My boyfriend and I decided to go away for the weekend to Stellenbosch. We stayed in this lovely Bed & Breakfast called Penelope’s. Check out its review under Accommodation.
We don’t know the area that well but we knew that there are so many little cozy restaurants in Stellenbosch that we decided not to book one beforehand. Instead we decided to park our car in Church Street and take a walk to find the perfect restaurant. At first I was a bit nervous about doing this but it turned out to be the right choice!
We looked at the menus from quite a few places but when we popped our heads in at Basic Bistro, we knew that this one would be the winner. Even though it was quite chilly outside we choose a table outside on the patio were we could take in a bit of the busy street as the night was coming alive. While cuddled under our brightly coloured blankie to warm up, we feasted our eyes on the menu. With our mouths watering we decided on what to order, thanks to the help from the waiters as well. Here you don’t have one waiter designated to you. Instead all of them serve you which ensure that you will get enough attention and will not be forgotten. We decided on a crisp bottle (or two J) of Hill & Dale Sauvignon Blanc 2009. A very nice easy drinking Sav.
For starters we shared their Caprese Salad (Buffalo Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes & Basil Pesto) which was amazing! The soft texture and plain taste of the mozzarella perfectly complements the strong fragrant taste of the basil pesto and the juiciness of the tomatoes! For mains I initially wanted to have the Prawns, Half-Mussles & Calamari Stew with a Creamy Blackpepper Sauce & Basmati Rice, but I was a bit scared that the blackpepper sauce would be too overpowering. I also asked the waiters if they could suggest it and they said that not a lot of customers order it. So I decided on the Traditional Cape Lamb Curry (Mild Curry with Vegetables & Basmati Rice). Next to it on the menu in brackets it read, subject to availability. Now when you see that next to a meal on the menu you should IMMEDIATELY know that it is a hell of a popular dish. We were told that it is so popular that some people call ahead of time and order it as a take away just to make sure they get a portion. After taking that first bite, I immediately knew why it was so popular! Now there are a few food and drink items that I have made it my personal goal to find the best in. A few of them are; frozen Margarita’s, Bobotie and a good Curry. I am glad to say that I can scratch one of those off my list now! I am quite close to scratching another one of those off my list, but more about that later. The meat was so soft I would have still been able to “chew” it had I had no teeth! The taste was pure and wholesome. There is nothing worse than a curry that tastes so rich and over processed that you feel so unhealthy and uncomfortably full after eating it. When we got to the restaurant I said I wanted to have dessert because I had been craving ice cream, but after eating that amazingly tasteful curry, I didn’t want to spoil the taste in my mouth with anything!
My boyfriend had the Tequila Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes & Cream Penne Pasta. He was afraid that it would be too plain, but it also came highly recommended by the waiters. We could see why because it was also delicious!! I am not usually a fan of pasta’s but this one was very, very good and not too rich like some pasta’s tend to be!
Needless to say we didn’t have any dessert as we were beyond satisfied!
The next day when we told the owner (Penny) of the B&B where we had eaten she said it is one of her favourite places. Simple and good food! Next time we go to Stellenbosch Basic Bistro can be sure to see us again.
Yours in fun & food,
Elly D
31 Church Street
Stellenbosch
Cape Town
021-883 3629
Thanks very much, we are so happy that you had a good time here!
ReplyDeleteWe work for moments like this and really appreciate it!
Hope to see you again soon.
Chao
Rico (manager, Basic Bistro)