Roxy Laker and Chef Nic van Wyk from Bistro 13 on Welmoed Wine Estate, recently launched the new summer menu in conjunction with their first birthday!
With their classic dishes with traditional South African flavour, Bistro 13 has been a big hit in the Cape Winelands as seen by their nomination for this year’s Klink Awards in the Great Food & Excellent Wine category (go vote for them!).
The venue
The day was off to a perfect start as they popped a celebratory bottle of bubbly in the spacious, modern tasting venue. We then meandered on to the Bistro itself, which is in the same building. The décor is elegant and earthy – the perfect environment for their hearty dishes. Sitting on the terrace, you can make friends with the resident ducks who live in the near-by pond, while taking in the beauty of the winelands.
The food
We had a set menu, which showcased some of the top dishes off the new menu. I was thrilled to see that one of MY favourites, goat’s cheese, was a feature. Crumbed, lightly fried, with a refreshing zesty salsa, olive oil and honey vinaigrette – this dish made me very happy.
Next up, a starter portion of calamari. Crumbed and dusted in smoked paprika, then served with baby potatoes, avocado, pickled cucumber, and a sauce featuring olive oil, garlic, saffron and chilli. The spicy-sweet-acidic-rich-smoked-creamy combo of flavours – each of which lived on its own – meant that each bite was balanced, yet unique.
The crispy sweet bread is definitely a wintery dish, but because of its popularity, it made it on to the summer menu. The sweet carrot puree and salty caper brown butter, added depth to this rich dish. The sweet breads were crispy on the outside, but still perfectly tender.
It was great to see Chef Nic van Wyk make use of sustainable seafood as part of his ingredients on the summer menu. This Monk Fish had a fresh green herb crust, which added tons of flavour and protected the fish during cooking. A that big black splodge? Nic had some fun with his homemade tomato sauce, injecting half with squid ink to add contrast to the plate.
To end off this great meal, Bistro 13 introduced me to what is now one of my favourite desserts. A triple terrine made with layers of chocolate, caramel and praline. Not too sweet and not to rich, it was a light and fluffy (yes, fluffy) and the perfect end to a divine meal.
The wines
We tasted several wines throughout the lunch, and while I’m not usually a fan of dessert wine, the Infiniti Noble Harvest 2012 really stood out from the rest. It’s a gorgeous blend of Chenin Blanc and Muscat, boasting aromas of dried apricots, honey and peach, with a dried fruit and vanilla spice palate. Yeah man.
Directions to Bistro 13
Welmoed Winery/Stellenbosch Vineyards
Baden Powell Dr
021 881 3044
