Franchhoek is justly regarded as South Africa’s food capital, and has more good restaurants than any other town in South Africa.  Many of the leading chefs practise their culinary skills in the town, and it is such a food mecca that even the likes of the world’s top chef, Heston Blumenthal, has considered setting up in the town.

Franchhoek Food by Myrna Robins features 18 of the Valley’s best chefs, including Matthew Gordon, Reuben Riffel, Topsi Venter and Margot Janse. And apart from these superstars, there are also features on a number of the perhaps lesser known chefs who are also carving out a niche for themselves:

• Neil Jewell, of Bread & Wine, who is continually producing some of the best processed meats in the valley, if not in the country;
• La Petite Ferme –  with arguably the best restaurant view in the country, just have a look at the website, who specialize in hearty home cooking with flavour – Click Here for a delicious recipe from the restaurant; and
• Sandra Van Zyl of Kalfi’s, who despite only having 10% vision, manages continually to serve some of the best  South African traditional Cape cooking in the valley. Try her pickled fish, chicken pie or bobotie recipes.
  

This is haute cuisine cooking, with a touch of  history and some great photography of the finished dishes. Although many of the dishes are quite sophisticated, there are a number of dishes that are very easy to create in the home kitchen to impress friends and family.

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.