South Africa – Wednesday, May 3.
Because we arrived so late on our first day (Tuesday) in South Africa and were jet lagged, Elizabeth and I stayed in an our beautiful hotel (The Cellars-Hohenort) and ordered room service while enjoying our complimentary bottle of South African red wine. We ordered a traditional Cape Malay Bobotie with Mushroom and Lentil that included steamed white rice, minted pea samosa, cumin roti, and sambals. It is fitting the the first food we put into our mouths in South Africa was Bobotie. Bobotie is a classic South African dish that has been around for 300 years and was a mainstay for the Trekboers on the frontier. It is mentioned in “The Covenant” several times – the version served at our hotel was utterly delicious. We also ordered Aged Boland Baked Cheese soufflé with shaved Parmesan and gin cheese sauce – probably the best cheese soufflé I have ever had. Those two dishes may be the best room service food I ever had.
We literally ate our way through Cape Town the next day (Wednesday). After a huge breakfast at our hotel, we walked the beautiful gardens of our hotel before departing for the Cape Town waterfront followed by a foodie tour in old Cape Town. We started our foodie tour in a neighborhood of Bo Kaap, which has a very colorful history. Its current population is heavily Muslim. Our guide Justin was an earnest and sincere young man who lived in the neighborhood. He was also extremely knowledgeable about so many things South African. Among his hobbies is foraging!
We started at the Bo-Kaap Deli, located in the iconic blue Batavia building where Justin gave us a brief history lesson over some Koesisters (traditional spiced doughnuts) and local teas. We then visited Marco’s African Place on the border between Bo-Kaap and De Waterkant where we were served traditional Southern African dishes of Ostrich Fillet, Springbok Goulash, Chakalaka, and Umnq!usho (with the the click on the !). We also got to try a traditional Umnq!ombothi beer. Our third stop was the Cafe Charles – a true gem – situated in the colorful De Waterkant neighborhood. We were introduced to aromatic Cape Malay Spices contained in our Bobotie dish, which was served with an Apricot Chutney and Sambal. This was paired with a Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc from Steenberg in the Constantia Wine Valley, which is where our hotel is located.
Our last stop was The Fireman’s Arms. Established in 1864, it is the second oldest bar in South Africa, with a rich history in Cape Town. Elizabeth had a draught of Castle Lager straight from the Tanks and I had Inverroche Amber Gin infused with coastal suurvy from the Fynbos Floral Kingdom. This was paired with a Cornish-inspired Puff Pie and a syrupy malva pudding and ice cream.
We then took the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, where we enjoyed stunning 360 degree views of the surrounding area, including Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope. We then took an Uber back to our hotel in Constantia, taking the scenic route along the shore. After a short rest, we enjoyed a magnificent dinner at our hotel. Taahir, one of the managers, spoke to us during dinner. We found out that he had played professional soccer and was a huge Liverpool fan! Thus ended ended a full first day in SA.
