LET’S talk about pillows. They’re a bit of an obsession of mine, and I will always carry a Scoprio grudge against the person who rolled their eyes that time and said “I can’t believe you are talking about pillows.” M’am, I’m sorry my conversation is not as sparkling as you’d like and I’m happy for you that this is not an issue in your life but the right pillow is critical, and something of a unicorn. You won’t know you’ve found it until you have slept with it, and that is long-term problematic. Also, they don’t last forever so the quest has to be repeated your whole life long.
If this is a personal struggle, how must hotels cope when it’s necessary for them to please every guest? Some have pillow menus; others have a selection of hard and soft already on the bed. I want to weep when one pillow is too little, and two pillows are too much, in the quest for perfect height and density. I still think about the hotel in Phuket which allowed guests to buy everything in the room from the kettle to the TV remote, and how long we debated purchasing the pillows but decided not to because we didn’t want to schlep them all the way home. Some life choices I do regret.
At Majeka House in Stellenbosch, now part of the Living Journey Collection, they have opted for pillows that are like giant marshmallows. I sank into them blissfully and it’s not an exaggeration to say I did not want to get up the next morning. If they had offered to sell me pillows like these, I would not make the same mistake twice. There are also exceptionally good star-shaped shortbread biscuits in the room, and if they too had been for sale in a jar or a pretty cellophane packet I would say “shut up and take my money”.
I spent the night at Majeka—which is getting some decor TLC— so I could have dinner at the newly reopened restaurant, Plenitude, where Callan Austin (DUSK) is the Culinary Specialist, and Orlando Reid, who has worked with Callan for some time, is head chef. You can read more here in the story I did for Eat Out. Callan and I had a lovely catch up in the bar, with bubbly and delightful little canapés, talking about Plenitude, the restaurant industry and the systems Callan is working on to benefit it, and a touch of gossip for spice.
Plenitude is a lunch, and early dinner vibe (until 8.30pm) available to in-house guests obviously, but also everyone else. The spa at Majeka is very popular and you can make a full day of it. Breakfast—buffet and à la carte—is supposed to be for hotel guests only but the next morning, there was a group of women who wandered in and they were accommodated. Who could blame them for wanting to enjoy their repast in such a pretty setting? Especially if they order the perfectly poached eggs Benedict.
Back to dinner: the menu is small and manageable. I ordered the gnocchi with mushrooms and parmesan velouté to start and honestly? The gnocchi was even softer and lighter than the marshmallow pillows in the room. I will go so far as to say, the lightest I’ve had; it melted in my mouth like it was nothing at all. For main course, I had the line fish with prawn and potato croquette, leeks, and citrus beurre blanc studded with tiny golden globes of salmon roes. Both dishes were thoughtfully served with spoons for the delicious sauces, and required no additional seasoning.
It was getting on for half past eight so I asked to have dessert brought to my room, a slightly decadent move and why not. The beautifully presented coconut panna cotta with passion fruit geleé and whipped Malibu ganache was garnished with basil, which has me believing this is an underrated herb for sweet dishes. Enough with all the mint already; it’s nice and all, but let’s show some other herbs the love too.
Majeka scores additional points for roomy robes and adult-sized towels, a dark face cloth for make-up removal, a bottle of crispy Van Loveren Chardonnay Pinot Noir, whisper-quiet air conditioning, and of course those heavenly pillows and shortbread.
Book your table at Plenitude via Dineplan and follow the restaurant’s story via @Plenitude_MajekaHouse.
Majeka House Boutique Hotel by The Living Journey Collection is at 26-32 Houtkapper Street, Paradyskloof, Stellenbosch. The location, in a quiet residential pocket between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, positions Plenitude to become the area’s new go-to winelands relaxed dining address.
For accommodation enquiries, visit www.thelivingjourneycollection.co.za
- See my Instagram @biancaleecoleman where more pics will be posted in due course.
