Potluck Club

I finally got to eat some of Luke Dale Roberts food, his restaurant, The Test Kitchen wins best restaurant on Eat Out every year and he has won since his days at La Colombe so I made a booking for myself and my foodie friends at The Potluck Club and Gallery as it serves Tapas and we love tasting and sharing.

I am not entirely sure but I think they moved from downstairs at the biscuit mill to the top floor of the Silo Building so not only is the food, atmosphere and well pretty much everything amazing, you are also surrounded by one of the most beautiful views I have seen in Cape Town, millions of lights and the Mountain of course.

The Menu is laid out as Salty, sweet, bitter, sour etc aiming at all the taste buds which the chefs achieve perfectly although Luke Himself was not there the chefs do a great job and they are interesting to watch pushing out plate after plate of perfection, we started with Edamame beans to nibble while we waited for each dish to arrive. First was seared tuna on a tomato salad with radish and micro herbs, the tomato dressing was so tasty and the tuna perfectly seared.

I have tried Wagyu burgers before but we had never tried it as a cut of meat, this one was served with Argentinean Chimichurri and costed a rather hefty R140 cooked to perfection and the herb sauce was delicious although we all thought maybe to over powering for the delicate Wagyu and I would have been happy with just a slice of fillet, it did not have the melting soft texture you would expect from Wagyu but tasty nonetheless and now we have tried it.

This dish looks very simple, battered hake which you can get anywhere in Cape Town but the harissa mayonnaise on the side made it the best fried piece of hake I have ever had with crispy baby potatoes and mayonnaise.

                                 

The dishes come from the kitchen in order from light to heavy, next was fall off the bone Moroccan Lamb with yoghurt and flat bread and sticky beef shortrib with asian flavours both these dishes I would have again.

The two pork dishes were my favorite but all the other dishes were very close, the pork belly topped with grated Halva and a baked salted apple won the night but the pigtails were really interesting and happy I finally tried it served with a honey mustard dressing.

                              

The desserts were light and fresh, Champagne, strawberries and cream with a difference and the other was passion sorbet, tapioca and fresh fruits with a delicate sugared tuile biscuits.

We ended off the evening with a cheeseboard served with my new favorite cheese accompaniment, honeycomb and a final glass of Peter Bailey Port, 11 dishes later we were a happy bunch, with 2 bottles of wine and four Gin and Tonics the bill came to R1300. Potluck has really been amazing so much flavour in such small dishes I will definitely go back.

Potluck Club and Gallery

375 Albert Road (in the Biscuit Mill)

Top of the Silo Building

Woodstock

Tel: 021-4470804

Pictures and article Copyright By Tamsyn Wells

Woodstock Academy of Music

I attended the launch of this amazing new Music Academy based in Side Street Studios, Woodstock. The brainchild of a friend of mine, Musician Rus Nerwich. I have been to a few of his live shows, being a 'talented' to say the least Saxaphone player he always amazes me with his easy stage presence, music skills and a music style of his own.

Side Street Studios is a creative community aimed at increasing the demand for studio space where creative minds work side by side in their own space, an appropriate venue for the music academy.

Rus is aiming at people of any age to attend lessons in Guitar, Piano, Drums, Bass, Saxophone, Trumpet or Voice with the best teachers Cape Town has to offer as well as band rehearsal space and may also be used as a recording studio.

We were entertained on the evening by Eliezer, Bateleur, Rus Nerwich, Madzishe, Mean Black Mumba and Nash Reed. 

Cutty Sark Whiskey was flowing, one of the first light coloured blended whiskey's which has been around for the last 80 years, pizza, arisan beers and wines could be purchased. With the smell of freshly baked bread from the bakery filling the air and Table Mountain as the view this evening was a night to remember.

Well done to Rus Nerwich, I wish you all the best and suggest all musicians visit the Woodstock Music Academy.

Tel: 0725104859

Side Street Studios

46 Albert Road

Woodstock

Pictures and article Copyright By Tamsyn Wells