Boschendal Restaurant, Cape Town

Rating:4.5/5
A beautiful six course buffet meal (ZAR200++) under a shady canopy of trees with chilled sparkling white wine and a view of the main house built in 1812.
***
Boschendal is one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa and I love the way the staff takes pride in this snobby little fact.

As you wait to be seated, you are offered some complimentary port by a sprite lady who looks as old as the wine estate! We took our seats out in the shady courtyard amidst some very well fed red-feathered roosters! I have never had the pleasure of dining with a cock but after initially being startled by its random crowing, I soon found these proud creatures very endearing.

It's a six course buffet meal and needless to say, there is a lot of food so take your time and eat slowly.

Starters and Mains
It was the first time I had a pear gazpacho and I did not realize that a gazpacho is supposed to be a cold soup. (I still think that all soups should be served hot.)

I specially liked their mushroom quiche, fresh oysters, and smoked Franschhoek Salmon. The rare roast peppered beef fillet with béarnaise sauce was very tender while the traditional bobotie was a cross between Filipino giniling and a Malay curry.

Dessert
Try the sweet Malva pudding but skip the guava cheesecake. My companions were raving about the extensive cheese platter which I definitely had to sample. I tried a little bit of everything-- Cheeses with berries, hot pepper, soft and hard cheese. I did not like any of the lot-- a bit too pungent, a bit too rotten aged for my taste.

Wine
I can't remember the vintage of the sparkling white wine we ordered (next time I'll pay more attention) but it was crisp, had a fruity note and a lingering finish. (Actually I just made that up. I just know that the bubbles looked pretty coming up around the glass!)

Conclusion
Four and a half pawikan points. Champion food, excellent service and a tranquil setting (punctuated by rooster crows); This was a leisurely two and a half hour lunch perfect for a slow Sunday afternoon.