It’s that time of the year again, where we get to don our berets and channel our inner French for the food and wine phenomenon that is the Franschhoek Bastille Festival, and it's set to be bigger and better than ever this year.
Michelle’s philosophy of regional, sustainable cooking sprang from a traditional South African home, where a luscious garden offered loads of homegrown produce and mealtimes were taken seriously. She studied culinary…
Located on the blissful Vrede en Lust Wine Estate in Franschhoek, Lust Bistro & Bakery welcomes patrons into a worldly atmosphere filled with warmth and contentment. The enticing aromas of freshly baked artisan bread (which we still can’t get enough of, by the way) is enough to make you want to stay there forever. But that is just the beginning.
Compared to most chefs, Johan may have had a bit of a late start, only entering the industry when he was 28. He started out as a chef at a chateau in France, where he fondly remembers the time spent wandering through the kitchen garden, a basket of vegetables and herbs on his forearm, carefully picking fresh produce for the day. These days, Johan heads up the kitchen at Vrede en Lust’s Lust Bistro & Bakery, cooking and baking (make sure that you taste the sourdough!) fresh and fuss-free fare at one of the most renowned eateries in the foodie centre of Franschhoek.
To celebrate the month of love and our one true love, chocolate, we challenged Chef Westley to create a choccy-inspired savoury dish just for us, but in true Haute Cabrière style, of course. We were definitely not disappointed as we scooped up every bite of his grilled springbok leg and dark chocolate sauce, served with grilled peaches and crispy kale. This dish pairs surprisingly well with the vineyard's Pierre Jourdan Bell Rose, and we enjoyed a glass or two with our meal as cellar master Takuan explained to us that you can serve sparkling wine with almost anything, should you be worried as to what to give your guests to sip at dinner.