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T is no surprise that people are prepared to travel over 100km, as we did, to have lunch at Anne’s Cotton Club. It’s a bit of a surprise that they find it, as it’s tucked away in the Lowveld bush outside Hoedspruit, with a view of the mountains where the end of Blyde River canyon opens onto the Lowveld.
The cafe is in the 24 Degrees South complex of arty shops. There are some tables indoors, but it’s best to sit outside under the trees, from where you can take in the bushveld and the view. It could hardly be better.
We were there for a birthday lunch, and the birthday girl had travelled on a sofa at the back of a canopied bakkie, sipping Moët hidden in a coolbox — as one does in the Lowveld, I presume.
Bushveld and game-lodge cuisine can be all about hearty rural stuff, braais and potjiekos done smartly. Anne Storm of the Cotton Club offers a “man-size T-bone steak” and a cheeseburger, but the rest of the 15 main courses on the menu just hint at the fact that she is a cordon bleutrained chef.
Storm changes the menu, or part of it, every week, depending on what produce she can source locally. That, and the fact that she comes from Durban and took over the restaurant seven years ago, was all I could get out of her. “Just write about the place and the food,” she said.
The food, then. Being in a celebratory mood, the five of us wanted to indulge. To start we had, at R45-R65 each, gazpacho soup, an avocado Ritz, chicken livers piri piri, and, after asking nicely, a half portion of the main course Caesar salad. It’s one of my favourites and doing it right is the measure of many a restaurant. It was good, made properly with cos lettuce, croutons and crispy bacon, generous Parmesan shavings and a good dressing. It could have done without the poached egg on top as it made the half portion quite rich, but I’d asked for it.
The avo Ritz drew the “wows” as it was beautifully presented with three big prawns, the top one unshelled and poised elegantly on top.
For mains we had spinach and ricotta cannelloni (R130), Cape Malay chicken pie (R150), a butternut, feta and olive tart, without the feta for a vegan (R130), and braised lamb shank with mash (R190). My shank came with rich gravy, a carrot, a baby potato, turnip and leek. Hard to fault and I could not finish it, but all the other dishes were ravished.
We did not need desserts, but had them anyway because they were there. An Amarula panna cotta, a pavlova with tropical fruit and a rich chocolate pot with an espresso shot, at R45 each.
Storm had told me that her pavlova was a crispy meringue (not soft inside as the Aussies and Kiwis do it) but I ordered it anyway and it was good.
After three hours, we drove the long road home happy, and will all be back. What more can one ask for?
The staff are locals who have been trained to cook to a high standard — and that’s how to set better standards in our cuisine. Bravo. ANNE’S COTTON CLUB CAFE