BIDON BISTRO, Muldersdrift 076 011 2612
I
was first introduced to this roadside café when begrudgingly training
for my first cycle race. And while it’s a real buzz for those on two
wheels, it’s also great for pizza. With this in mind, I convinced my
partner to join me on a lunch excursion to this quaint spot – after the rush
of Tour de France hopefuls, of course.
On the Kromdraai Road near the Cradle of Humankind, this open-air
bistro makes the most of Mzansi’s sunny weather with almost all of its
tables set outside under trees or corrugated-iron roofs. There’s even
a water feature trickling away in the background.
Since we’d come so far – Muldersdrift is about a 45-minute drive- we settled in for a couple of starters before the main event. Jalapeño
poppers with sweet chilli (R65) and medallions of pork belly served with
Asian sauce and rice (R65). The crunchy poppers literally popped in my
mouth before the squelch of cream cheese took over. The medallions
were cooked to perfection and beautifully tender.
We overshot the mark a bit due to the generous portion sizes of the
starters, but we’d come all this way for pizza so settled on sharing one:
a Quattro with ham, olives, artichokes and mushrooms (R115). Crafted
from freshly made dough, and baked in a stone oven, the pizza base was
one Goldilocks would have approved of – not too thick and not too thin,
just right.
Dessert and cake was not an option, and we ended with a cappuccino
(R26) and a cookies-and-cream milkshake (R46). The coffee at Bidon is
an absolute must, and could be why so many cyclists choose to make the
café their start and end point.
The restaurant is fully licensed with a reasonable wine list to suit
everyone’s pocket.
Open Tuesday to Friday from 08h00 to 17h00, and Saturday, Sunday
and Public Holidays from 07h00 to 17h00.
ROOTS RESTAURANT, Muldersdrift 011 668 7000
A
dining experience at Roots Restaurant starts at the gates of
the Letamo Game Farm. You’re forced to gear down and take
it slow as you trundle down the dirt road to the five-star Forum
Homini Boutique Hotel. If you’re lucky, you might see some kudu,
steenbuck, zebra or hippo on your way in.
From the parking it’s a short walk to the hotel, which blends
perfectly with the surrounding landscape. Forum Homini is filled with
small details that touch on the evolution of man, from the recreation
of the footprints of our lesser-evolved ancestors set into the pathways,
to the rock slabs that greet you as you wander down to the restaurant’s
deck. The weather played along so we sat outside overlooking the dam
that was teeming with birdlife.
The lunchtime menu was a three-course affair (R295). We opted for
the wine-teaser option (R75 extra) that includes a selection of carefully
chosen local wines to complement each dish.
First out of the kitchen was the salmon roulade. Picture perfect.
I always regret destroying the carefully crafted plating, here a swish
of avo mousse and soya gel dotted around a bed of salmon and cream
cheese with a spring onion on top. Simply delicious, and we both found
ourselves mopping up every morsel on our plate.
Next a confit leg of duck served with broccoli, sweet corn and
broccoli fricassée, moreish ginger and sweet-potato purée, duck snow
and finished off with a sprinkling of porcini dust.
For the finale, the Roots Fruit Salad which was nothing like the
fruit salad your Aunt Nellie brings for Christmas lunch. A visual delight
of pineapple frangipani, pineapple salsa, pineapple and granadilla
consommme, lemon curd, mixed-berry gel, fresh plum, grilled apple
cheek, lemon sorbet and white-chocolate snow. On a fairly warm
day, this was a welcome sweet treat, light and refreshing after the
overindulgence.
Booking is essential. Roots is closed to outside guests for breakfast
and dinner on Sundays. ■LEIGH HERMON tucks in to country fare in Muldersdrift
September 2019 092Restaurants