Terbodore Coffee Roasters

The Midland’s Meander is full of little treasures, you just have to know where to find them.  Terbodores is definately one of those treasures.  Nestled in the Midlands and picturesquely set on a manicured small holding is this gem.  Primarily importers and roasters of coffee beans, Terbodores also have a lovely little restaurant and shop on site where you can enjoy the tranquility of the midlands while sipping on an award winning cappuccino.

As you step out of your car you are carried on the scent of freshly roasted coffee beans into a revamped stable building where the coffee roastery and packing room are.  A door off to the side takes you to a simply decorated restaurant with large wooden shutter type windows which lift up and open your view out onto the garden.  On the other side of the Roastery room is another door taking you to a small shop, filled with coffee, jams, teas, and other delightful treats.

Whenever I go to the Midlands I like to splash out and order freshly baked scones with real butter, chunky strawberry jam and fresh, whipped cream and a decaf cuppuccino – so this is what I ordered!  The rest of the orders from our table varied between scones and freshly made blueberry muffins, coffees, teas and coffee milkshakes.  Since we were only having a mid-morning snack, I decided to at least have a quick look over the menu, which looked mouth-wateringly appetizing with homemade meals like lasange and pastas.

Our food arrived and our eyes bulged, the muffins were definately homemade and filled with real blueberries and had blue berry jam oozing out the top of them.  The scones were also just as fresh with the chunky strawberry jam  and cream to one side -someone once told me you can always tell a good scone if you can pull it apart and it breaks evenly down the middle.  Well these scones did just that and I savored every bite, I was in scone heaven!  The decaf cappuccino was definately award winning and well deserving of the ‘2010’ and ‘runner up 2011 best coffee in the Midlands’ awards.  Feeling completely stuffed after eating every last morsel of scone on my plate we decided to continue with our meander around the Midlands and as we left we had to stop and greet the mighty Sultan, the Great Dane who lords over the property.

I highly recommend Terbodores to anyone who loves their coffee and enjoys the peace and tranquility of being in the Midlands.  I will definately be going back to try their lunches – leaving a little space for one of those delicious scones.

Mothers Day at Makaranga Gardens

Mother’s Day comes and goes every year and while I love to be celebrated for all the wonderful things I apparently do for my family, I think the best gift is not only my children’s appreciation but more so their everyday happiness – and here ends the soppiness!

So, when Mother’s Day arrived this year I decided I wanted to spend it not only with my family but also with some close friends and their families.  Once that was decided a venue needed to be chosen, so on the recommendation of a friend and in the pursuit of something different to do in Durban, I chose a picnic lunch at the Makaranga Gardens, in Kloof – it sounded great: buffet style picnic, baskets and blankets provided, pre-pay to secure booking – ok done!

When we walked into the reception we were met by a team of staff who gave us a map of the gardens and name bands for the littles ones – so we wouldn’t loose them while sipping on our champaign and lazing in the gardens I assume – we put their names and telephone numbers on each of their arms and off they ran.  In hot pursuit of the children we quickly moved off into the grounds and settled next to the well manicured swimming pool area, under the large umbrellas (it was an incredibly hot day this year) and ordered our champaign, orange juice and some white wine – as you do!  We sipped away on our drinks while we waited for the lunch to be served, some of us took walks through the winding gardens, others sat around and chatted while the kids ran around the grassed grounds and played happily on the jungle gym.

Our picnic lunch was served in the conference center, buffet style.  We were given a picnic basket, disposable plastic containers, plastic cutlery and picnic blankets.  The buffet was bountiful with cold meats, wraps, cheeses, salads, breads, quiches, fruit and cakes.  We eagerly filled our baskets and headed back to our spot by the pool where we heartily ate, drank and chatted and succumbed to the incessant yearnings of the children to swim – the problem with this was none of our children had bought swimming costumes and proceeded to swim fully clothed, thankfully the hotel supplies towels at the pool side which are handed out by their lifeguard who probably thought we were all a little mad but no-one complained and I made a metal note to bring swimming costumes next time.  After another walkabout, some more lazing and continuous chatting, we dragged ourselves away to head off to a friends house-warming, but we probably would have stayed longer given half the chance.

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All I can say is, WOW, what a venue.  From the moment you drive through the gates you are greeted by spectacular gardens, shrouded in sculptures by various artists and this theme continues throughout.  The main building has been paneled with wood giving it a feel-good, do-good, green vibe and the contemporary design of the reception gives you a magnificently framed view of the gardens with an infinity styled patio leading to the gardens.  It’s quite awesome – for lack of a better description, but I do think the word awesome, in it’s true sense of the meaning does it justice.  Makaranga is gorgeous and lullingly peaceful.  You are situated in the heart of suburbia and yet you feel as though you a million miles away.  What I really liked was that the kids could swim and run around chasing each other and really enjoy themselves while the adults could relax and soak up the sun and tranquility.

Makaranga is a real gem which capatilises on it’s gorgeous setting.  For eating options you can choose from either a picnic in the gardens or a sit down lunch at their restaurant called ‘NONNA’, which spills out onto a covered patio overlooking the gardens.  There is also a kiddies corner, equipped with t.v, small tables, colouring in goodies and bean bags – making it perfect for families with little ones, which is a plus since I have friends who are always looking for toddler friendly places.  Apart from the restaurant ‘NONNA’, there is the deli, which is called the ‘THE DELI’ and is filled with an array of breads, cheeses, cookies and more, great if you want to enjoy an quiet picnic in the gardens.  ‘THE DELI’ provides the picnic baskets so all you need to do is choose your treats and tuck yourself away in one of the many corners of the gardens and quietly relax and enjoy.  Something which I thought was nice is that they allow you to bring in your own picnic and charge you a surcharge (almost like a corkage – I think it’s R60), which for my friends who have children with coeliac disease allows them to also enjoy a nice day out without worrying about their children can and can’t eat.

If of course you just want to have a sundowner cocktail (not limited to sundown though, obviously), glass of wine, cold beer or good coffee then there is the Library Bar with comfy couches, bar stools and wooden deck from which to enjoy the views, while relaxing and sipping away on your drink.

We haven’t stopped talking about Makaranga since we left.  It is a magnificent venue which has something for everyone, from families with small children to corporate companies wanting to do conferences, from weddings and photo shoots to couples wanting a quiet getaway, for a venue in KZN to have all of these qualities, especially so close to Durbs, is very rare.  The food was delicious and the service delivered by Hopewell was excellent.  The ladies had a fabulous Mother’s Day and so too did the men who took up position on the pool loungers after lunch and I’m not sure, but I think a few were catching some zzzz’s too!

The Sugar Club in the Beverly Hills Hotel

I am usually not a fan of eating in hotels, in fact when I hear the word hotel in the same sentence as breakfast, lunch or dinner, my appetite is short lived – I guess it’s my association of food standing under the buffet lights for hours on end that turns my stomach and the a la carte menus are always loaded with promise, but on arrival the food is bland and disappointing!  So when we were generously invited by the Head Chef of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Gerard van Staden, to attend the Cederberg wine & food pairing at the Sugar Club in the Beverly Hills Hotel, I was so intrigued by Gerard’s experiences, stories and travels that I found myself strangely eager and enthusiastic to go.

The foyer of the Beverly Hills Hotel definately exudes elegance and warmth, with warm deep cream walls, tiles to match and dark wood trimmings. An elegant spiral staircase greets you with a large wrought iron chandelier sparkling at the center of the room. The walls on the staircase are filled with sepia pictures in dark wood frames while the walls leading to the lounge have featured artwork from various local schools in celebration of Mother’s Day.  The lounge is filled with classically styled wingback chairs, couches and poufs, all in earthy natural shades and neutral tones, complimented with tasteful ornaments, pictures and vases filled with fresh orchids.  Both the lounge and Sugar Club are illuminated by a mixture of soft down lights and chandeliers, adding the finishing touch to the creation of a warm and inviting area to relax in and perfect for the serving of pre-dinner drinks.  This is where we sampled our first glass of the Cederberg wines from the wine tasting, which was a slightly sweet, refreshing glass of Cederberg Rose 2011 – Rose is not my drink of preference but I found this Rose palatable and what would, in my opinion, make for the perfect summer lunch drink.

After our pre-dinner drinks, we moved over to the Sugar Club where we were seated at our tables. Gerard welcomed everyone and explained the menu for the evening, which was to be a four course dinner and each course was paired with one of the Cederberg wines.

First Course – Smoked Salmon Paupette with cucumber and dill, szechuan pepper straws, frisee salad and soft herbs. This was paired with the Cederberg Sauvignon Blanc 2011.

Second Course – Lapin Terrin with pickled enocki mushrooms, granny smith puree and baby fennel salad. This was paired with the Cederberg five generations Cabernet Sauvignon 2011.

Third Course – Fish Gratin with gratin soldiers, monkfish, tiger prawns, broads and confit leeks. This was paired with the Cederberg Shiraz 2008.

Dessert – Hot Chocolate Fondant with raspberry coulie, ice cream, popcorn and caramel. This was paired with the Cederberg Brut Classique 2006.

My intrigue was far satisfied above my expectations as every element of each dish came alive in my mouth, with the sauces for each dish the hero that tied everything together, producing taste sensations that left me wanting more.  My favorite dish was the first course salmon – probably a biased choice based on my love of norwegian salmon.  The Sauvignon Blanc was a perfect match.

The Lapin Terrin was a first for me as I have never eaten rabbit before – I have a food policy which is, there are animals you eat, i.e. cows, chickens, pigs and fish, and animals you don’t eat, i.e. rabbits!  Despite this rule I decided to suck it up, so I closed my eyes, blanked out the vivid image of my sadly missed pet bunny rabbits, Chewy and Thumper (unoriginal I know, but she really did thump her back leg on the floor and Chewy would come hopping) and put my fork in my mouth!  Honestly, I couldn’t tell if it was chicken or rabbit – although, doesn’t everything which is not beef, pork or fish usually taste like chicken?  The flavor of the Lapin Terrin was apparently subtle (according to a friend at the table who is a seasoned bunny eater).  I found it to be creamy, light and well complimented with the flavor of the fennel exploding in my mouth.  The Cabernet Sauvignon unfortunately was too powerful for this subtle, creamy dish, it’s one of those wines where you could drink a glass but a bottle would be too much – obviously not for me since I can’t open a bottle without finishing it.  The dish itself was better than expected although I won’t intentionally be ordering rabbit for any of the foreseeable future meals.

The third course was as Gerard said “fish with fish with fish accompanied by a great sauce”, I couldn’t have said it better.  The two types of fish and prawn were perfectly cooked and they literally melted in my mouth with the sauce swirling around and completing the dish.  I love fish, so this was an absolute winner dish too.  Strangely, the Cederberg Shiraz complimented the dish nicely and is a great wine – that’s saying a lot since I’m not a shiraz drinker, so I was pleasantly surprised.

The three delicious courses were followed by my favorite dessert, Chocolate Fondant.  Served with ice cream and topped with a few pieces of lightly salted popcorn and a drizzle of caramel sauce this was an unbelievable flavor and texture combination – needless to say I scraped my entire plate clean.  Unfortunately the center of the fondant was over cooked, meaning there was no melted chocolate oozing onto my plate, but the flavor was there.  The Cederberg Brut Classique was too dry for my palate and I didn’t enjoy the combination of the two, this was more of a personal preference as everyone else at the table seemed to enjoy the combination.

All in all I was incredibly impressed.  The food was outstanding, the setting romantic and picturesque, the service was to the standards of a five star establishment and the manager was friendly and attentive.  I have no doubt that with Gerard at the helm of the kitchens the Beverly Hills Hotel will be giving other local Umhlanga restaurants a run for their money.  I will definately be booking a table at ‘Elements‘, the other restaurant in the Beverly Hills Hotel, soon!

So this is the part where I eat my words and end by saying, hotels can serve excellent food in their restaurants … the but is … BUT only if the right person is running it – I guess that goes for any restaurant really.

Little Havana – Umhlanga

So finally we had an opportunity to try out this new restaurant in Umhlanga.  I had heard quite a few glowing reviews from fellow foodies like myself, so the anticipation and expectations were high, plus we were celebrating our friend’s birthday- lets call him LMFAO, since “I’m sexy and I know it” is his favourite ‘take my shirt off’ song, meaning the evening was bound to be entertaining at some point!

The restaurant itself is aesthetically appealing.  The ceiling is adorned with those wooden fans that remind you of a hot evening in Cuba – minus the incessant buzzing and sweaty Cubans, of corse!  There are coloured glass, lantern type, light fixtures hanging from the ceiling between the fans, a dividing wall with mirror and copper panels, white table cloths with black leather table mats and a full accompaniment of cutlery and wine glasses.  At the center of the restaurant is a glass wine cellar to display there large wine collection.  Separating the kitchen from the bathroom passageway is a funky glass wall filled with more bottles of wine.  I was impressed by the decor – I mean for an Umhlanga restaurant it’s definately at the forefront for being modern and trendy.  All these elements combined creating a warm and inviting atmosphere with a soothing ambience, even the modern, cream colour blinds which were pulled down to protect the patrons from the wind, complimented the setting.

From the moment we were seated we were well taken care of.  The waiters were friendly, professional and efficient, so much so that I would be tempted to rate their service as probably the best in Durban so far!  More impressive was the ever present manager through-out the night, who didn’t find it above himself to pour wine and assist with serving our table – not sure if this was directly related to the fact that the GM of a prominent hotel was dining with us, but not complaining!  I was also incredibly impressed by the waiter/s who, before they placed an extremely large platter full of very raw meat (the kind of stuff vegetarian’s nightmares are made of) on the table, had the decency to ask if there were any vegetarians present – of course we had a vegetarian at our table, which was the wife of LMFAO, who might I add, complained not once, while everyone heartily ate their mainly meat meals.

Meat presentation done and dusted I began looking through Little Havana’s menu – I’d be dumbfounded if you couldn’t find something you liked!  The starter selection ranges from seafood, vegetarian to bone marrow dishes and priced from R42 to R65.  There are at least five different vegetarian dishes to choose from in the mains section, all priced at R85.  Then there is their large meat selection, something Havana is well known for, yet nothing can prepare you for the variety from which to choose from, poultry, pork, lamb, venison and then the many cuts of beef, followed by options of organic, grass fed or grain fed and then for the very hungry, there is a 700g Ribeye, translating into a whole lot of meat – it reminds me of those eating competitions in the American restaurants, if you can finish it you don’t have to pay for it!  The meat dishes range in price from R85 for a small fillet to R180 for the large Ribeye.  Again, I’d be gobsmacked if you couldn’t find something you liked.

Not wanting to overdo it (and not sure why I didn’t want to overdo it), I chose the Norwegian salmon and shrimp fish cakes for my starter followed by the butternut and sweet potato lasagne. The fish cakes were superb and my only wish was that there were more on my plate.  I enjoyed my vegetable filled lasagne, although my friend who tried it didn’t like it – then again she doesn’t like the way South Africans cook their butternut, with cinnamon and brown sugar, which I’m sure was the main reason for her dissatisfaction at my main course.  Dinner was of course accompanied by some lovely wines from their large selection of really good quality wines (remembering I’m no wine connoisseur but merely a wine lover) which were reasonably priced when paralleled with other local restaurant prices.

A meal is never complete without a decadent dessert to follow it – and this is my one rule when eating out!  So yet again trying to be good and still not sure why – six of us decided to share the chocolate fondant (big mistake) and this is where I fully appreciated the phrase ‘a small slice of heaven’ as I watched with delight as the melted chocolate center oozed out onto the plate when the first spoon cut into the fondant dessert – before I could blink, six spoons went in, six spoons came out and the plate looked like a chocolate massacre, the fondant dessert was finished and I was hard pressed to stop myself from shamelessly licking the plate clean.  The dessert was a clear winner!  The rest of the desserts looked good but I couldn’t focus on anything else but the delicious chocolate fondant I had just had.

My overall experience was wonderful and I would recommend Little Havana, but unfortunately there were a few people at our table who weren’t as pleased as I was with their meals.  Two Ribeyes were sent back due to sinew but the replacement dishes were met with satisfaction and another person had the fillet, which she wasn’t impressed with because it was too bland.  Everyone was very impressed by the high level of service which was clearly the product of very well trained staff – something not so common in more than 50% of the Durban restaurants I’ve eaten at.  The average cost of the meal, including wine and tip was R370pp, bearing in mind we were a large table of 15 and drank quite a few bottles of their better wines.

All this means is, I will be going back at least another two times to measure consistency before I have my final say.  If you have any feedback on Little Havana in Umhlanga please share!

The Terrace Restaurant @ The Oyster Box Hotel – Umhlanga

The Oyster Box is a truly beautiful hotel perched on the edge of the Umhlanga promenade and Indian Ocean, with gorgeous views of the ‘Golden Mile’ at night and amazing sunrises in the morning.  The interior of the hotel is just as beautiful as the views.  The moment you step inside you feel as though you have been transported back to the colonial era and almost expect to hear people speaking in the colonial British accent associated with those times, all mixed with a gentle touch of modern decor.

The Terrace Restaurant is located off the lobby and spills from the inside of the Hotel out onto a lovely terrace which overlooks a large infinity swimming pool and the Indian Ocean.  Unfortunately my experience at this restaurant was not positive and although I do believe in giving venues 3 chances to showcase themselves, I would be hard pressed to go back to the ‘Terrace Restaurant’ again.  Where do I start?

The Hotel exudes an air of exclusivity, expensive taste and fine dinning, translated into high expectations when booking a table reservation.  Unfortunately from the moment I opened the menu I was disappointed, the in-congruency between the menu and the hotel atmosphere was boldly highlighted (except for pricing being the only congruent element of the evening), as I had to scan through the sandwich section, which I’m assuming is for the lunch time menu and which I was not expecting to see when ordering my dinner.  The sandwiches were also the highest priced sandwiches in Durban at around R75 each.  The main menu didn’t have anything that excited me, fish, steaks and curry, so I went for a fish dish.  After approximately 45 minutes of waiting (we were a table of 15, which should not be an excuse for an exclusive hotel), the food finally came and to my irritation it was hard and cold on the outside, a sure sign it had been sitting under the lights for a more than 15 minutes.  My partner had ordered a fillet steak which was probably the thinest and smallest fillet steak I have seen served in Durban, and which was also cold and hard on the outside.  The only factors that rescued my meal was the devine mixture of spinach, peas and beans which my fish came served on and the amount of wine I had consumed while waiting for my meal.  The service was fair, although after being called away from the rugby to sit down and order we waited at least 45 minutes to even get that done.  No-one bothered with dessert which also didn’t look too exciting and we called for the bill.

I am unable to justify spending R360 a head.  The wine was good, the ambience and service fair and the food served warm to cold with no real wow factors on the menu.  I believe that when you position yourself in the market (no matter what your product) as an exclusive, boutique experience, you place high expectations on your product/service, which you then need to deliver to.  I would have felt better ordering McDonald’s and giving the rest of the money to a poor person.

My personal rating would be 2/5

Please leave any comments on your personal experience, be they good or bad!