SecrEATS encore

Yes...i promised the Italian restaurant blog....but it will have to wait one round...cause first off...today, im in the mood to write about my second experience for SecrEATS.....when i received the invitation for the second SecrEATS dinner....i was so excited....the first one was brilliant and i was definitely going to go the second one....hmmmm.....i was raving about it to my parents....so i thought...why not take them and a friend of my dads.....so this time i was the main guest who was allowed to invite three people...again...it was R650 per person...and again venue and chef unknown....this time it would be on a Friday night and there would be two famous chefs....hmmmmm.....exciting....sounded promising.....again....we all got the email before hand asking about allergies, what we like doing in our free time etc....and Friday morning the venue was announced....a private home in Parktown North....we can be there any time after 7....and dinner would start at 8....secret sentence..."The waters are rising, this might be a beachfront property one day"

We arrived just after 7, gave our secret sentence to enter and then had to sign a form that we would not tweet, facebook or blog cause there was so much demand that they would repeat the dinner tomorrow night....i guess....fair enough.....

The cockails were lemon and gin based....very refreshing....loved them.....

Lemon and gin cocktail

Inside was beautifully decorated.....a little chilly, maybe some more heaters would have been fab...but venue was nice....we mingled a little with the guests....and enjoyed our lemon cocktails....they again had a raffle going on...so yes, we bought 4 raffle tickets....im holding thumbs.....just after 8, Greg split the group and half of us went off to the other venue...just across the road....basically where they sometimes organise functions....venue was called "At the table", the menu again looked quite promising.....

-Deep fried leek with a creme fraise sauce

-Oxtail soup (both served with bubbly)

-Snoek with butternut and cheese barley (served with chenin blanc)

-Chocolate pot (served with pinotage)

We were inside the "second" venue which was actually much warmer....there was one large communal table...so chatting occured quite soon...nice to chat to some new people...and quite a few food experts...i got a few extra venues and tips...such as "Down to Earth" and "Mosaic"....first course....the leeks....divine....perfect size....nicely presented...tasted fab

Deep fried leek with creme fraise

This was followed by the oxtail soup with home-made bread.....stuffed with a few chunks of cheese....the soup was nice....portion size, great and bread also divine....another success......

Bread uncut
Bread cut open with cheese oozing

The bubbly also tasted great....now time for me to introduce to you the two chefs.....dynamic duo, Hardy McQueen and Elmi le Roux.....Hardy did his apprenticeship in Constantia and Elmi sometimes writes receipes for magazines.....now to the main course....disapponting....and there are a number of reasons

-Firstly...the snoek was presented "famlily style".... It was put on a white plate and it was a type of "serve yourself"....and snoek was literally put...not even nicely presented...i was very disappointed...also snoek is known for a lot of bones...it is not for the purpose of such an event....i mean R650 is a lot of money....for that you want to be served...nice presentation etc

-There was salad...which literally was just green leaves..and there was not enough butternut and cheese barley, that side order tasted divine...just not enough.....

-Last reason for my disappointment, there were two ladies near us which didnt eat fish...so they got meat..BUT...the meat came out 20min into mains...it was rare...and it was literally thrown onto a white plate...so you can imagine the disappointment (also, by then...no more side order of butternut barley)....i was actually quite shocked cause the first SecrEATS was just so amazing....hmmmm....

Snoek

So now...of course it all rested on the dessert....and again...the first SecrEATS with that white chocolate and wasabi mousse...it set standards...and it ended the evening with a wow.....hmmmm..agAin this time, a let down...dessert came out with huge time variances...by the time i got mine, my neighbour had finished hers and my mother still waited another 5min....also the centre of the fondant was supposed to ooze out hot choc...my dads did...mine was solid and dry....my moms was half and half....so no consistency at all....very disappointing again...and i was just sad...the first SecrEATS was such a hit...and i heard people around me say....never again....i think i will it one more try....and the main reason cause the first one was so good.....

Choc pot dessert

So all in all...the three guests that i brought...and me (as well as other people at table), were disappointed....and i truly hope they can bring back the standard cause the idea is brilliant.....one last point, the raffle would only occur Saturday and we would be informed what number won via emAil...well that didnt happen...im a actually a little shocked....we def should have been informed...or there should have actually been two raffles....not good....but anyway...let me get ready now cause we are going out for dinner....cheerio....

 

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