My experience at Pistachio.……...25-02-2012

Two of our wonderful friends chose Pistachio in Durbanville to celebrate their amazing wedding at. I am not really familiar with the restaurants in the Durbanville area, hence I had not heard of this restaurant before attending their wedding. So I was quite excited to try out somewhere new.

Seeing as we are also in the middle of planning our wedding, it helped going to a wedding as it definitely put things in perspective again as one tends to get carried away amidst all of the planning.

The restaurant was beautifully decorated when we arrived.

As we were told to take a seat at our tables the waiters came to take our starter and main orders. It was great that we were given such a vast variety as we know how difficult some places can be when it comes to your wedding menu. For starters we were given 3 choices namely:

Butternut Soup

Salade Cesar – Caesar salad with crispy bacon, egg, avocado, croutons with tempura anchovies and parmesan shavings.

Escargots – Deep fried phyllo basket, filled with spinach and feta, topped with pan fried garlic and sherry snails.

For mains we were given 2 choices namely:

Jarret d’agneau du Karoo – the finest Karoo lamb shank, slow-roasted with rosemary & garlic served with a red wine jus & a caramelized onion & creamy potato puree & baby vegetables.

Poulet Piramind – Chicken breast fillet grilled in lemon, topped with halloumi cheese and served on a bed of creamy mash potato & creamy spinach.

Now although the fiancé and I usually refuse to order the same thing we just couldn’t resist both having the snails starter. I hate anchovies so the Caesar salad wasn’t even an option for me. When the snails arrived I was pleasantly surprised! I had never had snails presented to me in this manner! They were in their own little basket filled with creamy spinach and feta. It was amazing! At first when I read the description I thought that each snail would be individually wrapped in their own little phyllo parcel, as I had seen that before in a restaurant, but this alternative was great. The deep fried phyllo pastry basket was very nice and crispy! A great combination for the squishy creamy snails.

For mains we had one of each. The fiancé doesn’t particularly like lamb so I went for the Lamb Shank and he had the Chicken Fillet.

I would think that Lamb Shank is quite a difficult meal to make for a wedding as I’m sure it takes quite some time to prepare but Pistachio managed to pull it off blind folded! Both starters and mains arrived at our tables on time and without any hiccups. The Lamb Shank was absolutely amazing! I could not believe what I was tasting! The meat was so soft and succulent it literally fell off the bone! The red wine jus wasn’t to over powering. It was absolutely perfect! Now I can see why my friends chose this as one of the meals for their big night! It was so big I could not finish it although I really badly wanted to! J The fiancé’s Chicken Fillet was also very nice and tender and not too dry but of course I was too besotted with my Lamb Shank to pay too much attention to his chicken! J

For dessert they had Gateau bresilien au chocolat noir – Decadent chocolate cake with chunks of nougat, cherry and Brazilian nut with white chocolate ice cream and a Brazilian nut praline. I didn’t order my own one but tasted someone else’s. It was phenomenal! Such a creamy rich chocolate cake with so many different textures! Amazing!

What an absolute pleasure it was discovering this great restaurant. So if any of you are looking for amazing food and elegant dining in the wine lands you now know where to go! J

Yours in fun & delicious Lamb Shank,

Elly D

25 Church Street

Durbanville

Cape Town

021-979 2586

info@pistachio.co.za

www.pistachio.co.za

My experience at Vrede en Lust..........15-03-2011

On the 15^th of March 2011 (yes I know it was a Tuesday) two of my dear friends namely Simone Dekker and Sean Collins, tied the knot on a sweltering hot day in the wine lands.

I had been to Vrede en Lust many a times for wine tasting but as you might know if you have been to the farm yourself, the tasting area is at a different location as to where the wedding receptions take place. My friends are actually from America, hence why they got married mid-week as lots of their guests were here on holiday with them from the States. This farm has a luxurious Manor House and 3 cottages which sleep 22 guests in 11 luxury double rooms.

The actual ceremony and the reception both took place on the farm itself so we didn’t have to drive anywhere else after the ceremony. The ceremony was held outside on the lawn with the most spectacular view of the mountains behind the altar. After they said their vows and promised their eternal undying love to each other they went back into the Manor House to take care of the legal bit. While this was happening we were welcomed on the lawn in front of the Manor House and served “champagne” and wine by the friendliest staff ever! I wonder if these guys were being paid according to the amount of liquor they served because you couldn’t even place your empty glass down on the table without there being another waiter close by to refill it! So you can imagine that this was an extremely festive wedding! J

As they announced that the newlyweds were about to come down from the Manor House, everyone gathered around, armed with rose pedals to sabotage them as they came down the stairs.

While sipping on our wine they also served the nicest canapés. As the sun set and the bridal party finished up their photographs we were moved to the reception area.

A massive white marquee tent decorated so romantically with fairy lights made you feel like you had just entered a fairy tale! After all this evening was the happy beginning of the Collins’ fairy tale! Everything was decorated in crisp white, embraced by the soft glow of the lighting. The presents to all of the guests from the bride and groom were Vrede en Lust bottle openers for the guys and different flavour jam for the ladies.

While deciding beforehand what they would serve at their wedding, they knew that they didn’t want a buffet dinner. In my eyes, the only meal that can pass as an acceptable buffet is breakfast. However when they sampled items from the wonderful Vrede en Lust kitchen they were stuck between the line fish and the fillet. They knew none of their guests were vegetarians so at least they didn’t have to decide on a third option. Instead of offering you a choice between one or two mains like many other people do, they decided on a 4 course meal, all served to their guests at their seats with no options.

The First Course was nice and light in the form of a Caprese Salad: cocktail tomatoes, marinated pearl mozzarella and basil pesto. I have had many Caprese Salads before but this one was exploding with flavour!

For our Second Course we got served Grilled Line Fish, with fresh herbs salad and lime atchar dressing. Unfortunately I forgot to ask them which line fish it was but this was also divine!

The Third Course was Roasted Fillet of Beef, with leek and wild mushrooms ragout, potato rosti and balsamic syrup. I am usually a gal that prefers the fresh light taste of line fish to the slightly heavier richer taste of steak but oh my word!! This piece of meat was absolutely fantastic!!! The accompanying side orders complimented the beef so well it was as if they were made for one another! But then again, when you pair mushroom with steak you can never go wrong!

By the time dessert was served I was a bit too full to thoroughly enjoy it but the bit of it that I did taste was brilliant! This Belgian Chocolate Espresso Bouchon, with white chocolate marmalade ice cream and spicy orange preserve dessert consisted of gooey chocolatey goodness! And of course then there was still wedding cake as well!!

We left about two in the morning and everyone else was still going strong! This venue is truly amazing for a wedding! It has the location, the views and the most amazing food!!

They also have a smaller restaurant on the farm that serves breakfast and lunch called Cotage Fromage. The next morning after the wedding most of the guests (including myself) enjoyed a delicious much needed eggs and bacon babbelas breakfast here.

Yours in fun & weddings,

Elly D

Vrede en Lust Wine Farm

Intersection R45 & Klapmuts Road, Simondium

Franschoek

Winery & offices: 021-874 1611

Cotage Fromage 021-874 3991

http://www.vnl.co.za/