Chicolate Restaurant & Bar – Loop Street, Cape Town
This sleek, modern restaurant is owned by the chef, PJ Lakay, too.

I ate the most scrumptious pile of homemade puff pastry smothered with a selection of exotic mushrooms, followed by a fresh basil pesto risotto with plenty of steamed asparagus and lemon. The tart with a crispy buttery pastry was sublime, not too mention the dark chocolate plate.

021-423 5187

Sake House Restaurant & Sushi Bar – 17 Old Stanhope Road, Claremont, Cape Town
Eddy the executive chef (ex-Willoughbys) is now heading the kitchen at Sake House. The sushi platters are packed with the best ever selection of maki rolls, sashimi, nigiri, california and handrolls that I have ever seen. I so loved the mixed Tempura and the seaweed salad on the side, along with plenty of avocado and cucumber. The banana and chocolate springrolls were light and oozed dark chocolate.

021-464 7600

Salaam Bombay – Fourways, Johannesburg
Yudhika Sujanani is the owner of this best kept Joburg secret. Salaam Bombay serves classical Indian and Tandoori with a bit of Asian cusine thrown in. It is just so well worth it. I had a plate of chicken samoosas and could fly straight back to Joburg just for them. Think fat little triangles, bulging with Tandoori chicken, wrapped in a light pastry and deep fried. These were samoosas like I have never tasted before.

I feasted on bowls of tender pieces of cooked lamb, Rogan Josh style, Prawn masala and Crispy duck, stirfried with lots of fresh coriander, chilli and oyster sauce. I tasted the Thai green curry, mopping it up with butter naan and Jeera Pulao (rice with cumin seeds). Yum, and don’t forget to try the best ever prawn soup too.

011-705 1904