If you haven’t experienced the deep joy of having a Babylonstoren delivery of beautifully packaged, fresh farm produce arrive at your doorstep, these hearty new winter “Season Of Comforts” meals are the perfect reason to try it out.

Developed by the farm’s chefs and inspired by their favourite family recipes, the meals are made using quality ingredients either grown or raised on the farm, or sourced from trusted local producers. Simply heat straight from the freezer, plate, and serve.

“Whether you’re craving a hearty mid-week meal or hosting a weekend feast, Babylonstoren’s farm-fresh frozen meals will always be a wholesome choice,” says Nicola Malan, Head of Product at Babylonstoren.

The “Season of Comforts” Range

Ilana’s Lamb Tomato Bredie: This time-honoured South African favourite is slow-cooked the traditional way using only the finest local lamb in a rich tomato base. Serve with turmeric rice and a dollop of thick natural yoghurt, roast vegetables or a crisp green salad.

Cauliflower & Peach Curry (Vegan): A family-friendly vegetarian curry of crunchy cauliflower florets bathed in a creamy rooibos, thyme and peach sauce. A hint of dried peach adds natural sweetness. Pair with fluffy rice and flatbreads to soak up the fragrant sauce.

Oom Roelof’s Chianina Beef Lasagne: A luxurious take on a classic. This lasagne features coarsely ground beef from our own Chianina herd – a prized Italian breed known for its flavour – layered between pasta and creamy béchamel. Ideal for a midweek dinner.

Chicken Curr: A richly spiced tomato and coconut curry, slow-simmered for deep flavour. Serve with basmati rice, fresh herbs and coconut shavings for a warming meal that’s ready in minutes.

Caponata Halloumi Bake: A rustic Mediterranean bake layered with halloumi (made from our own Jersey milk), aubergine, olives and capers. Best enjoyed with fresh sourdough and a drizzle of our three-year-old balsamic vinegar.

Spinach & Mushroom Phyllo Bake: A flaky golden phyllo crust filled with creamy spinach, mushrooms and a hint of lemon zest. Serve as a comforting vegetarian main, or a side to grilled or roasted dishes.

Order it Online

Babylonstoren’s new frozen meals are available at shop.babylonstoren.com, with delivery in Cape Town and surrounds, as well as Johannesburg and Pretoria main areas. And, as with all their products, Free delivery is free!.

“These delicious meals are prepared with care in our own state-of-the-art facility. Thanks to our unbroken cold chain and industry-leading practices, we’re able to deliver them perfectly frozen to your doorstep,” says Tandi Oosthuizen, Head of Retail at Babylonstoren. “Whether it’s from the farm or our hub in Johannesburg, we bring you a taste of the farm — conveniently delivered, without compromising on quality.”

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A new Pan-Asian restaurant called The Red Room headed by Liam Tomlin of Chef’s Warehouse has opened its doors at the iconic The Mount Nelson Hotel – known fondly by locals as The Pink Lady.

Operated by Liam in connection with talented South African chef David Schneider (currently head chef at Chefs Warehouse at Maison in Franschhoek), the new space will be run by the dynamic chef duo, Geoffrey Abrahams and Teenola Govender taking lead in the kitchen.

The restaurant highlights Liam’s strong passion for all things Asian, from the culture to the flavour profiles of their dishes. “The menu will take guests on a curated journey through the East. Honouring these cuisines with a unique dining experience in an iconic setting,” he says.

The restaurant will offer both an á la carte menu that features small plates such as grilled scallops with Tom Yum foam and Kombu butter or Korean BBQ pork steamed bun, along with a four-course set menu to share. A notable dish off the menu is the Peking Duck, paired with duck consommé, dumplings, and marinated tofu, it is a memorable dish that aims to deliver on experience and flavour. Expect tea-infused cocktail menus, sake and creative libations from the mixologist.

READ MORE: Chef Liam Tomlin’s Higgovale Home

The restaurant interior has been crafted to create a feeling of ‘old-world dining’ with sophisticated, bold colours and richly textured materials that have been chosen as the backdrop, giving the space a moody atmosphere which is amplified by an “underground den”. The deep red tones of velvet curtains at the entrance and the red booth seating, paired with the low-lit glimmering bar area create an opulent dining experience. The restaurant still houses the original features of the hotel’s previous iconic 70s grill room.

“Our hope is that by bringing Chefs Warehouse to the Mount Nelson, we will aid in expanding the food and beverage offering for the already-legendary hotel, giving guests little reason to leave the property in search of world-class dining,” adds Liam.

The Red Room is open from Monday to Saturday, from 6pm to 9.15pm.

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Makers Landing, the visionary food emporium and incubator space at the Cape Town harbour, celebrates local flavours and the farm-to-plate experience.

The culinary hospitality sector was hit especially hard by the global Covid-19 pandemic, but the industrious thrum emerging from a new food destination at the V&A Waterfront suggests it’s not only recovering – it’s bouncing back with a vengeance. Located at the entrance to the working harbour and poised just metres from the quay edge, Makers Landing is designed to provide clear views of tugboats pulling mammoth international cruise ships into dock just a few breadcrumb throws away. This vast but well-considered space serves as a sensory gateway to the diverse heritage and flavours of South African cuisine.

Whether you’re hankering for an authentic shisanyama experience, an Utywala Sorghum Saison (a pale ale) or a next-level koesister, there is where you’ll find them. Here, in a welcome addition to the reimagined cruise terminal, visitors can enjoy a fresh food market; eight stations where local makers prepare food; eight small co-op eateries; five anchor tenants of varying sizes; and a demo kitchen where food lovers congregate to engage with experts about food.

And the space? A fitting revamp of a converted 1920s fruit warehouse, Makers Landing has retained the workaday feel appropriate for its location in the heart of South Africa’s oldest working harbour. The focus is clearly on the fresh produce and food – and the interiors allow for a breezy, uncluttered visit. Think concrete floors, exposed trusses, industrial lighting and a ginormous stainless steel-topped bar surrounded by food pods created from plywood, black steel and glass. At the heart of this community is a state-of-the-art kitchen, where today’s talented young entrepreneurs are given the mentorship, guidance and skills they need to become tomorrow’s award-winning food producers, chefs and restaurateurs.

Hannerie Visser, food visionary and lead curator, says the R49-million Makers Landing is intended as a hub for the Cape Town food ecosystem – from hosting events to supporting food entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, to educating the public around local food heritage. “Our offering focuses on authentic South African food and flavours, made up of a selection of eateries and maker spaces where the public can see and experience the making process,” she says. “Among other offerings, we have a beer brewery, distillery, chocolatier, cake studio, butchery and bakery who produce on site.”

Hannerie adds that what excites her most about these hand-selected tenants is that they are proudly and authentically local. ‘They are reinterpreting South African food, putting their own flavours and spin on it, and creating dishes and products that are fresh, contemporary, diverse, innovative and exciting,” she says. Tinyiko Mageza, executive marketing manager at the V&A Waterfront, concurs: “We celebrate our diverse food heritage and culture, and want to showcase good food created by real people with real stories to tell.”

Foodies of the Future

Every year, 16 talented young “foodpreneurs” will be selected to become members of the Makers Landing Food Lab Incubation Program. This is a two-year process that starts with a four-month acceleration period, followed by a growth phase for the balance of the programme, and it includes education, training and coaching that helps attendees build small food businesses. The programme “allows incubatees to hone their food and business skills under the mentorship of industry experts, and this is the heart of Makers Landing – what drove the vision,” says the V&A Waterfront’s senior manager for social impact, Henry Mathys. “It’s a space to nurture emerging food entrepreneurs and break down the barriers to enter a market dominated by established names and brands.” Applicants should have an existing food business that has been in operation for less than three years. For more information, email hi@makerslanding.co.za.

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W Design Architecture Studio’s Johan Wentzel and Grete van As have created a sophisticated building that combines elements of factory and laboratory to house the world’s first soil-less-grown truffle project.

Truffles are one of the world’s most desired delicacies. These rare finds are notoriously difficult to grow, and even harder to store – but that didn’t stop W Design Architecture Studio from confidently taking on the renovation of an industrial space in which Dagutat Science wished to realise its ambition to do so. In the organisation’s new building, Johan Wentzel and Grete van As have successfully created an environment that fosters growth.

“Dagutat Science produces edible mushrooms that are used as biological treatment in agriculture to deal with various diseases. It is the first company in the world to cultivate truffles in a moss chamber,” says Grete. “A few years ago, Dagutat Science bought an old factory building in Koedoespoort, Pretoria and asked us to refurbish it. We were inspired by their products and their approach to sustainable farming; this triggered our design concept.”

As she explains, Koedoespoort – located just east of Pretoria’s CBD – was originally surveyed and set out as a non-noxious industrial area. The site includes commercial and industrial properties – most of them, Johan says, “characterised by a uniquely industrial saw-tooth roof aesthetic”. He adds that the area is a dynamic, production-driven precinct with little concern for the streetscape or the “spirit of place”.

This is the backdrop for the Dagutat Science project, which required the renovation of a decommissioned small-arms ammunition factory. The change in the building’s purpose was a true 180-degree turnaround, when you think about it – so it’s no wonder that, as Johan explains, the conceptual idea for the project was inspired by Dagutat Science’s focus on creating “conditions for life”. “If we view the city as a living, breathing organism, then this project serves as the ‘urban acupuncture needle’ that can revitalise the whole by healing a part,” he says.

And indeed, a sense of life is now evident from the moment one arrives in Eland Street, where the building is situated, Johan says, because the very first point of contact for any Dagutat Science visitor driving through the street is a new forest of lavender trees – representing grace, calmness and, most importantly, life.

The layout and design of the building itself was a considered process – after all, it needed to house not only a fully functional laboratory, but also a test kitchen, and every process that takes place between growth and cooking. “The new laboratory pods are seen as ‘floating and light’ units – not touching the solid structure directly, but holding inside them the secrets to life,” says Johan. “Behind the protective veil of the new steel screen – or peridium, in reference to fungi’s protective outer layer – the elevated unfinished concrete office building houses a boardroom with a Zeiss microscope, to illustrate and visualise the minuscule scale at which Dagutat Science operates to make its huge impact on the world. The test kitchen on the lower level is fitted for experimental cooking based on the company’s latest development of cultivated Mustérion Craft Truffles – Winter Black and Winter White.”

In addition, Johan says, the updated design is a nod to the notion of permanence. “Architecture is a mixture of nostalgia and extreme anticipation. While the primary existing structure was retained, almost as a skeleton or a frame, we made room for things that matter by removing everything that doesn’t.” In line with this principle, all the building’s 1970s construction was clearly differentiated from the 2019 updates via choices of materials, connections and detailing.

“Buildings should be a reflection of an era, in a said instant,” says Johan – and it’s clear that this unique new creative space located in the heart of an industrial park is precisely that.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Read more about W Design Architecture Sudio’s projects here.

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Award-winning chef Vusi Ndlovu has just completed his residency at 58 in The Cradle of Humankind, kicking off a series of future residencies. 

Chef Vusi Ndlovu of EDGE in Franschhoek ran his residency creating bespoke a la carte food at FARRMHOUSE 58. One of the key components and concepts around the growth of the restaurant was to begin hosting Chef’s in Residency from around the globe to share and exchange skills within the restaurant community.

As the inaugural session, Vusi showcased his knowledge, techniques and passion and celebration for Africa, with a strong focus on under-utilised ingredients and recipes passed down from generation to generation. To create his menu, he used seasonal, indigenous ingredients grown locally.

“The residency’s goal is to learn about and comprehend Chef’s approach, as well as to encourage deeper dialogues that go beyond food. Chef Vusi stayed at FARMHOUSE 58 for the duration of his one-week residency. Each day, he conducted specially themed workshops with guests at the FARMHOUSE 58. Guests are encouraged to participate, indulge and connect with this experience at their leisure,” FARMHOUSE 58 elaborates.

FARMHOUSE 58 will be releasing its future residencies soon.

Looking for more cool local spaces? Take a look at the new Alto 234 rooftop bar.

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The nominees are determined by a panel of anonymous judges (apart from Chief Judge Margot Janse), who select the restaurants according to a list of criteria. The awards, which will be held in Cape Town on 17 November, will name the country’s Top 10 restaurants, as well as the winners of 11 more awards, including the Eat Out VISI Style Award and the Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award.

Below, find a list of this year’s nominees:

• Camphors at Vergelegen
• Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia
• Chefs Warehouse at Maison
• Eike

• FABER
• Fermier Restaurant
• Foxcroft

• FYN Restaurant

Image credit: Graeme Wyllie

• Greenhouse at The Cellars-Hohenort
• Grei
• Janse & Co

• Jardine Restaurant
• Jordan Restaurant
• La Colombe

• La Tête
• La Coin Français
• La Petit Colombe
• LivingRoom at Summerhill Estate
• Overture

• Pierneef à La Motte
• Protégé

• Restaurant Mosaic at the Orient
• Rust en Vrede
• Salsify

Image credit: Justin Patrick

• The Restaurant at Waterkloof
• The Shortmarket Club

• The Test Kitchen
• The Werf Restaurant at Boschendal

• Tjing Tjing Momiji

Image credit: Kleinjan Groenewald

• Wolfgat

For more information, visit eatout.co.za.

The post Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards 2019: The Nominees appeared first on Visi.

Bright and intricate paper sculptures by Korean paper artist and graphic designer Lee Ji-hee depict scale models of food and micro versions of vehicles and everyday household furnishings.

The vividly coloured artworks are meticulously detailed and built from paper and glue. From mini vacuum cleaners and tiny camper vans adorned with palm fronds to cheesy pizzas and twirly pasta, the paper is manipulated to capture the essence of Lee’s subject matter.

See more of Lee’s work on Instagram (@edaeri11) or via her website.

(h/t) thisiscolossal.com

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These adorable, detailed miniatures by Japanese artist Tomoko Misumi take tiny food and cuteness to the next level.

From bento boxes and small pieces of jam toast to birthday cakes and sushi, Tomoko shrinks regular food items and reimagines them at one-tenth of the scale.

Using Fimo clay, wood, paper, paint and non-edible materials, she gets her creations as close to the real thing as possible. Here are 10 of our favourites.

Discover more of Tomoko’s work on Instagram.

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Paris-based pastry chef Tal Spiegel has amassed over 300 000 followers on Instagram, posting pictures of the most spectacular pastries, coupled with equally eye-catching shoes.

A former graphic designer and art director, Tal decided at the age of 29 to combine his love of design and patisserie, moving to Paris to study and follow his dream.

We scoured the Desserted in Paris feed to find 15 of our favourite combinations.

See more colour-coded combinations on Instagram.

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The Karoo Padstal is the perfect spot to stop at while on your next road trip. We chat to co-owner Nicol Grobler, who also owns the nearby Richmond Café & Rooms with his wife Klaradyn, featured on page 68 in the latest issue of VISI, about the space.

What was the design brief?

Karoo farming friends (Vic & Magda Kock) asked for my help to convert a small farmhouse on their farm next to the N1 highway into a guest house/farmstay. This proved to be a challenge, as it had no redeeming features, no Karoo charm. It was a square box with large steel windows and a shallow, single pitch corrugated iron roof. After much consideration, I contacted a colleague from a neighbouring town for help (Susan van der Berg is an architect living in Philipstown). She agreed with me in that if we can’t hide it, we have to celebrate it: “Dip it in red roof paint!” And so we did.

On our (my wife, Klaradyn, and I work as a team) first site visit, Klaradyn asked the farmer about the abandoned sheep-shearing shed next to the house. It turned out that he had no plans for it and would gladly let us use it as a padstal. It was abandoned, but beautiful! It had all the Karoo charm we had been looking for – high ceilings, thick walls, steep roof, etc.

What inspired the interiors?

Klaradyn and I collect furniture and “stuff” wherever we go. But everything had a special place in our guest house in the village, The Richmond Café and Rooms. Lebrun Rossouw, a friend who is also a collector with a guest house in Richmond and owner of the Jolly Roger in Parktown, Joburg, realised the possibility of the building and became a business partner. He has a collection of old doors, windows and furniture that he had acquired over many years of visiting auctions, which he brought from Johannesburg in bakkie-loads full.

This bakkie-offloading every fortnight largely determined the outcome of the design. We were like children around a Christmas tree every time he arrived. We would then decide what to add where over a glass of wine. Beautiful old shopfronts found a perfect home behind the sliding Waenhuis doors, old aluminium sliding doors were repurposed to frame a beautiful Karoo landscape from the restaurant area, old prison doors keeps the wine store secure at night. Kevin McKey, a friend who retired here from Durban, also joined the party. He provides a lifetime of business management skills, and together with Victor Chirwa, did a lot of the woodwork on the site.

Does the work of any local artists and designers feature within the space?

Yes. Mud Studio Ceramics, as well as leather, wool and sheepskin products from local suppliers. We also have beautiful preserves, fig cakes and salad dressings by Liedjiesbos. We keep our carbon footprint low.

What can you expect to find at the Karoo Padstal?

Apart from the typical padstal preserves, frozen lamb and biscuits, our chef Yurietta Stevens prepares a daily Harvest Table lunch with local lamb dishes, wholesome food and fresh salads – mostly grown in our own garden. Our homemade lamb pies and sosaties are fast becoming legendary. The barista serves the best coffee in this part of the  Karoo (Deluxe Coffeeworks). We boast many locally sourced products and are fortunate to be stocked with export quality pecans by Bob and Sarah (Roux Pecans, Hopetown), Lowerland Wines (produced by Bertie Coetsee from Prieska) and Langbaken cheese from Williston.

Why is it a must-stop for people en-route to their next destination?

We stick to selling quality, local free-range lamb (no imports) and great coffee with clean restrooms, fresh air and tranquil views. There is also space for your pets to run around and for kids to stretch their legs.

For more information, visit facebook.com/karoopadstal or follow Karoo Padstal on Instagram.

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