Till We Meet again...

We left Cape Town for Buenos Aries on the 20th July at about 11am. 

The last lingering glance at the beautiful city. Taken from the plane after we took off. Can see the Table Mountain, Lion's Head, the city and even the waterfront. I seldom feel sad when leaving a visiting city but this was how I felt leaving Cape Town. I felt the four days stay was just too short as there were still so many places we didn't get to see.

The city gets smaller and smaller...

as we gets further and higher. 

Bye and hope to see you soon.

We arrived Buenos Aires on the 20th july at about 3pm after almost 9 hours of travelling. Another 5 hours behind Malaysian time, that means a total of 11 hours behind, which translate to 'total chaos' for me. 

See you next in Buenos Aires!   

Chicken Pie

Chicken Pie in Shortcrust Pastry

Just as I was at a lost about what food to blog as I am so out of touch with cooking, Bryan asked for chicken pie. So, chicken pie it is but it must be years since I last made one. 

Very tempted to grab a packet of frozen puff pastry when I stopped by a supermarket but I don't like puff pastry as I find it so light it is like biting air and always leaves a waxy aftertaste in the mouth. 

That means I would have to do my own pastry. As I like my pie wrapped top and bottom with pastry so shortcrust will be ideal. I think I like the pastry part as much as the filling. 

There was the siew york guy and he had some roasted chicken. To make lighter work, grabbed half a chicken and half the dish is ready.

I used the same shortcrust pastry recipe as in my apple pie but bind using eggs instead of water for a richer pastry and added salt as this is a savoury pie. 

For the filling

Cube some onion, celery, button mushroom, leek, cooked chicken, carrot and ham or whatever you have in the fridge ;p. I like to add more veggie in to balance off all the butter and cream used in this dish. 

 

Heat some butter in wok, sauté some chopped garlic and add in the harder to cook veggie like carrot and leek first. Then add the rest of the ingredients, half a can of Campbell's cream of chicken, 1/2 cup of cream with 1 cup of water or stock and season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce thickens, off heat and let cool. 

To assemble pie, follow the same procedure as in the apple pie recipe.

 

As the pastry is not baked blind beforehand, place a baking tray in the oven when preheating oven. This ensure the bottom pastry to be cooked properly. Be sure to egg wash the top of pie before popping it into the oven if you want a nice glossy finish. Place the pie on the lowest shelf when cooking. Bake at 200c for about 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown.

When the bottom of the pie is well cooked, the pie can be lifted as in this picture. Not very often I get to achieve this so I would like that in print!! 

A ten-inch pie, half gone before I even get to sit down at the dinning table. Warms my heart to see the the children enjoying their food so much. Glad to know that my brood isn't that hard to please after all.     

Cape Wine Lands

The Cape Wine Lands

The next day, we set out east on the highway N1 to the wine lands.

 

This was very much the scene all the way. Rows after rows of vineyards with the mountain as backdrop. As it is winter the vines are bare and hibernating waiting for spring to arrive. This is also one of the reason why I want to come back to Cape Town during late summer or early autumn when the vineyards will be in full bloom. 

We chose to stop by in this beautiful town, Franschhoek, east of Cape Town which is famous for its wine and food. Franschhoek, literally means 'French Corner' and the french heritage is evident in the names of streets, buildings and restaurants. 

  

Houguenot Street

Thyme??

When the stomach summoned, we turned to the GPS and landed in this small restaurant in the Lindhorst vineyard (it has always been my dream to dine at a vineyard). Very basic, unpretentious and down-to-earth which also reflects the food that they served.

From the restaurant you look out to the tree house for children and miles and miles of vineyards.

Inside the restaurant.

House wine, Rosa and white. 

There was no salad listed in the menu, they serve whatever the fresh produce is for that day and believe me, this is so fresh it could have been just harvested from their backyard. It didn't need any dressing as the feta cheese went so well with it.

Carbonara at its best. The creamy sauce was silky smooth and flavored just right. We were told the cook is not a trained chef but loves to cook and has been cooking for many years. It showed in the dishes we were served.

  
When we asked about the steak, we were told there is only rump available (that's how limited the menu is). See how spartanly it was served? But every bite on that plate is worth its weight in gold, both meat and potatoes. Truly one of the tastiest steak we ever had without any sauce (just salt and pepper) and perfectly done in medium rare. 

A platter we didn't get to taste. Someone's order which the friendly waiter brought over to our table for me to take a shot, so kind of him. 

I lost the receipt for this meal but I remember the total was R160 which work out to be about Rm72.

This has to be one of the most memorable meal of this trip. The ambience, wine, food and company just come together to make it magically.

Cape of Good Hope

This is the best device for travelers like us who find map reading so, so stressful, more so than the driving itself. I remember the time we were in New Zealand. I always seem to be delegated the job of navigator, and I never failed to get us further than anywhere we planned to go and by the time we did get to the intended destination, tempers and tantrums would have flared and taken away all the fun and anticipation of the new place no matter how beautiful. All you wanted to do is to sleep off the stress.      

This GPS which cost only R40 ~ RM18 to rent is absolutely godsend. All you need to do is know the name of the place you want to arrive at (even some restaurants are listed), key in and press 'GO'. It will tell you to turn left or right at certain junction, drive certain distance and we never got lost, best part if you miss a turn or take a wrong turn it just 'recalculates' and gets you back on track.

Never intended to rent a car here in Cape Town until K found out that GPS are available. Glad we did because the other alternative was to follow tour groups. We are not very keen to do that as we hate keeping time and schedule on a holiday.

We had the car for two whole days and managed to go south to the cape of good hope and east to the wine lands of South Africa.

The 'light' breakfast we had before setting out...

A huge croissant.

 

A crusty top muffin with soft center. I am beginning to like the idea of a cup of cappuccino on a cold morning. 

Very good homemade apricot and strawberry preserves.

The scenery all the way to Cape of Good Hope was so breathtaking, it made us stop and slow down so many times. For a trip that was scheduled to arrive (according to the GPS) in about 45 minutes it took us more than two hours to get there. 

Entrance to the Cape Of Good Hope

This national park which encompasses the southernmost portion of the cape peninsular is rugged, unspoiled and very scenic. 

The energy of the ocean in this area was so strong it made me giddy.

This is not the most southern point but just the the most South-Western point of the African Continent.

On the way back from the Cape of Good Hope, we stopped by  a quaint little town called Simon's Town. It is a historical naval town.

We decided to have an early dinner at Bertha's, a restaurant right by the waterfront in Simon's Town. 

Black Chicken Salad (R49 ~ Rm22)

Salad with blackened chicken (blackening comes from the butter charring the pan and not from the spices). Cajun cuisine?  

Mussels (R36 ~ Rm16)

Not too satisfied with the mussels we had the night before in Quay Four, K ordered this starter again. This was so good we were licking up every drop of the creamy sauce (flavored with a hint of white wine and herbs).

Pickled Fish (R58 ~ Rm 26)

Thought I would be a little adventurous and order this pickled fish. What was I expecting?? Hinava?? Anyway, it was boiled fish that was marinated with vinegar and spices. The fish was hard and dry while the marinade tasted weird - nothing I could identified with. I took a bite and just couldn't continue and K fully satisfied with his most amazing dish couldn't help either. We doggie bagged it and gave it to one of the hotel valet.

Fish and Chips (R65 ~ Rm30)

I ended up with this no-fail fish and chips dish. Very well done, fresh, juicy and crispy. 

Calamari Steaks (R60 ~ Rm27)

This dish K ordered is out of this world. Stole almost half from him in the pretext of exchange.

Sooo delicious...chewy yet tender, grilled to perfection with all the juicy sweetness sealed in by the caramelized surface. 

A Journey Of Hope

Dahlia

Arrived home early this morning from Nagoya. This was not a holiday trip as I have mentioned and I was too optimistic about picture taking of food and scenery. The whole trip was a whirlwind of activities and most of the meals were buffet or pack-to-go and had to be eaten in a hurry. I am sorry there is not much to show as there was no time to hold the camera at all. 

The convention was a gathering of about 10,000 participants from all over the world. It was basically a symposium to gather and exchange information regarding energy conservation, nature preservation, organic agriculture, pollution, global warming, recycling and many topics like education, medicine and politics related to making the world a better, safer, cleaner and most of all, to bring a brighter hope for the future. 

It was truly awe inspiring when many of the participants, experts and layman alike shared their experiences and knowledge. 

I think each and everyone of us knows to a certain extent what needs to be done to reverse this mad consumerism and wasteful state we are in. Knowing is one thing but it is the doing that will make any difference and it starts right here with oneself. 

When each and everyone of us actively and consciously begin this conservation movement no matter how small the action, we will begin to bring about a change and hope to the world.  

It was a very uplifting convention and by the end of it, I think, everyone was raring to do one's best in our own homes, society and country. 

After the closing of the convention, all the foreign participants were given yet another gift - a surprise bonus, two 'handshakes', totally unexpected and overwhelmingly touched.  

A trip with no physical images but abundant soul imprints...

 

Cape Town - V&A Waterfront

We alighted the city tour bus at the Victoria And Alfred Waterfront. Read more about this most charming and bustling waterfront here. We spent the rest of the day here but there were just too many things going on to be covered in a day. 

A guitarist preforming with an instrument made out of a Castrol motor oil tin can. 

Another with a saxophone.

 

A group performance of native music. They even have CD recordings for sale.

Saw this seal and many more at the jetty. Very beautiful animals. Notice the neck, looks like it has some leash round it? These are cord or noose cutting into the seal's flesh. It is the result of fishing line, raffia cords, plastic ropes etc that find their way to the water. Being very playful animals the seals swarm into the noose. As they grow the noose gets tighter and cuts deeper into the flesh eventually causing death if not removed. It is not an easy task to get near the animal to cut the noose as they are very alert and can be aggressive.  Another victim to human's pollution. 

Took a cruise out of the harbor to the open ocean and K was busy snapping away...

at all the yachts and boats that rolled by and I yelled and waved at him 'Hi, I am here, remember?' but to no avail as he was totally engrossed with the passing crafts. 

 

This boat 'Susan Kruger' was used to ferry prisoners to and fro Robben Island (about 7km from Cape Town) where a maximum security prison was housed but now is a museum.  It is so famous because Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 imprisonment years incarcerated there and was only released from Pollsmoore Prison in 1990. In 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He celebrated his 90th birthday on 18th July, 2008. 

The Nobel Square

The four nobel prize laureates: Luthuli (1960), Tutu (1984), De Klerk (1993) and Mandela (1993).

Below are the many facades of the waterfront:

 

By evening the whole waterfront becomes even more magically enchanting.

The swinging bridge.

The clock tower.

As it is winter here in Cape Town the sun sets very early, by 5.30 it is already dark. 

Only then we started looking for food. Earlier on I spied a huge crowd in a restaurant we passed and I as usual applied my father's rule of thumb - 'a restaurant with a crowd is a restaurant with good food'. 

This is our first proper dinner in Cape Town so I wanted a little ambience too. All this lead us to Quay Four, a place by the sea front, alfresco and very quaint. K suggested another one called 'Ocean Basket' which he had tried before and like it too but I was dead set on Quay Four. Big mistake as far as food was concerned. I think the thumb's rule only applies to Chinese eateries. Anyway, the setting was fantastic and the company was right so we made the most of it and did have a very good evening. 

Quay Four

For starter, we had mussels (R29~ Rm13). The cream sauce as you can see was very thick and also too sweet for my liking but K thought it was ok. The mussels were very fresh and that made the dish palatable. 

Mushroom Salad (R46 ~ RM21) 

Good fresh produce and a huge portion.

Hake (R65 ~ RM30)

This was the only good dish. The Hake was fresh and moist inside its crunchy crust. Hake, I learned is a fish very closely related to cod with the taste and texture quite similar too.  

BBQ baby pork ribs (R59 ~ RM 26) 

The sauce was good but I tasted frozen meat and that put me off. The freezing must also be one of the reasons why the meat was dry.

Had this fantastic bottle of Domaine Chandon to celebrate our stay in Cape Town and life together.  

Btw, I am leaving for Japan tonight for a 5 days trip. It is not a holiday and has very tight schedule planned  everyday but I am an optimist so I am bringing my camera along. The posts for the rest of my trip to Cape Town and Buenos Aires will have to be put on hold for a while. Have a lovely weekend!

Cape Town 2

About 7.30 am

About 9 am

These scene would be the first thing that greeted me every morning when I opened my eyes for the next three days depending on the time I wake up.  

I am not a habitual coffee drinker but sitting here on this crisp, cold and beautiful morning it seemed the most natural thing to do. I actually like this cappuccino very much. We were waiting in this little cafe near the bus stop at Strand Street to board the double decker bus to go on the city tour. 

We also had these to go with the coffee and they were delicious.

So ecstatic going on to the open top of a double decker (my first), I was falling all over myself. For these brief moments I became a child again, feeling so gleeful and free like the birds. The sun, the breeze and the incredible scenery made me light headed.

The hotel we stayed in, Cape Sun also called the Southern Sun

We boarded the bus at Strand Street near our Hotel and it first meandered through the city centre. 

 

Not sure what this monument is about as we just whizzed past it.

(Just found out:The monument is of the first prime minister of the union of South Africa-Louis Botha)

This old building sandwiched between the new.

More exquisitely preserved old buildings.

A beautiful church with an obstructive white non-describable structure parked right in its frontal :(

Million-dollar homes at the foot hill of the Table Mountain.

Then the bus started towards the Signal Hill where the cable car station to the top of the Table Mountain is and the view is unbelievable.

Lion's Head

Lion's head from a different angle.

At the cable car station looking down on our right of the city.

Same spot as above pic but looking towards our left.

At the cable car station where the bus makes a turn round and started off to the rest of the trip along the coastal route.

The cable car service to the top of the Table Mountain was closed for maintenance. Very disappointed as I was really looking forward to this part of the tour. K suggested we hike but I took one look up the mountain path and decided I will come back when the cable cars are available.

The Mountain

The picture above is when one looked to the left and the picture below when looked right. That is how near the Mountain and the Ocean are. Our heads didn't know where to turn to capture the whole panorama.

The Southern Atlantic Ocean

This was taken when the bus was traveling through the beach front towards the city. The next post will be at the V&A waterfront where we stopped.

Please note that the incredible blue skies that appeared in most of the pictures above have not been photoshopped or adjusted in any way. This was exactly (or even bluer if I remember correctly) how Cape Town looked like on the 17th July 2008 (and also for the next few days).

So much for a food blog but just feast your eyes on the panoramic views and be mesmerized like I was and forget about food for a while. 

Cape Town - City centre

City centre with the Table Mountain as a backdrop

This has got to be one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever set foot on.

The city is perched in between the Table Mountain (which is like a tiara and can be viewed from the whole city) and the phenomenal coastline of the Southern Atlantic Ocean. 

The Table Mountain is neither big nor very tall but it is so, so breathtakingly picturesque. I can use all the superlative adjectives in the English language and I won't be able do justice to the beauty of this city. Neither can the photos we took.  

K and myself were fighting over the use of the camera at the beginning of the trip but later compromised to him doing the sceneries and I the food, that worked out well and no more fights.

We arrived in the morning about 8 (2 pm Malaysian time). It was a little misty and cold about 8C - 10 C. A bell boy in the hotel when learned that this was my first visit to the city so very apologetically told me that it had been kinda wet and cold for the last few days. So I was all prepared to insulate myself well and carry an umbrella to go.

Unloaded our luggage in the hotel which is situated right in the middle of town centre, walked down and the sun was shinning brightly. Everything was crisp and bright without a cloud in sight, and we just walked and walked and marveled at the beautiful old building and cobble stone alleys. 

We were so lucky the amazingly clear, crisp weather stayed throughout the duration of our stay (four days) in Cape Town. 

One of the many cobble stone avenues that displayed a colorful arrays of the native art and crafts. 

Saw this man with an eggiest head ever who was talking happily into a land phone set. I thought that was so funny, asked K to snap a picture of him and we were asked to pay. Now who laughs the loudest?

SA Museum

A piece of the Berlin wall.

Lion's Head viewed from downtown

Stopped by in a small place called Cafe Ros to take a rest and some coffee to warm up. Sitting there, the aroma from the small kitchen made us hungry, so we decided to have our lunch instead. 

Chicken Soup @ R23 (~RM10) 

This is the best chicken soup I ever tasted and that is from one who doesn't even like thick soup to start with. It is definitely made from fresh corn, fresh chicken and is beautifully flavored with herbs. K asked and apparently they added some pasta to thicken it a little but they didn't reveal the different herbs used. 

Salad Beef @R38 (~Rm17)

Very fresh greens but the beef strips were a little dry and too salty. 

Penne with mushroom and ham @ R30 (~RM14)

Doesn't look good but this is so, so tasty and perfectly done. 

It makes a lot of difference when ingredients used are fresh and you can tell that these few dishes we just had used the freshest. I was impressed and couldn't wait to start the culinary journey in Cape Town. Portions of dishes general are larger than back home. 

After the meal, went round a bit but fatigue caught up with me and tak tahan anymore, we headed back to the hotel. I thought I would just take a short nap but when I woke up it was about 8 pm. It was too late (not safe to walk around town after dark here in Cape Town, especially for foreigners) to go out for dinner. So K went next door and ta pau some Nandos Chicken and they tasted so much better than the ones in KL (again, the moon is always rounder overseas). That was our dinner the first day in Cape Town, so much for a culinary trip!