JHB Restaurants vs CT Restaurants

 To me, Johannesburg is the city of milk and honey in South Africa.

It amazes me to see how much money is invested in restaurants here, especially in the décor.  Yet the menu pricing in Johannesburg’s restaurants seems to be very similar, if not cheaper than that of Cape Towns.  Read on and you may agree with my sentiments as to why I say this…

I went to Orient Restaurant in Melrose Arch a few nights ago, and felt like I could have been in a leading London restaurant - the décor was amazing!  Upon our arrival, we were greeted by very friendly and welcoming staff, who could not help themselves in commenting on our outfits – we had just come from a black tie launch of a new TV series, The A List (launching on SABC3).  We played it very cool, as if this was the way we always dressed when eating out… ;)

We sat downstairs in the very funky bar area that also served as the smoking area for diners.  I must have looked like a lost tourist the way I inspected the room before being seated.  What really amazed me was the bathrooms; unisex, each fitted with its own basin, mirror and mini flat screen TV!  Never to be bored on the toilet again…

The menu was quite vast with options, all with of Asian decent, and reasonably priced.  I could not help comparing it to my favourite Cape Town restaurant, Kitima in Hout Bay.  Kitima though, has a lot more offering in terms of menu choices, and in my opinion, a much better menu, all be it slightly more expensive. 

We started off with a dim sum platter, which was R98, and consisted of a variety of three, totaling 6 pieces.  I was not impressed by the presentation or the texture of the rice paper, which seemed over cooked and gooey. It was presented in a bamboo basket with slices of carrot under the dim sum, which was tastier than the dim sum itself. 

We decided to go with a variety of starters as apposed to a main meal, so this may not be a fair review of the entire menu – but as I have said before: this is more my opinion based on my experience than a restaurant review.  The prawn tempura looked really messy when presented to us, and definitely could have been cooked a little longer.  The tempura batter was not crispy and was still white in colour.  We ordered quite a selection, which was accompanied by lots of bubbly, so you will forgive me if I cannot remember the rest of what we ordered.  For dessert, we shared the ginger crème brulee and the banana and chocolate spring rolls – both very average.

I would like to leave you with a question and open this to a debate – is eating out more about the décor and the vibe for you, or is it about food?  I can classify certain restaurants that I would go to purely for the vibe and forgive the average food offerings, and I have restaurants that I frequent were a minimal amount is spent on décor, but the food is phenomenal!  I have not eaten out enough in Joeys to pass an opinion on which city has the better food offering, but my gut is telling me so far that it is Cape Town – what are your thoughts??

HecticNine9 - SABC2

On Thursday 27th of May, I was invited to come co-present the very popular kiddies show on SABC2, HecticNine9, which is broadcast live at 16h00 weekdays. 

The theme for the day was food glorious food, and I had to demonstrate a couple of dishes that are easy to prepare and  more nutritious than the regular fast food alternatives.

First up was a smoothie to give the younger foodies a sustainable energy boost for the day, that tasted great and was incredibly healthy:

1 banana

1/2 cup of fat free vanilla yoghurt

2 tbsp goji berries (highest anti-oxidant food on the planet)

1 tsp organic raw chocolate nibs

1 tbsp raw honey

1/2 cup fat free milk

Add all except the milk to the blender and blend until smooth, then water down to a drinking consistency with the milk.

The next easy-peasy dish was an alternative to the common toasted cheese sandwich - a very tasty wrap:

1 tortilla

1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, grated

2 slices country ham (not the processed type!)

3 thin slices of tomato, seasoned with salt & pepper

Small handful fresh rocket

Cover the tortilla with the mozzarella and then either toast it under the grill or simply pop it in the micro for 20 seconds to melt the cheese.  Place the ham and tomato over half of the tortilla, followed by the rocket.  Fold over once as tightly as you can, then fold in the sides, and continue rolling it up until you get a nice little package.  Slice diagonally down the middle, and VOILA - a healthy alternative to a fatty melted cheese sandwich.  

The show was actually great fun, which ended in a massive food fight - not ideal when my next meeting was at the One&Only 6 star hotel in the waterfront, with cream still dripping out of my ear - charming!
For more pictures of the shoot, go here: http://www.jasonwhitehead.co.za/Jason_Whitehead/My_Albums/Pages/TV_Stuff_1.html

A very big thank you to talented photographer, Drikus le Roux for spending the day with me on set:

web: www.drikusleroux.com

Recipes: Malva Pudding

Quick 'n Easy puddings are way up there on my Sunday night decadency's, and as with all my recipes, I gave this Malva my own little twist.  I like playing with my food and sometimes the combinations won't appeal to everyone, so feel free to serve yours with just plain vanilla ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
50g of soft butter
2 tbsp of apricot jam (I used an apricot and passionfruit jam I bought when I was in Zanzibar)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup of flour
1 cup of milk
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda


Preheat your oven to 190 degrees.
Using an electric mixer (or whisk if you have the energy), and mix the sugar, butter, jam, vinegar and egg together until well combined and sugar is almost dissolved.  Add your flour and mix for a minute or so, followed by your milk and bicarb.  Pour the mixture into a glass or oven proof dish - no need to butter and flour it first - nice and easy.
Bake for about 45 minutes until nicely browned and set.


Meanwhile, make your sauce and custard:
SAUCE
50g of butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup peach or orange juice (I combined the two)
1/4 cup of water
3/4 cup of cream


Heat together until sugar is dissolved


CUSTARD
3 egg yolks 
1/2 cup of brown sugar (usually you would use castor sugar, but I wanted a caramelly flavour to the custard)
1 cup of pouring cream
1 vanilla pod
1 tsp good instant coffee


Beat the eggs and sugar until sugar has dissolved and becomes a pale yellow colour.  Gently bring the cream, coffee and scraped vanilla pod to the boil.  While beating the egg yolk mixture, pour in a dash of the hot cream mixture, then pour the egg yolks into the cream, beating all the time.  Put back onto the stove on a very low heat and keep beating it until you get the desired consistency.  Pass it through a sieve to remove the vanilla pod and set aside.


Once the malva is cooked, remove the oven and pierce it quite a few times with a fork.  While it is still hot, ladle the sauce on a spoon at a time allowing the pudding to absorb it before adding another spoon.


Serve hot with the custard, drizzle with some maple syrup and some toasted coconut.  Take it one step further and serve it with coconut ice cream... mmmmm!  

Chefs taking the piss - classic

Cape Town Chef and Nutcase - Jonno Proudfoot

JW - How did you get into working as a chef?

"When I left school, I had no idea what I wanted to do when a friend of a friend asked me to help out for day at his catering company. After frying 15kgs of Bacon and half a million eggs for a breakie buffet, I had to stuff flavoured butter under the skin of some chicken legs. I had seen Janie Oliver doing it on TV a week or so before and I was just loving it. At the end of that 16 hour shift, the guy gave me some cash for my efforts. I couldn’t believe I just got paid for having such a jol mucking about with food, so I suppose that was that!"

JW - Have you had any international cooking experience?

"I’ve had three UK missions but never at any fancy restaurants. I was the sous chef a restaurant on Leicester Square and I ran a breakfast restaurant in Mayfair. I also ran a pub kitchen in Bournemouth during my gap year but at that point I was more about the party than the work. I learned most of what I know at GINjA Restaurant in Cape Town and the rest I got from my enormous book collection and old faithful Google!"

JW - You presented a show on TV I hear – tell me a little more?

"That was a hoot!!! It was a kids cooking show called What’s Your Flava. Kids sent in their own recipes then two crazy twins and I had to cook them up under a heavy time constraint with no escape from the cameras. Heaps of fun but I had to keep a close eye on my language and sense of humour. They used to edit out half my jokes and lots of bloopers"

JW - Anymore TV appearances in the pipeline?

"I’ve been brainstorming a couple ideas lately but I’m in no rush at this point. I’m busy wrapping up a degree in Accounting so I’m trying not to over commit to anything else. Once I get those extra letters behind my name, banks will to be a lot easier to squeeze money out of. I’m not sure I’m finished with TV yet."

JW - What inspires your menus and cooking style?

"Most definitely the occasion I’m cooking for. Whenever I invent a dish I always consider who it’s for, what’s in season, how much effort it’s worth and most importantly how its going got be eaten. My style has changed dramatically in the last two years from hard core fusion fine dining to unfussy, relaxed country style. Whatever ingredient I’m working with, I always try to find a way to enhance the flavour as best I can. I used to find myself wasting so much time making my food look precious that I often neglected the actual deliciousness of it. I rarely pimp my dishes with fancy garnishes (so nineties)! You’ve got to keep it real."

JW - What other chefs inspire you?

"He’s received a lot of criticism but I really enjoy Jamie Oliver. He’s all fun and games on the outside but he’s a cunning businessman and he’s built up a fantastic brand with his name. He also made cooking cool. Before he came around we had Keith Floyd and Delia Smith so I think he’s had a huge influenced on people’s perception of food. Some others would be Nigel Slater (when I read his books I want to eat the pages), Gordon Ramsay, Nobu Matsuhisa and Thomas Keller (although I think he talks too much)."

JW - What do you eat at home?

"I eat quite healthily during the week. Lots of salads, pulses, grilled chicken with light sauces and dressings, tomato pastas and the occasional soup. On weekends though, I’ll chow just about anything. My favourite is a thick steak with mushroom sauce and fat cut potato wedges with some roast cherry tomatoes, rocket and shaved parmesan. In summer I go nuts for seared tuna with simple soy dressings fresh thai style salads and stir fries. I’m also a bit of a sushi slut."

JW - So what is your advice to young chefs thinking of getting into a job as a chef?

"Firstly, I would recommend doing some job shadowing. Chef school is expensive and I’ve seen so many chefs do the training at college and buckle once they hit the real kitchen because they can’t handle the pressure or the hours. Best get a sneak preview before blowing all that cash on something that doesn’t rev your motor. It’s flipping tough and senior chefs aren’t renowned for their leadership abilities and people skills. I would also recommend honing your business skills. Some of the greatest chefs in the world still have no idea how to run a business. Whether you’re working for yourself or a restaurateur, someone in the picture will be trying to make some cash. If you can manage your food cost properly and talk business with non foodies, you’ll be ticking extra boxes that make you easier to employ or lend money too."

Jonno is currently the Chef and Marketing Manager at Cloof Wine Estate - a man of many talents!

Review: Waterkloof Restaurant

WOW - what an amazing way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Unbelievably beautiful setting, amazing food, friendly and efficient service, great company and lots of laughter brought on by lots of fantastic wine!

Waterkloof wine estate and restaurant is tucked away in a hidden ravine on the slopes of Somerset West, with the most spectacular views over False Bay.

We arrived fairly early, as the only time available when making our booking was at 12h30, and were greeted in the parking lot by the most well spoken, well mannered and bubbly car guard I have ever seen. What a great first impression!

I’m not going to rant on about the amazing restaurant layout and decor (you can go to the website gallery and have a look - www.waterkloofwines.com), because the food and service deserve more of the glory - I could not fault a thing... well almost.

Its becoming a bit rehearsed now in most restaurants when the waiter is taught to up-sell by asking “would you like still or sparkling water for the table”, which is obviously then added to your bill. At Waterkloof, they offer FREE still or sparkling water along with the hot fresh bread rolls as you are seated - how refreshing! Before deciding which wine to order (to be honest, I was not familiar with Waterkloof wines at all), I asked for a taster of the Circle of LIfe, which was recommended to me by a friend. The waiter then proceeded to give us tasters of ALL the white wines on the menu (6 in total if I’m not mistaken) to help us decide on which we preferred before ordering the bottle. I know, it sounds a little unreal doesn’t it. We had been there for 10 minutes, had the equivalent to one and a half glasses of wine, 2 bread rolls, a glass of mineral water, and had yet to be charged for anything!

We decided on the chardonnay, which was unwooded and deliciously creamy, yet light. It was decanted for us at the table and put on a bowl of crushed ice.

The menu is only made up of 5 starters and 7 mains, so you would think it would be a quick order, but with everything sounding so appealing, it wasn’t that quick at all.

We each decided to choose something different and share in order to plow our way through as much of the menu as possible.

I went with the Oyster Mushrooms with rocket and crispy soft boiled egg (R70) for a starter, and the Quail with cream spinach, horse radish devilled quail egg and root vegetables (R140) for my main.

Vikki decided on the Confit Duck Leg in pistachio crust, sultana leather and consomme gel (R70) to start and the Glazed Pork Belly with poached golden delicious apple, fresh black figs and beetroot ((R135) for her entree. Everything was truly superb, except for the ‘consomme gel’ that accompanied Vikki’s duck starter, which was a little insipid. As difficult as it was to choose, my favourite would be the Glazed Pork Belly - to die for doll!

The amuse bouche before the meal was a pork pate with beetroot puree, which was amazing! In between each course, they served a small pana cotta with earl grey jelly and dried fruit, which was a little strange but a very welcomed surprise - not quite a palate cleanser, not quite a dessert, but tasty none the less.

For dessert, we came to the conclusion that the chef does not have a sweet tooth. Although beautifully presented, everything from the quince dessert that Vikki ordered to the chocolate fondant that I ordered, seemed to lack the sweetness you would expect from a dessert. Now I know that quinces are generally quite bitter, but served with a ginger ice cream which was also not very sweet (but very gingery), it all seemed a little to tart for our liking.

We finished off with a cheese plate which was served with little cubes of what tasted like quince jelly and fresh toasted bread. To be honest, I have had better cheese plates - no gorgonzola, no sweet marmalades or fruit to accompany the cheese selection - but thats just my personal preference.

All in all, I would highly recommend Waterkloof Restaurant, and look forward to visiting again, and again, and again.

Tel: 021 858 1292

Open Monday to Saturday, lunch and dinner.

Sunday, lunch only.

Review: The Towers Restaurant

I was lucky enough to be invited to dinner by the fabulous Bianca Coleman (aka Queen Bee) at The Towers Restaurant at the Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa last night. We arrived just after 19h00 with Bianca directing me towards the valet parking, to which I refused due to the embarrassing state of my car, and proceeded to the underground parking instead.

With Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa being apart of the African Pride group, it was no surprise that the décor was breathtaking. I’m always a sucker for fibre optic lighting, especially when there are curtains of them, and the carpet studded with little shining lights had me on all fours (shut up!!) investigating the reality of what I saw – the entire reception area is absolutely stunning!

We were escorted through the very empty restaurant (it was a Monday night, and we were early) to our table. There were quite a few different seating areas, including a private dining room. Our table was an intimate table for two, romantically lit by only one candle, which would have been perfect if you were having a bad hair day, but not so perfect for trying to read the menu.

One of the attentive waiters picked up that we were struggling to see and brought us a lamp to shine some light on the subject, in this case the menu.

Now being a chef and having worked in numerous restaurants for the better part of my life, I do try very hard not to be too critical, especially if I am an invited guest. But as I am giving an honest review from my perspective, and this is not going into any publications, I owe it to all of you (assuming anyone is actually reading my blogs – one must be optimistic!) to portray the restaurant from my experience.

From the decent selection on the menu, I decided to go for the Seafood Bouillabaisse as a starter, and the Sole for my mains. Bianca opted for the Steak Tartar, followed by the Veal wrapped in pancetta for her entrée. On both occasions, Bianca’s choices won hands down.

My Bouillabaisse tasted like it was made with canned tomato and onion, seriously lacking some fresh herbs and depth of the true French original. It was topped with a stale bread stick – needless to say I didn’t finish my starter. The steak tartar on the other hand was amazing! Served in three neat tiaans, all with different toppings: sour cream, a raw quail egg and micro herbs. The flavour of the beef was not overpowered by any of its accompliments, the texture perfect and the meat of great quality. I was selfishly hoping that Bianca would not like it so that I could finish it off for her – no chance of that!

My main course of Sole with Norwegian Salmon (already an odd combination), sweet potato and a caviar and lemon grass foam was beautifully presented and a really decent sized portion. However, if you are going to follow the craze of foams, you need to do it properly, or don’t bother. The lemon flovoured milk, that I’m assuming was suppose to be the foam, with a little dollop of fish roe (not caviar) was completely lost with this dish. I could not tell the sole apart from the salmon – it tasted like a whole new breed of fish altogether. Ok, I’m probably being over critical here, but I am being honest!

Again, Bianca’s entrée was a lot more appealing. Her veal wrapped in pancetta was served on a gorgeous rich mushroom ragout of sorts, which had a slight undertone of truffles – yum! My only negative remark would be that the pancetta slightly over powered the flavour of the veal.

I failed to mention earlier that the amuse bouche was a piece of salmon nigiri, and the palate cleanser was a chilli and lime sorbet. The homemade bread on the table was straight out of the oven and delicious!

Overall, the company and the setting was amazing, the service attentive, and the food very mediocre. As I was not paying, I didn’t get to see the final bill, but I think it came to around R750, which was for two people having a two course meal with two bottles of wine and a bottle of mineral water.

Best cooking show Ive seen yet!!

Now why aren't there more cooking shows like this one? I ask you with tears in my eyes??

Mothers Day at Nazareth House

My heart really goes out to the children of this world who don’t have a mother to thank and appreciate on Mothers Day. This is not the case at Nazareth House however, my charity of choice - the children there have many mothers to thank. They have loving nuns and full time staff that provide them with absolute unconditional love and care that every child rightly deserves.

I decided to spend a day with these amazing children preparing a High Tea for their “mothers” to celebrate and say thanks this Mothers Day. This would not have been possible without the help of some sponsors that I pulled in, namely:

•Charly’s Bakery

The fabulous Charly’s Angels, Daniella and Alex, really went all out to help make this occasion bright, cheerful and delicious. They sponsored cup cakes, petit fours, heart shaped cookies and orgasmic cheese cake!!

•Vredehoek Spar

David and Johnny from the local and very popular Vredehoek Spar very generously allowed me to go shopping for ingredients for the sandwiches, wraps, teas and coffees, which rounded off the High Tea spread.

•Exclusive Hire

Nicola and her team very kindly sponsored all the décor, including the cakes stands, crockery & cutlery, which formed the foundation on which to display all the yummies for the day!

All in all, a great day was had by all! I’m looking very forward to spending some more time with the kids during their June / July school holidays, making pizza’s, home made burgers and what ever else tickles their fancy!

Nazareth House is a non-profit organization that relies on donations, gifts and volunteers to sustain itself. If you would like to make a donation, or get rid of some of your children’s old clothes or toys, please either contact me, or Jannice at: fundraising@nazhouse.co.za

www.nazhouse.org.za

Smoked Snoek Risotto

I use to hate snoek. Only because of the amount of bones it had and the effort it took to eat it. I was converted when I tried the typical South African snoek braai that was prepared by some locals in Gaansbaai the night before going shark cage diving. I never actually made it into the harbour the next day, let alone a cage in freezing cold water to be drooled over by some of the oceans biggest serial killers, because as with most South African braai’s, I got a little too drunk the night before and couldn’t stomach the thought of coming face to face with a Great White. Anyway, the snoek braai, that was prepared with butter, apricot jam, parsley and garlic, and then deboned for me in order to get me to eat it, was UNBELIEVABLE! I was reborn and willing to accept snoek into my life as my new favourite fish!

I still do it on the braai with the butter apricot garlic concoction, and have always loved snoek pate (no bones you see!), so I started experimenting a bit more with smoked snoek. I have made a few dishes, some not so remarkable, but this one is my all time favourite - Smoked Snoek Risotto, finished off with some sour cream and served with a butternut, feta and orange salad.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp butter

60ml peanut oil (or vegetable oil, but not olive oil)

300g smoked snoek (deboned obviously)

3 or 4 shallots, or one brown onion, diced

3 garlic cloves

1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 red chilli, sliced

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp coriander powder

1tsp smoked Maldon salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

250g risotto / arborio rice

100ml chardonnay (pref wooded)

750ml chicken stock (I added 2 tbsp of shitake mushroom stock powder to the chicken stock, but this isn’t essential)

Handful cherry tomatoes

2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

1/2 cup of cream (more if you like it creamier)

3 tbsp parmesan cheese

Saute the shallots / onion in the butter and oil, followed by the garlic, ginger and chilli. You want the onions to be slightly browned, but not burnt, before you add your spices and seasoning. Fry for another minute or two and then add half (250g) of the snoek, reserving the rest for later. Immediately add the risotto, and stir to get it nicely coated with buttery spices until you hear it starting to ‘sizzle’ slightly before you add the chardonnay - keep stirring until the wine is absorbed by the rice.

In a separate pot, keep the chicken stock on a low heat, and ladle about a cup at a time into the risotto, stirring constantly while the rice absorbs the liquid before adding another cup. Once you have added the last cup, turn off the heat and cover the pot, which will allow the rice to absorb the rest of the liquid while you start the salad.

Once your salad is ready, about 10 minutes, remove the lid from the pot and add the cherry tomatoes, parsley and the remainder of the snoek. Put the heat back on low, and then add the cream and parmesan and stir constantly. To make it really rich, add a knob of butter at this stage too.

Serve with a table spoon of sour cream, grated parmesan and extra parsley.