Think Pink Valley Wines

 6 October 2024

 

PINK VALLEY WINES

Cordoba Road, Helderberg Rural, Stellenbosch

 

I’m still constantly surprised by and amazed at the number of restaurants on wine estates in the Cape Winelands. I’d never heard of Pink Valley Wines, or its restaurant, until perhaps a week ago and yet, there it is, well-established and seemingly popular, nestled against a scenic hillside reached by a narrow country road winding its rather spectacular way past umpteen wine farms.

 

I sometimes think three quarters of South Africa’s fancy kitchens and accomplished chefs, not to mention the brigades and other kitchen staff, must be concentrated within a radius of roughly two hours’ drive from Cape Town.

 

We are quite fortunate, ain’t we, those of us who are partial to a tucking into some upmarket grub.

 

We and three friends popped around for the Restaurant Week menu of starter, main course (choice of 4 options) and dessert for R395,00 a person.

 

The building is a low slung, single storey construction  camouflaged by the tress under which it shelters. There is a wide stoep on three sides, as well as patio seating under umbrellas and a bit of lawn with lounging seating. The  decent-sized interior space with polished cement floor, elegantly simple design and lovely artwork and a huge fireplace that must be brilliant for cold, wet Winelands days.

 

Of course, the site is surrounded by picturesque vineyards and majestic mountains in the distance. It was hot and wind-free and on a day like this, you can hardly ask for a better, more bucolic dining experience.

 

If I counted correctly, there were 3 bottles of estate rosé, apparently their signature plonk, for the three people who drink wine. I was happy with a couple of bottles of craft lager (the restaurant offers only craft beer) and one person, probably wisely, stuck to water.

 

The starters were freshly baked mielie-bread to share and 2 spinach mozzarella balls each. The balls were with sweet mustard had light yet crisp crusts and smooth, creamy, cheesy interior and the mustard sauce added just the most delicate touch of mustardy sweetness to make each mouthful a flavour explosion in the mouth.

The mielie bread was soft, not overly dense and melt-in-the- mouth yummy. It was so moreish, we had another portion. The butter was good though I couldn’t quite tell that any biltong had been infused in it.

My main course choice was the sticky pork belly. The wife asked for the rump (medium rare) and there were three takers for the chicken.

 

The rump was somewhat overcooked, the little salad served with it was functional and the fries, for the table, were good.

 

The crushed cucumber side salad with my dish was perhaps just intended as counterfoil to the richness of the belly but wasn’t exactly spectacular, as it seemed to be mainly a red onion salad in vinegar. 

 

The belly was perfectly cooked and flavourful, with a crisp top and the kimchee mayo worked well with it. There was wispy, texture free bit of fluff on the plate, that resembled a tuille (if one used one’s imagination) and was probably some attempt at making super light crackling but it tasted of nothing and was superfluous. I would’ve liked some vegetables on the plate, as the meat, tasty as it was, wasn’t a lot. 

The chicken dish was also well received but everyone felt that the main portions were a tad meagre and that the restaurant served smaller portions for the Restaurant Week special. This is not great.

 

The churros (served on plates to share) were perfectly made, crisp and creamy, but lacked a touch of seasoning to take the edge off the otherwise bland taste and, for me, the milk tart dip, delicious in its own right, wasn’t the best accompaniment. The combination of unseasoned churros and sweet milk tart was lacklustre. A deeply rich hot chocolate would’ve been just the ticket.

 

The bill, including tip, was R3600,00.

 

I didn’t see the standard menu but one member of our party, a person who regularly wines and dines at the best of establishments, said that the tapas dishes here are quite good.

 

I suppose the Restaurant Week menu is not a bad deal, though the main courses seem a tad, uh, size-challenged, and, other than the niggles I’ve mentioned, the quality of the cooking was good and the food was excellent. To a degree, though, it’s one of those venues where one would go mostly for the setting and the view and not so much for the nosh. Hey ho, neck a couple of bottles of rosé and you’ll have no worries. 

 

The service was very good and entertaining. Our one server was particularly chirpy and made many witty, quirky comments and observations through-out the meal, which made us laugh out loud.  We learnt our favourite new word when he called our one friend a “kermstok”, i.e. someone who complains all the time. It made for a very fun afternoon.