Woodstock has quite a bad rep. Yeah, I wouldn’t want my car to break down there late at night, while my Blackberry flashes that awkward orange colour and tells me that “the battery is too low for radio use” (in other words, its dead) but really, during the day, it’s great.
Art galleries, furniture boutiques, antique stores, production houses and casting and advertising agencies bring a diverse and eclectic mix of people into the cosy cafés and restaurants which offer the perfect escape from the office.
The other day I went to The Kitchen on the main road. There was plenty of parking and a lovely, toothless car guard named Sakkie, assured me that my car and its tyres would be safe.
The Kitchen is a deli-come-restaurant which uses only fresh and seasonal ingredients, creating new menus to fondle your tastebuds daily. However, the salad bar and the “create your own” Love Rolls are their biggest sellers.
My companion and I decided to go halvies; my favourite game because then I have a free pass to taste everything. We ordered one Love Roll, which start at R45 and one salad platter, where you choose 6 tasters from the salad bar for R40.
The Love Roll allows you to create your own meal. I chose a seed roll, with red and green pesto, mayo, rocket, spicy chicken, tomato, pickles, onion and added extra avo. Instead of chicken, you can also choose avo and feta, sausages or bacon (or you can add any of them for R5 each).
From the salad bar we had roasted potato skins with sour cream; a basil pesto potato salad; a barley salad with raisins and a lightly curried dressing; a garlicky, greek-style chickpea salad, with olives and feta; a tomato and caper salsa salad; creamy penne with mushrooms and broccoli; and finally a spicy chilli cauliflower salad.
The food is light and healthy so you don’t get that “I’m never going to be able to sleep on my stomach ever again” feeling. The staff are down to earth and friendly and as we experienced, if there happens to be a seventh salad you want to add to your salad platter, they will give it to you at no extra cost.
The Kitchen is truly one of those places I could happily eat at every day. They bring out the majority of their salads from 12pm, so if you get there too early you will have less of a selection to choose from. However if you get there too late, you will have to take a takeaway, as by 12:30pm, it’s as full as Tiger Tiger on a Friday night. So rather get there slightly earlier to get a table, have a cup of coffee and soak in the world as it floats on by.
Note to self: The Kitchen sell their Love Rolls at the food market at the Old Biscuit Mill every Saturday. Must get one next time.
