February is now done and dusted, and 2023 is racing ahead at pace.
This month I was lucky enough to have been able to be sample the fine cuisine at the Stoned Olive. I immediately liked its kind of ‘happy-go-lucky’ ambience – all that was missing in was a beach and the reggae music! I loved the very relaxed atmosphere, the music (there was some reggae, I think) was great and at exactly the right volume. The restaurant is certainly not trying to be something it is not, and I thoroughly enjoyed that and lounging under the trees and eating good food and quaffing a good glass of wine!
We tried a variety of the fare on offer, and everyone was suitably impressed. The waitron was knowledgeable and very accommodating, and the orders were checked and taken correctly and were all ‘brought’ out at the same time.
The Mango and Haloumi salad was so delicious that we came back for a takeaway of the same dish some three days later! It was substantial and well presented. The mango was sweet and the haloumi salty, the rest was crunchy, and the Thai dressing did the job of rounding off a great dish.
The toasted chicken mayonnaise sandwich MUST surely go down as an iconic Hoedspruit ‘must-have’. It was perfect in every way and again delicious. Most importantly the bread was not cut too thin which is where most restaurants fall foul of a great toasted sandwich.
The beef noodles were substantial, fresh, and not greasy and the beef was tender. Certainly, a wholesome meal on its own.
We did sample the vegetarian pita. There was ample haloumi, the fresh vegetables were scrumptious, and the accompanying chips (double fried) were ‘woofed’ (some people say ‘woolfed’) up in no time by all.
Next was the mushroom and haloumi burger – tasty, tender. Good eating for good value.
The Moroccan chickpea dish (which I was recommended), I chose with no phyllo pastry, and it was very good. One of us had had this dish before and confirmed that it was good to see consistent quality coming through the kitchen and being maintained.
One of the specials of the day was the chickpea and basil pesto dish – this was fabulous. Filling, tasty, fresh, and easy eating. The tzatziki garnishing completed and rounded off the taste sensation.
And now we come to the troublesome dishes – oh my goodness … the lemon meringue pie was on another level. It dawned on me that delicious deserts are what has contributed to the exponential growth of my girth over the last 10 years! This was a serious contributor. It was tangy, light, and fluffy, and the base was beautifully ‘buttery and biscuity’.
Then there was the chocolate Amarula fudge cake – the chocolate centre flowed with taste and wonderful consistency. Again, far too much consumed, far too quickly, and the ice cream accompaniment was delicious.
I will certainly come back – such a pity the Stoned Olive is not open in the evenings (except for Friday) – and the specials board is a nice detraction from the main menu. Well done to Louise and team! I believe the ‘new’ chef has been on the pans for some three months! I look forward to tasting his/her offerings in six months’ time, and he/she is most definitely a keeper.
Until next month, salivate, savour, and scoff!
AE
