Crossing One Off the Bucketlist - C̶a̶p̶e̶ ̶T̶o̶w̶n̶

When it came to choosing our Honeymoon destination I had choice but to check the city at the very top of my bucket list off. Due to the fact there's no guarantee I'd ever have the time again to do so the decision to go to South Africa became an easy one. Luckily she was in agreement.

Greetings from The Mother City

The driving force(s) behind that decision was Cape Town - paired with a safari of course. I've been fascinated with the city and really the entire country and for that matter the continent going on a while now. Any time I read a travel article or saw a special on Cape Town it made me want to pack my bags and fly there the next day. Not really sure why but all I can say after the fact is that feeling was justified. It's got to be one of the most complete cities as far as natural beauty is concerned and then when you mix in the cosmopolitan aspect it becomes a very special place.

View from Lions Head

Because Cape Town is so big your lodging options are endless. Not just from a hotel or AirBNB standpoint but also where you will stay. You can live it up on some fabulous beaches in areas like Camps Bay and Clifton or you can watch the hustle and bustle of the city and stay somewhere near City Centre. Pick a spot in Constantia Valley and you'll feel a world away from the big city life. We stayed in three different locations on top of a two day getaway to Stellenbosch. Between City Centre, Clifton Beach, and Hout Bay I couldn't pick a favorite but I didn't want to leave any of them. Not just because of the beauty of the landscape but also that of the people. South African's are so welcoming.

Clifton's 1st Street Beach

Activities are also endless. Hiking, Beaching, Shopping, Eating. It's the type of city you can always find something to do. Don't bother renting a car as Ubers are dirt cheap and parking is a bitch. Not to mention the whole driving on the other side of the road thing. You'll be hard pressed to spend more than $6 on an Uber and that's if you're going far. A ten minute ride will set you back $2/3 usd. There's also some tough areas to drive as far as turns and hills so if you want to do a tour somewhere further away I suggest hiring a driver. Otherwise take Uber if it's not within walking distance. Odds are some spots on your itinerary wont be close to others as it's a large city with many layers.

The Colorful Bo-Kaap Neigborhood - Home to the Cape Malay People

For sightseeing we hired a man named John who pushed a Benzo and knew the city as well as anyone I talked to. We used him for about 8 hours to take us on a sightseeing / eating tour that me and him drew up.

Overlook on Chapman's Peak Drive

We started the day at Chapman's Peak and got over to Boulder Beach to see the penguins and ate lunch in Kalk Bay before going all the way down to The Cape of Good Hope and then over to Muizenberg Beach for an early dinner. The price was more than fair ($20/usd hour). Look up his company HERE. We also took the plunge.

Daytrip to Gansbaai aka The White Shark Capitol of the World

We tried to take in as much as we could and still ended up missing two of the bigger attractions in town. First one being the Robbens Island Tour which was canceled the Sunday we had bought tickets for. Thus we never got to go. Then there was the Table Mountain Cable Cars which were pretty much suspended most every day we were there. Cape Town is for real windy and when it's howling those cable cars aren't going anywhere. Another problem can be visibility and the one time the cars were running the visibility at the top of the mountain was so poor that no one was going up. You can check the website for constant updates. Even with the cancellations and "wind outs" we still found tons of fun.

The Boulders Beach Penguins

We spent close to three weeks in South Africa with a third of that time in The Mother City and still didn't want to leave when it came time to do so. It's a truly magical place that deserves a spot on any avid travelers bucketlist. It might cost a little more to get there than some other spots but compared to most of the other spots Cape Town is a bargain. It still has the glitz and glamor of a place like South Beach (See: Camps Bay) but the USD goes so far that bargains are a dime a dozen. Particularly in the restaurants. Below are some highlights.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden  
________________________________________

La Colombe

Constantia

When the discussion of best restaurant in Africa is had you can count on La Colombe being mentioned in it. Located in the beautiful Constantia region of Cape Town you'll find yourself, or your driver, driving in circles to get you there. That's because it's located up a mountain high from where you enter the property and thus the excitement at La Colombe begins before you even get there.

Our View from the Dining Table

La Colombe was one of the first reservations that I got and they require you to pay a deposit up front. If you cancel before the deadline you get that back and if you show up to your reservation they take the deposit total off of the final bill total. If you're into the World's Best Restaurants List this place is ranked as the 76th best restaurant in the world but I have no idea how they come to these conclusions. All I know is that it's really good. Not just the food but also the service and the wine pairings.



La Colombe Garden - Amuse-Bouche

La Colombe offers a tasting menu for both lunch and dinner with the option to pair wine with each course. You can either do the regular sized menu which lets you choose between two selections for a total of five courses or you can go for the entire menu. We chose the regular sized and just agreed to try different things. Everything that's good to say has been said about this place so I just thought I'd share the pics of a meal every bit as delicious as it was pretty. Most certainly one of my best in all of 2016.




Tuna La Colombe

The signature dish of the house (everyone starts with it) might seem like a gimmick but who cares when it's this damn delicious. They place barely seared fresh yellowfin in a small round can and play it off as canned tuna. It's definitely popular on instagram but unlike alot of the stuff that looks good on there, this actually is good. Like really good. I thought about asking for a couple more but didn't want to embarrasses us Americans. Although seeing as how this was the middle of November someone else already did that.

West Coast Oyster, Caviar, Kalamansi, Apple, Soy

or

Bavette Steak, Chipotle, Anchovy, Bone Marrow, Chimichurri

The second course was your choice of a seafood based dish or a beef option. She went with the seafood was just one oyster so I didn't get to try it but I heard it was wonderful. My steak was the same. It sounded like there might be alot going on but the flavor combination was fantastic.

Cured Norwegian Salmon, King Crab, Blood Orange, Melon, Wood Squirrel

or

Miso Seared Scallop, Quail, Parsnip, Braaied Corn, Teriyaki

Third course up. She went with the cured salmon so I decided to try the "Surf and Turf" option. While her dish was certainly more colorful mine was every bit as good. Perfect cooked quail was the best I can remember trying. So good that the perfectly seared scallop was almost an afterthought. Fantastic.

Grannysmith Popsicle (Palate Cleanser)

I should take chance to point out that we also ordered a couple cocktails from here and they too were very well made. Not always the case in Cape Town but this team obviously knows how to balance.

Linefish, Squid, Mussel, Chorizo, Coriander, Soubise

or

Lamb Loin, Tongue, Sweetbreads, Asparagus, Peas, Kohlrabi, Smoked Garlic Veloutte

For the fourth course we had our choice of two entree level plates. One being a fish dish. The term 'Line Fish of the Day' is how they say "The Day's Fresh Catch" but unfortunately I forget which local caught fish they were showcasing on this day. Either way I went ahead and tried the lamb offering which was a variety of lamb preparations. The lamb is really quality over here and that was as evident as ever in this dish. I'd say it was one of the best plates of food I ate on the trip. Top Ten material.

Three Ages of Boerenkaas, Onion, Rhubarb, Walnut, Cumin

You had your choices for desert but we both wanted to do the cheese plate which surprise surprise was also great. But no this isn't a broken record it's one of the more lovelier meals you'll ever have. Especially should you be lucky enough to be seated at the windows where we were. The food, the views, the service, all of it was on point and helped make the experience a memorable one. All things considered this meal turns it out to be a pretty great bargain by American comparisons.

Complimentary Chocolates
________________________________________

Chef's Warehouse

Bree Street

Chef's Warehouse is located on a popular dining strip that has it's own section coming up in this report. Since opening their tapas restaurant on Bree street it's one of the most publicized spots in the city. You can say this restaurant was one of the places responsible for the surge in great dining found up and down Bree street. We had our final lunch here and were glad we decided to do so as it too was one of the best meals we ate on this trip. The concept here is a tapas menu that comes in three different courses with 2/3 tapas per course. It's supposed to be for two people and cost R620 ($45) which is yet again a steal. The first course consisted of three seafood dishes. All of them fantastic.

Yellowtail with Sushi Rice, Nori Puree, Togarashi Dressing

Trout Tartare with Radish and Pine Nuts

Cape Malay Pickled Squid with Cauliflower, Potato, and Onion Brulee

Moving onto the second course we got a duo of semi vegan dishes (I'm sure the risotto had some broth in it). Both of them were a big surprise particularly the sesame bean salad which was popping with all sorts of flavors. The risotto was no different. It was so comforting that I found myself wishing I could make it this good for myself with the impending winter I was heading back to.

Sesame Bean Salad with Charred Broccolini and Avocado Puree

Mushroom Risotto

Our third and final round of tapas was meats. Once again each one of these delighted in ways that will leave me with a lasting memory of this meal. A trio of dishes included the most tender piece of duck breast I've ate as well as a perfectly cooked pork filet and a cold brisket salad that had alot of flavor similarities to a deli style pastrami sandwich. I highly rec this spot for a meal in Cape Town.

Pork Filet with Broad Beans, Peas, and Cauliflower Puree

Duck Breast with Rainbow Carrots and Carrot Veloute

Beef Brisket Salad with Pickles, Horseradish Cream, and Sourdough Croutons
________________________________________

The Pot Luck Club

Woodstock

Sticking with the highly publicized spots here we have the casual younger sibling of The Test Kitchen which is said by many to be Africa's Best Restaurant. I was planning for the possibility of reserving spots at both, which is essential if you want to dine at either of them. Unfortunately I got confused by the reservation system they use. You can reserve your spot one month ahead but I didn't realize the entire month was available starting on the 1st date of the previous month. So all tickets for November went on sale October 1st. I thought it was by day. But anyway when I realized my mistake it was still early enough to reserve a spot here which is said to be just as good with a more casual approach. Tapas are big in Cape Town and that's how I'd describe their menu items. Order a handful.

Crispy Kalk Bay Octopus, Doenjang Mayo, Pickled Cucumber and Octopus Teriyaki

Pot Luck Club Fish Tacos: Fresh Ceviche, Black Bean Puree, Avocado and Sour Cream

The menu items are broken down by flavor profile (Salty, Sweet, Umami, Sour, Bitter) and everything pretty much sounds good. With the pedigree that the team behind Pot Luck Club has it's probably true. Everything we got hit the spot with the fish tacos being the most interesting item of them all. Not sure why they call them tacos but I know what people mean when they say they're addictive. I'm not sure I'd ever had fried octopus up to this meal but I have a feeling I'll be hard pressed to find an offering this good again. It was crispy on the outside and moist and tender within.


Pot Luck Club Peri Peri Chicken

Pork Belly Phở Orange Master Stock, Kimchi Turnips and Sriracha Daikon

For our second round of items we got the restaurants take on the local favorite that is peri peri chicken and a pork belly dish. The chicken was grilled just right with a not so spicy sauce. What it lacked in heat it made up for in flavor. I wish it was something other than a breast but they did get all sorts of smoke flavor up in there through the use of wood. The Pork Belly came served in a bowl and the waitress poured the broth over the meat upon delivery to the table. This was yet another perfectly cooked dish with lots of flavors to enjoy. Dessert was a strawberry concoction that escapes me but it came with a nice little message from the staff and couple complimentary glasses of champagne.

Honeymoon Surprise
________________________________________

Foxcroft

Constantia

After our amazing lunch at La Colombe we wanted to check out their new sister restaurant and made reservations to do so. Foxcroft opened a month before we got there and I had it on my radar. We made plans to dine there on our way back from Stellenbosch about a week before our reservation. Foxcroft specializes in the same things La Colombe does in a way that's a bit more approachable to the leisurely day/night out. For lunch (and maybe dinner) they have a set menu that's R350 ($26) per person and includes two appetizers, to go with one main, and one dessert. This is what we got.

Tuna Tartare - tempura avocado, miso, daikon, apple, baby gem (ordered by both of us)

Fried Squid - chorizo, ajo blanco, wild garlic (ordered by she)

Smoked Pigs Head Croquette - curried sultanna, piccalilli, crème fraîche (ordered by me)

Starting with the tapas this too would turn into a great meal. Everything on our plates we ate. Our only qualm was the time it took. Just over two hours, for lunch. Service in South Africa isn't the best but it sure makes you appreciate what we have in the States as does travel most everywhere else. We both thought the tuna tartare was the weak link of an otherwise strong group of starters.

Confit Pork Belly - fire pit apples, fennel, onion, sage (ordered by she)

Chalmer Beef Ribeye - duck fat chips, cep sauce, carrot puree, baby carrots, brussels sprouts (ordered by me)

Moving onto the entrees and dessert. Both of our entrees were cleared off the plates. My steak was cooked as requested and the side of duck fat fries were some of the best I've ever had from anywhere. While everything was good the desserts might've been my favorite. Just like at La Colombe they create art with their plates and the desserts were the brightest in both presentation and flavor. Before we left CPT they had been named Best New Restaurant of 2016.

Compressed Strawberries - toasted croissant, mascarpone (ordered by me)

Raspberry Donuts - Litchi milk ice, raspberries, elderflower pedals (ordered by she)

Attached to the restaurant is a bakery that's open daily. I stopped in while waiting for our food and ordered a few items to take to the rental. My to-go box included a ham and cheese croissant, Kouign-amann, and a trip of Macarons. All I know is all of them got ate after the day turned to night.

Takeout Snack from the Bakery attached to the restaurant
________________________________________

Yusra's Kitchen

Sea Point

First and foremost lets get to Cape Town's most iconic eat. When we hear the name Gatsby we think of the eccentric millionaire who we read about in high school literature class. In Cape Town they think snack as in the local super sandwich. The Gatsby sandwich goes back to the mid 70's. The sandwich's creator owned a fish shop in a CPT suburb and needed to feed some hungry workers. He put together what's now known as a Gastby Sandwich and the workers loved it. He put it on the menu at his Takeout Seafood Shop the next day and they became a hit. It's called a Gatsby because it was around the time The Great Gatsby movie was playing in South Africa and the man who made the sandwiches called them a Gatsby Smash. Today they're available all over the city and it's suburbs.

Menu at Yusra's

I had a list of spots I wanted to try one of these legendary sandwiches at but most of them were in the suburbs. I considered riding out to one in an Uber but it never happened as traffic was always bad around the time I wanted to go (late afternoon). That said one of the spots on my list was this corner store from another era in the trendy Sea Point neighborhood. Yusra's is a one stop shop for food and 7-11 type groceries. They also sell a variety of cooked foods including the Gatsby sandwich. These places tend to be owned by Indian / Cape Malay folks so items like Samosas and curries are also options. Gatsby's come in two sizes, I went large because I wanted to see how big they really were.

As long as my forearm

So for those who've never heard of Cape Town's most popular regional eat let me explain what it is. An extremely large roll which can basically be classified as a loaf of bread makes for the outer layers of the sandwich. Inside of it can vary but what's always included is enough chips (fries) to be considered a large order at your local hot dog stand. Popular fillings for a Gatsby are Masala Steak, Curried Chicken, and Polony which is a locally enjoyed sausage made in a similar way to bologna.

Gatsby Sandwich

I ordered a Masala Steak with cheese and was asked if I wanted it "wet" "dry" "or both" which I asked about and was explained this. Wet meant with sauce (BBQ / Mayo/ Peri Peri) while dry meant with spices (didn't ask past that). Since I'm a sweet and hot guy with my Italian Beef's I went both on my Gatsby. Speaking of which as a Chicagoan who enjoys a Combo and even a Jim Shoe Sandwich now and then I could see why a Captonian enjoys the Gatsby sandwich. It's a great way to fill up after some drinks and you can feed 3-4 people with one at a ridiculously cheap price. This sandwich was the equivalent of $8 usd and fed me as well as three guys who came up to me asking for change. But don't let that deter you as I ate this on a bench in a public area and was obviously a tourist as I was taking pictures of my food. If you're going to Cape Town you got to get a Gatsby.

The insides
________________________________________

Mzoli's Place

Guguletu

Mzoli's Place was on my must visit list not just for the food but also the experience. It sits in a township about 20 minutes away from the City Centre. I kept pushing off my visit as traffic is bad around rush hour (4p) and can turn the ride into a 40 minute excursion. It wasn't until the last day in town that I got in an uber and rode over of lunch. Mzoli's is part butcher - part restaurant - part party. It got it's start in 2003 when owner Mzoli Ngcawuzele started casually selling meat from his garage.

Inside the Butchers Den

With the help of some local funding Mzoli's has grown into one of Cape Town's biggest parties. With that it's also one of the more popular spots for braai and the tourist looking for a sense of adventure. Braai is the South African slang for Barbecue and it's one of the country's most popular pastimes. Mzoli's works like this. You enter the storefront and pick out what meats you want grilled. After paying for the meat the people behind the counter hand you your selection on a platter that you bring back to the braaimaster aka grillmaster. You keep your ticket and they'll yell when ready.

Transferring of the Meats

Sitting in back are the grills. On this day they only had two of them going but on a busy day they will have all three. Fueled with enough wood to build a small tree these monster grills get extra hot and flare up quite often but are contained with water just as fast. I watched as the grill guy loaded tray after tray of meat and wondered how he keeps track of what's who's and such. These guys are pros at what they do because not long after (15 mins) I gave them my meat they had it all cooked.

Pitmaster at Work

Once your meat is cooked you take it next door to what can best be described as the Party Hall. This is where all the fun happens. Mzoli's is a popular spot for groups which like to bring their own beverages to imbibe in. This place is by no means a posh restaurant like those you'll find on Bree street but it is one of the best peeks into the township life. It reminded me very much of an extra large version of the popular jerk chicken shacks across Jamaica. A place to eat, drink, and listen to good music with the company of others.

a peek inside

It was middle of the day midweek so while the crowd wasn't at it's peak there was still a ton of people considering the time and date. I ended up taking a seat at a table next to a group of five guys and before I could put my food down they were offering me shots of Havana Club. We chatted up and as soon as they found out I was from the States they did all they could to make sure I had a good time while there. That I did. I ordered some of the lamb with a couple pieces of chicken and big old slice of Boerewors which is a beef sausage very popular on the braai. The sweet ladies inside at the butcher insisted I get an order of chakalaka to go with my grilled meats and I'm grateful for them because this African salsa-like concoction brought the whole plate together. The food paired with the people made this one of my most enjoyable experiences of the entire trip. I highly rec making the time to visit.

South African Braai and Chakalaka
________________________________________

Kalky's Fish and Chips

Kalk Bay

This place is an institution for the locals from around this way. At first I was kind of surprised to see that fish ad chips were as popular in South Africa as they were in spots like England and Ontario. But then when you remember that the area is heavily influenced by the Portuguese it makes sense. For it's the Portuguese that gave the rest of the world fried fish. These days you can find these fish and chip shacks throughout Cape Town with most of them in areas near the water.

The Menu

Kalky's isn't the oldest fish and chips shack in the city but it's been around long enough to feel like it. Full House on my visit but the line moves quick and there's plenty of seating both indoors and out. The fact local fisherman line up their fresh catches for the day right outside is a good sign you're going to get some fresh fish. I went with the two most popular options of both hake and snoek. The latter of which is a locally caught fish popular for it's versatility in the kitchen. It's also extremely bony but with flesh like that of mackerel it's prized in these parts. The hake was perfect and my preferred piece of the two only because it tasted like the fish and chips I'm used to. The thing is it's the snoek that I've had a taste for since returning home. I recently found an interesting piece that the beloved Calvin Trillin wrote about his friend from South Africa and his love for snoek. Click HERE to read.

Snoek (L) Hake (R)
________________________________________

Eastern Food Bazaar

City Centre

Eastern Food Bazaar is a canteen style eatery featuring different stalls serving Regional Indian, Chinese, and Turkish street food with a large seating area. It goes all the way from one block to the other with entries on both ends. I'd heard mixed reviews about the food from here but I was near and wanted to see what it was all about. Not that different from the food halls starting popup in America.

a peek inside

I hadn't had any Bunny Chow yet so now was my time to indulge. What's that you ask? Bunny Chow is the signature eat of Durban. For those not in the know Durban has the largest Indian population of any city outside of India and Bunny Chow is their creation. As to be expected it's made it's way into Cape Town. It takes a hollowed out loaf of bread and turns it into a basket/bowl for curry. Of which Durban has it's very own style of as well. I dont think this lamb curry I ate was Durban style as it wasn't all that spicy but it was really tender with the potatoes being perfectly al dente. Not bad.

Lamb Bunny Chow
________________________________________

Mariam's Kitchen

City Centre

Cape Malay is the one food South African can claim as it's very own. The food of the people who settled in the Bo-Kaap area is a melting pot of flavors with influences from the Dutch, Malaysia, Africa, and India. It's recipes include potent spices like cumin, coriander, star anise, tamarind, cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric. Cape Malay food is popular not just in the homes of the Bo-Kaap but also at fast food joints like Mariam's. I heard they have one of the best Salomies in the city which is another popular Cape Town eat that has a Cape Malay background. They're made by taking a filling which is usually a curried meat or stew and placing it in a roti pancake and rolling it into the form of a burrito. These are a popular form of a cheap lunch and Mariam's makes a great one.

Salomie Sandwich
________________________________________

Dias Tavern

CBD

I came across this place when searching out Portuguese restaurants in the city. It seemed to be very popular with locals who seemed to love not just the food but also the cheap drinks and atmosphere in which they eat and drink. Dias Tavern is in ode to all things Portuguese. It feels likes it's stuck in the 70's and reminded me alot of many a local taverns I've visited in Wisconsin. The difference here was instead of everything being Packers related it was all Portuguese soccer and other Portugal related stuff on the walls. We started out with an order of fried squid tentacles that were just about perfect.

Fried Squid Tentacles

As you'll see later on this report, prawns are big in CPT. Almost every restaurant has them and they always seemed to be fresh and well cokked no matter where we ate them. An order of peri peri prawns from here was no exception to this statement. Maybe not the best of the trip but still damn delicious.

Peri Peri Prawns

My meal was the combination plate that paired grilled baby squids with trinchado. I actually thought I was ordering the espetadas but this ended up being a good mistake. I say this because trinchado is a uniquely South African dish with heavy influence from the Portuguese. It's a braised beef that gets tenderized in a mix of wine, garlic, and peri peri sauce. The cubes of beef were cooked until they were just about to fall apart. While the fries might've been frozen it didn't matter due to the fact the sauce the beef was braised in was so damn addictive. Same goes for the calamari which I was popping like popcorn. I had wanted to go back and get the same thing but it never happened. Next time for sure.

Grilled Joe Special (Baby Calamari and Trinchado)
________________________________________

Miller's Thumb

Gardens

There's a few spots that keep coming up when trying to find the best seafood restaurants in town. Miller Thumb would be one of them. This place very much reminded me of a classic Floribbean style fish shack. They had a nice well rounded menu with a focus on seafood and particularly on fresh fish. You choose which type you want and how you want it cooked from a handful of options. She went ahead and got an order of the prawns sitting atop a small mountain of grilled calamari tubes. The prawns, which are a strong point of Cape Town's cuisine, were extra plump and full of juice while the Moroccan spiced calamari was full of flavor.

Calamari And Prawns

I opted for a piece of Kingklip as I really enjoyed the light flakiness of this fish the last time I had it. I opted to get it done Cape Malay style which came grilled and then lightly baked with a sweet chili, garlic soy glaze sitting over it. This dish is served with a bowl of fried egg noodles. Loved this as well and again it reminded of the fish preparations down in South Florida's fish shacks. I would seek Miller's Thumb out for a nice lunch or even dinner which is said to be a very popular time so consider RSVP'ing.

Malay Style Kingklip Fish
________________________________________

See ya next time (Hout Bay)

Note: This is an excerpt from my blog. There's plenty more stuff to check out on the report over there. Click HERE to do so.

Wow! Thanks for sharing this. I'm gonna go check out your blog now.

This is a stunning trip report. Congratulations, and thanks for giving us a tour of Cape Town.

Great post Beef - awesome stuff. Glad you had a great trip.