Restaurant week is the best time of the year for any foodie! Numerous top-rated restaurants participate in this event, offering unique menus at discounted prices. I visited three restaurants for the Spring Edition, one in Johannesburg and two in Pretoria. Read about my culinary adventure below!
Pretoria
Harissa Bistro
My meal began with fresh, complimentary bread and hummus.
For the main course, I selected the Sweet Potato Curry Strudel served with stir-fried spinach, peanuts, and sesame. The pastry was light, crispy and flaky. The sweet potato curry had a lovely flavour. All the elements worked together resulting in a fragrant and tasty dish.
Dessert was a Coconut Panna Cotta served with Koeksister ice cream. Although tasty, the dish was not flawless. The panna cotta was a little bit too gelatinous and the ice cream did not taste like koeksister.
De Kloof Restaurant
My meal at De Kloof Restaurant was excellent and coupled with great service.
My dining experience started with freshly baked bread, smoked butter and cucumber gazpacho. The bread was warm, the butter was salty with a lovely smoky flavour. The cucumber gazpacho had a hint of lime which made it fresh and invigorating.
The starter I selected was called Grindelwald. It was composed of a Cauliflower & Gruyere fondue fondant, baby marrow ribbons, goats cheese crumble, fennel crisps, maraschino cherry and tahini puree. The fondant was smooth and tasty. The dish was a cheesy delight, balanced with delightful crispy elements.
Vege-zagna was the main course I selected. The dish was composed of roasted aubergine, baby marrow, red and green pepper, mange tout in a rolled lasagne sheet. It was served with smoked tomato ketchup, tempura tofu, and parmesan shavings. Each element on its own was tasty. Put them together and you have a flavour explosion in your mouth! The dish was hearty, satisfying and delicious.
The dessert was cleverly called CappuTeano. It consisted of Honey and Red Espresso Panna Cotta with Vanilla short crust, Rooibos gel, Vanilla wafer, Milk sorbet, Cinnamon candy floss and Waffle soil. The dessert was delicious but flawed. The panna cotta was unfortunately not set and the short crust pastry was dense. What saved the dessert was the milk sorbet. It was the best sorbet I have ever tasted! The rooibos gel brought freshness to the dish.
We parted ways with petit fours…
Johannesburg
OneNineOne
This is my favourite out of the restaurants I visited during Restaurant Week! The service was impeccable, the food delicious and the portions generous. Each course was served in a timely manner.
My dining experience started with a complimentary bread basket: fresh, warm, seeded breadsticks served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
The starter I selected was baked goats’ gouda flatbread with grilled zucchini, spinach, roasted beetroot and tomato jam. The bread was crispy, the salty goats cheese perfectly balanced with the sweet roasted beetroot and the spinach was crunchy.
The main course shortly followed: Cape Malay sweet potato chickpea dumplings served with lentil tabbouleh, shaved zucchini, and harissa. The dumplings were crispy on the outside and mushy on the inside. The lentils were perfectly cooked, not too hard or not too soggy. Coriander brought freshness to the dish. The harissa was packed full of flavour.
The highlight of the meal was the dessert called The Taste of Spring Fruits. The dessert was visually pleasing and perfectly balanced: sweet, sour, creamy and crunchy! The basil lime sorbet was sweet and refreshing. The coconut panna cotta was creamy and smooth. Coconut flakes provided the crunchy element. The dish was finished with fresh berries, pineapple, papaya and kiwi fruit.
