Is there anything better than lingering long over a not-the-average-bacon-and-eggs breakfast, chilling alongside a pool or huddled close to the fire (we’re on the coast, so one never knows which way the weather wind will blow) while lazily deciding what to do for the rest of the day? We think not. And come mid-Winter when we’ve really had enough of the office politics and the school runs and the cold snaps and it’s been yoooonks since the Christmas hols, there are few places we’d rather be than on the Cape’s Garden Route. Specifically the quirky Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa on Knysna’s Thesen Islands. Where we found exec chef Greg Coleman had, since our last visit, done his marvellously cheffy thing and given the menu at the Island Café a new and very delicious look.
So for breakfast, on our first morning there, we dilly-dallied between the potato hash and poached egg with coriander hollandaise (tick), the Hertzog cookie crumble oats (seriously … warm rolled oats with brandy-flambéed apricot compote and crumble cookies … another decadent tick), and spicy chicken livers simmered in a spicy tomato ragout and Ganzvlei yoghurt on toast (it’s just ticks all the way). Since it was a weekend full of treats, we settled on the honey butter toast – crispy Japanese milk bread baked with honey and butter and served with vanilla syrup and Chantilly cream and berry compote … added bacon optional.
It’s not just the menu that’s had a lift. The Island Café at this, one of SA’s most unusual hotels housed in the historic shell of a former power station, has just been refurbished … you can dine indoors in the airy interior with its avant-garde décor – tables are hidden between the refurbished original turbines, or outdoors on the perfect-for-al-fresco-dining terrace overlooking the canals and pool deck.
Chef Greg ensures the kitchen follows a farm-to-table/ocean-to-table philosophy. “We source our fish locally, local farmers supply our organic herbs and salads, our organic food waste goes to a local pig farmer, we serve water in recyclable glass bottles and, as my hobby is beekeeping, we use my honey as much as possible.”
So after a day exploring the islands’ boutiques and speciality stores (top tip, a visit to Madame Botany and Metelerkamps could, for those of us who love a little retail therapy, be considered not optional but essential) and cruising the Knysna Lagoon on the Ocean Sailing Charters’ Lara Bella, it was back to dinner … think confit prawn oil with black spaghetti and parmesan, truffle-infused forest mushroom risotto, slow- baked lamb knuckle in a rich red wine with crisp fried saffron arancini and a fresh citrus gremolata, and for a sweet, sweet ending, a Nut Job … a boozy shake with biscotti, Frangelico and homemade ice-cream.
Fortunately, the standard and luxury rooms and suites with their industrial-luxe aesthetics also live up to the hype. All said … a jolly delicious Winter break. Details: turbinehotel.co.za
