CAFÉ MOULIN, CLARENS

You might have heard of Elsa Buys. She and Johnny Hamman won the second season of the KykNet cooking series, Kokkedoor. But did you know that you can enjoy some of Elsa’s best dishes in Clarens? She and her husband Schalk have a restaurant on their farm, Groenhoek. The modest building has corrugatediron walls, a wooden deck, pumpkins growing at the front door and an uninterrupted view of Brandwag Buttress in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. Elsa has no formal training but has been cooking since she was a child. She is especially fond of French cuisine, hence the name Moulin which means “mill” in French. On Friday and Saturday they serve breakfast and lunch and there’s no need to book. On the lunch menu you’ll find cheese platters, ploughman’s platters and hamburgers. How about a burger with sweet chilli, brie and figs? Or save your appetite for Sunday, when Elsa serves up a buffet called The Harvest Table with a range of meat dishes, vegetables, salads and desserts. Book beforehand for this because Café Moulin seats only 60 people and foodies come from all over to get a taste. Café Moulin will host the Cherry Food Market on the weekend of 29 November. Tickets cost R30 per person and Elsa says there will be lots of cherry dishes, good music, cheese, wine and beer. Don’t leave before you’ve tried a few blocks of “Sandstone” fudge! Where? About 13 km east of Clarens on the R712 to the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. GPS: S28.50961 E28.54018 When? Friday to Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm and every day except Monday during school holidays. Contact: 073 804 3051; cherryfoodmarket@gmail.com