Meerendal Bistro

(review from 8/2/10)

 ok, fine dining options in Durbanville are somewhate limited. There's the restaurant at Nitida (previously reviewed) and that's about it. I know that Bloemendal has a proper restaurant at the top of the hill, and the view is spectacular, but I'm not sure I want to try the menu after our (also reviewed) experience at their lunch place.

Meedendal used to have a restaurant called Wheatfields (or something like that), and that's what we thought we'd booked, but apparently that closed some time ago. So when we turned up we were directed to the Bistro.

There was only one other table booked for the evening, which didn't bode well, but we decided since we were there to have a go.

Service was excellent. Attentive and courteous. The starters - mushroom soup for Norma drizzeled with cabernet and croutons, and beef carpaccio with caramalised onions and rocket for me were top quality. Beautifully presented and perfectly prepared. Perfectly seasoned and loaded with flavour (although I think that they were a little generous with the onions, but that's really being very fussy).

The accompanying Meerendal cabernet sauvignon merlot 2006 for me was well balanced, smoky, spicy and with a big long finish and went perfectly with the starter.

For mains we both ordered the beef fillet with potato fondant, with seasonal vegetables. The first surprise was the size of the fillet - it was quite simply enormous. Easily enough for two, perhaps three. I wondered how they'd managed 'medium' on something that large, and when I pressed my knife against it I realised instantly that it was essentially raw.

We both returned them to the kitchen for a little more cooking.

On return, they were better, although the center was still pretty much raw meat. The flavour was not very strong, although of course the cut is not usually known for strong flavour.

The second surprise was the 'potato fondant'. Or at least the fondant part. What we got were four chunks of boiled potatoes that had that 'boiled yesterday and reheated' flavour to them (you know the one?). It looked like the veg had all been stir fried together, so the carrots were perfect and the courgettes pretty much already turned to water...

The dessert menu was a choice of creme brulee, chocolate mousse, chocolate tart, malva putting or cheese board. When we enquired as to the delivious-looking range of tarts and cakes in the display cabinet, we were told they were 'just for lunches I'm afraid'.

So Norma skipped dessert and I had the malva pudding, not being willing to risk the creme brulee after the mains. The actual malva pudding might best be described as 'bouncy', and the sauce looked and tasted store-bought. So a bit disappointing really.

So overall, not a great meal out. Excellent beginning, but that was the highlight, and it tailed off from there. I'm afraid a repeat visit would not be on the cards.

Bloemendon't

I had given up writing restaurant reviews a while ago due to not really going to restaurants - blame the recession! But I have decided that food is far too important to let a little thing like a global economic downturn affect our enjoyment of it!

About six months ago we visited the lower of the Bloemendal Restaurants - you know, the one where you go for the wine tasting.

We spent about 20 minutes trying to get the attention of the waiters before giving up and leaving.

Today, thinking we really should give the place a second chance, we again went there for lunch.

We arrived at about 2.10pm, to a restaurant that was about half full. The first 10 minutes we just waited to be seated before going over and interrupting one of the three waiters and asking them for a table. Then the next 10 minutes was waiting for menus. Then another 10 waiting to order. At about 2.35 our order was taken.

In the meantime, we were slightly disconcerted by the table next to us saying very firmly to their waiter while they sent their food back to the kitchen that the quality of the food and the waiting was (and they used another word which I will spare you) rubbish.

They promised the food within 15 minutes, so it arrived in 25, just on the dot of 3pm - 50 minutes after we arrived. This is lunch remember, and we had ordered two chicken wraps.

The wraps arrived supported by a cast of green salad that would have cheered Cecil B DeMille in quantity if not quality, as it was dry and undressed.

The wraps themselves were described as 'Thai Chicken' although I'm not sure what was Thai about them. The chicken had grey patches on it which we investigated forensically and unsuccessfully, and was completely without taste of any kind. They had attempted to create some level of flavour by drizzling the outside of the wrap with some sort of cheap sweet balsamic-flavoured liquid. This made it impossible to use your hands and attracted flies. It also added nothing to the taste.

The glass of Sauvignon Blanc that accompanied it was actually quite good, but do yourself a favour - buy it at Pick n Pay and spare yourself the pain of a visit to Bloemendal. A wrap from KFC, Nandos, McDonalds at two thirds the price would have been much preferable and much tastier. That fact is quite depressing and when the best you can say about the restaurant that you are eating at is that it aspires to match the quality of a major fast food chain you should probably go elsewhere.

The best part of the meal was definitely the butterscotch sweet we were given on leaving.

Not worth the pricetag.

Your visit is important to us...

I realise it's been ages since I posted anything, so here's something on the same theme as the last post...

Passed a church yesterday that I had visited in the past. New outside now is a bit electronic display board that flashes 'WELCOME' in capital letters.

Problem is, I've been there several times, and never felt welcome. In fact, I've each time I've visited I've tried to chat to make converstation, and found it all but impossible to break into the fellowship (is that something you're supposed to have to break in to?).

Anyway, I couldn't help but think that the sign reminded me rather of those hold messages 'Your call is important to us, please hold and we'll connect you to the next available operator'... 'Your salvation is important to us.... please hold for the next available pastor...'?

Thing is, a sign is only really of any use if it reflects accurately the thing which it indicates. What use a sign on a shop window saying 'Open' when the door is locked?

The problem is, politics has taught us that it's all about the signs these days. More aspiration than statement of fact, many labels we see in passing, read or hear are there to entice us with what the writer hopes we'll believe, whether it's there or not.

I hope that this one is an exception and is in fact now, reality.

Perhaps I'll pop in some day and find out :-)

Please don't write at me and say 'you're being critical' - yes, yes, I am. Criticism is good. There. Happy?