Our hotel package included two three-course dinners. One at the hotel restaurant and the other at the Klein Zalze winery’s acclaimed Terroir Restaurant.
Although we were looking forward to our dinner at Terroir, Friday’s dinner at the hotel restaurant did not disappoint. I started with a beautifully prepared prawn risotto (you know I’m a freak about risotto being cooked properly), had a some delicious Thai style noodles and we both chose the homemade vanilla and hazelnut ice cream with chocolate sauce…so good that even the Wife enjoyed it and she’s not much for ice cream.
Terroir is consistently in the top 10 restaurant list for the wine country. It has a wonderful atmosphere and a gracious staff that caters to your every whim without being overbearing. The Wife started with the duck confit with braised lentil puree…it was divine. I had the crispy pork trotter. It was deboned and wrapped with truffle in a light and flakey pastry parcel. I had always prided my Southern self as never having eaten “pig’s feet” but I have to admit, it was glorious.
For our main course I went with the fillet and the Wife went for the pork belly with caramelized apples. Although my fillet was delicious in its own right she so out ordered me on this one. It was only our second time eating pork belly but I pray not our last. I closed with the apple tart which was caramelized to perfection. Paired with the winery’s Pinotage it was a meal to remember.
Stellenbosch is also home to a Culinary School and we had a lovely breakfast prepared by some third year students at the school’s restaurant.
We also had some wonderfully fresh sandwiches at the Fairview Wine Estate made with their own cheeses.
We’ve had some nice meals in South Africa but Stellenbosch definitely took it up a notch.
Wines you should look out for in the States: Klein Zalze Pinotage ’06 or ’07, also their Sauvignon Blanc…Fairview (apparently a world first) has a great red called Pinotage Viognier look for these guys on the label…
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