Restaurant Review - Nobu

Strawbz’s hubby says:

I’m hijacking this blog temporarily (upon Strawbz’ request) to tell you about a food experience I had a few weeks ago.

As a motoring journalist I end up at a lot of formal dinners, some for vehicle launches and some to meet industry people and fellow journalists. I have been to more four- and five-star hotels than I can count, and sadly many of them are found wanting when it comes to their menus.

Fancy bedrooms, helpful staff and beautiful surroundings – all of these are relatively easy to pull off when compared to creating really good food. After all my years in the motoring industry I would without hesitation opt for a home-cooked meal over one with claims of Michelin or five-star status.

So when General Motors invited me to a dinner with GM International Operations Communications vice president Johan Willems, I was both eager and wary. With GM, the company is always good – I was just hoping the food would match.

We headed for Nobu at the One & Only Hotel in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront. The hotel and its surroundings are truly exquisite. The reception area is a vast, open room with a ceiling that hangs a good 30 metres or more above the main lounge,

There I waited at the central bar, sipping one of the best Mojitos I have had anywhere.



Soon the gang of local journos, along with GM communications manager for South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, Denise van Huyssteen, were gathered and ready to go.

The Nobu restaurant branches off from the main reception area of the hotel and is relatively compact (about 100 seats) but stunningly decorated.





Our waitress quickly solved the dilemma of myriad menu choices and offered to bring us group platters until we said: “No more”. I lost out on tempura and Kobe (or Wagyu, as Nobu calls it) beef because of this – but the trade-off was worth it.

The food (finally)

We began the evening with a marinated salmon sashimi – soft, fresh and full of flavour. So far, so good – quality and presentation got really good points but originality scored low.

Along with this we had endamame salad. This is green soya-bean pods, picked before they get hard and then boiled and marinated. They have a hard, inedible outer skin and so you have to squeeze the bean out of the pod to eat it. I’ve had this before and this second tasting confirmed what I thought then – finicky to eat and tastes bloody awful!

This was followed by beef carpaccio and the most extraordinary salmon. The fish tasted as if it had been heavily barbequed in a sticky marinade, but the meat was visibly raw and fresh. The beef scored high – this is only the second time I have had buttery-soft meat in a restaurant (and it wasn’t even Wagyu).

Platters of beef kushisashi and chicken yakitori followed. In their very basic essence, these are simply beef and chicken kebabs. However, these were tender, flavourful little packages of meat. Wow!

Also worth mentioning was a dish of grilled (or was that fried?) Salmon in a decadent, sticky soya and sherry sauce.

A few dishes later we were presented with one of the biggest bowls of sushi I have seen so far. Each piece was delicate and had a very unique flavour. Even the basics – like prawns over sushi rice – were scrumptious. The freshest sushi I have had to date.



Each course was washed down with some rather delicious wine – a Shiraz in my case (I really wish I had noted the label, because now I feel like a fool for not writing it down.)

Then it was on to desert – individual spoons of sorbet made from fresh fruits. Delicious, but not enough for my sweet tooth.

I could go on about the food in detail for pages and pages. What it boils down to is this: Nobu is truly an astounding restaurant and the menu, food, wine and service were spectacular.

Just note that you have to have very deep pockets to eat here. Very, very, very deep pockets.


(Review by Fu)

Pancake Day

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday which, for us Catholics and many other Christian denominations, mark the start of Lent. This is a sacred time of fasting, sacrifice, prayer and penance which helps to prepare us for the celebration of Easter.

It is traditional during this time to forego all rich and fatty foods, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays when we are not allowed to eat meat. As I'm not a big fish fan this usually means that by the end of Lent my family is pretty sick of tuna pasta bake as that is one of the few fish meals I really enjoy. So this year I have decided it’s time to find a few alternatives. For the duration of Lent I will be trying out new fishy recipes on my family and sharing the results and their reactions to them.

Before we start on this special journey of Lent we have one last day to indulge. Shrove Tuesday also known as Pancake Day, is when we enjoy special treats many will forgo during Lent. We make huge stacks of pancakes that can be eaten with either savory or sweet fillings - some countries hold special pancake races where contestants have to flip pancakes in a pan while running.

In Iceland, Shrove Tuesday is known as Sprengidagur, which means Bursting Day. In France and French speaking regions in the USA it is called Mardi Gras, meaning Fat Tuesday. In Sweden it is Fettisdagen, which also translates as Fat Tuesday. To find out more about how this day is celebrated in different countries visit the British Life & Culture website by Mandy Barrow.

If you are looking for a easy and delicious pancake recipe to make for tonight try this one. It has never let me down and my family love it.

Pancake Batter

500ml cake flour (2 cups)
2 ml salt
2 eggs
500ml water (2 cups)
5ml lemon juice (1 teaspoon)

(This recipe can easily be doubled or even trippled depending on how many pancakes you need)

- Sift the flour and salt together.
- Mix the water, eggs and lemon juice.
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour and whisk till it forms a smooth batter.

Cover the batter and let it rest for an hour.

- Lightly oil a frying pan and heat to medium-high temperature.
- Add a ladle of batter to the pan and swirl it around till it covers the base of the pan.
- When the one side of the pancake is cooked flip it over to cook the other side.
- Keep the pancakes warm by gently simmering water in a big pot with a dinner plate on top, then simply place the cooked pancakes on top and close with a dome lid.
- When they are all finished serve hot with either a savoury or sweet filling.


Happy Shrove Tuesday everyone!! enjoy your pancakes.

Square one

It all started with a square. Actually it started with me deciding about a year ago that I wanted to learn a new craft. On an impulse I thought, what about knitting? I never like doing anything without purpose so I had to have a goal to work towards. Since I was looking for a new TV blanky it seemed only logical that this would be my first ever knitting project.

My darling hubby took me to the local wool shop where I bought a pair of knitting needles and some lovely balls of red and orange wool. I went home with a big smile, confident that I was going to somehow turn these balls into a fluffy blanky that will keep my family warm for generations to come.

The only little hiccough in my master plan was that I had not held a pair of knitting needles since I was a little girl and even then my granny used to put the stitches on, pick them up again when I dropped them and cast off the rows when I was done. Not that I was going to let this little detail get in my way.

I turned once again to my trusty friend Google and went searching for a 'how to start knitting' tutorial. It's amazing what you can find on the web when you know where to look. I was surprised to find how many different ways there are to just get the stitches onto the needles in the first place. After trying a few, I started to remember the way my granny did it; she used to twist the wool around her thumb and then hook it over the needle. I was amazed at how the memories started flooding back. It was like my hands remembered what to do and soon I was busy knitting away with a huge grin on my face.

The first little square took me about four days to complete but after a few weeks I was getting much better and although I would never win any speed-knitting competitions I was eventually able to do about one and a half squares per day.



I loved working on my blanky and was looking forward to the day I could cubble up under it to watch my favorite movie. Unfortunately after a few months I got side tracked and slowly but surely started to fall behind on my knitting. Eventually it got packed away along with my scrapbooking stuff, half-completed cross stitch projects and other bits and pieces I always tell myself I still want to make time for.

Currently we are slap dash in the middle of another blistering hot summer with temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees celsius and the heat making even breathing feel like a chore. Well what better time could there possible be to get back to my knitting? I know it seems insane, I mean who wants to sit with a bundle of wool on their lap while the sun is trying its best to boil your insides; but the thing is, the summer is not going to last forever and if I get going now I might just be able to finish my TV blanky before the winter has time to unpack its bags.



I calculated that my blanky will need ninety squares, nine squares wide and ten squares long, to be the perfect size to cuddle under, at the moment it has twenty seven squares, and since autumn is only a few weeks away I'd better get knitting.

A new year, a new outlook

Although we are already well into this (not so) new year this is my first blog post for 2011 and quite a lot has happened in the past few weeks and months.

I ended 2010 by living out one of my biggest dreams as our family got to spend about three weeks touring the UK with my mom. We left Cape Town on my son's 13th birthday and after a brief stop over in Johannesburg and a loooooooong flight right through the night, we finally made it to Heathrow early the next morning.

The UK is everything we hoped for and more; there was history and wonder waiting for us around every corner. I felt like a weary wanderer coming out of the desert and stumbling into a pool of clear, sparkling water - I can not get enough of this country or its people and I wanted to drink it all in and store it away safely so I would never forget a single moment.

In London we spend two days on the Big Red Bus having all the best-known sights pointed out to us by our friendly, helpful tour guides and then ended our second day with a Thames River cruise. The great thing about the Big Red Bus is that you can get on or off as many times as you want while your ticket is still valid, so when you see a place you want to investigate, you just jump off and then catch the next Big Red Bus that comes along.



Before going to the UK, London was the place I was least excited to visit. I thought it would be just another big city and they are all pretty much the same. I was so wrong, I don't think I could ever get tired of London; whether it's walking in St James' Park and feeding the cheeky squirrels, enjoying the festive atmosphere at the annual Hyde Park Christmas Market (where we had roasted chestnuts), standing next to the 900-year-old Tower of London or finding a favorite pub where you can warm up over a bowl of hot soup and a generous glass of mulled wine. As Samuel Johnson once said; "When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."



From London we traveled north to the breathtaking town of York, with its rich Roman and Viking history. We walked along its ancient wall, sipped mulled cider, climbed up to Clifford's Tower and learned more about the Vikings at the Norvic Museum. In the evening we were privileged to celebrate mass at St Wilfrid's, which dates back to 1864 and stands not far from the York Minster cathedral.





My daughter and I could have spent an entire day at the Beatrix Potter gift shop with trinkets and collectables to suit anyone’s budget. However, a visit to York would not be complete without lunch at the famous Golden Fleece, the most haunted pub in York; but we were not there for the ghosts, we wanted to try their legendary Yorkshire Puddings. I have never seen a Yorkie that size before, it was as big as a dinner plate yet as light as a feather. We decided we had to go try these out at home.



Saying goodbye to the magical town of York, we continued North to Edinburgh in Scotland where we finally caught up with the snow. The kids (and us) loved the fluffy, freshly fallen snow and they played outside till we finally lured them in with a cup of hot chocolate.



We stayed in a lovely holiday apartment on the Royal Mile half way between Hollyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle in a street called Old Tollbooth Wynd. The first night we got there we had supper at the Old Tolbooth Tavern just a few slippery steps away from our front door. This was where we had our first taste of the famous Scottich Haggis, and to our surprise we found that we all loved it. We spent the rest of the week eating Haggis at some of the pubs up and down the Royal Mile but in the end we all decided that our favorite was still that served at the Old Tolbooth Tavern.





We shopped along Princess Street, spend a morning exploring the majestic Edinburgh Castle, admired the dark stone buildings and looked for treasures in the interesting little gift shops.





The only thing we did not like was the place where we had planned to have our Christmas lunch. The pub was called The Bank Hotel, they were completely disorganised, rude and unfriendly, however we were not going to let them upset our Christmas so we ended up going to the Bay of Bengal where we had a fantastic lunch and the staff were eager to please. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and we enjoyed the most delicious curries and biryani, a great alternative to our usual traditional Christmas lunch.

After Christmas we were back on the road, this time to explore Shakespeare’s place of birth, Stratford-upon-Avon. We stayed at the New Inn Hotel in a little village just outside of Stratford called Clifford Chambers.



We met some of the villagers one morning as we were heading into Stratford. We were amazed to be told by one very elderly lady with a twinkle in her eye that she only went home after midnight on Christmas eve as she was playing cards with her friends and lost track of time. This pretty much sums up most of the local people we met in Clifford Chambers, friendly, fun and with a mischievous sparkle. We went on long walks around the Village and took some photos of the local Manor House that dates back to the 15th or 16th century and was redesigned by Edwin Lutyens after it was badly damaged in a fire in 1918.



In Stratford we got to see The Holy Trinity Church where William Shakespeare was baptised and later buried. After exploring the church we went for a walk in a beautiful park, it was covered in a light layer of snow and ice and there was a soft mist in the air that added a real storybook feel to it. Walking in that park was one of those moments in life that you want to bottle and keep forever; it was the place of dreams.





We loved our time in Stratford and Cliffords Chamber but all too soon it was time to pack our bags and head back to Heathrow for our flight home.

When we booked in for our flight the friendly ground hostess offered to change our tickets as there were a few open seats available on a direct flight from London to Cape Town, which would cut five hours out of our traveling time.

By the time we landed in Cape Town we were all ready to turn around and go back, the only thing we knew for sure was that we had all left our hearts in England and we can't wait to go back.

England is a magical country and it is clear where authors like Terry Pratchett and J.K. Rowling get their inspiration. Surrounded by all that history, architecture, parks, museums and cathedrals it was like stepping right into one of their books. Walking around the outer wall of Buckingham Palace, all I could think of was the wall around the Unseen University and I wanted to look for the 'secret' back entrance used by the students who return after curfew.

We have now been back for almost eight weeks but it feels like it's been a life time, as Tiffany says in A Hat Full of Sky; "Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving." (Terry Pratchett) This trip has changed us all and forced us to take a long hard look at our life and where it is going; we know now where we want to be.

I am your cake!

Darth Vader eventually went off to conquer another birthday party and overall I think he turned out quite well - not sure if I would ever want to make another one but it was lots of fun and a huge learning experience for me. My client and the birthday boy were both happy with the end result. I was a bit disappointed that due to the size, and having to start baking him so far in advance the cake dried out a bit and was not as moist as usual. I think next time I end up doing a really BIG cake I might freeze the cakes before hand to keep them moist for longer.




The same day Darth Vader left my house I got another call from a lady who was looking for some black and white cupcakes for an adult birthday party as well as a few kiddies ones. She was very specific about the kiddies' cupcakes and only wanted a thin outline of a car on them so that there would be the minimal amount of icing used. It took a bit of practice but I think they turned out really well and my client loved them, it was just what she wanted. For the 'adult' cupcakes I used a black and white swirl pattern with just a touch of edible glitter, they looked very 'grown-up' and she was very happy with them.




I had some black and white icing left after making the cupcakes so instead of wasting I decided to have some fun and play around with some cupcake stencils I got from a company called Paperkutz. I still need to play around with them a bit more but they are a really easy and fun way to decorate cupcakes.




Fun with food

Having fun is what cooking, baking and eating is all about.

I'm the type of person if you invite me to a party I'll spend more time in the kitchen picking up tips from the chef than mingling with the crowds. However, even I sometimes get stuck in a rut and then cooking seems like a chore or even a punishment, I get frustrated, tired and start thinking take-outs. Lately I have been trying to help my kids get through their exams, find ways to promote my business and finishing off arrangements for our Christmas holiday so its no wonder that after a very long day the idea of making dinner has just not filled me with joy and excitement. That was until my Hubby misunderstood a message from my mom.

My Mom lives in England and we communicate mostly through SMS or email, yesterday my hubby was reading one of my mom's emails in which she talks of the Squidlies that she saw. Now I know that, that is our 'pet' name for Squirrels but my hubby was a little confused so he did what we always do when faced with something unknown - he googled it and what he found turned supper into a big laugh.

It seems that Squidlies are one of the names used for a very interesting fun food dish where you start by sticking dry, uncooked spaghetti into hot dog cubes. You then boil theses little 'creatures' in a big pot of salted water till the spaghetti strands are soft and serve with a sauce of your choice.

My hubby decided we simply had to have these for dinner so promptly went on a grocery run after work to get all the ingredients. They were very easy to make and we all loved the end result, they look like little squid creatures and they taste great. My hubby served them with a plain tomato based pasta sauce (or as my daughter said, Squidlie blood) and we will definitely be making these again in the future.






Finding something new and unusual to make with everyday ingredients have once again sparked my imagination and this morning I found myself planning dinner at 8am.

Wonder what it will be.

Stressed? Just read a blog

This week I am taking on my biggest baking challenge to date, I have been asked to bake a Darth Vader cake and a few Star Wars cupcakes for a young boy's birthday party. At first I was not too worried about this but as the big day gets nearer I find myself obsessing about this cake 24 hours a day. I have worked out the basic shapes I want to use to build him but I'm still very worried about getting his facemask just right.

To top it all off my darling hubby has had to go on a business trip so I don't even have him here to calm me down and stop me from turning into a blubbering, icing covered wreck. To stop myself from going totally crazy I decided to peruse my favorite blogs to see what everyone has been up to. This is when I stumbled upon a 'new' blog, not new as in 'just started' but new to me.

Its called Life as Mom, its written by another busy mom trying to find "the road to joyful motherhood". As a Christian, daughter, wife, mother and friend, I'm always trying to do better, help more and be there for others but often this means forgetting about what I want. Don't get me wrong, I love every second that I can spend being there for my family and friends, the rewards I get from them are worth more that all the money in the world. I just think it is important every now and then to remember to look after myself and to find out what it is I need to keep me going. Reading through the Life as Mom blog I found myself smiling, its great to find that there are other moms out there also trying to find that balance between looking after others and looking after yourself.

If you are looking for some inspiration today, go read this blog. I know I will be back there soon.

What we all need

On Saturday I made a Manchester United cake for a 15-year-old fan's birthday. He wanted it kept simple so I just made it a square vanilla sponge cake, covered in white butter icing, then colored and rolled out some plastic icing to cut out the Man United logo.

I had a great time trying to get the logo just right and what made it even better was that my hubby decided to help out - so he cut out the soccer balls in the logo. He did an amazing job and the soccer balls rounded the logo off perfectly. He first tried to cut the red stripes using a template but eventually just cut the design by hand and it looked great.

Its such a blessing to have a hubby that is so supportive and creative - he always believes I can do anything no matter how big or small, complicated or simple, even when I am full of doubt and have no idea where to start - he just smiles and says he knows it will turn out great.

My hubby is no push over though, I always ask his opinion when I'm done with a cake as he knows I prefer to hear the truth - he has very high standards and will tell me quickly if he feels there is something missing or not quite right - but because of this I know I can trust his judgment and when he says its great; I have to believe him.

I know I am very, very luck to have him in my life, we all need someone who believes in us even when we don't, who loves us even when we are slumming it around the house and who is always there to make us smile when life gets in the way.


(and lets not forget; to taste our latest kitchen experiments)