Challenge #6: Hazz

 | The Stellenbosch Culinary Challenge |

- a student's quest to visit every restaurant in town, 

before her final graduation - 

Hazz is synonymous with their logo: "Coffee for heroes". I don't know if it is the coffee, but this place really has a buzz. For a non-coffee drinker to make such a statement about a coffee roastery and espresso bar - it really goes to show.

Situated in Ryneveld street it is popular among students, but despite the lack of parking Hazz don't only draw those who only go where their feet can carry them. Having Dan Hugo, the professional Xterra athlete as their brand ambassador they also draw a lot of active individuals and everyone else who is on the search for a really good cup of joe.

At Hazz you place your order at the till, before grabbing a seat. Inside you can choose between a couple of long tables and couches. Outside seating is weather dependent and consists of small wooden tables under the oak trees. Along with their selection of pure arabica coffees, they also have a decadent selection of pastries, macaroons and sweet treats ranging between R12 to R32 - these will definitely complement your coffee.

I was impressed by both the quantity and quality of their tea selection. I ordered the French Earl Grey tea, which is a TWG black tea blend infused with citrus fruits and french blue cornflowers. Hazz is not only serious about coffee - they serve specialist teas as well. This is a big bonus in my books! 

They also serve freshly prepared juices ( R 20) and a selection of sandwiches (R 29 - R 37)

My pot of French Earl Grey tea

If you don't have time for a sit down, they also do take-aways. Even better news is that you can enjoy the superb taste of Hazz coffees at home, thanks to the innovative self-service bean machine in the restaurant. This is a touch screen operated machine from which you can choose your selection of beans and whether you prefer it as whole beans or ground. In a matter of minutes you will be on your way with the freshest ground in town.

Interior of Hazz, with the self-service bean machine in the corner 

Photo Credit: Hazz

Visit them at: 32 Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch

Telephone: 021 882 9976

Website: www.hazz.co.za

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/h%C3%A4zz/146732435379391?fref=ts

Challenge # 5: Buena Vista Social Cafe

| The Stellenbosch Culinary Challenge |

 - a student's quest to visit every restaurant in Stellenbosch, 

before her final graduation - 

This authentic Cuban restaurant is situated just outside Stellenbosch, on the R44 and was the venue for a friend's birthday party. Buena Vista is ideal for larger groups, seeing as they have ample seating as well as a separate dining, lounge and bar area. 

Entrance to Buena Vista, Stellenbosch

Photo Credit: Buena Vista Social Cafe

If you can't recall any familiar Cuban dishes, don't refrain from Buena Vista - even though they are a Cuban restaurant, they do cater for different tastes. The restaurant has an island vibe, it is surrounded by palm trees,  and big open bonfires in summer. You are seated at rustic wooden tables and interesting decals cover the walls. The staff also have a laid back attitude, without being slow or ineffective.  

Buena Vista offers an array of cocktails and tapas (such as calamari, chilli poppers, mussels and mezze platters). For mains you can choose between burritos, quesidillas, nachos, wraps and salads as well as all the usual meat and seafood dishes you will find at other restaurants. 

On Mondays they have a nacho special in terms of which you get a complimentary, standard plate of nachos with every plate of nachos that you buy. We opted for cocktails and plates of nachos for the table. We were also feeling brave and opted for some chilli poppers - however these are not for the faint of heart. These chillies mean business and are very spicy. Most of us could only stomach half a popper each. 

The nachos however was a great success. We had the Nachos con Pollo, which is the standard nachos with chicken (R 78) as well as the Lamb and Feta Nachos (R 85). With this order, we received two standard plates of nachos (spicy tomato nachos with salsa, guacamole and sour cream) for free. Their portions are generous and ideal to share. We had copious amounts of nachos going around! 

The nachos are really exceptional and I can really recommend this option - especially the lamb and feta nachos. 

Chilli Poppers, filled with cream cheese and served with sweet chilli sauce

Photo Credit: Buena Vista Social Cafe

Standard nachos with salsa, guacamole and sour cream

If you do visit Buena Vista for a birthday, ask them about their special birthday shot, seeing as it is not listed on the menu. On your birthday, their gift to you is a cuban birthday shot, rich in tradition. 

The manager will bring you a tray with a shot as well as a plate with an alcohol infused orange slice and cinnamon. He explains the whole process in detail before commencing. The orange slice is then lighted and because of the alcohol content it produces an impressive flame. When the cinnamon is sprinkled over, little sparks are created  - thereafter the shot is downed and the orange serves as a sweet treat. 

Birthday shot for Shirne

Good news! If you are not in the Stellenbosch area, they also have branches in Green Point and Durbanville - so you really don't have an excuse for not visiting them! 

Buena Vista - Stellenbosch / Somerset West

Lentelus Farm, R44

021 855 4454

Buena Vista - Greenpoint

12 Portswood Road, Greenpoint

021 418 2467 / 68

Buena Vista - Durbanville

Palm Groce Centre

021 976 7260

Alternatively, visit their website at http://www.buenavista.co.za/, from where you can make online bookings. 

Challenge # 4: Helena's at Coopmanhuijs Hotel

| The Stellenbosch Culinary Challenge |

- a student's quest to visit every restaurant in Stellenbosch, 

before her final graduation - 

I was fortunate enough to attend the "Lunch with my lecturer" initiative, organised by the Judicial Society. This event took the form of a luncheon held at Coopmanhuijs Hotel, with Professor Annika Rudman an expert in International Law as our guest. Having her as one of my lecturers this semester I was really excited when I first heard of this opportunity.

The hotel itself is  a 5 star boutique hotel, with 16 rooms. Helena's Restaurant forms part of this venture and even though preference is given to hotel guests, walk-ins are welcomed and accommodated. The restaurant has two dining areas, one being the inside area where you can absorb the rich heritage of this building dating from 1713. The second dining area is covered by a glass roof and opens up to the swimming pool and courtyard.

Helena's Restaurant operates according to their motto: "Where the familiar is made spectacular." They aim to serve dishes known to us, with a certain finesse. 

We were treated to a three course menu. For starters we had a mezze platter consisting of roasted red and yellow peppers, lightly fried aubergine sticks, pork rillettes, pate and lightly toasted baguettes. I can definitely recommend the starter, it is an excellent combination of flavours and was the highlight of my meal. For mains we could choose between a creamy mushroom and chicken soup served with potluck bread or a new take on cottage pie served with a side salad. I enjoyed the soup, especially the enoki mushrooms. The cottage pie was apparently nothing new. 

For desert we had the option of either a cape gooseberry and apple crumble served with amarula ice-cream or a trio of ice-cream. As I was really content by  now, I opted for the trio of ice cream with amarula, vanilla bean and strawberry ice-cream, served with fresh berries and mint. This was a good way to round off the meal and a perfect, light dessert. 

Being a table of eleven people, I must commend the staff at Helena's on their excellent service. All patrons received their food at the same time, were cleared simultaneously and everyone's orders arrived correctly without the staff having to ask who ordered what once the food arrived. This is not often the case with larger tables. 

Even though Helena's is a more upmarket restaurant, you get what you pay for. This is an ideal restaurant for a treat, while not leaving you entirely bankrupt! 

* I take no credit for these photo's - they are not my own and I do not intend to use or process it any further. 

Find Helena's Restaurant at: 33 Church Street, Stellenbosch
Telephone: 021 883 8207 / 021 883 3132
Website: http://helenasrestaurant.co.za/

Challenge #3: Cookie works

| The Stellenbosch Culinary Challenge |

- a student's quest to visit every restaurant in Stellenbosch, 

before the completion of her studies - 

After a strenuous spinning class at the gym, I popped into Cookie Works in search of a red cappucino and maybe something more.(S)more is exactly what I found. 

Having opened on the 2nd of June, Cookie Works is already establishing themselves as the go to place for a sweet treat with a twist of fun. They have a unique concept which will suit every sweet tooth in town. 

Besides selling coffees, teas and a variety of other drinks to go, the real magic is a combination of your creativity and their amazing recipes and spontaneity. 

You can either opt for a ready made cookie, available in a host of different flavours such as pecan dark chocolate, peanut butter & chocolate, white chocolate & coconut  or you can create your own cookie. Being a baker myself, I opted for a cookie creation. The result was a cookie sandwich consisting of a pecan dark chocolate cookie and a chocolate cookie with white chocolate chips, with a (wait for it...) nutella filling - the cookie is freshly baked and with that much use of the word chocolate in one sentence, it was guaranteed to be fantastic.

Other options include creating your own batch of cookies. You start by selecting the type of dough (sweet, healthy, chocolate etc), then you add your own mix ins (variety of nuts, marshmallows, chocolate chips etc) and they then bake and box it for you.
You can also design your own cookie and personalise it with a message for a special someone.

Regardless of your choice, you will have a selection of freshly baked cookies, without any mess in your kitchen. They also have a nifty bicycle, which they use to do cookie deliveries - so a freshly baked cookie is never too far away.

They are the ideal spot for a quick pick me up and I can imagine that having a kids' party there must be a blast!  They have inside and outside seating, daily newspapers, crayons and sheets of paper as well as games available to keep you busy.

The super friendly staff and the smell of freshly baked cookies, contributed to Cookie Works starting my week on a high note, but then again with a chocolatey sandwich cookie filled with nutella, how could they not?!

Photo Credit: Cookie Works

Visit them at: 115 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch

Telephone: 021 882 9775

Trading hours: Monday - Friday : 08:00 - 17:00, Saturday: 09:00 - 14:00

They are very active on Facebook and Instagram, which allows for customer interaction and a closer relationship between the coffee shop and customers:

Find them on Facebook: Cookie Works Facebook

Find them on Instagram: cookieworks2014 

Challenge #2: Basic Bistro

Nestled in Church Street, between a number of other popular restaurants, you will find Basic Bistro. 

Bistro (noun) | A bistro is a small restaurant serving simple meals at moderate prices. 

While living up to their name, with their homey feel and non pretentious yet delicious food, Basic Bistro however has more to offer. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a variety of wines and craft beers. It was their extended trading hours which prompted my return - on a quest for a hearty breakfast on a Monday morning in Stellenbosch - Basic Bistro was one of the few open restaurants in the area.   

Their menu does not disappoint, but I would encourage you to dine from the blackboard. They update their specials regularly and ensure that there is always something new to try. My sister and I popped in for breakfast to start off a special bonding day and opted for the breakfast special (from the blackboard). 

Currently their breakfast special consist of eggs, bacon, toast, caramalized onion, slow roasted cherry tomatoes and a cuppacino for only R 40. They are definitely student-budget friendly! As I am not a coffee drinker, in fact I have never finished a cup of coffee, I asked to replace the cuppacino with a Red Latte, which was the perfect cure to a cold, winter morning.

Other breakfast options include a selection of smoothies, breakfast waffles and croissants brimming with toppings. You can also design your own breakfast from a list - this is a great initiative, especially for picky eaters. As a tea lover I was impressed by their variety of quality teas, including amongst others a Apple Lipacho and Strawberry Vanilla Rooibos tea. They also indicate the exact steeping times for the various teas so that the tea can infuse properly and deliver a full taste. 

From previous visits I can definitely recommend their gourmet burgers. They currently have a burger and beer promotion in collaboration with Stellenbrau where you get a burger and craft beer for R68. They also serve steak, hearty curries and seafood.  You cannot pay them a visit without trying their carrot cake, it is by far the best I have had in Stellenbosch. The portion is large, so it is ideal for sharing after a scrumptious meal. 

They have a small inside seating area as well as an outside eating area, facing Church Street. In winter time they provide blankets and electric heaters, ensuring a cozy atmosphere even in the midst of the winter chill. 

    Photo Credit: The Basic Bistro

Pay them a visit - you will not be disappointed! 

Trading hours: Monday to Friday : 07:30 - 22:00 ; Saturday & Sunday: 09:00 - 22:00

Visit them at: 31 Church Street, Stellenbosch

Telephone: 021 883 3629 OR 081 271 2234

Website: www.basicbistro.co.za

Facebook: Basic Bistro Facebook page