At Taste of Cape Town 2015 I ate crocodile for the first time, fell in love with Lanique liquer as well as Rekorderlig cider, and devoured a lamb barbacoa from Cosecha that I’ll never forget!
Rekorderlig was at the top of my must-try drink list, and so was the first beverage I turned to once I felt a little parched. Rekorderlig is a Swedish cider boasting flavours like strawberry and lime, mixed berry, and pear. Also, it’s darn delicious! I walked away with a giant cup of strawberry and lime cider happiness garnished with a sprig of mint. Those ladies in red sure know how to do it!
The boyfriend required a beer of course, and luckily Beerhouse was ever present and more than happy to see to his very manly beer requirements.
After a touch of lubrication, food had to be feasted upon. So we headed to The Pickled Popper for a firm favourite in snackish delights. This popper had the crispiest coating you could imagine – it was positively swoon-worthy.
Jewel of India offered up a superb lamb curry, as well as exotic décor, and an education in traditional tandoor ovens. We knew that generous portion of rice would aid in some much-needed alcohol absorption as the day wore on.
Besides the food and drink, I always look forward to the type of aesthetic that each restaurant brings to the festival. Hemelhuijs was one of my favourites with its simple black wall plastered with real botanicals.
I opted for their Sichuan calamari with daikon, miso dressing, and pomegranate, as well as their roasted duck and beetroot cucumber roll with plum sauce. It was the first time I’d eaten daikon, which I discovered was crispy and fresh, and certainly served to lift the dish. The calamari was definitely a winner, while the duck was neither here nor there in my opinion. The presentation of both dishes was gorgeous though.
On the topic of aesthetics and design, Cosecha was a real beauty with its rustic wall of terracotta cacti. Their food impressed me most, and their portions were incredibly generous, which communicated to me that they wanted their visitors well-fed; almost like they were serving their very own family!
I enjoyed their lamb barbacao immensely; which is to say I’ve been craving it ever since! It was savoury, and homely and incredibly comforting, like a warm embrace from your favourite grandparent. It was also spicy in a gentle way that tenderly warmed the mouth, and the braised pulled lamb was mind-numbingly tender – I’m talking fall-apart goodness here!
I wanted to hold onto that Cosecha feeling for as long as possible, so before further feasting, more drinks were on the cards! A girl is immediately drawn to any beverage in a jar. Firstly, it’s bound to be a tasty cocktail, and secondly, a jar’s just cute okay! Disaranno lured me with its adorable “sour jars†complete with candy yellow striped straws. Who would have thought Disaranno’s frangipane flavour would pair so deliciously with lemon? What a winner!
One of the dishes I looked forward to most was Azure’s tequila cured trout. Mostly because I’m not a tequila fan and was so hoping Azure could change my mind! The thing is, I didn’t really get a sense of tequila at all, and while the dish was nice, it didn’t really offer anything punchy or unique in terms of flavour.
Camissa was up next, and I was set on trying their crocodile. I had never eaten crocodile before, so this was a bit of a challenge for me. However, I live by the motto that I’m down to try (almost) everything at least once!
I feel like it’s a generic response, but crocodile literally does taste like chicken. Its texture may be slightly coarser, and its flavour a tad gamier, but overall, chicken was definitely the lasting impression. Camissa’s smoked ostrich carpaccio with hibiscus vinegar was a smoky, sweet, and salty delight.
 
Argies and the Café Caprice Garden Party were definitely the places to be if you were looking for a bit of a vibe. Argies offered traditional Argentian asado meats, which had been cooked low and slow for about four hours. Every few minutes the asado master would lovingly brush their beef with a deliciously aromatic basting. Latin American music boomed loud and proud out of their speakers, and they even had a dance floor available for those who fancied a little salsa of the non-culinary variety.
Café Caprice’s ice-cold, zesty, and refreshing G&T ice lollies were an absolute delight, and their décor was very vintage garden tea party, with a touch of modern industrial contrast.
Before the day was out, I absolutely had to find Lanique, and get a few wine tasters in too of course. Lanique is an Attar of rose liqueur, which is why it has that mesmerizing pinkish-red colour in the bottle. I had mine with ice and fresh lime, which seemed to mellow its natural rose taste. It was sweet, but light and refreshing, as well as subtly floral and fragrant. We were told that most people liken it to Turkish Delight. I can see why!
 
With 30 minutes to go, we quickly went in search of some good wine, and found just that in Thelema and Villiera wines. Villiera offered a unique jasmine infused white, which made for a light floral and fruity surprise. Thelema’s sauvignon blanc was easy drinking and delicious.
We left the festival after numerous requests from Karl Ahari, (the MC of the day) for everyone to vacate the area. But we left with a delightful takeaway of desserts from the Queen of Tarts, as well as full bellies, and tasty memories.
Words & Images by Natasha Silva
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