Bianca Coleman 381 posts 45 comments

WRITE drunk, edit sober - Ernest Hemingway apparently never said, but someone did. So here goes. I'll admit to "tipsy" because a fair measure of the bottle of Haute Cabrière Chardonnay Pinot Noir went into the risotto - a leisurely dish which requires a glass of wine at hand (and another for when…
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FUN fact: When tasting olive oil it's normal to cough and in fact, premium olive oils are often characterised as one-cough, two-cough or three-cough oil. This can be awkward in the time of the plague. I've already had enough side eyes when I've swallowed my spit wrong in public and spluttered…
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WHEN I was so much younger and more innocent - three weeks ago when I watched Brand New Cherry Flavor on Netflix - I thought it was quite gory. Well. Let me tell you, Gangs Of London makes Cherry Flavor look like a Saturday morning children's show. Gangs is brutal, and I'm no squeamish prude. At…
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WITH the myriad of hard seltzers on the market, it takes a lot to stand out. A hard seltzer is a drink made from lightly-flavoured carbonated water but spiked with alcohol. Its rise in the global beverage industry has been nothing short of phenomenal and, while initial uptake was slow, South Africa…
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EMBER, which opened on August 26, 2021, is focused on meat - which is in the name - and wine. But before that, I have to share that Michael Broughton's famous prawn risotto is on the the menu. Yes, that prawn risotto. The one from when Michael was at the award-winning Terroir restaurant at Kleine…
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NEDERBURG in Paarl is steeped in history that stretches back to 1791, with stories honoured and immortalised in the Heritage Heroes range of wines. You can read further on the website and learn more at the Visitors' Centre; today I'll be sharing my visit from a couple of weeks back. The wines,…
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THERE was something about this particular upcoming weekend that I instinctively felt would be special. I would be staying at an exquisite property in Simondium, that tiny part between Paarl and Franschhoek. I had very little planned and minimal obligations, so although it would still technically be…
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DURING lockdown in 2020, Hentie van der Merwe and Frits Reyneveld took over Evita se Perron in Darling. You can read my Daily Maverick story about that here, for the background (sign up to be an Insider to access it from the archives). The restaurant was also featured in Bertus Basson's TV makeover…
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RIGHT now is the best time to be planning your trip up the West Coast to see the spring flowers. Groote Post is about an hour's drive from Cape Town and is a great place to stop for lunch - Wednesdays to Sundays - and taste some super wines, from the Old Man's Blends to MCC to stars like Seasalter…
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LOVE is all around you at Maison de L'amour - House Of Love for the less romantically inclined, for whom a few days and nights here would work wonders. The Darling (and darling) B&B is owned by Nina and Derek Poole, who also own and run 1910 The Old Forge, a short distance away; both have…
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ONE block to the right, then the second road left: those are the directions from Maison de L'amour to 1910 The Old Forge; the B&B and the restaurant are both owned and run by Nina and Derek Poole. I didn't go there during the day - very busy on Saturday and Sunday I was told - but I was there…
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IT really doesn't get much more urban than a side street in Maitland, and it's good to remember it's worth seeking out hidden gems like this. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Urban Playground is across the parking lot from Sense of Taste chef school owned and run by Peter and Debs Ayub. Well, the…
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