Posted by Robyn Hodson - November 5th, 2010
Whitstable is a great little town to unleash your inner glutton. We tried Jojo’s (Tapas, Meat and Meze) for lunch and ate so much we expected forklifts and a jeering Jerry Springer show to laugh us out of the restaurant. Our expanding waistbands and creaking chairs could’ve had something to do with massively over-ordering (ehm… cough… we did leave ONE half of a deep fried pea and mint risotto ball on the plate). I maaay’ve used the excuse “I’m blogging about this so must therefore order everything on the menu”. Whose nose ?
Did I mention that before this we tried to blag our way into Wheeler’s Oyster Bar ? This magnificent, polished little periwinkle of a place just won a spot in Britain’s Top 100 Restaurants, published by The Sunday Times Food List. It only seats 14 people so it really wasn’t going to happen. Instead, we queued as everyone else did, and we ate our oysters al fresco out of a plastic bucket, standing in the street. But they did supply the black pepper, tabasco and lemon so we weren’t complaining !
Apparently that wasn’t enough for our insatiable appetites. We HAD booked into The Crab & Winkle, just above the fish market over-looking the harbour but we actually couldn’t haul our lardy selves off the couch. Well, you’ve seen The Oyster Shack below. Would you have wanted to leave ? Instead we patted our bellies, surveyed our sensational sea view and vowed we’d be back again and again and again…
If you love seafood you owe it to yourself to visit Whitstable. And if you don’t, there’s always Fiocco di Spalla, Serrano Bodega Ham, Cecina Smoked Cured Beef and the Monkshill Mutton & Feta Koftas at Jojo’s… and then hotfoot down the beachfront before Biggest Loser UK harpoons you from behind and drags you off to boot camp.
Posted by Robyn Hodson - November 3rd, 2010
… I do like to be beside the seaaaaaaa !
On Monday morning I woke up to the sound of waves crashing on the shore. Obviously this was hugely disturbing to me as I live in London. But wait… no I don’t ! Well, not that particular Monday.
Just under two hours in the car (most of it getting in and out of London) and you’re on the Kentish Coast, in the little town of Whitstable. And if you’re very lucky, you’ll know about and be staying at The Oyster Shack (also known as The Beacon House and The Artists’ Beach House) on Tankerton Beach. This property’s extraordinary location is probably the most envied on the entire coast as it’s literally 5 metres from the beach. Happy people stroll past walking their dogs, breathing sea air or getting some exercise… but other than that, it (and the house next door) is on its own.
It’s one of those ‘lived in’ houses… utterly unpretentious. There’s a proper kitchen with enough space for 8 cooks to make a mess. It is also properly stocked so that the Head Chef doesn’t have a nervous breakdown when faced with 50 oysters and no means to shuck. The oven cooked 2 damn good roast chickens and 8 whole trout too.
Pardon as I skid back to the oysters. The house is about a 10 minute walk from the fish market along the beach and the harbour. It’s filled with fresh fish daily and more oysters than you could consume in a weekend. I know, I tried.
More about Whitstable tomorrow… I’m hungry…
Posted by Bridget McNulty - July 7th, 2010
There’s something so deeply relaxing about spending a few days in a holiday town. Oh, I know some people live in Knysna, but as opposed to the fast pace of Cape Town (and the simply frenetic pace of Joburg), Knysna is deliciously laidback.
We’ve spent our first few days here wandering around the various entertainment on offer for the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival (many of them, no surprise, involving oysters!) Highlights for me include:
* The Wade Bales Wine Tasting on Monday night – over 40 of South Africa’s top wine makers offering unlimited tastings to go with the cheese and biscuits or fresh oysters on offer.
* Taking a ride on the Carnival ferris wheel with stunning views of Knysna laid out on all sides.
* Checking out all the incredibly well-organised kids events (Cooking classes! Colouring in competitions! Pavement art contests! Sport!)
* Watching the Oystercatcher Oyster Shucking Contest (presented and surrounded by Tabasco to spice up the fresh oysters), while listening to a live band in a tent on the waterfront.
* Going on an oyster bed / Knysna Heads / mampoer tasting boat ride around the lagoon (fun except for the somewhat-terrifying ‘oyster shot’ – a raw oyster, a dash of lemon and some strawberry chilli mampoer. Yikes!)
* Indulging in an absolutely heavenly massage at Pezula… Absolutely heavenly. Followed by some down-time in the post-treatment room on a (wait for it) heated water bed that massages different sections of the body one at a time. And a deliciously fresh berry smoothie to bring me back to life. I’m still floating in a happy haze from that one.
Still to come is the PnP Knysna Oyster Festival Mardi Gras (apparently a highlight!)
I’ll let you know what it’s like… For now, though, what’s keeping you? Head to Knysna for a festival that manages to be both entertaining and relaxing. A rare and lovely combination!
Posted by Bridget McNulty - July 4th, 2010
For those who need a bit of a break from all the soccer-soccer-soccer of the World Cup (and let’s be honest, even the most diehard fans have to eat, and if you have to eat, why not eat oysters?) the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival is happening this week.
In fact, they’re claiming it’s the best 10 days of your 2010 (quite a claim!)
We’ve been here all of four hours, and so far it is simply delightful. A Whisky and Jazz Cruise started the evening off in a beautiful way (throw in the Lindt chocolate that was served with almost every whisky and you have a perfect combination)… Lindt, sunset, the beauty of the Knysna Lagoon – simply lovely.
I’ll post updates during the week, but to find out allll about the festival, visit http://www.oysterfestival.co.za
Photo: Allerina & Glen MacLarty
