I'm still catching up on posts from May
and this one I had to share.
We went to Terroir restaurant
(http://www.kleinezalze.com/terroir.html)
at the Kleine Zalza Wine Estate just outside of Stellenbosch. The
restaurant has won many awards in the past and is regularly included
in the top ten restaurants in the country. Set under ancient oak
trees with views of the golf course, it really is quite magical and
gives you the 'out of the city' feeling we all sometimes crave.
Almost four years ago, when my fiance
and I just started dating, he took me to the wine estate for a wine
tasting, so it was quite nice to go back and to think how much has
changed since then...
I have since been a big fan of their
Chenin Blanc, and regularly keep it (but not for too long) on the
wine rack.
We had a five-course meal with a wine
pairing, which definitely set the tone for and was the highlight of
my birthday (after the morning prezzies that is).
We were first presented with a glass of
bubbly and an amuse-bouche of tomato soup, which we slurped down
quickly as it was a fairly chilly day.
Our first course was tempura squid with
japanese mango and tomato jam, paired with the Cellar Selection
chenin blanc 2011 Bush Vines.
Our second course was an unusual
combination of pea puree with bacon lardons with a piece of oxtail
ravioli in the middle, drizzled with truffle oil. This was paired
with the Chardonnay 2011 (on French oak for three months).
Our third course was a piece of salmon
wrapped in spring roll pastry garnished with a prawn, and paired with
the Vineyard Selection Wooded Chenin Blanc 2011. It was so delish...
every single morsel.
Then came the big daddy main course of
150g beef fillet with braised spinache, butternut and mushrooms...
each bite as succulent as the previous one... Paired with it was the
Vineyard Selection Shiraz 2009 (16 months on French
oak barrels). It was simply scrumptious – and of course my fiance
was more than impressed with the intricately balanced flavours and
quality of food – he's quite the critic for someone who rarely
cooks!
Last but definitely not least was the
dessert. My fiance had a banana saverin baked with saffron, cloves
and hazelnut, soaked in rum, with a garnish of raspberry coulis,
pistachio nuts and ice cream – a stunning hearty winter pud!
I on the other hand was presented with
a gorgeous plate (personal birthday message and all) with a baked
cheese cake, strawberry coulis, pistachio crumble with whole-nut ice
cream, coconut and caramel coulis and a garnish of raspberries,
strawberries and gooseberries... sigh* what a way to end the
meal!!!
I'm salivating right now as I write
this, remembering how good it was.
The menu changes with the seasons, but
they currently have a winter special on – so it's great to take
advantage of excellent quality food at a very affordable prices. So,
try it out: R175 for 2 courses, or R198 for three courses, which
includes a glass of Kleine Zalze Cellar wine
Book your dinner now: 021 880-0717, Strand Road (R44)
Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch
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