After checking in and relaxing for a bit next to the pool, we headed on back up the tasting room at Steenberg. This is where Bistro Sixteen82 can be found, & I was expecting a great dinner. But what I got was not just a great dinner, it was an incredible educational, dining experience that is worth talking about.
The modern contemporary design aesthetic from the tasting room & hotel follow through into this welcoming space, giving the restaurant a relaxed, yet vibrant & alive feeling.
So Bistro Sixteen82 was opened back in 2009 & one would describe it as a proper bistro & tapas styled restaurant, that offers breakfast, lunch & dinner.
I honestly didn't really know much about the restaurant at all in the aspects of what they serve etc. So it was really a unfolding discovery as we went along. So, in the evenings, they only have a Tapas menu to eat from & their lunch menu is quite a bit more extensive in the sense that they have a selection of starters, mains & desserts to choose from. (Also, they have a full separate vegetarian & separate a vegan menu for those who are a bit more specific about what they eat.)
So we just ordered a few of the tapas from the specials board, & well, me being me, I popped another bottle of the Steenberg 1682 Chardonnay MCC just because it was another great day of #WineRoutingWithLloyd.
When my Dad & I eat out, you know there will always be Oysters. It's a given, & this evening was not going to be any different, so we got a plate of fresh West Coast Oysters, & washed them down with a glass of bubbles.
Gambas, "Persillade" - which is essentially a prawn dish served with a sauce/seasoning made from chopped parsley, garlic, herbs & olive oil.
Baby Patagonian Calamari - pan-fried baby squid. Always something to get right, either you'll end up with a plate of tubes that are like rubber. But these were cooked perfectly, with a great texture & slight bit of crispiness.
Pickled Fish "Tacos" - Probably my favourite dish of the eve. Thinly blocked slices that have been mixed with a variety of fresh herbs & are served in a hard 'taco' shell. Again, a beautiful balance of flavours that play around & the changing textures of fish & crisp taco.
And a chocolate dessert that I'm still salivating about. Great balance of both flavour & texture. And beautifully presented. A visit here is most definitely worth it, & you'll immediately get the idea that Chef Kerry Kiplin had quite a bit of Asian influence when putting her meals together.
So earlier I mentioned that this was an educational dining experience. A big issue that has ruffled our seafood menu's is sourcing seafood that is ecologically responsible. So, Bistro Sixteen82 & ABALOBI, are pioneering SA's 1st restaurant-supported fishery that supplies sustainable & traceable premium quality seafood caught by small-scale local fishers. Providing smaller fishing communities with better prices for their fish & in essence a better livelihood for their entire family. "The direct route from boat to plate, ensures sustainability both for fisherfolk & for the resource."
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| Image: www.southervines.co.za |
When a piece of fish is brought to your table, alongside your plate is a wooden fish with a QR-code, that when scanned using the mobile app, will give you the entire story about the fish from hook to cook. You can trace exactly where this fish is from, where it was caught, how it was caught & by whom it was caught. So you can eat in peace knowing the full story about the fish on your plate.
Check out Bistro Sixteen82 here.
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