Smart takes on food, coffee & service

Restaurants

A RESTAURANT WITH AN IDENTITY CRISIS

Frank Chemaly's Tandoori/picante chicken that left his mouth numb

Frank Chemaly’s Tandoori/picante chicken that left his mouth numb

ZAMBEZE
225 St. Thomas road, Musgrave.
Call 031 201 2626/4

In my experience, too many Halaal restaurants are relying on that certification to bring in customers. And it appears to be working. I mean, have you noticed how Halaal-certified restaurants are always busy? Which is probably why the owners see little point in going the extra mile to serve food that is tempting to the eye and palate.
A good case in point is Zambeze in St Thomas road. Musgrave. Last week fellow foodie Frank Chemaly and I dined there. Our food was grim. But, around us our fellow diners were eating pretty much the same food – and no one was complaining. Perhaps they were there for the social interaction not the food.
Frank and I hoped for more. But didn’t get it.
Then there was our waitress, willing enough, who nearly did my head in.

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Food News

SUPERFOOD TRENDS FOR 2016

Avocado oil is taking over from coconut oil - and there is no question mark hanging over it like coconut oil.

Avocado oil is taking over from coconut oil – and there is no question mark hanging over it like coconut oil.

Shrewd Food reveals the new superfoods for 2016, courtesy of the Daily Mail and musclefood.com. Out goes coconut oil. In comes avocado oil. Out goes juicing. In comes souping. Out goes kale. In comes seaweed. Plant-based proteins are taking over from meat – apart from one special cut of beef that is cheap and tasty. Teres major (named after a muscle in the shoulder) is the name of the cut and it’s really exciting chefs. And black is the new white – as in black rice and black beans.
While some of the items might already be staples in your kitchen, some are a little exotic for us South Africans. Think Birch tree water! Still, anything is available to buy on the internet if you have the will – and the cash.
At the end is a delicious chicken and vermicelli recipe for souping.  

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News from Gauteng

THE GREAT EASTERN FOOD BAR

Scallion pancakes (right) and a green papaya side salad

Scallion pancake (right) and a Green papaya side salad

Gyoza dumplings

Gyoza dumplings

Discovering the joys of Asian food in Melville. By Ingrid Shevlin

The Great Eastern Food Bar
The Bamboo Centre, Corner of Rustenburg Road and 9th Street,
Melville, Johannesburg
Call 011 4822910

It has a mouthful of a name and unpretentious premises in a modest little retail centre in Melville. It’s The Great Eastern Food Bar and it serves truly amazing Asian inspired cuisine that is more than worthy of its grand name. In fact, I’d rate it as my best ever Asian food. And it’s thanks to my foodie brother Andrew and his equally foodie wife Judith, who live in Joburg, that I discovered it. When you’re next in Joburg, head for the GEFB without delay. Trust me on this one.

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Food News

AN INCREDIBLY EASY AND LUSCIOUS FRUIT CAKE

Nigella's easy chocolate fruitcake

Nigella’s easy chocolate fruitcake

The best Christmas cake recipe I’ve tried to date. And I’ve tried many. And it’s easy to make and deliciously and darkly moist, writes Ingrid Shevlin 

Every year at Christmas I try out a new recipe for Christmas cake in search of the Holy Grail of fruitcakes. This year I tried Eric Lanlard’s chocolate and orange fruit cake from his new book, Home Bake. It’s too early to cut it, but it looks good. And the batter tasted fantastic.
The recipe below is the closest I’ve come to fruitcake perfection and I’ve returned to it again and again. It’s by Nigella Lawson and is from an old book of hers called Nigella Christmas. 

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Food News

SWEET TREATS

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Meringue-topped strawberry cake

 

Chocolate hazelnut dacquoise

Chocolate hazelnut dacquoise

Sweet by James Martin (Quadrille), costs R450 from Adams in Musgrave. This is a book of recipes so decadent it’s almost the kama sutra of baking. By Ingrid Shevlin. 

When James Martin was training to be a chef, holding sway over the pastry kitchen was never his dream. But fate intervened. One day the pastry chef at the restaurant where he worked went to the loo and was never seen again. Three days later James was assigned to the pastry kitchen and four months later he headed it. Back then, as he writes in the foreward to his book, no-one wanted to work on the pastry section. It wasn’t seen as manly enough.
Today, thanks to shows like the Great British Bake-Off and the Baker Brothers  baking is not only manly it’s downright sexy. Think Paul Hollywood of the Great British Bake-Off. Who can resist a man with flour on his nose?

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