Rabbit in the Moon: Lunar Bunnies are Just Lovely

Restaurants in Joburg have really excelled in fine dining over the last few years. In Jozi, the trouble isn't finding a good restaurant, it's picking just one. The standards are high, and there's no shortage of great competition. Even having lived in this magnificent city all my life, there are still stacks of restaurants I haven't tried (I'm coming for you).

Rabbit in the Moon was one such restaurant. I'd driven past it, fallen in love with the name and the clean, open space, and shamelessly stalked it online, but I'd never actually eaten there. So when Simon, the owner and manager, offered to wine and dine JD and I, I was over the moon! (Did you see what I did there?) I had high expectations because, as I've said, restaurants in this part of the world are pretty damn good. Well, high expectations and all, I was not prepared for what awaited us. Holy bunnies of the sky, where to start?

Let's go with the ambiance, since that's the first thing you notice when you arrive. Rabbit in the Moon is an indoor-outdoor restaurant, with tables extending to a cleverly-constructed garden with tall glass walls that shield off the traffic noise. The tables here are dainty and quaint, with the most fantastic Indian theatre chairs! I've never seen these before, and it was just the sort of attention to detail that gets me intrigued about a place (aren't they gorgeous?).

Then there's the service. From the warm welcome when we arrived, the service didn't for a moment waver to anything short of excellence. The waiters were friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and quite willing to help us out with suggestions when we were overwhelmed with what dessert/cocktails to choose (read: All. The. Time).

Simon, the owner and manager, was completely attentive and happy to tell us all about the restaurant, the menu, his favourite dishes - absolutely anything. I appreciated this, but, even more so, I appreciated the way he did so with every single table.

We've reviewed restaurants before where the manager paid us lots of attention but ignored the other guests who wouldn't be writing about the experience. Simon attended to each table individually, whether they were regulars, there for the first time, or (pick me) writing about the experience.

And then, of course, the most important part: the eating and the drinking! JD and I are both huge fans of cocktails, and Rabbit in the Moon's cocktail menu has no shortage of exotic and wonderful options! We decided on the Cucumber moon (their signature cocktail) - vodka, cilantro, cucumbers, agave nectar and lime juice (for realz) and the Hemingway Daiquiri - white rum, maraschino liquor, grapefruit juice, simple syrup and lime juice. Both were delicious, although I liked the combination of white rum and maraschino liquor the best!

For starters, we went for the bruschetta with emmenthal, provolone and asiago with honey and basil (R58). I'll be honest with you, I have no idea what all of those things are, but woah when you put them all together they taste AMAZING! The inclusion of honey gave it an absolute wow-factor, making it totally different to any kind of bruschetta I've ever tasted before. It was one helluva a good start.

For main course, we needed some help deciding, because everything sounded delicious. Simon recommended the grilled fillet tagliata (R130) for JD - sliced rare fillet with parmesan and rocket, dressed in a blend of juices, garlic, and lemon, and thee panzerotti pasta with butternut, burnt butter, fresh sage, and walnuts (R105) for me. (Trust him, he knows his food!)

They were the closest to perfect I can imagine a meal being. I honestly don't know if I've ever enjoyed a dinner as much as this. The panzerotti pasta, Simon told me, is handmade freshly for your meal. All the other ingredients were fresh and delicious, and the combined effect was utter brilliance. I couldn't quite finish mine and although there was only a small amount left on my plate I requested a take away box for the rest. I couldn't bear the thought of every last morsel of this deliciousness personified not being eaten.

When it came to dessert, again we couldn't decide, so our waiter recommended the Tres Leches, a vanilla sponge cake soaked in condensed and evaporated milk, dark rum, and cream, topped with chantily cream (R45). It came topped with strawberries and surrounded by condensed milk and was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

By this stage it had gotten dark and the stars were out, and I was feeling altogether on top of the world. Rabbit in the Moon really gives the whole experience - great food, great service, great ambiance. Thanks so much to Simon and the rest of the team for inviting us to experience it first hand, Rabbit in the Moon will go down as one of my all time favourite Jozi restaurants. I highly recommend it!

You can find Rabbit in the Moon at 198 Oxford Road, Illovo Mews (right next to the Thrupps centre), or call and book a table on 011 447 6720. Oh, and please be sure to tell them I sent you!

La Vie en Rose: Great Food, In Pink

I love those beautiful garden restaurants out in the country. You know the ones? Where the owners pour their whole heart and soul into the food and the decor and the guests. And where you feel like the mere fact that you're there has made their day. It's such a lovely, personal experience. But, and here's the big but: you know what I love even more? Living in the city. Fifteen minutes to work. Three malls within ten kilometers. Energy, vibrance, vigor in every direction. Also, less bugs.

Which is why I was so impressed with La Vie en Rose. It's in the heart of Illovo, four seconds from Sandton, two and a half from Hyde Park. Yet once you walk through the gates, you may as well be in the Magaliesburg. The restaurant is, quite literally, in the garden - beneath the trees and among the flowers. It's tranquil, but, more than that, it's welcoming.

This probably had to do with our host (and part-owner), Yanky, and his team of pink-clad waitrons and manager, Miles (who introduced himself as "your lovely manager, Miles"). Yanky welcomes every customer personally - it's wonderful to watch! He calls groups of ladies "the girls" and liberally dishes out hugs and warm hellos to regulars and new customers. Despite the fact that the garden is quite big, Yanky always seems within reach of menu advice, questions, or to recommend his favourite dishes.

He explained that La Vie en Rose literally means life in pink - hence the pink theme throughout the restaurant - and figuratively means to look at life through rose-tinted glasses. Or: wonderful everything! I loved it!

And then there's the food. Oh the food. Before you've ordered, a large platter of assorted breads, dips and olives arrives on your table - "for nibbles" as our waitress put it. This is much appreciated as the menu is quite elaborate and it is likely to take you some time to decide which delicious sounding dish to order. Each item on the menu is named after a rose (it even tells you which family it's from in brackets).

There really is something for everyone, with breakfasts, starters, sandwiches, wraps, salads, light meals, burgers, and pastas. And ohmygosh! The iced teas are to die for. There are a range of exotic flavours and they come cold and sweet and utterly delish (And you must know that if I'm using a word like "delish", it means I've run out of sufficient real English adjectives. Just try the iced teas. Trust me on this).

We decided to start with the Inner Wheel: Camembert dipped in rose syrup and sesame seeds and gently pan-fried (R49). Sounds delicious right? Well check out what it looks like:

Just looking at it made my mouth water. And the little touches - like the bed of rocket and slivers of strawberries - really gave it that little bit extra. Despite how amazing it looked, it tasted even better. Dear gods of the tastebuds, it was delicious!

Deciding on our main course felt like having to choose just one puppy to take home when they're all sooo adorable, but we finally decided on light, lunch-ish things with the promise to return for dinner to try the rest. I went for the Wild at Heart Wrap - cumin and coriander spiced chicken fillets with avocado and creamy Danish feta on watercress and rocket balanced with a healthy serving of lemon zest (R73) - while JD chose the Little Rambler Sandwich - chicken breast strips tossed in Greek yoghurt with pecan nuts and Camembert topped with cranberry jam (R79).

Both came with a side of deliciously thinly sliced fries (or a salad, if you're into that kind of thing). Mine was super refreshing, and JD absolutely raved about his. We were so full from the bread and the starter though that we had to take some of our mains home with us (JD raved some more the next day when he ate the rest of his).

I took a stroll to the cake table to see what was on offer in front of the pink statement wall - doesn't it look fabulous?

We insisted to the waitress that we had absolutely no space for dessert, so I ordered a chai latte, which, somewhat predictably by now, was also delicious. She looked a little skeptical and returned a few minutes later with my latte and a Careless Love: Toblerone chocolate wrapped in phyllo pastry and flash-fried, served on berry mint coulis. And a little tin of the most divine homemade strawberry ice-cream I've ever tasted.

It looked so delicious that despite our initial hesitancy to eat even a bite more food without popping, JD and I polished off the entire thing. Even the berry mint coulis. In other news, the rumoured Dessert Stomach does, in fact, exist (there is simply no other explanation for where we fitted all this magical food).

Feeling utterly satisfied, we rolled/hobbled out of the magic garden, back to the city life, where we crashed into our bed and slept blissfully for the rest of the afternoon. That was over a week ago, and I think I've finally created enough room in my tummy to return for dinner to try out the rest of the menu.

All in all, this was one of my absolute favourite restaurant experiences (ever). The combination of warm welcomes, tranquil gardens, pink blankets (did I forget to mention the pink blankets?), and some of the best food I've ever tasted left me feeling that life really is quite rosy.

Thank you so much to the team at La Vie en Rose for inviting us! You can find La Vie en Rose (and preview their menu!) on their website, or follow them on Facebook. (Disclaimer: unintended drooling all over your keyboard may occur). And if you're still not 100% convinced, check out their rave reviews on Zomato!

Braamies Newest Coffee Joint: Father Coffee

This weekend, I FINALLY (after at least three foiled attempts due to weather, bad planning, etc) got to try out The Red Bus! I took my good friend Nicole (she's the pretty one in the hat below) and we jumped off at almost every stop, rearing to see the city! We decided to stop for lunch in Braamies, but due to our excitedness to see absolutely everything along the way, we only arrived after 2pm. On a Sunday. 

Much to our dismay, all the usual food spots were closed. Kitcheners was open, but (ironically), their kitchen was closed, and we were utterly starving. We wandered into the street, ready to settle for McDonald's when we saw it: a small store with the door open and the most wonderful smell of coffee wafting out of it. Just like that, we had found Father Coffee.

Inside was a wooden haven. Absolutely gorgeous, all coated in the smell of freshly brewed coffee. We asked if they were open, and they explained that, no, they weren't officially open, but they would happily make us a cup of coffee on the house! We couldn't believe our luck!

Now I may be a little biased here (exhaustion + starvation + warm homely coffee smelling place + super nice owners = tini-tiny bit of bias), but it was honestly the best cappuccino I have ever tasted. Ever. To make the whole experience even more magical, Barry (one of the owners) offered us some treats from the fridge. While we were snacking and sipping and reveling in the enchantedness of it all, Barry explained why the coffee was so damn good: Father Coffee only use the best of everything. All the ingredients are top class (yup, that means milk from Woolies).

Barry making cappuccinos

Yum! And look at our delicious coconut brownies!

The entire day was thrilling and delightful, but the deliciousness of Father Coffee and the kindness of Chad and Barry stands out as my favourite part of the day. I highly recommend a visit to try it out for yourself! Find them at 73 Juta St, Braamfontein.

Little Slice of Heaven, Chocolaj Northcliff

I had one of those meh days today. 

You know the ones? Where everything seems to go wrong (the truck parked outside my garage, no power at work, power returns but computer won't turn on, etc). Eventually I gave up and headed home early, past Chocolaj cafe in Northcliff. I've driven past numerous times before, but today I thought a little chocolate might be just the ticket so I stopped in.

And boy, was I glad I did.

I walked into a sweet smelling haven of what I imagine paradise must look like. You can actually inhale the chocolate in the air (and I'm no scientist, but that's gotta be good for pheromones or oxytocin or something, right?). Then there's the gorgeous decor, filled with books, magazines, and shelves filled with goodies hanging on the walls. The little tables each have a brightly coloured Gerbera, so if the chocolate doesn't instantly cheer you up, the happy vibes will!

The place is tiny.

Like, adorable tea-cup piglet tiny. And it's packed full of the most wonderful, delicious treats imaginable! Chocolate, cupcakes, coffee, real hot chocolate, etc. I had to take a photo of the menu to show you:

Yum, right? And on Friday's, they have a special on brownies:

As good fortune would have it, today is Friday (YAY!) so I stocked up on some homemade brownies. I'm eating one right now (you know, for the research of course), and the only words I can think to describe it are Oh.My.God. It's fluffy and light and there are hidden little pieces of melt-in-your-mouth-magic (aka chocolate). I think I'm in love.

How cute are the Chrismas cupcakes??

Do yourself and your tastebuds a favour and stop in next time you're in Northcliff. Yum!

You can find Chocolaj at Shop 4, Northcliff Gallaries, cnr Beyers Naude and Hockey drives. (You know Impala Fruit and Flower Stores? Just on the other side of Hockey drive). In the meantime you can check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Piza e Vino: Two pizzas, two wines, one R99 price!

What?! Yes, Piza e Vino make dinner out happen for just R99 for two! Any Monday or Tuesday, you can get 2 small pizzas and 2 glasses of wine for the insanely low price of just R99. Since I’m a sucker for a great deal (And pizza. And wine.) we decided to give date night pizza a bash – and we were not disappointed. Not only is Piza e Vino an utterly gorgeous restaurant, but the pizza is just to die for. Add romantic mood lighting, stylish decor and the lovely haze of  two glasses of wine, and this could be one of the best date nights ever!

As you can see, we were so excited to tuck in that we forgot to take photos until our curiosity had been (at least partly) sated. Can I get a "yum"?

I went for the Krazy Nut! pizza (almonds, pinenuts, basil pesto, gorgonzola, and finished with orange zest) while Jeffers had the Cool Runnings pizza (jalapenos, free range chicken, peppadew, aioli, basil and pesto). With such exciting pizzas on offer, it was difficult to choose! Check out their menu.

As if that wasn't enough, we also got a Turkish Delight Martini (Smirnoff Triple Distilled vodka, shaken Rose Petal extracts & Swiss White Chocolate extracts. Served in a chilled Martini glass & garnished with a piece of Turkish Delite). Check out their wine and cocktail menu here.

We spent the rest of the night savoring every bite and soaking in the atmosphere. I highly recommend that you take advantage of this amazing deal! You won't regret it, you have my word. Read more here. Thanks Piza e Vino, we'll be back!