Our waiter promptly appeared with the menus. A quick flick through showed no drinks list. I requested one and it was not available. However, there was a splendid wine menu. I was pleased to see that they catered to all pocket depths with prices for a bottle ranging from US$12 to US$155! I decided to drink the house wine at US$3/glass. I chose a Sauvignon Blanc which I found very refreshing as it was perfectly chilled when served. My partner ordered a Rock Shandy.
We turned our focus back to perusing the menu. There was a selection of tapas, soups, salads, main courses and desserts. We opted for tapas, followed by a main course. I ordered the calamari and cured beef brochettes and chicken breast stuffed with spinach and feta. My partner ordered three dip crudités with guacamole, baba ganoush and hummus followed by caramelised prawns in sweet ginger sauce.
With our order in, we were able to really look around and study our surroundings. I noticed that there were three other adults already seated. They were obviously waiting on others to arrive. There were comfortable looking couches at the end of the veranda. On the wall were several framed paintings that were vibrant and eye-catching. I saw that the light fixtures were made of wooden fish carvings wired together to form a cylinder.
Our starters appeared in less than 10 minutes. I was a tad miffed by my portion size. The menu made no reference to how small it would be. I had three skewers with grilled halloumi wrapped in thin slivers of cured beef, followed by baby calamari and repeated. It was sautéed in sweet chilli sauce and served with a side helping of sweet chilli. The combination of flavours was exquisite and totally made up for the portion size. My partner was served a platter with pita bread; sliced carrots, green peppers, cucumbers, gherkins and three dips. We recognised the guacamole but asked our waiter about the others. One was liquidised aubergines with a touch of garlic, and the other was hummus made from liquidised chickpeas. These dips were delicious. I enjoyed the starters immensely. The place filled up quite quickly with an adult clientele. There was only one child on the premises and I was pleased to see the staff being very accommodating to him.
Our main courses arrived and you could feel the heat waves emanating off my plate. My partner’s plate had a liberal helping of prawns in a sticky, brown sauce; white rice with red and green peppers and mixed vegetables — baby marrows and mushrooms. The prawns were firm and nicely cooked and the sauce was sweet with a tang of ginger. My plate had cheesy, baked potatoes; stuffed chicken breasts and mixed vegetables — carrots, green beans and baby marrows. My plate was covered with an ambrosial, creamy, white wine sauce. I savoured every mouthful, reluctant to let it end. The portions were just right and we cleaned up our plates.
Deluxe Restaurant 5 PlatesExpect to spend US$40 to US$50 per head158 Enterprise Road Highlands
