This past weekend I was down in Cape Town attending friends’ wedding and partaking in the Two Oceans Half Marathon. I love visiting Cape Town and look for any opportunity to wine and dine in the gorgeous Mother City. I booked lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, Tokara. Tokara is a wine estate based in the Stellenbosch area boasting one of South Africa’s best fine dining restaurants. The kitchen is run by award winning Chef Richard Carstens.

On our arrival we were seated at one of the tables for two out on the deck overlooking the vineyards; a really beautiful and tranquil setting. My benedict and I started out with a glass of Tokara’s very own Sauvignon Blanc (one of my personal favourite wines). Tokara offers a concise menu with selected meals which change seasonally – one of the many reasons I look forward to always returning and trying something different. We ordered one of the speciality starters of the day to share, Salmon Baked Alaska. This was baked salmon placed on a bed of freshly chopped pineapple and grapefruit topped with meringue and served with salmon flavoured ice cream; a very interesting and creative option. For my main meal I chose the roasted pork belly with pommes anna, butternut puree, kimchi, radish salsa and a chilli and ginger jus. This was a really superb dish. The pork belly was tender and flavourful complemented by a freshness from the salsa while the layered potato gave for a lovely crispy element; loved the pork belly dish. For dessert I had the chocolate cremeaux with white chocolate mousse, coffee ice cream and almonds. It was absolutely delicious! The rich dark chocolate paired so well with the sweet light white chocolate mousse and was beautifully balanced by the coffee flavours in the ice cream.

As always, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and wine at Tokara. The service was fantastic and we were well taken care of during our sitting. The restaurant boasts the most beautiful views of Stellenbosch and I always find myself leaving feeling utterly relaxed. As I’ve mentioned, Tokara is both one of my favourite wine estates and restaurants, so there is no doubt that I’ll be back again!