Flavours Restaurant
Where:
Lifestyle Village, 2450 Marine Drive, Ramsgate
Open:
Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 1.30pm, 6pm to 8.30pm; Sunday, noon to 1.30pm
Call:
0393144370
This has always been a favourite flavour when I’m down the South Coast. It’s a simple homely restaurant in an attractive garden setting, but it serves some really good fresh and imaginative food, in an area better known for strips and chips.
So I had no problem recommending it to a group of friends on a recent weekend there. And they enjoyed their meal so much on the Friday, they booked for the next evening when I could join them.
I always enjoy the basket of home-made brioche-style bread that comes with a tasty hummus while you enjoy your drinks and peruse the menu.
Starters might include ostrich carpaccio or deboned oxtail pasties served with a marrow bone. Duck spring rolls in hoisin sauce sounded good as did fragrant mussels in an Asian-inspired broth. There is a small selection of interesting salads, and the soup - or should that be soups - of the day included tomato, tom yum, and a spicy wonton.
Most of the party declined starters but I tucked into a special of garlic prawns in an Italian-inspired tomato and chilli sauce on crostini (R87) which were good and the crostini beautifully crisp.
Mains were Irish lamb stew with slow-braised vegetables and bacon, and a chicken supreme stuffed with mushrooms, garlic and parsley. Steaks, fillet and sirloin, and a platter of prawns also feature.
There were two styles of linefish of the day, which was kingklip (R182). One was topped with a salsa of tomatoes, olives, red onions, capers and avo - all strong flavours that work with the cajun-cooked fish. I had this previously and was impressed, so I had no problem recommending it to our resident author. It was as I remembered and would soon be suffering from food envy.
Two of our party had the linefish cooked in a creamy prawn and leek sauce, and enjoyed it wholeheartedly.
The oxtail (R167), served with mash, was an exceptional dish with beautiful rich flavours. We all dunked our crispy chips into the leftover gravy. My friend ordered it because another of the party had it the night before. He was still raving about the crackling on his pork belly.
The spicy Moroccan lamb (R160) was very intense, and for me too heavy on the cumin. It was almost astringent, but the businessman enjoyed it with a buttery couscous.
The only slight disappointment was my roast duck (R198). While it was a generous portion, I would have preferred the breast pinker, although the skin was nicely crisp. It just desperately needed a real jus or gravy or some kind of port reduction. It was served with a peach and cranberry sauce which was more of a compote on which the bird rested.
One of the great things about Flavours is its attention to the vegetables served with the meal, with things such as grilled corn on the cob, fresh green beans, roasted peppers, and an excellent creamed spinach that still retained its colour and its flavour.
We finished with a double espresso, and Kahlúa Dom Pedros, but dessert could have included brandy snaps with whisky cream and berries, or key lime pie, or the South Coaster - a sort of banana boat with home-made praline ice cream and brandy snaps.
Food:
3½
Service:
3½
Ambiance:
4