan, and the mole pudding (spicy!) which was paired perfectly with the horchata ice cream. P's desserts were all yummy too.

Oh and to be fair, the service at Michael Mina is excellent. Our waiter was friendly and attentive without being overly formal. A birthday card was presented to me on the table, though it was from the General Manager not Michael Mina himself :P

Chomp Meter:
Very ambitious but poorly executed. The concept of having 3 presentations for each course is cool but not so much when it isn't cooked right. See I think this is the problem with 2-Michelin star places, they're like the middle child wedged between the best restaurants in the world and the up and coming ones.

The bill for 2 people came up to $360 after tip. (Includes only 1 glass of wine that P had.)

Michael Mina
335 Powell St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 397-9222

Liou's Chinese Restaurant Review

2008-11-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

Location: Milpitas, CA (South Bay)
Specialty: Pre-ordered Dishes- Stuffed Duck, Honey Ham, Winter Melon Soup

A mini road trip was in order for the gran-ma's birthday. P interned in Milpitas many summers ago and I had fond memories of eating at the Asian restaurants there. You have to understand that I was quite the deprived child then, being in North Carolina for school. So anyway we decided that Milpitas would be a good place to get some Chinese food. I also called ahead to pre-order the stuffed duck which is their specialty.

Inside Liou's. Many tables for large parties:

Much to my annoyance, the restaurant LOST my order for the stuffed duck so they never made one for our table. URHGK!! In the end the manager offered us an extra honey ham instead (this also needs to be pre-ordered). Doesn't quite make up for it, but I suppose it was better than nothing at all.

Honey Ham (L); Fresh Whole Fish (R)

The honey ham was unique. The dish is served with thinly sliced bread so you can make "ham sandwiches". Kinda like peking duck. Pretty good I say. We also ordered stir fried peapod stems, a whole fish, lions head meat balls, corn and spinach soup, and a fried noodle dish.

Since it was the gran-ma's birthday, they served also served us some longevity buns on the house as dessert. Certainly a nice gesture. The buns themselves weren't too tasty, maybe they are the pre-frozen ones from Ranch 99 hehee.

Lions Head Meatballs (L); Longevity Buns (R)

Chomp Meter:
Certainly a good authentic Chinese restaurant. I would like to try some of the other pre-order dishes in future (assuming they don't forget my order! hehe).

Liou's House Chinese Restaurant
1245 Jacklin Rd
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 263-9888

Korea House Review

2008-11-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Where: Concord, CA (East Bay)
Specialty: Overwhelmingly large portions of panchan

Since we're crashing with the rents while we find our own place, we're currently living in the East Bay north of San Francisco. Sadly, there's a dearth of good food around here. There's Napa 30 minutes away but it's kinda far, so the next best thing is Concord.

We found Korea House on Yelp and were there for dinner. As soon as we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by a middle aged Korean lady with big hair and blue eyeliner. The 80's called, I'm thinking they want her back! :) She is extremely friendly and welcomes us though it gets crazier later.

The thing you have to know about Korea House is that they present a large variety of banchan and the portions are huge. We made the mistake of ordering an appetizer (oysters in egg flour) taking us totally over the edge.

Check out the spread! They even serve Jap Chae as one of the appetizers. It is almost meal sized.

OK so more about the lady boss. On hearing it's our first time, she heads over and begins wrapping the Kal Bee in lettuce leaves for my brother who is quite stunned at this point. The other thing she does also is that she wanders around the restaurant and occasionally says "Saranghaeyo", "I love you", "Wo ai ni" as a good bye to customers. Hrmmmm .... she's probably not for everyone (she scared me a bit haha) but you have to give her credit for being hospitable and extremely friendly.

The food itself was mediocre. We ordered the seafood soft tofu, bibimbap, Kal bi, and fried oysters. The broth of the seafood soft tofu wasn't very tasty, and the bibimbap wasn't very refined.

Chomp Meter:
Head here if you're hungry and want lots of banchan. I think this is the reason for the high ratings on Yelp. I'm not impressed with the quality of the food and probably would not go back since I found a better Korean place in Concard, Korean BBQ Plus! Will blog about that later.

Korea House
1835 Willow Pass Road
Concord, CA 94520
(925) 691-8888

Cheung Hing Chinese Restaurant Review

2008-11-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

Where: San Francisco, CA (Outer Sunset District)
Specialties: Roast duck!

As a recent transplant to the Bay Area, I'm so impressed by the quality of Chinese food that can be had here! While house hunting last weekend, we somehow ended up at Cheung Hing for dinner.

Cheung Hing reminds me of casual eateries in Hong Kong. Even though the restaurant is bare basics, there was a line out the door, so it's really all about the food here. Most of the customers order take out. The eat in line isn't as busy and we were able to get a seat quickly.

Not sure what to expect, we ended up ordering a 1/2 a roast duck, some roast pork, congee, wonton noodle soup, stir fried greens, and a beef noodle stir fry. WOW, all of it was delicious especially the roast duck which was warm, flavorful and juicy. Yes, it was a tad fatty and oily but I was willing to let that go because it's soo good!

My other favorite was the congee (century egg and pork) which was about as good as I've had in Hong Kong. I loved the texture which was smooth and tasty, just the way it should be. The beef noodle stir fry is also something I'd order again. Perfectly done.

Roast Duck

Congee

Chomp Meter:
Save on that trip to Hong Kong. The roast duck, congee and beef noodles terrific. I wasn't so much a fan of the roast pork, however I noticed a customer cart away a whole roast baby pig! I almost wish I lived in the area so I can eat here more often!

Cheung Hing Chinese Restaurant
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
2339 Noriega Street
(between 30th Ave & 31st Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 665-3271

Minato Japanese Restaurant in Cape Town

2008-09-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

My interest was piqued after reading reviews of this Minato in Capetown.

Minato Japanese restaurant has a cult following. Apparently the owner and chef (Mr Minato duh) has a little bit of a temper. Reservations are always required, and they sit only 35 people a night. You can only order once and don't complain about your food!

We arrived at Minato's with high hopes. The restaurant is in a dingy part of town (near some strip joints). The entrance to Minato's is uninviting. A grill gate with a sign that says "Fully Booked". We were taken inside by a goth waitress that you'd be more likely to see at a bar.

I'm not sure if this is common at Minato, but they didn't have many sushi or sashimi specials the day we were there. We had to order the sushi set. I think the chef expects most people to order the set and is very careful about the amount of fish he orders. For example, we couldn't order tuna ala carte?!

The inside was dark and eclectically decorated with random Japanese artifacts including a white silk kimono.

We ordered some appetizers, including agedashi tofu and a couple sushi sets. The sushi was well cut and the pieces of fish were very generous. All in all I thought it was a pretty decent sushi restaurant though I would have liked to see more creative ingredients and local fish. There was only salmon and tuna the night we were there!

Chomp Meter: Nothing exciting if you have had good sushi elsewhere in the world. However, it might just be the best sushi restaurant in Cape Town, not Benkei.

They also have a fan club on facebook.

Minato's Japanese Restaurant - Cape Town
4 Buiten Street, City Centre
Cape Town
South Africa

Sushi / Japanese Restaurants in Capetown

2008-09-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

So sushi is extremely popular in Cape Town. Who would have known! Almost all restaurants offer it, most commonly as an appetizer.

As a sushi snob, I found that the quality of the sushi is not as good as you would get in the U.S. or Asia. The fish is very fresh, but the cuts are not done right. Here's a brief review in general of the restaurants I ate at. If you only have a few days in Cape Town, don't bother with the sushi. Anyway I don't think Cape Town is known for its sushi.

Tank Review
This restaurant is in the recently developed Cape Quarter. It has several restaurants situated in a courtyard and the ambience is nice on a summer's evening.

Tank was more about being seen then the food. The restaurant is interestingly decorated with large fish tanks at the front of the restaurant. The food was somewhat expensive and average. We should have tried one of the other restaurants in the courtyard instead.

The Tank Restaurant | Sushi Bar
Cape Quarter, Cape Town
Phone: 021 419 0007

Benkei Sushi Review
I found this description on Oaktreelodge website.

"In fact, on his recent trip to South Africa, world-renowned chef, Nobu Matsuhisa, rated Benkei Cape Town as one of the top Japanese restaurants in town. Benkei is well supported and very popular amongst lovers of Japanese cuisine. "

They must be kidding right? Anyway I suppose it is "best" in Cape Town and Nobu is rather last year. We went to Benkei it was really just OK. The restaurant wasn't very crowded. I had the chirashi and some sushi. There is also a sushi buffet some evenings if that is your thing.

Benkei Sushi
Shop 3
Paramount Place
105 Main Road
Greenpoint
8001

Minato Japanese Restaurant Review
This warrants a longer discussion. Click on the link for my review.

Willoughby & Co.
This restaurant at the V&A waterfront has gotten some raves for its sushi. I haven't tried it so I can't really comment.

Peri Peri Chicken at Nando's

2008-09-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

There are very few Nando's Restaurants in the U.S. so this place is quite a novelty for Americans. Nando's is a chain restaurant from South Africa famous for it's Portuguese themed food, specifically peri peri chicken.

Prices are relatively cheap and the portions are large. You can specify the level of spiciness in their dishes. There's lemon herb, medium, hot and extra hot. I ate here twice while in Cape Town.

I had the peri peri chicken once, the gizzard starter appetizer (I really liked this!), wings, and a stew of some sort that came in a copper pot.

(L) The stew. I recommend sharing this item because the portion is really huge. (R) Peri Peri Chicken

Chomp Meter: It's good but I wouldn't go out of the way to eat there. Nando's also has branches in London, Dubai, and Toronto. But I suppose this is the mother ship!

Nando's
Camps Bay
The Promenade Building, Victoria Road, Camps Bay
(It is on the main street by the beach, you can't miss it.)

SeaPoint
128 Main Rd, Sea Point - next to Engen

One Waterfront Restaurant Review

2008-09-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Photo from the Cape Grace Hotel website.

One Waterfront Restaurant at the Cape Grace Hotel was one of the best places we ate at while in Cape Town. It's more of an upscale experience with attentive service(think white tablecloths) but still very affordable by Western standards.

The style of food is western with heavy South African influence. When I ate there, the menu boasted a variety of game meats and traditional South African desserts like Malva pudding and Koeksisters. Everything we had was well prepared and delicious. The breads were good too!

Here's what I had. A foie pate and South African lamb:

My companions had springbok steak:

Dessert of Koeksisters (L) and a chocolate cake (R)

Chomp Meter: A great restaurant for a nice dinner at the V&A Waterfront with gorgeous views. It's not as centrally located but I think that's perfect since you get away from the crowds. I tried several restaurants at the V&A Waterfront itself like Baia and the food there was mediocre as with most touristy hotspots. It's also nice because you can walk back to the mall after dinner for some shopping.

Some other restaurants I wanted to visit but didn't have the time are Aubergine, Showroom (ex chef from One Waterfront), Five Flies and Savoy Cabbage.

One Waterfront Restaurant
Cape Grace Hotel
West Quay Road, V&A Waterfront
Cape Town, South Africa
Tel: +27 21 410 7100

Cape Farmhouse Restaurant Review

2008-09-18T20:37:00.003-07:00

I highly recommend stopping here for lunch enroute to Cape Point.

Cape Farmhouse Restaurant a little further out than Hout Bay and the like but worth the wait. I really like this farmhouse cafe because it is hidden away from the bustling touristy towns. The dining area is set in a garden where you can have a leisurely lunch. Now you're really on vacation!

You dine under the umbrellas in the back. Doesn't it feel European?

The food is simple but fresh and delicious.

This is a favorite spot among locals as well. I spied a couple of South African families having a Sunday lunch with little kids playing in the garden. And you can even say hi to their little mascot. Isn't he adorable?

Chomp Meter: Completely worth a trip. I went to Cape Point twice, stopping by at Simonstown for lunch the first time. I would much rather have eaten at Cape Farmhouse.

Cape Farmhouse Restaurant
The Cape Farmhouse restaurant is 3km from Scarbourgh
at the bottom of Red Hill - Junction M66 & m65.
It's about 30 minutes from Cape Point.

Review of Moyo at Spier Winery (Stellenbosch, South Africa)

2008-09-18T20:37:00.002-07:00

Moyo, for lack of better description is a African Disneyland type place in the Winelands. It's one stop shopping if you want to sample a variety of South African dishes, though I have to warn you that they are quite mediocre-ly done.

Tents and people dressed in costumes. Epcot center?

The environment is charming though artificial. There are little tents for couples and a single large one for everyone else. The food here is served buffet style with different stands for different types of meats. You can sample all kinds of game ranging from ostrich to springbok. There's also a variety of salads (think international buffet) and dishes such as bobotie and potjie.

The Buffet Line (L) My Plate (R)

Chomp Meter: Ok if you're short on time and want to sample the various types of local food. I found the dishes rather salty and I don't think they're truly authentic. Probably fun for kids.

Moyo - Stellenbosch
R310 Lynedoch Road
Stellenbosch
South Africa

Reuben's Review (South Africa)

2008-09-18T20:37:00.001-07:00

I called Le Quartier Fracais, some say the best restaurant in South Africa, to make reservations about 2 weeks in advance but was unable to get a table. My indecisiveness to blame again.

In any case all was not lost. We ended up going to Reuben's which is right across the street and had no regrets! The environment here is more casual and so are the prices. The story behind the chef is an interesting one since he had essentially no formal training. This shows in the dishes he whips up because they are very unique and unlike what we've tried elsewhere.

The menu had heavy Asian influence. We started with a peking duck salad and a calamari. For mains, P got the lamb (why does lamb outside the U.S. taste better?)and I got a chicken curry. The curry was really spicy, I liked it! Curries are quite popular in South Africa since they have a relatively large Indian population. I just wish I remembered the complete descriptions but it's been a while since the trip.

The portions were so large that we skipped dessert. I never skip dessert! Booo

Peking duck salad:

Lamb (L) My Chicken Curry (R)

Chomp Meter: Reuben's serves good food that's creative. The portions are hearty and the prices are reasonable. What's not to like? This is a great option too if you aren't in the mood for a tasting menu meal at Le Quartier Francais.

Reuben's Restaurant
19 Huguenot Street
Franschhoek, South Africa
Phone: 021 876 3772
(Reuben's is in the middle of town, and quite easy to find.)

Le Petite Ferme - Winelands, South Africa

2008-09-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

We were lucky to get a table for lunch on a Saturday at Le Petite Ferme by just walking in. We had to sit at the bar area, but that was certainly not a bad thing. While there isn't much of a view, the ambience is much cozier than in the regular dining room.

Le Petite Ferme has gorgeous views of the valley. I was quite smitten. Since we were early, we got to sit outside for a bit and enjoy some sparkling wine.

This is quite the life isn't it?

Lunch was absolutely fabulous. I had an aubergine in filo for mains while P had kudu. The aubergine was good but the kudu stole the show. Kudu usually has a gamey taste, but the Le Petite Ferme version was nicely seasoned and flavored so you could barely taste it.

Appetizer (L) Kudu (R)

My eggplant dish:

Chomp Meter: I highly recommend this restaurant! Writing this post brings back fond memories of our trip in February 2008.

Le Petite Ferme
Franschhoek Pass Road
PO Box 55, Franschhoek, 7690, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)21 876 3016/8
Fax: +27 (0)21 876 3624

Napa Restaurants - Blog Reviews

2008-08-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

Napa
Bleaux Magnolia
Pica Pica Maize Kitchen

Manna Epicure - Chic design

2008-07-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Manna Epicure is on Kloof Street near Cafe Paradiso. The theme of the restaurants are totally different however. Manna Epicure is trendy, the interior of the restaurant is all white with lots of glass and a chandelier (Stark-ish?).

Denise from Freshly Found has more photos of Manna Epicure to give you a sense of the place.

Manna Epicure claims to serve tapas though it was not really what I expected. It was more of a variety of dips (hummus, eggplant, olives etc.) that go with bread and some main courses like sandwiches. I liked that they had a variety of fruit juices and teas that was very refreshing!

Here's my orange avocado soup that was quite yummy!

They also serve great juices and refreshing ice teas.

Chomp Meter: This the place to be seen, and a wonderful place for a light lunch. Decor is trendy and the food is creative.

Manna Epicure
151 Kloof Street
Cape Town
27-21/426-2413

Mama Africa - Touristy but Worth a Trip

2008-07-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Mama Africa is one of those places some may turn their nose at for being touristy but we are after all tourists, let's indulge :)

While in Cape Town, I felt a little cheated initially. The food I'd been eating didn't seem unique to the region. You know basically western. Hey aren't we in Africa? So anyway I was pretty pleased to hear about Mama Africa. Springbok here I come!

We ordered a platter which had a sampling of game meats (kudu, ostrich, crocodile, springbok). My favorite was the crocodile which tasted like a cross between fish and chicken? The taste of the game meats were really strong and I didn't enjoy it as much. Though I later had kudu and ostrich at other restaurants and they tasted better. We also got a potato salad with biltong (South African version of jerky)that's in the photo below.

There's a live band playing and a bar area where you can hang out and meet fellow tourists or locals. The members of the band are young (I was like what's this kid doing here?) but very talented! I loved the music and singing. They also sell CDs of their work.

Mama Africa
178 Long St
Cape Town 8001
South Africa
+27 21 424 8634

Chomp Meter: Don't miss this spot! A good place to try South African specialties. Not the best preparation but serves its purpose. Because they are so popular with tourists, reservations are highly recommended! The restaurant is on Long Street where all the bars are so you can take a walk around too.

(Note though that the area feel kinda seedy but because it's touristy there are lots of cops around)

(Photo courtesy of Yahoo Travel)

Bukhara - Indian Fod in Cape Town

2008-07-22T14:47:00.001-07:00

Chomp Meter:
Just a short one. There are lots of rave reviews on various travel sites for Indian food at Bukhara. There is quite a large Indian population in Cape Town so I figured the restaurant should be pretty authentic. I had lunch there one day and didn't find it to be particularly spectacular. IMO If you come from a city that has good Indian restaurants then you might want to sit out on this one.

Bukhara
33 Church Street
8001 Cape Town, Western Cape,
South Africa
+27 21 424 0000

The Cod Father - Unique Dining Experience

2008-07-22T14:19:00.001-07:00

Isn't the name adorable? The Cod Father is a trendy restaurant in the Camps Bay area of Cape Town and has been reviewed in many guide books. I was afraid that it would be all hype but our experience there was pretty good!

There is no menu at The Cod Father. After you are seated, your server will take you to the glass cases in front and show you the specials of the night. Every kind of fish, shrimp, and shell fish imaginable. You make your picks and tell the server how much you want. I believe you can get it either grilled or fried. (I don't recall exactly). We chose for ours to be grilled. There's also a variety of sauces you can dip your fish in (peri peri, garlic butter, apricot chilli).

Most of the seafood/fish etc. come from the Mozambique area. For some reason I thought it would be from Cape Town. The selection includes king klip, blue marlin, butterfish, and cape salmon.

The inside of The Cod Father:

We got a seat by the window which was nice. There was a cool breeze blowing into the restaurant. We got oysters for appetizers. They were from Namibia. I usually like oysters but I didn't like these because the taste was really intense (briney and fishy). SO didn't mind them so he was happy to eat what I didn't :)

Here's our main course. We got some Tiger Prawns and a sampling of fish. Sorry it's been a while and I don't remember what we chose. It tasted pretty good though. I recommend getting smaller pieces and sampling more types. You can choose your sides. A carb like rice and veggies.

The Cod Father
37 The Drive
Camps Bay
8001
Phone: +27 (0) 21 438 0782

(You walk to what seems to be the end of the main road in Camps Bay and head up a little hill.)

Chomp Meter: A good choice in Camps Bay for seafood. Many of the restaurants there are more about being seen at than eating with significantly higher prices. Prices at the Cod Father are pretty reasonable. It cost us approximately US$70 for a meal with wine. I recommend calling ahead for reservations especially on weekends.

Jimmy's Killer Prawns - Killah!

2008-07-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

After a couple nights of blah food, I was really excited to find Jimmy's Killer Prawns! Prawns / shrimp, especially large ones aren't as common in the U.S. and Jimmy's specializes in this. The shrimp are grilled to perfection with a special seasoning which makes it all the more yummy. The prices are also really reasonable. Approximately 20 Shrimp for US$12.

You can sit outside with Table Mountain in the backdrop at Jimmy's on Kloof street:

We went there twice while I was in Cape Town. *Gasp* What? To a chain restaurant and twice! Another confession, I ordered the same thing again because it was so good. I proceeded to finishing my 20 or so prawns and then sucked on the heads. Yes I know that is unladylike but soo yummy!

In case you are wondering, the dish is Jimmyz's Prawn Promise. Here it is below! This place was also a hit with my fellow diners.

Jimmy's Killer Prawns Locations

Kloof Street
1 Upper Union Street
Corner Kloof and Union
Tel: 021 426 0327

Hout Bay
1st Floor Jamaica Beach
1 Beach Crescent
Tel: (021) 790 2441

Table view
1st Floor Portico Building
Beach Boulevard
Next to KFC
Tel: (021) 557 7449

Chomp Meter: So anyway if you haven't figured this out from the rest of the post, I highly recommend stopping by during the trip. Get your fill of grilled prawns here!

Fun fact: Jimmyz has a branch in Dubai and France!

Ocean Basket - Not worth the trip

2008-07-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ocean Basket was one of the places recommended by some friends to go for seafood so we headed there one of the nights we were based in Cape Town.

We went to the Ocean Basket at the V&A Waterfront (touristy I know, but we are tourists!) The place was packed for a Saturday night and we had to wait about half an hour for a table.

I would say this place is more of a mid level chain. For lack of a better comparison, the Olive Garden price range, family focused, but for seafood. Their specialty is fried or grilled seafood on a large platter that you can share. If you are Singaporean, it is like Fish & Co which I am not a big fan of.

Our garlic mussel appetizer (32 Rand):

We also got a huge platter to share this included Kingklip (a type of fish from South Africa), King Prawns (yum! which we don't get much of in the US), and calamari. I can't seem to find the photo of our meal so here's one from the Ocean Basket website:

Honestly, it was greasy and we felt grossed out after eating so much. Our gluttony partly to blame.

Ocean Basket Locations
These are some of the more popular ones for visitors:

Ocean Basket V&A Waterfront
Shop 222, Victoria Wharf, The Waterfront, Cape Town
Phone: 021 419 4300

Ocean Basket Kloof Street
75 Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town
Phone: 021 422 0322

Ocean Basket Seapoint
Shop 17, 1st Floor, St. John's Piaaza,Main Rd, Sea Point
Phone: 021 433 0450

Chomp Meter:
Ocean Basket isn't anything special but I suppose it's conveniently located. If you want to get your fried/grilled seafood fix in large quantities. Head here. For similar food and price, I actually preferred Jimmy's Killer Prawns (partly because of the name heehee).

Cafe Paradiso

2008-07-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

This is a great place to dine al fresco in sunny Cape Town weather. We kind of stumbled upon this place. I was meaning to take the SO to Manna Epicure instead but it's closed on Mondays! Boo.

(Photo courtesy of SouthAfricaLogue.com)

Anyway Cafe Paradiso was a great find. Definitely a favorite among locals as well because we ran into the owner of the B&B where we stayed here! Purely coincidental, she hadn't recommended this place to us previously.

Cafe Paradiso is on Kloof street (on the slopes of Table Mountain). A short walk way from lots of restaurants and shops. This is where the office workers head for a relaxing lunch. I highly going to HeartWorks a few doors down for handmade African souveneirs. Not the kitschy stuff but nice high quality carvings, ceramics, etc. Very designer looking but at great prices. We chatted for a bit with the owner who travels around Africa sourcing the nicest items from local craftsman.

But back to Cafe Paradiso. Here's the butternut, fig and rice pilaf I got. It was fresh, yummy, and light. Just what I was looking for:

If you are looking for something heavier, they also have a variety of meats, including ostrich and rabbit. There's also a large selection of wines and beers. The style is South African with a French twist. I highly recommend this restaurant for lunch on a nice sunny day. There's seating in a garden setting and just in case you get too hot, large umbrellas.

Cafe Paradiso
110 Kloof Street
Gardens
8001
(Neighbourhood: Gardens / Kloof Street)

Chomp Meter:
Great place for lunch as you tour the Kloof Street area! This was one of my favorite meals of the trip, maybe because it was unexpected and unpretentious. Simple food yet creative and done well. I loved it.

Oh and don't forget to stop by Vida E Caffe for coffee after walking around!

News Cafe - Internet at Last!

2008-07-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

News Cafe is another popular chain in South Africa. Apparently they also have stores in Nigeria and Botswana. What I like about News Cafe is that they have internet access and is also open late.

The internet access is not well publicized so you have to ask one of the staff about it. They will give you a card with a passcode which you can use to access the web on from laptop. Each card is good for about 10M of data. Internet access is expensive in South Africa.

Here's the inside of a typical News Cafe. (Photo courtesy of getawayafrica.com):

Chomp Meter: Decent place to stop by for coffee or breakfast or whenever you need to use the internet! They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Typical American type fare. I've only had the breakfast before.

News Cafe locations in Cape Town (Western Cape):

Artscape Theatre
Phone: 021 410 9852
Artscape Theatre, DF Malan Dr, Foreshore

Century City
Phone: 021 551 2225
The Coliseum, Century Way

Cape Town Int.
Phone: 021 934 1341
International Arrivals

Greenpoint
Phone: 021 434 6196
Exhibition Building, Main Road

Table View
Phone: 021 557 6336
1 Beach Boulevard, Tableview

Vida e Caffe - South Africa's Starbucks?

2008-07-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to find that there is no Starbucks in Cape Town but who needs mediocre Starbucks coffee when there are a ton of cafes serving awesome coffee!

My favorite South African "chain" is Vida e Caffe.
Vida e Caffe = Coffee and Life in Portuguese. I love everything about it, from the clean design of the store, chill music, to the coffee, the simple menu, pastries and the Portuguese theme.

Very trendy eh?

Vida Caffe serves a variety of coffee drinks including lattes, capuccinos, espressos, frozen coffees, all served with their signature, a small piece of Lindt dark chocolate.

You HAVE to stop by and grab a cup of coffee and a cream filled croissant(carnetti) or egg tart (pasteis de nata).

Chomp Meter: Highly recommended. Definitely stop by at least once!

Their Cape Town locations include:

Camps Bay
Shop 1 Isaacs Corner
55-61 Victoria Road
Camps Bay
Phone: 021 424 5829

Canal Walk
Shop 404 & 406
Upper Level, Canal Walk Shopping Center
Century City, Milerton 7441
Phone: 021 552 3560

Green Point
Corner Portswood and Somerset/Main Rd
Green Point
Cape Town
Phone: 021 434 7266

Kloof Street
Shop 1 Mooikloof
34 Kloof Street
Gardens, Cape Town
Phone: 021 426 0627

Sea Point
Shop 11
Da Luz Mall
Sea Point Main Road
Cape Town
Phone: 021 424 5730

V&A Waterfront
Shop 6100
Victoria and Albert
Waterfront
Phone: 021 425 9440

Wembley Square
McKenzie Street
Gardens 8001
Phone: 021 465 8644

(Lots of touristy locations so you have no excuse not to go!)

See complete list of locations.