In the seventies and eighties, fondues were a highlight on the dinner party circuit. Growing up during that time, I remember my parents hosting many fondue evenings.  I used to love helping my mom chop and prepare and watch her setting up the colourful plates of food. Then there was the smell of delicious sauces bubbling on the stove.  And of course lots of warnings about the dangers of the hot oil heating up in preparation for the fondue pots.   I thought fondues were very glamorous and my sister and I would desperately hope for leftovers so that we could have our own mini fondue the next day. We would feel very grown up to be allowed to cook little pieces of steak and sausage  in the hot oil with our own coloured fondue forks and dip them into a variety of sauces. And of course the highlight would be the chocolate fondue for dessert (although typically there wasn’t much of that left over).

When I moved into my own place many years later one of the treasured items I inherited was my parents fondue pot (and accompanying selection of forks).  I then bought a second pot as one was never enough.   I have many good memories of fondue dinner parties with a group of friends where we pooled our pots so that we could have a variety of oil, cheese and chocolate fondues. I have one friend who was deemed the Fondue Queen. She had fondues down to a fine art, including the very best monkey gland and mushroom sauces… and I still salivate thinking about them.

Over the years food fashions changed and my fondue pots have found their way to the very back of the top shelf of my kitchen cupboard.  It seems  though that fondues are making a bit of a comeback so I have been feeling inspired to  dust them off and host a slightly retro dinner party …as it really is a great way to share a meal with a group of friends.

And so when I received an invitation to experience the fondue offering at Isola on One & Only Island I was super excited.  Not only did it feed my fondue craving (and I always find when I taste something delicious it motivates me to do something similar at home) but it meant that I got to visit One & Only Island which is usually reserved for the exclusive use of  hotel residents.

Fondues are for sharing and the fondues at Isola cater for two so it was a no brainer as to whom I would invite – my Fondue Queen Friend, Tracy. Unsurprisingly she accepted immediately and so we consulted our diaries and booked our lunch date for a Thursday.

It somehow seemed appropriate to be having a fondue on a Throwback Thursday!

Both feeling excited , we met in the foyer of the One and Only which is always a hive of activity  To get to Isola you walk through the stunning bar area, across the bridge and past the spa and then suddenly from being in a buzzy hotel you find yourself in an oasis of tranquility.

It’s quite amazing as you don’t feel as though you are in the City any longer. In fact you honestly do feel as though you are on an island resort. The villas are tucked behind lots of gorgeous shrubbery, and palm trees tower over the   enormous free – form infinity pool which is surrounded by inviting day beds and sun loungers. The island restaurant, Isola, is situated behind the pool. It has an outside terrace with tables at which one could happily bask in the sun on a wintry day and which in summer must just be spectacular

As the fondue is only served indoors so we selected a table alongside the window which was almost as good as being outdoors. Isola is chic but still casual. It is decorated with wooden tables with mosaic tops bright striped cushions and bright simple floral arrangements

We decided that a glass of bubbly would be a good way to start our girlie lunch and ordered two glasses of perfectly chilled Graham Beck Brut as we perused the menu.  There is a selection of three fondues, meat, fish and vegetarian.  Each is suitable for two diners.

The meat fondue is R275 for two and includes two glasses of Meerlust Pinot Noir. The seafood option is R385 for two and is served with two glasses of Meerlust Chardonnay and the vegetarian fondue is R145 for two and includes two craft beers.

Tracy and I are both meat eaters and so opted for the meat fondue. We weren’t disappointed!  A sizzling pot if oil arrived at our table along with a platter bearing an array  of locally sourced beef fillet, kudu sausage, lamb kofta, chicken strips as well as a selection of seasonal veggies.

There was also a basket of delicious bread chunks and a selection of homemade seasoned salts, a mustard cheese sauce and a rich tomato sauce for dipping.

It was a difficult choice to decide which meaty morsel to stab and dip first… I opted for a piece of fillet and a mushroom and Tracy for the lamb kofta. That first bite of perfectly cooked meat swirled in the cheesy sauce was heavenly! The beauty of having only two people sharing a fondue pot means that you constantly have something cooking and another bite to look forward to.

Everything was delicious … our favourites were the sausage and the kofta – just because they were different. The cheese sauce was fabulous … with the mustard adding a rich depth to the flavor.  The bread and the veggies added a lighter touch to all the meat.  Just because I like variety I would perhaps have added a third sauce and served smaller portions of each.

What is so great about a fondue is that the eating experience is extended … you can take a break and then start again. All you need to make sure of is that your oil is kept hot. Tracy and I had lots of catching up to do and so we leisurely sipped our wine, chatted and ate. When our oil cooled down the staff were at the ready to bring another bubbling pot!

The portions are generous … we almost managed to finish our platter – although not quite – as we decided to save space for dessert as a wintry fondue experience would be incomplete without chocolate.

The traditional Swiss fondue (R155 for two) includes pink and white marshmallows, strawberries, nougat, biscotti, brownies and churros to dip into the rich chocolate which is served in a gorgeous heart shaped fondue pot.

Each bite was more delicious than the next … our top two were the churros and the nougat….and the chocolate brownies were scrumptious just on their own. To add to the decadence, the chocolate fondue is served with two glasses of Amarula! So deliciously indulgent for a weekday afternoon!

As an alternative to the chocolate fondue, the head pastry chef Kyle Hickman has elevated hot chocolate to another level. Guests can opt for a Spiced Dark or Caramel White hot chocolate served with fragrant cinnamon churros (R6o). If you want to add some punch you can order a tot of South African brandy or award winning Bain’s Single Grain South African whiskey for an additional R75.

The One and Only fondue is definitely something to try for a lunch tete a tete, an afternoon tea or even a post spa treat.

Guests at the table alongside ours had ordered the seafood fondue which looked fabulous. Norwegian salmon cubes, prawns, white fish, crayfish, mussels, oysters veggies and bread with a lemon cheese sauce and a tomato sauce.  Think I’m trying that next time.

As we left Isola, the winter sun was still warm, its rays reflecting on the sparkling pool It was so quiet and peaceful and the daybeds (perfect for a post lunch siesta) were calling!  As tempting as they were, we still had lots of catching up to do and so we opted for another glass of wine to end off the afternoon instead.

What a treat for the middle of the week.  A beautiful setting, good food and wine the company of a long time friend  and an opportunity to reminisce on our fondue days! I really felt as though I had left the real world for a few hours….

The fondues are available daily from twelve until four and will be on offer until the end of September. So if you are in need of an escape to an inner city little piece of paradise and you want to experience a fabulous fondue head for Isola. You won’t be disappointed.

I am spoilt living in Cape Town, as we have so much available to us right on our doorsteps There are very few places where you have the beach, mountains, forest, winelands, city centre and so much more all within 45 minutes of your front door. The risk is that one can get a little lazy and not feel the need to venture too far out of one’s comfort zone. But a change of scenery is as good as a holiday (so they say) and as a holiday is not on the cards for me right now … we decided to do a mini road trip. I was a little skeptical I have to be honest, as I can get a bit antsy spending long periods in a car… but I decided to go with the flow. Departure time was scheduled for 7am. Now I am a morning person, but even for me that is early on a wintry and dark Sunday…  so I wasn’t bouncing out of my warm and cozy bed. Fortunately even in the dark it was promising to be a lovely day.

We were a little late in setting off, and by that stage all three of us were feeling in slightly desperate need of that first cup of coffee. The only challenge was that we were already in the car, no-one had thought to pack a flask and there is not a whole lot open in the City before eight am on a Sunday. Suggestion – McDonalds….

“Not so sure”…. Said the Foodie and Coffee snob. But what choice did I have?

If you are going to the Big M, the Green Point branch is probably one of the nicer ones … and they do have a McCafe.  Not quite Truth quality coffee but not all bad.

Feeling more awake and sociable we started our trip. It was a beautiful autumn day, the road was fairly quiet, the company  was good as was the conversation  and there was a great playlist to listen to… We headed out on the N2 towards Elgin and our first stop was Peregrine farm stall. I have always liked Peregrine as a stop on the way out of or back into Cape Town, as it allows you to stretch your legs whilst perusing all the wonderful goodies on offer in the shop. I have to admit I don’t think I have ever walked out of there without buying SOMETHING. Not sure when you were last there, but they have done some great renovations and now have a really spacious. light, airy restaurant and coffee shop.  We settled in and I was more than ready for a proper Flat White!  Origin coffee is on offer and there is a very tempting breakfast menu (the lunch menu also looks yummy if you are stopping off later in the day). Two of us opted for The Peregrine Poach…   The portions were generous to the point that we could have shared. Our driver went for the The Tractor Mechanic (savoury mince, fried egg and roasted tomatoes on sourdough) . It did look good…

Our bellies satisfied we took a stroll around the farm stall ( no I did not leave empty handed) and then were ready for the next leg.  My kind of road trip involves  plenty of stops. This breaks the journey and makes it interesting. For me it’s important to have some kind of a plan (else you can end up hungry and irritable if nowhere to stop to be fed and watered en route). But it’s also good to still be flexible, so that if you come across somewhere unexpected you can and do stop.

Our next stop was Swellendam. I haven’t been there in quite a while and have to admit was somewhat disappointed that we were only making a quick stop and I couldn’t properly check out the gorgeous guesthouses and restaurants on offer.  We did however take some time to have a drive and a look around and it’s definitely somewhere to go back to.

Our planned destination in Swellendam was Tredici (which means Bakers Dozen in Italian) which is a little treasure in the heart of the Overberg. A gorgeous patisserie, boulangerie, delicatessen and ristorante all in one!  Their story is sumptuous simplicity and their philosophy is to offer more than you would expect as Bakers did way back in the 13^th Century by giving thirteen loaves instead of twelve. Sitting down inside the lovely space I was further disappointed that we had already had breakfast and were too early for lunch, as their menu was incredibly enticing. We couldn’t not tantalise our taste buds however, so we indulged in some of the home baked pastries to go with our third cup of coffee for the day. This time delicious De Luxe coffee.

We shared a mille feuille, pastei de nata and one of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had!

There is also a very tempting selection of kitchen and foodie items for sale … I managed to restrain myself however and just oohed and aahed instead. Back in the car and headed for our endpoint … Barrydale via the Tradoux pass and the little village of Suurbraak.  This is what a road trip is all about… the incredible scenery that you drive through and the discovering or rediscovering of the little hidden and unknown gems along the way. Just so much to take in and appreciate!

Barrydale is definitely on the up, and Diesel and Crème is a must-do on Route 62. I had heard lots about this vintage diner and was eager to see it for myself.  It was definitely worth the drive. We hadn’t booked (could have been a serious problem) but we were fortunate to get a table outside in the sun. It’s a feast for the senses. The décor is amazing … you almost can’t take it all in, there was a colourful local band playing, plenty of people watching opportunities, and a great menu of burgers and other country fare and then of course their gourmet milkshakes are legendary.

We were ready for a glass of wine and a beer by this stage… so started with those before tucking into a Jack Daniels and a Diesel burger.

Despite being very full we couldn’t leave without sampling the milkshakes. After much debating and negotiating we settled for the Banana and Custard and Honey Crunchie. Wow…. Totally decadent and delicious. Thank goodness we ordered the small size … served in jam jars with broad colourful straws (you need them as the shakes are so thick) they are yummy. I felt like a kid in a candy store…

We were very tempted to sit in the chairs and watch the passing trade, but alas we had to get home so it was back in the car. There is a motel alongside Diesel and Crème called Karoo Moon Hotel. Perhaps an overnight stay next time?

I asked the fabulous staff at Diesel and Crème to share one of their favourite milkshake recipes with me. Enjoy! Peppermint Crisp Milkshake (this is their newest addition so hot off the press) What you need (makes 500ml) a few drops of Peppermint extract 1 Peppermint crisp chocolate broken up 5 big scoops of good quality vanilla ice cream What to do Mix all the ingredients  together (keep a little bit of the crushed choc ) . Serve in a lovely glass or even a glass jar topped  with a blob of whipped cream and sprinkled the remainder of the peppermint crisp chocolate.

We headed back to CT via the N1. Another good idea for a road trip is to have a circular route. More places to stop and different scenery. One of the things on my Bucket List is to visit the States in October/ November months to see The Fall. Hopefully I will get to tick this off sometime in the future. But I have to say that one forgets just how beautiful our autumn leaves are in the Cape. Driving back via Montagu and Robertson the vines are the most beautiful hues of red and gold ……

Final stop was The Farm stall in Robertson.  We couldn’t manage another thing to eat or drink but we could shop! I stocked up on some wine and am now kicking myself that I didn’t buy more. They had a specials bin where I picked up some local Sauvignon Blancs that had earned Double Gold medals for R35 per bottle. Really! Now at that price why didn’t I buy a case I ask myself now, because they are delicious Aan De Doorns and La Bonne Vigne If you find these… buy them! I also was delighted to find a leather flyswatter… weird I know but I have unsuccessfully searched high and low in Cape Town for a swatter to deal with those random but irritating flies. Another reason to go on a road trip! Then it was the final haul homeward…. A full day of indulging all our senses and we were still back in Cape Town in time to enjoy a magnificent sunset. What a truly lovely way to spend a day … I am a road trip convert and am now planning the next one.