I was invited to try the new winter menu at Terroir Restaurant in Stellenbosch and, for company, an old school friend accompanied me.
Terroir is situated on the easy-to-find Kleine Zalze wine estate.
The award-winning eatery was the perfect setting for a quiet dinner on a cold night. We could have chosen an outside table next to the door which would have shielded us from the rain, but not the cold.
The soft lighting and fireplace gave the restaurant a warm, homely feeling.
I assumed the weather to be the reason for the few diners on the night, but I was not complaining - the space would be a too cramped if the restaurant was full.
The al la carte menu comes with, and without, a wine pairing at R495pp and R395pp, respectively.
The four-course tasting menu includes your choice of two starters, one main and one dessert off the chalkboard menu.
We chose all four starters - prawn risotto with Americaine sauce, house smoked Norwegian salmon with Nicola potatoes and green gazpacho, Stilton soufflé with pear, celery and lacquered pecan nuts and pastilla of braised lamb with yoghurt, medjool dates and ginger.
My favourites were the salmon and lamb dishes, and my friend agreed.
The smoked Norwegian salmon wasn’t just beautifully plated, but it also had the perfect variety of textures and flavours. The juiciness of the salmon complemented the potatoes’ texture.
The prawn risotto and soufflé dish were my least favourites. Both were tasty, but as one who is not a fan of mixing fruit with food, it’s not the first thing I would order.
For the mains my friend had the smoked duck breast with chestnuts, orange, sesame and pork choi, and I went for the dry aged Angus beef sirloin, brisket croustillant, smoked bone marrow and mushrooms.
We enjoyed both meals. It was also the first time my friend had tasted duck, which he enjoyed so much that I almost couldn’t get him to swop plates so I could have a taste. The flavours on the plate worked very well.
By the time dessert arrived, I realised three hours had passed and we were the only people, besides the staff, remaining.
Dessert options included an ice-cream trio, roasted pineapple with warm brioche with caramel and ice cream, and a cheese platter.
Overall, I was impressed by the look, feel and taste of the dishes, worth the 4.5 out of five rating by foodies on the travel and foodie site, TripAdvisor.
* Terroir is open for lunch from Tuesday to Sunday from 12 noon to 2.30pm and for dinner from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. The restaurant closes for its annual winter break from July 3-25.