PLAT DU JOUR

To those that read my blog regularly you will be fully aware of how much I love my food and there is no mistaking that to eat out in France is expensive,

 but affordable dining can be found. 

As with any country in the world the best places to eat are where the locals frequent and whilst they may not be fancy restaurants, they do have the authenticity and character that is often more charming and often cheaper. 

French eateries are renowned for their Plat du Jour, which literally 

translated means a "plate of the day". 

This special "menu" for the day usually consists of a two or three course meal and often uses the freshest, local, seasonal produce available. 

In France the main meal of the day is taken at lunchtime and most rural towns and villages will close between 12-2pm and the restaurants take centre stage and are often a hive of activity, whilst the rest of the town hibernates for those two hours.

On previous visits to France I have tried several Plat du Jours and generally have never been dissapointed and today was no exception. The Como Bistrot in St Junien had been recommended to us by a local and as we approached, the car park was full and we knew we were onto a winner.

The large Bistrot was already busy with locals and we were seated quickly. 

The starter or entree, was a help yourself salad and cold meat buffet, which had a great selection of saucissons and salamis and was a meal on its own,

 but much more was to come.

The main course was sautéed Veal with carrots and even though it didn't look appetising it was delicious, the veal was so tender and the garlic tossed carrots were a great accompaniment.The lack of a starch really wasn't missed and made for lighter eating.

The dessert was Choux Chantilly, which was a huge Choux pastry bun filled with a perfectly sweetened Chantilly cream and again was delicious.

By this time we were way beyond full, but we had take nearly two hours to eat our meal and yet more was to come. A platter of local cheeses were placed on our table to round off our humongous lunch and of course we had to try the varieties of soft, hard and goats cheeses as we didn't want to offend. 

Prices do vary, but this Plat du Jour was €13 (Approx. R188) and the coffee was an extra €1 (approx.R14.50) and was excellent value!

FYI...

I did feel very sleepy after, even without wine...and yes I did have an afternoon siesta.....and I didn't eat dinner!

Here are some tips:

Normally the menu is displayed on a chalk board outside the restaurant along with the all inclusive price. I advise that you read or ask for a translation before deciding on whether to eat there or not, as you don't have a choice, as what is on the menu is what you get and if you don't enjoy Duck or veal for example, then move on.

If the restaurant is not busy, then also move on.

The portions are generally "Man" size, as these Plat du Jours are generally eaten by business men and workers alike.

Remember this is not fast food, so take the two hours to enjoy your meal and soak in the vibey local atmosphere.

Free carafes of water and baskets of French bread are always on the table and filled up frequently, but beware that the carafes of the local wine on the table may be charged for.

Be warned, that even though it's far healthier to eat a large meal at midday, it can leave you feeling sleepy, especially if you have had a couple of glasses of the local vino.

Expect the unexpected, as some combinations of food are not maybe what we are used to, but go with the flow...after all you are in France!

Typical chalk board menu

Entree 

Sauteed veal with carrots

Choux Chantilly

Cheese Platter

Strong French coffee

Carafes of water and wine 

MAMMA G'S RESTAURANT BALLITO (REVIEW)

I have heard lots of good feedback over the past three or four years about this Italian restaurant up the North coast in Ballito and I finally got to try it out this past Sunday.

The owners pride themselves on serving real Italian food made with the freshest ingredients.

We arrived early evening and immediately you felt the holiday vibe, as we sat outside on a hot balmy summers night. The decor is very casual and typically Italian, as is the menu, with all the usual pizzas,pastas,fish and meat dishes.

To view menu and prices click her

Be warned their menu is vast and choices are somewhat difficult o make...

Grilled Cajun Calamari R50 starter

I ordered a starter of Cajun Calamari served with Foccacia bread (R50). It was grilled to perfection and I thoroughly enjoyed the fact it was served with a creamy sauce for a change. 

I would highly recommend this dish if you like something tasty and spicy, well worth another visit just for this!

Lucci - Ham & Pineapple R72

The "Kiddiewinks" and my hubby all ordered traditional Italian style pizzas cooked in a 

wood - fired oven and were all a huge hit. 

The only disappointment for me was the salad dressing on my Gorgonzola salad (R72) 

The salad itself was good size with plenty of cheese, avo and bacon plus all the other usual greenery, however it was served already dressed and unfortunately the dressing tasted like a ready made catering dressing rather than homemade, so I am not sure which it was.

 Next time  though I will ask for no dressing and rather do a balsamic vinegar and olive oil mix myself.

Mamma G's is a busy,vibey and friendly family Italian eatery and obviously very popular with both the locals and the holiday makers, so booking is advisable. 

I also noticed that they have many larger tables with bench seating, that are really great

 for larger family gatherings.

The service was good and under the watchful eye of the manager and

an enjoyable evening on all counts was had by all and we will be returning.

 It's just a pity it's not nearer to my home!

Mamma G's Restaurant Shop H5, Ballito Junction Shopping Centre Ballito Drive Ballito  Telephone Booking  Send Email  www.mammags.co.za

GREEDY BUDDHA

Asian Fusion Tapas style is what Greedy Buddha describe their food as being. Since opening in Durban North I have been hearing lots of great things and last week I got to try for myself.We were greeted and seated by enthusiastic waiters who patiently explained the menu. Basically it's order any combination of the dishes that you both like and just tuck in and share the Tapas style taste moments. This suits me as I love to taste lots of dishes, so I was in my element, unfortunately hubby was not, as he doesn't enjoy Tapas. You need to know that my hubby enjoys his food and large portions, therefore Tapas doesn't "do it" for him. Even though they say that the each dish serves two for tasting, which it does, be warned that lots of dishes need to be ordered in order to satisfy any decent hunger.

(thinking about this my hubby and I are little piggies)

Everything on the menu sounded like a real taste sensation and that was certainly true for the dishes we chose. Greedy Buddha only use the freshest seasonal ingredients and all the dishes are prepared by a team of passionate chefs. Utilising various cooking methods including steaming, pan frying, deep frying, stir frying and oven roasting, this care and love comes through in the food.

7 Spiced Tempura mushroom and Pea Purée 

Malaysian Peanut Chicken

Tamarind peanut infused sauce with subtle hints of Chilli, Ginger ,Coriander and Mint

The Wok dishes can be cooked choosing protein options of beef,chicken,calamari or halloumi, but there is also a stir fried Vegetable choice.

We decided on Calamari with Black Bean and Green Pepper sauce

Black Bean infused with garlic,Ginger and soft cooked Green pepper.

I really suggest that you visit their website to just check out their menu beforehand, as they have several set "Tasting" menu options for 2

 9  Tastings R318 

10 Tastings R364 
11 Tastings R394

This casual eatery may be minimal on decor, but its certainly big on taste and a return visit is definitely on the cards "sans" hubby!

Apologies for the lack of photos, but hubby ate the one meal before I had chance to photograph and the two above had also been semi eaten, but I managed to rescue some of the remains.

59 Adelaide Tambo Drive (Kensington Drive)

Durban North

4051

(031) 5631919

Closed all day Monday

Tuesday to Saturday 12pm til 8:30pm

Sunday 12pm til 2:30pm

Selected Take Away's are available.

BELLEVUE CAFE REVISITED

Some time ago I wrote about Bellevue Cafe in Kloof and said then, that I wanted to go back and take my "hubby", which I did on the 29th December and it just happened to be our wedding anniversary. We popped along there for breakfast and the place was busy. I have to say that I love everything about this eatery from the vibey atmosphere to the great food and slick service.
It also reminds of many of those Cape Town cafes where you really want to linger longer and people watch.....

I ordered the special breaky off the chalk board - scrambled eggs with Chorizo, tomato salsa and rocket on toasted ciabatta (R50) which I really enjoyed and it wouldn't be too difficult to replicate at home...even for me!

Chorizo Scramble R50

My hubby was also suitably impressed even though his first breakfast option of savoury mince,cheddar and 2 poached eggs on toast (R60) was unavailable. He opted for the spicy chicken livers with eggs (R50) and it obviously satisfied his need for something spicy, so much so, that he even suggested we return for dinner one evening, which I didn't discourage, despite the schlep from Umhlanga Rocks.

Spicy Chicken Livers and Poached Egg R60

As I soon discovered his desire to return could have something to do with the range of Craft beers that they carry...and not to mention that they stock his "fave" Jack Black lager from Cape Town, so guess who will be his chauffeur that night?

Opening Times:

Mon-Fri 7am-9pm

Sat 8.30-9pm

Sunday 9am-3pm

5 Bellevue Road, Kloof, Durban

Call 031 717 2780

Bellevue Cafe

BELUGA GATEWAY {REVIEW}

Some of you may have read my previous reviews on various restaurants, cafes etc.and I know I am a harsh critic, but being a "mature" diner you need to understand that I have eaten many meals out in all types of restaurants over the years and lets face it, eating out is not a cheap past time,
so to put it simply and bluntly....
I work hard to earn my money and I don't settle for crap.....

Obviously my reviews are based purely on my personal taste,opinions and experiences at the time of the review, all this being said I very rarely give a mediocre or average restaurant a second chance, 
as I really don't want to waste more of my good money. 

So how did I Beluga rate?
My son turned 20 years old a couple of weeks ago, so we decided to eat at Beluga in Gateway, even though I have eaten a couple of times at Beluga in Cape Town this was my first time trying this offshoot, which opened a year ago.
 Beluga in Cape Town has always pleased me and I was expecting great things from my "local" Beluga. 

If I am not mistaken this 350 seater eatery is housed in the 
old Pop Art Cafe Club premises, 
which is a double volume cavernous space. 

We opted to sit outside on the sidewalk terrace and unfortunately that's where things started to go somewhat "pear shaped". 
The outside area is dark, as there is very little lighting and we all had the same problem...we couldn't read the menu even the "Kiddiewinks" with their young eyes complained. 
After voicing our concerns, the waiter brought us a candle to light our way! 
The candle happened to be an electric flickering flame to resemble a candle, 
hence it shed no light whatsoever....reading between these lines....can you sense my frustration already?

We proceeded to move to a table along side the windows hoping the light issue would be resolved and guess what, it wasn't, so after table move number 3 
we ended up inside the restaurant. 
At this point I started to have a sense of humour loss, as the lighting inside the main restaurant was really no better.Regardless, we all battled to read the extensive menu and it all sounded "delish". 

First off I ordered my compulsory Strawberry Daiquiri, as Beluga pride themselves on their cocktails, 
so I waited with anticipation and what arrived was a glass full of sweet slush puppy syrup with no garnish!

Strawberry Daiquiri R58

I am not even going to comment further on my SD other than     

to offer some advice to the management of Beluga... send your barman down to the Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga to learn how to make a good SD.

Lets move onto the food.....

We all opted for Belugas set 3 course menu selection at 

R165, 

as it covered lots of our family "likes". 

We all chose the pan fried Calamari with Ginger and Chilli and what arrived was a large portion of perfectly cooked calamari with a tasty plate drizzle of 
Chilli and Ginger, 

a big thumbs up all round!

Ginger & Chilli Calamari

For our mains we all ordered different dishes, which I like as I get to taste

 everyone's food.

"Kiddiewink 1" 

Decided on the Sticky Beef ribs

 which he enjoyed.

 "Kiddiewink 2" 

Chose the Angry Chicken Curry, 

named after the angry chef that totally ruined the dish by overdosing with salt.

"Hubby" 

Unfortunately picked the Slow-Braised Lamb Shank,

 which he was assured was a good portion for a hungry man, I could see his face drop when a minute shank appeared before him and to add insult to injury he declared it tasteless! 

"et Moi" 

I ordered the Kingklip with buttered mash and beurre blanc, 

which didn't look very appetising but the taste was good.

Kingklip

After mixed reviews on the mains it was onto the 3rd and final course and 

my "fave" part...the puds. 

No contest here, as we had all heard so much about the

 White Chocolate Beignets.

Lindt White Chocolate Beignets

 Lindt white chocolate,vanilla bean ice cream and butterscotch sauce and for me being a "chocoholic" this was promising to be a great end to our otherwise disappointing meal. 

One bite into the white chocolate fried ball revealed a hot melted chocolate centre, which was very rich, in fact so much so, I could only eat the one and add to that the butterscotch dipping sauce and the whole dessert was just too rich and too sweet. 

If you follow my blog, you will know from many of my reviews and posts that I loooove chocolate, but this dessert must go down on record, as being the richest "pud" that I have ever eaten. 

Even "kiddiewink 1 & 2" couldn't help me out, so sadly my plate went back to the kitchen minus just the one ball, a little butterscotch and some ice cream, again for me this is unheard of!

To finish off this rather long review

the atmosphere is lacking, the service was average, but the food was to say the least disappointing on many counts. 

I feel that to try and roll out an award winning fine dining restaurant formula to another province is a challenge for the owners and can often fall short and in my opinion sadly this is what has happened to Beluga. 

The final bill came to R940 inc. a tip. There was no wine only beers, cool drinks and my Strawberry Daiquiri!

Would I return? 

Unfortunately not, but I would most definitely visit the tried, tested and established Cape Town branch.

Just a final note....kindly ditch those unhygienic large open jars of brightly coloured jelly beans, its a nice idea, but I witnessed both the waitrons and customers stuffing their,no doubt dirty,grubby, germ ridden hands in, to grab handfuls.
It brought to mind the "bowl of peanuts on the bar" story that did 
its rounds years ago!
Yuk!

To read previous post on Beluga

BELUGA (GATEWAY)

Call 031 584 7430

www.beluga.co.za

Physical address: 

Shop G347 

Gateway Theatre of Shopping

 Umhlanga

Durban

Opening times:

 Sunday to Thursday 12 noon - 10pm. 

Friday to Saturday 12 noon - 11pm. 

MO-ZAM-BIK RESTAURANT {REVIEW}

Situated in the Gateway Theatre of Shopping is MO-ZAM-BIK restaurant, which opened late in 2012. There are several branches in the Johannesburg, Pretoria and KZN regions and Gateway is the first franchise restaurant.

Mozambik is about a dream... a dream that two guys share, Ryan Stewart and Brett Michielin. It’s a dream about building family restaurants where they are able to share their passion for food and cooking with you. A family restaurant to take you away, without a need to board a plane to experience Mozambique. A destination where no passports are required. Our family restaurant, Mozambik is based on the authentic Mozambique “Barraca” which in English means “Hut”. In Mozambique eating and drinking, in a home or on the street, is a way of life - that is what is captured in our Barraca.

After hearing many good reports I recently paid them a visit with a friend,as I felt I was possible missing out on some seriously good food!

We didn't book a table, and even though is was full, we were soon seated and our drinks order taken...I ordered the obligatory Strawberry Daiquiri which was good, but alas, as all too often..it was garnish free! 

The brown paper table cloths are an indicator that its a casual family restaurant.

The waitress came and threw a brown, triangular paper parcel onto the table,(a little too casual for me) my friend and I looked at each other, before gingerly opening the one end only to reveal some roasted nuts to nibble on!

On to the food....

The menu is extensive and comprises of many typical dishes from Mozambique. Here are just a few of the dishes on offer.

STARTERS

CHICKEN LIVERS - Grilled to perfection! Fresh garlic, lime and bay leaves. Tantalize your taste buds with optional piri-piri mild or hot. R46

CHOURICO SAUSAGE - Scrumptious Portuguese sausage sliced and grilled. Full Portion R50 Half Portion R27

GIBLETS - Cooked slowly in our delicious Mozambikan tomato and red wine sauce with just a hint of paprika and bay leaf. Piri-piri optional R 41

STARTER PLATTER - Chicken Livers, 2 Prawn Rissoles, 2 Chicken Rissoles, Chourico Sliced, Green Olives & Calamari. Served 4 people. R170

MAIN COURSES

PRAWNS - They are grilled and served with a piri-piri or garlic, lemon & herb range from R130 to R230

SEAFOOD PLATTER - Linefish, Calamari, 4 Queen Prawns and & Mussels. R 240

TRICHADO MAIN - Tender steak strips done in our own style with a dash of garlic and a creamy white wine sauce.Rump R 95 Fillet R 125

ESPETADA BEEF - 300gr Rump cubes skewered and marinated in olive oil, fresh garlic, coarse salt and bay leaf. R 94

CHICKEN AND PRAWN - 3 cubes of marinated chicken breast fillet, 3 queen prawns flame grilled and skewered with onion and green pepper. R105

QUARTER CHICKEN AND 4 PRAWNS R 115

QUARTER CHICKEN AND CALAMARI R 98

CALAMARI AND 4 PRAWNS R 128

 They also have a chalk board advertising several specials of the day.

I opted for a Steak Prego roll with fries, thinking that I can't go too wrong with this popular dish...

Oh! How wrong I was! When the dish arrived the first thing I noticed, was the thin anemic looking piece of meat, in fact I thought they had brought me a chicken Prego, by mistake. I also expected to see a lovely floury Portugese type roll and some tasty sauce smothering the meat.As you can see in my photo the dish looked far from appetizing. The meat was tough and the taste was very bland and sadly it was a huge disappointment. 

STEAK PREGO

A 150gr Prego steak pan-fried in a secret red wine, cream and bay leaf sauce in a Portuguese roll served with a starch of your choice. R 60

SEAFOOD PASTA

My friend ordered a Special off the board (R105) which she enjoyed.

Would I go back again? 

No..as I don't give bad, average or mediocre eating places a second chance!

Generally I found MO-ZAM-BIK to be average on all accounts.

MO-ZAM-BIK