Bianca Carls tells us where to get a piece of Indian heaven right here in the Mother City:

The smells of freshly picked parsley, spicy paprika and smouldering chilli invades my senses as enter my favourite restaurant in Old Wellington Fruit Growers Market Building in the busy Cape Town CBD.

Always a pleasure to visit, Eastern Food Bazaar has a distinctive aroma of the East in conjunction with a Bollywood twist. Rich wooden carvings and glittering accents emphasise the warmth and hospitality in the family oriented Indian culture, living up to the saying “home is where the food is”.

Eastern Food Bazaar

I have never been in India before, but upon entering Eastern Bazaar I automatically feel that at any moment Shahrukh Khan will make me his princess and sweep me away on his flying carpet.  Reality, of course sinks in and I realise that the chances of me being Mrs Khan is reaching a negative number. At this point, not being in the mood for company, I solely took my seat accompanied by extensive menu, deciding on what to eat.

With enough food to feed any nation the variety of dishes available carefully compliments the array of different cultures of the customers. Be it Monday or Sunday, beginning or the end of the month, Eastern Food Bazaar is consistently filled with ravenous customers.  From Schwarmas, Lamb sheek kabas, Chicken Hakka Noddles, Naan, and Tandoori Chicken, to a variety of curries will cost you less than R50 per meal. Each portion is enough to feed you and a partner and that is a blessing to any consumer.

After a long discussion I decided to go with a Tikka Chicken Masala curry, served with Basmati rice, Pickled salad and Lentil Dahl. As always the food never disappointed my growling stomach. I tuck into my warm and juicy meal with a big smile and comfortably acknowledge that I have found my own Shahrukh Khan… in my meal.

Whether you’re a businessman, housewife, vegan or college student, Eastern Food Bazaar satisfies any appetite and accommodates any wallet. If you don’t feel like sitting down at the restaurant you are more than welcome to have a takeaway.

Eastern Food Bazaar is located in the Old Wellington Fruit Growers Market Building between Longmarket and Darling Street Cape Town CBD.
phone : 021 461 2458
email : info@easternfoodbazaar.co.za

It would seem that Luke Dale Roberts has the Midas touch. First La Colombe, Constantia Uitsig’s famed restaurant; then Test Kitchen, Luke’s first solo attempt; and now, Pot Luck Club, which is both restaurant and gallery, with the husband-and-wife-team Luke and Sandalene at the helm. Each project, each concept has been a roaring success.

Having followed his career for a while with keen interest, the That’s Cape Town team were thrilled when it came time to visit Pot Luck Club. Situated adjacent to the Test Kitchen, separated by screens, but not walls, the two restaurants run side-by-side, with completely separate kitchens and staff. It’s interesting that the Pot Luck space was created so close-by to Luke’s first solo restaurant. It would definitely help it to feed off some of the overflow of some of Test Kitchen’s success, where it is sometimes impossible to book a table less than a month in advance!

The space itself, at Pot Luck Club, is beautiful: with natural, woody tones being brought to life by shape and texture. The oversized ‘chinese lantern’ style light fittings are reflected in similar shaped candle holders on the tables.

An example of the emotive artwork hanging in the restaurant.

On the evening that we visited, the place was full, and lively. It felt like everyone was excited to be there. And the food lived up to every expectation we had of a kitchen under Luke’s guidance. Luke is known to push creative boundaries in the preparation and presentation of meals. His flavour combinations and unusual ingredients add to the whole experience of Pot Luck Club.

We started with the light shaved parsnips, which is really like parsnip crisps. Light and perfect for while we looked through the menu further. The duck spring roll was light and crispy, without the over-oiliness of many a springroll. The crispy pork belly came recommended, and Luke’s accompanying XO sauce should be bottled and sold! I admit to using my finger to mop up the last of it… trying desperately to decipher the alchemy of flavours. The smoked quail was delicious. Something you wouldn’t often get the opportunity to try. And the fillet with truffle cafe au lait sauce stopped all conversation at the table! It sounds like we ate a lot. But the meals are made to share and come in smaller, tapas style servings.

For dessert (we couldn’t say no) we ordered and devoured the Spanish style Churros with chocolate dipping sauce and ginger ice-cream topped with nut-brittle. We didn’t think anything could top what we had already tasted that evening, but the dessert was sublime!

At Pot Luck Club attention to detail in every sensory sphere as created a place where it’s easy to linger. It’s easy to lose yourself in. And, when you eventually have to tear yourself away, it’s a place that has created an unforgettable experience. To Luke – we want more!

The bustling kitchen creating pure delights

Images from the Pot Luck Club website - http://www.thepotluckclub.co.za/

It seems like Markets are hugely popular in Cape Town, and it sometimes feels like there’s a new one opening nearly every week. Being lovers of food and all things fabulous, the That’s Cape Town team diarised the opening of a new market at the Palms Centre in Salt River. We went along half-expecting the same-old… Usual traders; space so cramped you can hardly move, but we were very surprised and happy.

Firstly, the space is fantastic – with traders scattered on different levels across an open courtyard, and loads of room for growth. The water-fountain and jazz saxophonist created the perfect ‘relaxing’ ambience that Saturday mornings should be all about. And then the traders – it was refreshing to not have come across each of them at some-or-other market somewhere else in the city. Unique traders stocking quality products, and with such variety!

Being the brainchild of Isabella Niehaus, one of South Africa’s  most well-known stylists, the market produce is a mix of goodies with a distinctly West-Coast feel. Expect fresh mussels, oysters and crayfish; natural fynbos teas; the most beautiful bunches of colourful flowers; a ‘French’ table laden with home-made goods and even a wine producer from Tulbagh!

We really enjoyed our visit, and will be keeping an eye on this new Cape Town treasure to see how it grows. The market is on every second Saturday, from 10am – 3pm. Get there this weekend, 25 February! To find out more, take a look at the Market’s Facebook Page, here.

In the last few weeks leading up to Christmas, That’s Cape Town (being lovers of good food and suckers for anything festive) visited many Christmas Markets. Some were really lovely, a few were a complete disappointment, but a few really stood out. The Blaauwklippen Christmas Market is one of these.

Fun at the Blaauwklippen Market

Blaauwklippen’s weekly market has been running for some time now, so when Market Architect, Hugo Le Roux, got to work planning a specially Christmas-themed, evening market, he had a strong sense of what would work and what wouldn’t. Adding a number of new craft stalls, and  stringing long strings of lights through the big trees created a festive, almost magical feel, with the horses playing in the paddocks a little way away, and the many old-fashioned carriages standing out on the front lawn.

Candy-floss, popcorn, pony rides and a jumping castle, ensured the kids were very well taken care of and mom and dad were free to sip on a glass of wine, listen to the Marimba Band and wander through the stalls. A number of stalls struck us as unique and special: an antique jewelry stall was a breath of fresh air, considering all the modern jewelry most markets have for sale nowadays; Burtschers Chocolaterie was also there, selling a vast array of handmade delicacies that were beautiful to look at, and delicious to taste. We were particularly interested in the chocolate appreciation courses Birgit told us she offers. The Art stall, too, with its original, local pieces for sale reinforced that local is, most definitely, lekker.

On the food side, the Thai stall, replicating an authentic Thai food market stall was a real treat. The shwarmas from Eddie and his team were definitely one of the highlights of the evening. With four different home-made chilli sauces to try, and the many shwarma ingredients stuffed generously into a bulging pita, the meal was both incredibly tasty and very good value for money. Lastly, the ice-cream stand, Cold Gold is so good it demands a mention. Only starting the company a few months ago, and creating each of her inventive flavours by hand, the proof of Janine’s talent lies in the fact that she has been nominated for two of the prestigious local Eat In awards. With flavours like White chocolate, cashew and coconut; and a kiddies ‘Bubblegum’ flavour made up exclusively of a mix of fruit flavours (taking her 3 weeks to perfect!) her ice-cream is an art and truly a passion for her.

Serving several award-winning wines, (you really need to try the Before & After – an aperitif made of fortified Nobel Late Harvest) Blaauwklippen has remained an unpretentious, family focussed farm. And if you missed out on the Christmas markets, be sure to visit their weekly market on a Sunday morning. You will be wowed. We assure you.

In early August, Leisure Hotels (a hotel group with five hotels in Cape Town) decided to put their outstanding food and beverage team to even better use. They decided to create some “how to” videos using Stefan, the Executive Chef from the STrand Tower Hotel who certainly knows his stuff!

Here, Stefan whips up a perfect Hollandaise sauce to accompany a delicious peppered steak. He makes it look so easy!

Enjoy folks, there’s more to come!