So there I was, in Reuben’s in Franschhoek. It was lunchtime and I had traveled there with a friend.
I was expecting tasty flavoursome food, I felt that if you knew Reuben’s you’d know what to expect.
When the starters arrived I realised that something new and different was happening. In fact, I got a bit of [...]
Posted in Restaurants 
Tags: franschhoek, philip tracy, restaurant, reuben riffel, reuben's franschhoek 
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From September this year you’ll be able to trundle through the Franschhoek winelands on a trolley.
Leaving from near the Franschhoek Cellar, where the old railway station is located, you’ll travel at a sedate 18kms per hour and will be able to view the scenery and the vines as you traverse the valley.
Wouldn’t it be great [...]
I am all into recycling. Especially glass – it’s such a wonderful raw material, you can do anything with it.
In the space of two days this week I came across two things being done with old wine bottles that I thought were great.
The first was in Liam Mooney’s little design studio on Wale Street, (beside [...]
Posted in Niblets. Tags: bean there, cats pee, franschhoek, honest chocolate, liam mooney, recycling, salmon bar, wale street, wine bottles, wine snobs No Comments » read more »
Hennie Van Der Merwe’s revamped menu at Glen Carlou was exactly what I needed to sample during a recent visit out to the Paarl/Franschhoek area.
His cooking is down to earth, flavoursome, tasty, uncomplicated and straightforward. A member of my party described it as ‘comfort food’.
At the very least, it’s comforting to be able to recognise what’s [...]
Posted in Restaurants Tags: franschhoek, glen carlou, hennie van der merwe, hess collection, paarl, paarl valley, quartz stone, taal monument 11 Comments read more »
Babel is a new restaurant nestled in one of the oldest wine estates in the Cape Winelands, called Babylonstoren.
The heart of the farm is an extraordinary formal fruit and vegetable garden.
Measuring 3.2ha of extensive fruit and vegetable plots, it’s on a scale that is overwhelming.
There’s even a lovely enclosure for a family of ducks. It’s [...]
Posted in Restaurants Tags: babel, babylonstoren, cape winelands, franschhoek 2 Comments read more »
What has been the biggest influence on your winemaking?
The biggest influence on me to date have been the people I’ve worked with. I’ve had great mentors – John Loubser, the Cellarmaster here, and Erika Ubermeyer at Graham Beck in Franschhoek.
What excites you currently about the wine industry?
There is continual experimentation with lighter, more elegant, lightly [...]
What is it about firsts?
I never came first in a race, never got a first in an exam, never won first place in a competition.
But there I was on Wednesday, and it seemed to me that all my firsts had arrived at once.
I was eating in Reuben Riffel’s first restaurant in Cape Town. It was his [...]
Posted in Restaurants Tags: cape town, carmen, cellars hohenort, Chillli salted baby squid, franschhoek, Gordon Ramsay, maryke, One and Only, reuben riffel, reuben's, sage spiced butternut ravioli, sol kerzner, tony romer lee. etienne de villiers, wendy potter, Willow Creek Director's Reserve 9 Comments read more »
As Spill announced three weeks ago, Reuben Riffel is opening at the One and Only Cape Town.
With the termination of Gordon Ramsay’s Maze on July 30th, much admired and talented Chef Reuben will take over the 170 seater restaurant at the Waterfront hotel.
The hall mark of Reuben’s cooking is fantastic punchy flavours jumping off the [...]
Posted in Niblets., Restaurants Tags: blue cheese and tomato jam tarts, chef reuben, chilli squid, exciting plating, franschhoek, fresh local produce, Gordon Ramsay, lamb shanks with waterblommetjies, Maze, One and Only, one and only cape town, reuben riffel, sol kerzner, spill, tomato soup, waterfront hotel 5 Comments read more »
It’s not every day you get to do a cooking class at Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek.
This was the first restaurant to put South African cuisine on the international map.
Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to spend the morning being guided by their culinary concierge, Annemarie Steenkamp, through a cooking class called ‘South [...]
Posted in Cooking Classes. Tags: annemarie steenkamp, biltong, biltong chips, buchu gnocchi, chef margot janse, coriander, deluxe kitchen, dutch settlers, franschhoek, haut espoir, kudu meat, Le quartier francais, margot janse, moreson, rob armstrong, south african cuisine, south african flavours, south african snack 2 Comments read more »
Reuben Riffel is opening at the One and Only in Cape Town.
With the the termination of Gordon Ramsay’s Maze at 6:30am on Friday morning, stage two of the plan now swings into action.
Enter seriously talented and much admired Chef Reuben Riffel, who will take over the 170 seater space at the One and Only.
This will be his third [...]
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