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Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens might have done it for Julie Andrews, but in our opinion there is not nearly enough about ripe avocados or meringues with chewy centres in those lyrics. In honour of the arrival of spring and the general feeling of bonhomie in the air, we count down 25 of our favourite food-related occurrences – whether they occur in restaurants or in our own kitchens.
- When you bite into a meringue and it is chewy in the middle.
Our teeth are happy just looking at this.
- When you cut open an avocado and it is perfectly ripe and unblemished.
- When there is home-made aioli or home-made mayonnaise.
- When the restaurant includes sriracha in their selection of complimentary condiments. (Or chimmichurri. Or pesto. Or slow-roasted tomato sauce. Or anything aside from the usual suspects, to be honest.)
Sriracha on the counter at Street Food, on Bree Street, Cape Town.
- When the waiter tells you that you got the last portion of whatever it is that you just ordered. Take that, suckers!
- When the bread is still hot from the oven and the butter melts into it. Also: home-made butter. SO delicious!
The beautiful nesting bread at The Greenhouse in Cape Town, served with farm butter.
- When you didn’t book, but you still get a table at the super-popular place.
- When the medium rare steak you ordered really is actually medium rare.
Or when you braai it yourself, and it comes out looking like this. (Jan Braai taught us how in his super book, Fireworks.)
- The fact that pre-dessert is a thing. Only at some fine dining restaurants, but still.
- When you bite into a KitKat stick and the wafer is mysteriously AWOL, leaving a whole stick of chocolate.
- When the restaurant gives you a Mason jar of house-roasted muesli to eat for breakfast after you pay your dinner bill. (Okay, so you’ll need to fly to New York, and dine at the best restaurant in the USA for this to happen, but still, it’s totally great.) Hint, hint, everybody else.
- When you peel a boiled egg and the shell comes off all in one go. Or when you cut into it and the yolk is cooked exactly how you like it.
And the angels sang: perfectly poached eggs at Bird’s Café on Bree Street in Cape Town.
- When the chips are perfectly crunchy on the outside and creamy and soft on the inside.
- When there is a section of the menu that itemizes the prices for adding bacon or cheese to anything. You can now double-bacon without fearing judgement.
- When there’s just enough milk left for your cup of tea.
- When the names of the producers are mentioned on the menu. Yes, it may seem pretentious, but you also know it’s going to be delicious.
- When your drink has an umbrella in it. It’s just so festive – and later on, you can wear it tucked behind your ear like a Hibiscus flower. (Assuming that the drink was sufficiently stiff, that is).
Consider re-gifting your cocktail umbrella to a needy starfish couple, for their beach holidays.
- When the waiter offers to bring a jug of water for the table without being asked, or phrases the question “still, sparkling or tap”, rather than just “still or sparkling”.
- When the bill comes with jelly beans, Fizzers, or anything other than one of those rock-hard toilet-spray-flavoured mints.
- Anything that comes for free. This also goes for the amuse bouche at fine dining restaurants, but it doesn’t actually matter how much it costs. It just makes us feel special.
- When the wine glasses are those really big, bowl-sized ones.
- When the barista or barman remembers you and your order from a previous visit.
Okay, so it’s spelt wrong, but still.
- When they’re still serving breakfast even though it’s 2pm, and you are too hungover to deserve breakfast.
- Chilli poppers. That’s all.
- When you order a coffee and it comes with an unexpected and delicious little biscuit. Since you did not order it, and will not be paying separately for it, it is effectively calorie-free.
Miraculous calorie-free biscuit at Jason Bakery.
What are your favourite food moments? Share your stories in the comments.
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If I walk past a cake display and all the cakes are facing me with their enticing cut sides … unfortunately a lot of places turn the cakes around, cause it looks ‘neater’. I say how do you want to entice me to buy a slice of cake if I cannot see the layers inside???
Taking a bit of pizza and the crust is thin and crispy … and the salty anchovy mixes perfectly with the cheese, garlic and chilli on your pizza.
Ooh that’s a great point Alma! Otherwise how do you know if they’re all dry inside or beautiful and light/gooey? And yes: there should totally be a section for pizza!
When you get actual Parmesan cheese with your (fresh!) pasta instead of that processed powdery stuff.
Hurrah Noël! That is truly wonderful indeed. All hail good quality Parmesan!
Love this! I can relate to every one of them … even nr 11 🙂
When you order tea…and it actually comes in a cup and saucer with a proper teaspoon, not styrofoam or paper and stir stick, and you are asked if you would like the milk warmed…mmmm!
Great article!
No 23 – I completely judge a restaurant by whether or not it serves breakfast all day. I’ve never understood why I can’t have scrambled eggs or an omelette if I am only ready for breakfast at 3pm!
Here, here!
Great article 🙂
Maybe its a little pretentious, but I like it when the waiter pronounces all the fancy food item names correctly.
Also, when my tea comes with those hard sugar crystals on a stick that melt as you stir it.
Sugar cubes! How could we forget! And yes, those hard sugar crystals are even better. And hurrah for correct pronunciation. It makes our copy ed so happy!