Brunch on the Burnside

A colleague mentioned that she had found her favourite breakfast/brunch spot in Jozi. So being the self proclaimed jozi foodie queen, I asked her what the name of the restaurant is? Expecting to hear one of my favourites. To my surprise she said Burnside's Cafe, which I had not heard of until then.
Burnside's Cafe is in Craighall but not the Craighall you think of, it's on the opposite side of Jan Smuts in an office park area. It's a lovely venue with a garden, a pond and a willow tree. On the Heritage Day public holiday Friday, the cafe is filled with couples, ladies that brunch and families. With the garden it is a great venue for kids, especially the adventurous kind that enjoy a peep in the pond.

The tables are set with white linen and bowled flower centrepieces. Tables are set on the covered patio and in the dining room that features a couch area that's chic Out of Africa themed. Initially, there is no music just the hustle and bustle of the kitchen and restaurant chatter.We are seated on the patio, which is wonderful on a warm Summer morning.

To start I have their orange juice, and a caffe latte (café au lait), which has the ‘got milk’ on your lip kind of foam. For eats I have the crumpets with strawberries, mascarpone and crispy bacon with syrup and berry jam. I love this combination soft, fluffy, salty, crispy, with sweet and slightly tart. The balance of flavour is great especially as the first meal of the day.

One word of advice don’t get there absolutely starving, as I did, because we did find it was a bit of a wait for the food. Although I would say it is worth the wait.

It is slightly pricey for three breakfasts, three juices, caffe latte and a side of chips it's R293. So it’s not my everyday breakfast spot but when I’m CSO or CEO!
Dreaming of everyday Burnside's Café breakies!

Article on Burnside Cafe http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/article361625.ece

What's in a Food Truck?

Something that the USA has, that South Africa doesn't, are food trucks. As you know my favourite favourite in NY is the Waffletruck. So what is a food truck you ask? It's a mobile food vendor, that can offer anything, the only thing missing from a food truck are the tables and chairs restaurants have. However they do have endless pavement!

Two of my favourites in NY are sweet food trucks, because my sweet tooth tends to get the better of me.

Street Sweets that offers great whoopie pies in chocolate and pumpkin. I must say the moist pumpkin blows the chocolate totally out of the water. The pumpkin whoopie pie is sweet yet not overly sweet, with great hints of all spice and a vanilla filling. It was by far the best item I've had from them.

The Macarellas are a Street Sweets' invention and they are crunchy (like crunchies the roasted oaties one) with a soft sweet nutella filling. Great texture contrast but nothing beats the pumpkin whoopie pie. It tastes like Christmas or happy, but I have positive associations with both so it just tastes Awesome!

Street Sweets choc whoopie pie, pumpkin whoopie pie (front), red velvet cupcake, macarella (back)

I’m not sure if I should say more about the Waffletruck ( and all its yellow glory), but TOO LATE! I will. Outside of having the best liegewafel in the world, they also offer a range of interesting flavour combinations like the bbq pulled pork wafel or debacon syrup wafel. Follow them on twitter and they give  tasks to do to get an extra dinge/topping. Here are a few examples:

•  Reciting a Shakespearean sonnet 
• Order your wafel as you would if you were caught in a tornado 
• Waffle cheer





 They’re always friendly and are keen to get to know their customers’ stories. Mine being a South African girl with a penchant for sweets, and a waffle craving that crosses continents. They even respond to my tweets *shy smile slight blush*

Have a look at what Food Trucks can do on The Great Food Truck Race. I'm all Food Truck happy!

Fig & Olive in the Meatpacking District

Walking into fig and olive you will be struck by the potted olive plants mounted on the walls and the tables laden with candles in orange candle holders. Fig and Olive is in the meatpacking district and as I have come to find out this means large restaurants. Our waiter is very welcoming and takes us through his favourites on the menu.

We start with white sangria which is great, the best sangria I’ve had to date. Fruity with passion fruit and peach undertones! It's refreshing but beware, although you don't taste it the wine is there.

The waiter recommended the fig gorgonzola tartlet, which is sublime!

Light puff pastry topped with melted salty gorgonzola (which happens to be my favourite cheese), smoky salty prosciutto, sweet black figs, walnut arugula and tomato. And a drizzling of sweet, acidic balsamic hmmmmm!

The best dish of the night!

Next we tried a few crostinis; basil pesto with fresh tomato and parmesan cheese with fig jam. The pesto was strong and packed a serious punch.

For mains I had the fig & olive Mediterranean tasting to get a feel of the food served at Fig and Olive.

1. grilled free range chicken with rosemary & garlic, artichoke tapenade - Lemon Olive Oil

2. grilled lamb on rosemary skewers, bell peppers, Greek yogurt & honey, couscous salad, fig

3. grilled shrimp & tomato skewer on a saffron rice - Oregano Olive Oil

Overall it's good food with  good quality ingredients.

For dessert a sweet yet tart raspberry sorbet served with crunchy meringue and lemon yoghurt mousse. I balance ending to the meal!

Thoughts of the fig gorgonzola tart still linger!

Whimsical Parisian in NY

Patisserie Colson in Park Slope Brooklyn.
I enjoyed a sweet almond croissant and a cafe au lait for breakfast. I stumbled across this place looking for Almondine Bakery, which happened to be closed on that day. I wasn't disappointed it was a good find. A very relaxed jazzy rock vibe, wooden benches with copper topped tables.
It has limited seating inside, four tables to be exact. I was in a dress and it was very breezy fall day, so wait for a table I did.

The café au lait was mild, a much needed warmer upper and a great accompaniment to the powdered sugar laden almond croissant. 

Le Pain Quotidien on the Upper East Side.
Had a simple, deliciously Parisian breakfast. A café au lait and a buttery pain au raisin. The lait is served in a bowl like cup and is mildly just the way I like it. The pain au raisin is a sweet, buttery, soft pastry with raisins but honestly it does not compare to pain au raising from the Woollies bakery (try Eastgate or Melrose Arch).

I love the concept of Le Pain Quotidien and the communal table, have a look at their website and let me know what you think, maybe we could even go into business. Let's bring it to Jozi!

Tastes of the World in NY

Like I said one of the things I will miss about New York is the diversity of the cuisine. You may be wondering what diversity I speak of as you have not seen that much, so here it is!

Latino eatery Macondo, with mojitos that are “to die for”! Especially, the pomegranate mojito.

Met up with a group, of mostly South Africans, for tapas and a few drinks at Macondo. Yes in NY, and yes at a Latino eatery.

We shared:



crispy calamari

1. Calamare crujientes. Crispy calamari with a wonderfully spicy smoked paprika taste. Almost like Fritos, I can see why South Africans love this place. Apologies for the picture but with the frito smell and taste we couldn't hold ourselves back.

mushroom croquettes

2. A La Lolita. Mushroom croquettes, figs, almonds, truffle trumpet allioli. Mushrooms were dice and fried in batter, earthy taste with a wonderful tomato roast pepper sauce.

3. Hojas de salmon ceviche served in a martini glass. Sashimi sliced Salmon, avocado, coriander, lime, sesame seeds and sesame oil. The ceviche was a taste sensation in it's juicy glory. The lime with the fresh, beautiful salmon, oh and how fresh that salmon was. If it weren’t for the fact that we agreed to share I would’ve had the ceviche all on my own.

Luckily for me, and my gluttonous appetite, a few of the people didn’t eat seafood so I could have an extra helping. 

Ceviche

4. Carne con yuca grilled skirt steak, yuca fries, calabres cheese and chimichurri. The smokey skirt steak with the salty, pungent blue cheese and the sweet yuca fries, really a taste explosion. 

5. Then there was the mince dish that tasted like a bobotie, sweet and spicy. I almost got up to ask the chef if they have a bottle of Mrs Balls chutney back in the kitchen.

6. The yucca fries were great, I mean fried sweet potato oh yeah

The best part of the experience is always the wonderful company but throw in a great Mojito and tapas with a slight South African taste and feel, makes it a memorable night!

Caribbean Eating at Negril Village

This was a late night adventure at an eatery where I spied Estelle, Elephant Man and Shaggy, so I figured that it must be the establishment to be at for Caribbean eating. To get a real taste of the food I ordered two starter items with a side of fried sweet plantains (they look like a huge banana but have a slightly tougher texture). I washed it all down with a strong, fruity Village Island Punch, which made for an interesting late night walk to the subway.

1. Calypso shrimp which is sweet and lightly spicy with a coconut milk sauce served on sweetish plantain mash

2. Jerk chicken ribettes which are chicken thighs in a peppery jerk sauce, So Spicy! But I just kept eating more, bit by peppery bit.

I wanted to try the curried goat but was with wonderful Tswana companions and they don’t do goat, so curried goat it is next time!

Vieros’ Cannolis in the East Village

It’s a crispy wafer pastry filled with a soft, smooth, perfectly sweet ricotta filling. At first I couldn’t place what the ricotta filling reminded me of and then it hit me, Milk Tart. I’m a lover of good milk tart and this filling is one of the best, so if you’re in Sicily or NY and are craving milk tart grab a vanilla cannoli.

Look at the trays of cannolis, just looking at it I feel like Alice in Vieros' cannoli wonderland!

So I'll be eating fritos, Mrs Balls bobotie and milk tart to reinvigorate a few of my New York foodie memories.

It's all Momofuku in The East Village NY

On my last day in NY I decided I had to go to Momofuku Noodle Bar, so we get there just around lunch time and it's full full full! There are no reservations, so there's a wait, and wait we did. It's bustling with the sound of chatter, chopsticks and a few slurps here and there (it must be the ramen). There are mostly Asian patrons which I take as a good sign, feel free to excuse me for my generalising. So fingers crossed that it's good food.

When we're seated it's tightly packed, not unlike tinned sardines, but like I've said before how much room do I need to manouvre chopsticks?!

First up are the shiitake buns. The buns are soft filled with salty, smoky earthy, shiitake mushrooms topped with a sweetish sauce. I did also get a hint of bacon flavour, maybe spill over from the pork buns but I don't mind. So as you can see I tucked into one of the shiitake buns before taking a picture, that's how great they looked and smelt.

Next up was the slow roasted beef brisket with rice, pickled vegetables, cilantro. The brisket is salty-ish and soft with crispy edges, it's corned beef right? The pickled vegetables go so well with it especially the bitter radish and the vinegar-esque pickled baby carrots.

Finally, what I came there for, the momofuku ramen – pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg. I asked the waitress if the portion is a one person portion, to which she said Yes! I beg to differ but maybe I'm just smaller than your average person. It's noodles in a pork flavoured broth with shredded pork, pork belly slices and a poached egg.

Honestly I did not know how I was going to tackle this bowl. The noodles are great, asian style al dente, not too soft considering they're sitting in broth. The broth itself is just salty enough, not over salty and so flavourful, i could taste ginger, soy, rice wine, nori. It was jam packed with flavour. The pork was soft and super tasty! I went at it with all I've got, spoon and chopsticks in hand!

I walked out of there full and satisfied wondering where I could get Ramen in Jozi? If you know of a place let me know, otherwise it's Cyrildene "chinatown" exploring for me.
jozifoodiefix@gmail.com

The NY COOL!

So I'm back home on the Jozi Foodie Fix Cool, but already there are things I will miss about being in New York. The diversity of food that I came across from noodle bars and cannolis in the East Village, to mild cafe lattes and waffletruck on the Upper East Side. It's also foodie tv heaven with shows like the Great Food Truck Race and Top Chef (my favourite favourite). But now down to the real stuff, what food will I miss the most.

Sandwiches from Olives in Soho, it's a little nook where you hope you get there at a time when the red bench is free otherwise you'll be forced to sit on offices steps or the sidewalk and enjoy your sandwich. But trust me the sandwich is worth sitting on the sidewalk.
The Olive's hero is a must try! It's sweet and spicy coppa, Genoa salami, aged provolone, olive tapenade, marinated onions, romaine and tomatoes on sourdough. It's a salty, smoky hero of a sandwich. If you happen to stop by on a cold day I recommend their red and yellow tomato soup with corn, it's rich tomato flavour without too much acidity and the sweetness of the corn contrasts amazingly.

PinkBerry frozen yoghurt, the most refreshing thing to have on a hot day and it's the healthy alternative.  Mango and pomegranate swirl topped with mango, raspberries and kiwi, Love IT!

Bubble tea, between Soho and Chinatown, this was me being adventurous, it's flavoured tea with black tapioca balls in it. The tea is served with a huge straw that allows for the tapioca balls to pop up into your mouth as you sip. I chose the passionfruit which was great. It's a sweeter (less tart) version of woollies granadilla juice and it's just like eating it fresh with a pop of tapioca ball, the tapioca balls are soft and have a stretchy yet soft texture. Great, refreshing drink but if you have food texture issues beware the tapioca balls!

Most of all I will miss the food trucks especially my beloved waffletruck, Sundays on the Upper East Side 86th Street between 2nd and 3rd Ave. The soft and chewy liegewafel with strawberries and cream, and a generous helping of powdered sugar that always finds it's way down the front of my top. Perfect combination and sweetnes! I leave the truck happy, with a smile and a sugar laden top! You can't look at that and tell me you don't want a bite.

If you told me there's only one thing I could recommend, it would be the Waffletruck and the liegewafel for sure! This experience gives your two things 1 exposure to the culture of food trucks, something we don't have in Jozi or dare I say it South Africa. And 2 it's the best wafel ever, soft and chewy not too sweet topped with fresh strawberries and cream, my mouth waters as I type.

Serendipitous New York!

I've just gotten back from a spontaneous late night chocolate fix. Decided I had to go to Serendipity (yes the Oprah Frozzzen Hot Chocolate) before I leave NY, which happens to be tomorrow. So off we go and guess what at midnight there is a five minute wait for a table for two.

Serendipity is very quaint and we're seated in the upstairs chandelier and glass butterfly roofed area.
I start with the Frozen Hot Chocolate, which is wonderful although it freezes you down to the bone at this hour. It is rich in chocolate without being overly sweet made with crushed ice and topped with cream. My favourite part of this was putting a spoonful of cream dunked into the Frozen hot chocolate into my mouth. It's the perfect summer hot chocolate.

Next I ordered the Serendipity Hot Chocolate to warm me up before I go into the night breeze. The hot chocolate is topped with a heavy helping of whipped cream, sprinkled with cinnamon, orange rind and chocolate shavings. Decadent! The hot chocolate I would say is sweet for the average person, but perfect for me. The citrus orange rind cuts through the rich chocolate flavour and is matched well by the cinnamon. Now I fear I'm about to fall into a deep, chocolate induced sleep.

Warning chocolate lovers only, not for the fainthearted!

Beefing it up in NY, Burgers!

You can't come to the US or New York without having a burger. And i am in the company of a friend who loves a good burger, so her and I went out in search of the good burger 'lol'. We didn't manage to find the gourmet burger that could rival 44 Stanley's Salvation Cafe, but we found a couple of tasty burgers.

Cheeseburger from Soho Park. The burger is great although the patty is a tad thin but to be honest I didn't notice that until I had almost finished my burger. Non-greasy, flavourful burger. The fries/chips are phenomenal and guess what YES they are pre-salted, just the way I like it. Have it with their refreshing lemonade.

The shack burger from the Shake Shack. It's a cheeseburger with shack sauce, lettuce and tomato. I added pickles/ gherkins and onions just to round it off. The burgers are made medium unless specified otherwise. It is moist on a soft bun, slightly greasy but so satisfying. With pre-salted fries!

The shake shack burgers are great but their hand spun shakes/ milkshakes are even better. Thick, rich, smooth and creamy. I'd recommend the black&white, it's a vanilla milkshake spun with some chocolate sauce.

What's in the bag?

Can I take your order? 

Cupcake Wars in the Big Apple

I got the name of this blog from a show I've been watching out here, Cupcake Wars on the food network. So that inspired me to find the best cupcakes I could given my short time here.

In first place "DRUM ROLL" are the mini Cupcakes from Baked by Melissa
I tried three of the flavours:

1. New York Cream (mini of the month Sept), which is a wonderful custard filled vanilla cupcake with a slight bit of vanilla icing and chocolate swirl. It also has a delicate salty touch which balances the cupcake
2. Cookies and cream is an Oreo cupcake. It's a chocolatey cupcake with a chewy oreo centre yum O "mum said chocolate isn't good for dogs"
3. Finally Smores, a chocolatey, chewy cupcake with a graham cracker centre, homemade marshmallow topping with chocolate icing.

These mini cupcakes are the perfect indulgence, just small enough not to feel guilty.

Next up is the Purple Elephant Cake Boutique where I had two normal sized cupcakes, "oh the guilt, the guilt"

1. the sweet and salty, a condense milk cake paired with salty caramel buttercream topped. It is wonderful, there's just something special about a sweet salty combination and this one is a winner for sure!
2. Triple Citrus, lemon lime and orange zested vanilla cake with Meyer lemon buttercream frosting. The cupcake itself was fantastic, just the kind of moist, citrus, sweet and tart cake I've been looking for. But the lemon buttercream frosting was too little lemon and too much sweet.

Tomorrow, I'll pass the Two Little Red Hens to see if they have cupcakes that can compete.
 If you're in Jo'burg be sure to grab Red Velvet cupcakes from the Patisserie, and white chocolate cupcakes from I Love Cupcake

Pastis Pastis pastis

A friend and I spent the afternoon walking through the infamous Meatpacking District in New York, and happened to walk past Pastis french restaurant. Why does that name seem familiar, well for me a non-New Yorker the Devil Wears Prada immediately came to mind.

Pastis is a large restaurant by New York standards for sure and even by South African standards. It features a communal table, a zinc bar, and an outdoor summer café, which didn't have a table to spare. But who wants to sit on the sidewalk anyway?! *pout*
Inside the decor seems to be a mish mash of wooden tables,some with marble tops, and chairs along leather benches. There are wooden ceiling fans, and mirrors with the menu printed on them. The waiters/waitresses are all in blue jeans and white shirts which gives it a very casual feel. Along with the paper menus that double as place mats.
For a midweek afternoon, it is very busy and loud, which I hope is a sign of good food and not just hype. The first thing I notice is that tables are tightly packed, which I wouldn't expect of a venue this size but I guess more tables more money! And after all how much room do I really need to manoeuvre my knife and fork. 
 
So what to order at Pastis? Tuna Nicoise? Caesar Salad? No instead I opt for beer battered fish and chips and my friend orders a cheese burger, in the hopes she'll get a gourmet burger.
Both dishes arrive with a mountain of golden crispy fries, although one or two of those fries are golden brown like they'd been out tanning for a bit too long. The fish is cod in a wonderful but thick beer batter, with a side of pickled onions and tartare sauce. The beer flavour went fantastically with vinegar and the mini pickled onions. Yes I had fish, chips and vinegar at Pastis. The meal was good but not spectacular and I have had better fish in Cape Town for sure!

 Now onto the burger, which was definitely not gourmet. But maybe us Jozi Foodies have been spoilt by the Salvation Cafe-esque gaucamole laden, tomato relish, caramelised onion ring bearing burgers. the Pastis burger is a ground beef patty, with no herbs or spices, topped with a slice of cheese, tomato and onions. And that's it!

 For me Pastis is overrated! I think much of it is about being seen in the right place, which is the sidewalk in summer. I would expect to get an amazing gourmet burger, but I guess burgers aren't French after all and neither are English fish and chips. 

So maybe it was an ordering faux pas, I'll know better if ever there is a next time.

 http://www.pastisny.com/index.php