Southern Cape South Africa - Coastal Vignettes False Bay

Rocky with cliffs.  Sweeping vistas as the road winds its way to hug the contours of the Cape coast.
The wind is on our faces. That is how I first encountered the southern oceans, away from those in New Zealand and Australia.  The landscape here still has rugged terrain, with not many people, more natural and yet still impressive.   There are houses, mostly clinging on to the hill sides, but there is not much vehicular traffic.  Where are the surfers, one of the first thoughts that bugged me as I am transported down the Southern Cape, beside a bay that is seen as False.

 I was not certain whether this route I was taking with my group was passing by the Atlantic, or Indian, Oceans.   The relevant question then is whether False Bay is part of the Atlantic or Indian Oceans.  Spots with English and Dutch name origins dot the coast, like Parson's Nose,  Saint James, Murdock valley, Seaforth, long Beach, mackerel bay, Fish Hoek and Shelley Beach.   By coincidence, names like Shelley Baech, Seaforth and St, James are also used in the greater Sydney area in Australia.  There is a Mediterranean climate here, nurturing its popularity as a get away route with holiday homes, fishing for the Snoek, fine dining, scuba diving and yachting sport.

Where there are no sandy beaches, the ocean meets land with rocky surfaces or slopes of thin vegetation.  May be it was the season - early spring.  I could feel excitement of budding and practising geologist when coming to this region.  South Africa's Cape province is the site of more than several high points with record breaking cliff gradients beside an ocean.

False Bay is defined in boundary by Cape Hangklip, the cute name meaning "hanging rock".   This has been emphasised to us when we had a stop over to view a quiet large inlet.  Most likely a tour hot spot, for people had written in chalk names, places of origin and dates of being there.  It was a quietly stunning experience, soaking in the panoramas of rather placid waters touching the bases of cliffs.   The roads built to circumnavigate the coast are neither too wide nor narrow.   My group stopped mainly at Simon' Town and at Boulder Beach African Penguin colony.

Empty beautiful beaches line the route and provide a getaway from it all.  The landscape is so different from the interior of South Africa but here the Great White sharks swim aplenty.

From Muizenberg to Smitswinkel Bay, along a part of inlet called False Bay, the scenic ride or drive happens.   Seals around the shore at Cape Fur Seal do attract sharks in the waters - and just like around Australian waters, incidents of shark attacks do happen.  And not just any shark species, but the Great White. There is a register kept on line of casualties involving individuals off the coast of South Africa.

A  tip of a huge continent - Cape of Good Hope, but not where the Indian Ocean's warm Mozambique currents flow.

Rocky cliffs predominate part of the scenic route south from Cape Town to Simon's Town and Cape Point.

A bay along the False Bay coast.

Land's end at the Cape of Good Hope, where two major oceans still do not meet up.  The lesser known Cape Alguhas is said to be where the Atlantic meets the Indian Oceans, as the cold Benguela currents from Antartica still touch False Bay and Cape Point.
The Cape of Storms was changed in name by Portuguese King John II to the Cape of Good Hope, for its discovery and passage use by European colonists significantly changed the history of trade, cultural intermingling and cuisine development forever.

Cape Point is also known as Diaz point, in honour of Bartholomeu Diaz and rises 249 metres above the ocean level.  There is still some distance to traverse between the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point.  The latter has become another tour spot, with a funicular railway to ferry visitors up to the light house if you do not wish to climb up.  Interesting enough, Vasco da Gama Point is north of all these, along the southern stretches of False Bay, within the confines of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, south of Smitswinkel Bay and Simon's Town.


You may want to check out:

The Black Marlin Restaurant
http://kindlyyours.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/the-black-marlin-simons-town-south.html

Penguin Colony
http://kindlyyours.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/penguins-boulders-beach-false-bay.html

and

Simon' Town
http://kindlyyours.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/simons-town-southern-cape-south-africa.html

Green Peppercorn Fairfield NSW - Revisited

I found this to be the best on my recent visit back to Fairfield's Green Peppercorn - the quality of the grill  was superb.  The satay sauce was different to what you find in Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia - perhaps a and too creamy for me.

Rival Holy Basil restaurant has the similar mix of Laotian and Northern Thai cuisine - I found their version of chicken feet skin salad better in Canley Heights.

A perennial reliable  - the Tom Yum Kung.  This northern Thai version is less fiery to me than its southern styles.

Nearby nuts galore in an Iraqi styled grocery in Fairfield.

Green Peppercorn is located at 1 Hamilton Road, Fairfield not he ground floor of the Fairfield Hotel.
Telephone: 612 9724 7842
Opening hours are everyday for lunch from 12 noon to 3pm and for dinner from 530pm till late.


Green Peppercorn has another outlet on the first floor of the Civic Hotel, corner of Pitt and Goulburn Streets, Sydney CBD at 388 Pitt Street.
Telephone: 612 80807043
Opening hours are everyday for lunch from 12 noon to 3pm and for dinner form 5pm till late.

Black Star Pastry Newtown - Sydney

The signature strawberry watermelon slice delight, with rose scented cream.

What does a bakery have to do to stand out in a crowded field?   Sweet stuff cannot be eaten too much.  Customers at first tend to sample, taste and then only indulge. It may begin with pick ups, a rushed visit with good coffee and then ideas commence to form in our delighted minds.  We may want tea time snacks because we are concurrently doing something else - catch up with a girl friend, on a family outing, spending private time in arts and culture, chilling out on a special date or needing a perky wake me up.   We enter a patisserie these days not just because for itself.  Oh yes the exception is when we do yearn for a specific offering, like ordering celebration cakes.   To get them in, the menu can be a spectrum of both savoury and sweet based foods, for that lunching or breakfast experience.   To get them in again, and on a regular basis, is the whole experience offered.  Consistently, expectantly and with a wow factor.

Jersey milk from Warrnambool, Victoria.  That fact of sourcing ingredients by the Black Star Pastry - BSP - caught my eyes initially.    A menu item that does not require refrigeration on the run - something with popcorn - welcome, summer days!  Then there is Amedei chocolate combined with hazelnut to form a torte.  Hmm...the attention paid to ingredients, and how they are presented.  Special events, like those centring on truffle. have been organised. My sensations remembered  - nutty, subtleness, spongy, layers, crunch and unusual.

The La Marzocco machine is seen in many cafes these days in Australia.  It is more about the individuals behind that machine. And also behind the counter, the kitchen and in front of the customer.   Whether they are happy themselves. Most staff I came across here are young and seem to have a passion in this preoccupation with art, creations and experience.

Good things are not secured easily. The Newtown outlet of BSP can be shoulder to elbow crowd at times.  People do hang outside to wait. The baristas work hard to make each cuppa unique.  There is not much comfy seating, but then the idea is to select, pick up and come out with a smile on your face.

In the warm weather days, my ice coffee is heavenly.  The right blend, the right intensity and so different.  The ice cubes melt unobtrusively in the background, but not making the rewarding experience any less.  I watch the heritage building across the road. My subconscious leans back. Then I have a bite of that signature cake - sublime!  I am not bothered about the heave and burgeoning presence of people near me any more.

Quiet in the early hours, popular at rush hours - Australia Street.

Catering is available mostly in award winning miniature pies, baguettes and sweet canapés.  Orange cake slices with Persian fig, strawberry with pistachio tartlets and vanilla pannacotta with salted caramel jelly are stand out yummies at BSP stores and are in the catering menu as well.   These three items show gracious and clever combination of flavours, some harmonised, others contrasting and all turning out well when tasted.  Pastries and desserts can be sweet, so the balancing of ingredients, textures and proportions do stand out here.  Gluten , organic and free range - they are all here for choice.  And what is that thing , just called the Delicious Cake?

Hot Chocolate is Venezuelan in origin.   Coffee blends from the Little Marionette.   A vegan popcorn chocolate cake, yes you can have many things.  A dainty Japanese inspired Zen cake, with layers.  Christopher The is the person behind the creativity, look and customer experience at BSP.   Christopher 's resume as Pastry and Dessert Chef of Claude and Quay Restaurants in Sydney was an impressive start; now he has continued his culinary arts journey emphasising innovation and perfection in BSP.   Now in its seventh year, BSP continues to be a star in the food circuit in Australia just ask yourself why after a visit....



Black Star Pastry Newtown is located at 277 Australia Street.
Telephone: 612 9557 8656

Opening hours are 7am to 5pm every day.
Limited and causal seating, best for takeaway.  Vehicle parking is competitive.  Ambiance is informal, hipster and urbane.

Black Star Pastry is also at the Galleries Victoria, downtown Sydney, within the Kinokinuya Bookshop.

At Rosebery, southern Sydney, they are at C1, 85-113 Dunning Avenue.
Telephone:  Through the Newtown outlet number.
Opening Hours: Weekdays 8am to 3pm.  Weekends 8am to 4pm.
This is the most spacious of the three BSP locations in Sydney.



 

Chaegane Korean Restaurant Eastwood - Sydney NSW

Spicy pan fried duck meat with a zing, can be medium hot - one of my fav choices.

Korean menus are communal.  It is always liberating to share the food and it brings a group of diners in more sync and harmony.  The starters preceding a typical Korean meal already emphasis this, with small serve sampling plates of usually marinated and pickled petite offerings, of which I especially love in bite size cuts and cubes of vegetables in a rather pick me up spicy garnishing.   There are also fresh herbs doused with dressing, but what gets me going is always a good and well prepared Kimchi, cabbage that has been soaked in flavours as only the Koreans know how to! On the other end of the plain or spicy spectrum are the stir fried bean sprouts.   

With wooden tables and metal chopsticks, Korean is so distinct from other East Asian cuisines.   There are several such restaurants on the side of Rowe Street like Chaegane, which is nicely sited beside the vehicle entry to the Aldi supermarket's underground car park.   Chaegane can be small but is has comfortable vibes - and it is only a walk away from Eastwood Rail Station.

The welcoming set of starters to appetite the palate.

I was rather surprised to have pan fried fish already prepared with a dry marinade, enhancing the bite when accompanied with what I reckon is the the red yeast rice ( Bap).    The fish has a crisp outer skin and firm tasty insides. This is a refreshing change from barbecued meats.

I absolutely loved having the pan fried spicy duck - tender mouthfuls with enough flavour but not overly spicy hot on my palate.  The meat melted in my mouth and is saved on a hot plate Korean cuisine uses.  Best eaten with rice but also good as a grilled serving.  To me , this duck dish beats the pork Bulgogi or Daeji Bulgogi.

My group that Sunday did not have Bibimbap or  cold mixed rice nor the cold potato noodles, Japchae, which I love having from a nearby restaurant, the Jonga Jip.  What I tend to not have in Korean menus are the pancakes, which I find rather filling.

Tofu with egg cooked in a pleasant soup, good for a rainy day.
(Sundubu Jjigae )



I normally do not have Korean soups, so I was delighted when my cousin Susan chose one.  The richness and flavour of any particular  soup determine their attractiveness  - we had one that was not overwhelming nor too thin.  Perhaps Korean soups reflect the cold winters they do have back in the Mother country, but they are also illustrative of clever interplay of spiciness, fullness and satisfaction in the stomach.  Korean custom does not require the lifting of soup bowls when consuming the contents, as relevant Korean spoons are provided.

  I noticed other diners having cold noodles, an interesting approach with cold ice when served and something I aim for on my next visit. (Mul Naengmyeon)

I am told that younger members present at a Korean meal gathering cannot pick up their chopsticks or spoons to commence eating before the eldest relative attending does so.  What common sense and good etiquette!  Those who are younger must also cover their mouths and face away from elders when drinking alcohol at the same table.

These days you can easily see younger members at a family meal not possibly having such decorum - and may not even want to eat, obsessed instead with Apps, videos, photos and messages on their hand held phones.

I am also taught there is a specific order in which one places utensils and food in front  of you as the diner.  Moving clockwise from the diner's left are specifically placed the rice bowl, spoon and chopsticks.  This is followed in the circle by cold foods, vegetables, rice and Kimchi.  Sauces are placed tight in front.  On the right of the diner are hot foods, soups and stews.

Spanish Mackerel rubbed with a light tasty marinade.  Whole fish are served here instead of fillets as in Banchan.

The bright red chili flakes smeared on Kimchi...fermented soybean sauces referred to as Jang in hot soups...beer to be downed with side dishes and freshly grilled meats.  These are images I have of Korean cooking.  The atmosphere can be boisterous, or it can be a family gathering.   There is even a hangover stew dish in Korean cuisine but maybe not at the Chaegane.

Chaegane Korean is located at 80 Rowe Street, Eastwood, north west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Telephone: 612  9858 5538
Opening hours are from 10am to 10 pm every day.

Stollenbosch and Franschhoek - Cape Province, South Africa

Very well behaved schoolboys...and only the teacher has the sole umbrella.

Around 50 kilometres north-east of Cape Town,  there are vine yards, encircling mountains, bustling night clubs, historical sites and good food - interesting considerations for a weekend getaway.  There is no ocean but only inland delights, including the national flower of South Africa, barista coffee, picnic grounds and a university town.  The private Bridge House School is available for boarding.   In 1999, Stollenbosch University designed and manufactured the first micro satellite in Africa, SUNSAT.   The 25000 students at this higher education institution are known as "maties".

Vines were first planted in the Stollenbosch area in 1679 and are today strong in the terrior tradition of reds like Shiraz, Merlot, Pilotage and Carbenet Sauvignon.   Like Simon's Town, Stollenbosch is named after former Governor Simon van der Stel.   The River Eerste runs beside this charming hub, which has wonderful examples of Cape Dutch architecture and culture.   The Afrikaans language is still used extensively here.

Signs of spring on wet morning - along the road to Stollenbosch.

There is a quaint shop to drop by at the end of Drop Street in Stollenbosch - Oom Samie se Winkel, which provides lollies, curios, wines, antiques and jams.  The name in Afrikaans language simply means Unlce Samie's shop.   There are four heritage places to consider visiting as well - the Powder House, the Fick House, the Seminary and the Museum.

Otherwise, every Saturday, there is the Slowfood Markets at the corner of Bosmans and Distillery Roads.  Restaurants to check out include the Apprentice, at Adringa Road and which serves as a training restaurant for the Institute of Culinary Arts; Beads Restaurant in the old Devonshire House; Schoon De Companje bakery and cafe in the Oude Bank Building; and Basic Bistro at 31 Church Street and serves international cuisine.   Fabio's nearby at 21 Church Street serves Nespresso coffee blends.   The Warwick Wine Estate is located outside town.

Historical centre of Stollenbosch  - understand classic beauties.

View from a window in Franschhoek or the French Corner -  Bastille Day celebrations have been held here since 1994 in a fascinating corner of European culture in South Africa.  Cape Dutch farm houses and architecture are fascinating to me and they can be found in this region.  I did miss boarding the Franschhoek Wine Tram trains here though.

Nelson Mendela walked free from a 27 year imprisonment  on 11 February 1990 at this site - and I was watching glued to the screen on television in Sydney Australia.   Although Mendala was mostly incarcerated on Robben Island, a ferry's ride from Cape Town, world media focused on the moments he came out from Pollsmoor Prison.  Within a few years, apartheid rule stopped, with the Noble Peace Prize jointly awarded to F.W. de Klerk  and Mendela for this momentous political development.

Supporting the Huguenot Monument is a Museum with large pleasant grounds to commemorate this historical settlement of  French Protestants who escaped religious persecution by fleeing to another continent and successfully re-established their cultural base.

Nearby Franschhoek Valley was founded by Huguenot settlers and specialise more in vineyard production of whites like Semillion and Chardonnay.    Originally a place for roaming elephants, this region was developed by these European migrants.   The land was potent for cultivation, steam trains were introduced, together with an intense work ethic.

It may have been a rainy day but this added to the old world charm and elegance of Stollenbosch.

I enjoyed this unique peanut flavoured snack for morning tea  - The Open Kitchen - with my cuppa.

The Open Kitchen caught my attention because of one offering - the Billtong Eggs Benedict.  This is available the whole day long, with other options in beef Trinchado pies, oxtail and butter bean.  I felt like being invited to a dear mate's home and kitchen.  There are also books placed around for customers to browse or read.   My recollection on walking in is that of the aroma of coffee and breads, plus a homely feel.

The Open Kitchen is located at 35 Plein Street at the Cuthberts Building, Stollenbosch.

Telephone: + 2721 8633 5653

Opening hours every week day from 7am to 5pm and on Saturdays form 8am to 3pm.

The bakery, cafe, deli  and barista scene - The Open Kitchen.

Welcome warm snacks at The Open Kitchen at Plein Street, Stollenbosch.

Buildings in the centre of Stollenbosch are solid, have architectural presence and a cultural feel.

Fresh upmarket produce for a hub with a university, surrounding country lifestyle and an agricultural base.

Friendly retailer inside the Markets in the town centre of Stollenbosch.

Aromas and presentation attracted me to this bakery delight.