Creative Mastermind!

Aaaaah!

The COLDPLAY concert was well, simply EPIC! 

Starting off with the FAN WALK towards the Stadium, the street was buzzing and Keenwa’s balcony filled with people! We were walking with the masses - 60,000+ attendees to be exact! Th MyCiti buses were flowing and everyone got to the stadium without causing any traffic accidents!

Highlights from the concert - apologies for the bad quality shots!!

Had an incredible night with Jon Jon & Patrick!! Thanks for making the COLDPLAY concert extra special tonight!

HUGE SHOUT OUT to Matthew Davidson & the team over at The Rooftop Studio, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the concert tickets!!  Hope you guys rocked out at the concert and don’t suffer from a HANGOVER tomorrow!!! 

Peace out!

CPT Love,
Lisa Huang

Check out my Travel Blog here, and follow my adventures on Twitter! (@bestCapeTownSA)

rememberyoulive:

30 June 2011 6.30pm
Cool Daddy Bar at The Grand Daddy Hotel
Long Street
Cape Town, South Africa
Organised by Betty Bake and Being Brazen

Thanks to Memnto Vivere for sharing this event!! Excited for the Cape Town Bloggers Get Together tonight!!

CPT Love,
Lisa Huang

Check out my Travel Blog here, and follow my adventures on Twitter! (@bestCapeTownSA)

This is what I tell my friends when they ask me about social life in Cape Town~

When I first moved to Cape Town, I was overwhelmed by the bustling night life in the city! Julep/ Carnival Court/ Dubliners on Long Street, Asoka/ Knoxville on Kloof St, DecoDance in Seapoint, Cafe Caprice/ Dizzy’s in Camps Bay….

By March, I realized that the weekend truly starts on a Wednesday! With amazing DJ sets in Waiting Room, Labia Theatre dinner + movie promo, Balkanology at the Fez….!

NOW, I am in no way exaggerating when I say that the weekend NEVER STOPS in Cape Town! Just as I thought Monday will give my liver a break and some “downtime” to relax, I find myself at Theatre Sports on Monday night, Unplugged at Zula Bar, shows and events like That 80’s Show at GrandWest Casino on a Thursday night, braais or cookouts at my friends’ flats! 

Since getting on Twitter & blog, it’s amazing how social media truly channels the energy of Cape Town - internet at its best! This is how I found myself at Boston T Nightclub’s launch party in Tygervalley last night!

Celebrating Boston T’s launch with JC Le Roux bubblys,  we were treated to champagne, sushi and the new Berry G cocktail & evening wear fashion show!  The club is on Edward St, where you can find the likes of Bunker 9, Stones, China White and….. even HOOTERS!  Definitely the “mini Long St” of Tygerville area, which was a refreshing change from all the backpackers!

The club welcomed a diverse crowd, locals & foreigners mingled with bubblys and food, as the DJ spin a mix of House & Hip Hop! We didn’t stay long after the show, but Goodluck was in the house with their jazzy keyboards and funky sax, spicying up the dance floor!

Needless to say, the best part of the evening was a chance to relax & chill out with friends!

Here are the girls at Boston T! From left: Ploy, myself, Karina!

Cape Town truly spoils you with choices: Africa nights at Alliance Française, star gazing at the Observatory, poetry readings at Still Life…. you name it! 

What are you doing in Cape Town, tonight?

CPT Love,
Lisa Huang

Check out my Travel Blog here, and follow my adventures on Twitter! (@bestCapeTownSA)

Cook Franschhoek, Saturday 11/06/2011

Center stage, Franschhoek valley.

Sunshine showering through French windows on either side of the kitchen.
Chefs, freshly chopped ingredients, steam rising from pans.

Audience, mesmerized by the splendid creation happening in front of their eyes, seated.
Light humming of wine pouring into crystal glasses.

The kitchen comes to life!

It is always amazing to witness the creation of art, beauty, and divine indulgence in front of your eyes. As your senses are engaged, artists share their passion with an explosion of colours, smell, texture, taste, and the ancient art of storytelling.

Stunned by the rich Autumn colours as we turn off the N1, driving through Franschhoek Valley, Tom & I slow down to 40km/hr to take in the breathtaking sight in front of our eyes. This is what most tourists miss when they visit Franschhoek in the summer! The grapevines form a tapestry of burgundy, orange, hints of magenta and the thousand shades in between!

Arriving fashionably late (oops!) at the 22hectare Holden Manz wine estate, we were greeted by the friendly staff from the gate-go! Driving through the vineyard, we reached the Cape Dutch manor, home to the Franschhoek Kitchen where the weekends’ magic happens.

Monneaux & Glenwood: Chef Louis Jansen 

Chef Louis Jansen & his team from Monneaux  had just dished up twice-rolled omelette with oyster mushroom, smoked salmon, dhania, watercress, toffeed ginger and balsamic reduction.  We were too late! But Hoden Manz’s barman, John, ushered us over and pointed out DP Burger with GlenWood Vineyards – and we had our first taste of the 2008 Shiraz.

Chef Louis Jansen has the philosophy to infuse Cape classic cuisine with local produce, delivered by local farmers in the morning. Inspiring a fantastic curried lentil salad, vegetable atchar served with a rack of lamb with minted Bulgarian yoghurt on top!  The curried lentils surely packed a kick!

Monneaux  will be serving up a new Winter menu in late June/ July, I am looking forward to sample his new creations!

Café Bon Bon & Haut Espoir: Chef Chris Erasmus

After a short break, we were treated chicken and cashew nut curry and savoury rice with Chef Chris Erasmus at Café Bon Bon! Chef Chris Erasmus had made a fantastic Lemon Meringue on Friday which looked simply divine!  I was blown away by his savoury curry even more – demystifying the common misconception to pan fry chicken before drowning them in curry, he slowly simmer the curry with all herbs and spices to infuse meats with maximum flavours.   Rob Armstrong from Haut Espoir was ready with his range of handcrafted wines, complementing our curry with a hint of sweetness!

As a newbie to Indian food, I always wondered about the best method to make Basmati rice! Adding cumin and other spices IN the rice was the secret!  As the room filled up with exotic scent from the Far East, our stomachs began to rumble…  Thankfully, the chef welcomed the spectators to a second serving!  

Food & Wine pairing notes

I have recently learned from Michael Gabagas, wine specialist at WineCops & Hoodwinx about the specificities for food and wine pairing. More than what meets the eye, both chefs and sommeliers will pair a selection of wine with raw ingredients to find the ideal balance in acidity, which will be perfected after the ingredients are combined, cooked and served.  This helped me appreciate both demonstrations and take note of the different flavours one can experience, having the food and wine separately and together!

CPT Love,
Lisa Huang

Check out my Travel Blog here, and follow my adventures on Twitter! (@bestCapeTownSA)

* Photos courtesy of Franschhoek Wine Valley & Tourist Association on Flickr.

** Shout-out to the lovely ladies at Cape Town Magazine (@CapeTownMag)!  Thank you for the tickets! 

I was blown away by the TOPS Gugulethu Wine Festival this past weekend!

The inaugural event was held at Gugulethu Square Mall, a massive shopping mall spanning 23 457m², remarked as the “first of its kind in the 50 year history of the township.”  The shopping center is owned by Westside Trading, of which Mzoli Ngcawuzele (owner of Mzoli’s Meat) is a partner of.  The wine festival is further conceived by Mr. Ngcawuzele and Lungile Mbalo, with the main objective to promote Gugulethu as a tourist attraction!

With a lack of directions & reliable GPS (yes Tom Tom, I am talking to you), my friends and I had slight difficulty locating the mall from N2… we drove around in circles in Gugulethu, but managed to navigate our way after stopping for directions from the helpful residents! I guess it became obvious that we were extremely lost, after going around the same circle several times in 15minutes…

Greeted by the friendly ticket sales staff, we received our tix from Lindy at Solms Delta! Who led us up the steps for our goodie bag and wine glass!  Even at 6:45pm on a Saturday, the wine tent was hopping with festivities!  Needless to say, I had to get my Cape Jazz Shiraz fix… definitely one of my favorite bubbly of all time! Best part is? It’s not a rose or white wine!  Give me a stout over lager any time, same with my wines – I need full bodied reds with complex flavours please! 

After several tastings (just short of an hour, need I say more?), I stumbled over to the Nederburg booth where I fell in love with their cellar vintage, struck me by surprise with its honey undertone! Sadly I didn’t catch the name… =(

The event sponsors and organizers did such a fantastic job!

From the get-go, the promoters came together and created an exciting buzz around the event! There were posters along the busiest streets of Cape Town, both in the CBD and in residential areas such as Gardens, Vredehoek, Green Point, Clifton and more! Not to mention all the tweets by @GugsLovesWine on Twitter! Wine exhibitors such as Solms Delta ( @Solms_delta), OverhexWines ( @OverhexWines), Nederburg ( @Nederburg) and many more joined efforts to promote the festival as well.  HUGE SHOUT OUT to the lovely ladies at PWMC ( @PaulWilsonPWMC)  and Solms Delta for their ticket sponsorship as well!  To promote the event and prevent drunk driving, the Gugs Taxi Association offered R40 to the festival from V&A Waterfront!

THANK YOU, GUGULETHU, for hosting us!

P.S. Before I forget – it was awesome to see the Census 2011 team out at the festival!  The booth was busy giving out bright yellow t-shirts & free issue of Field Workers – these guys sure work hard! I honestly didn’t see any volunteers with wine during my 3 hours there!  Remember, Mzansi Census 2011 from 10-31 October - Be there or be SQUARE!

CPT Love,
Lisa

*Follow me on Twitter!!  @bestCapeTownSA!

(Source: gugulethuwinefestival.co.za)

What a beautiful weekend! 
Autumn has to be my favourite season… lazing out in the sun with a picnic basket, leaves shedding their oily green coats to rich palette of yellow, orange and red, I rubbed my eyes in wonder as the trees celebrate a new season! Not to mention Fall Harvest gives the most supple fruits and vegetables… butternut squash, pomegranate, sweet potatoes, pears… AND OLIVES!
And there’s no better way to enjoy the olives other than the 11th Annual Riebeek Valley Olive Festival! 
The most scenic drive from Cape Town, passing wineland and cow grazed field on your way towards Riebeek-Kasteel, the mountains line the horizon in the distance complimenting the fish-scale clouds!  It’s promised to be a warm weekend with no rain!


The festival was bustling! Moms were treated to gourmet lunch at Old Oak Manor & Café Felix, with their special menu served buffet style! Alternatively, there were plenty of food stores at the Town Sqaure markets, from sandwiches with freshly sliced prociutto & tapenade to braai chicken rolls! Not to mention amazing 5 wine tastings for R30!  I was in heaven….

It didn’t take long before we spoted the highlights of the day - OLIVES! There were plenty to go around!  Natural olives, olives in blueberry sauce, olives with garlic, olives stuffed with chilli… you name it! Even if you are not a HUGE fan of olives,  you will be sure to change your mind after the festival!  There were plenty of amazing olive products too - Still Pure body soaps and cream, Het Vlock Casteel olive oils, fig & olive vinaigrett, Olive-Boutique’s olive breads, I even spot some chocolate olive salami among the stalls!

*Photos courtesy of  Mathieu Dasnois

We finished off with great cheese platters and wine at Kloovenburg Wine & Olives! Fantastic way to end the day, and we will be sure to check back next year!

Patrick, myself, Martin’s Mom & Dad, Martin, Catherine

CPT Love,
Lisa

*Follow me on Twitter!!  @bestCapeTownSA!

Welcome Bienvenido 歡迎 Welkom Bienvenue!

These are the 5 languages I can speak! Or at least try to communicate in =)

Before moving to Cape Town in Oct 2010, I’ve lived in cities in Asia, North America, and South America! I have been very fortunate to start traveling at a young age, and always immersed myself in the culture of foreign lands. 

I grew up in Tainan, the historical capital city of Taiwan, with pebble-lined streets, bustling night markets and so much more!  Because of the vibrant culture and unique blend of urban/rural landscape, I truly appreciate food, music, cultural events, and just exploring what my home city has to offer!

Since leaving Taiwan, I’ve lived in cities across 4 continents! From one month to 8 years, it’s been truly amazing to integrate these different elements into my life! I have realized that I am a very hands-on person - I learn best from living the experience!  No matter where I am traveling to, I always seek out the BEST of the city a.k.a. the hidden gems!  From restored Victorian cafes to off-the-map beaches, authentic kitchens serving organic cuisines to community-run Rastafarian B&Bs, you name it!

Through the people I meet on my journeys, my mind has been expanded immensely! I love sharing this experience with my friends and family, and always give shout-outs to my personal networks! 

During my time living in Chicago, USA, I started “Yelping”! Yelp is a social media website, connecting people in various cities where users share reviews on local businesses!  It’s really anything (& everything) under the sun~  Best thrift vintage stores, Vinyl records collections, wedding venues, Chiropractors, even Chicagoan’s favorite bus route!  And I loved the idea!  What better way to get non-endorsed, REAL review from REAL people!  Local businesses really have to pull their weight, because every customer can be a “mystery shopper”!  Not to mention the great community of people Yelp brings together, I found my dentists & chiropractors here!

With this fresh in mind, I moved to Cape Town, South Africa in October 2010.  I fell in love with the city from the moment I stepped off the plane - fresh, crisp air with a blend of exotic spices, magnificent mountains lining green hills, surrounding vineyars and neighbouring oceans!  And the SPIRIT of the people! Wow!  I made amazing friends within the first month, and I continue to learn something new about this city every day!  Being me, you will find me proactively seeking new events, sampling chows at local restaurants, and rubbing shoulders with people from all walks of life!

One of my favourite South African saying is to collect memories for your rocking chair.  But with the fast pace of life, we don’t always take the opportunity to sit down, relax, and gather our thoughts to paint the memory into our minds!   This combined with many friends’ comments that “you are always out and about! It’s about time you share it with the rest of us!”  have led me to starting this blog! 

I look forward to sharing my stories of Cape Town, and other cities in South Africa with you!  I will be Twitting my adventures, as well as what’s happening around Cape Town real-time!  Follow me @bestcapetownSA!  If you spot any events/ venues / stories that intrigue you, be proactive! Make a booking, take a friend, and see it for yourself!

Get ready for new adventures around Cape Town!

CPT Love,
Lisa

*Follow me on Twitter!!  @bestCapeTownSA!