Tashas in Constantia, a new favourite

Hello to a new week and a new month. June is here and the winter solstice is only 16 days away. (Yes, I’m counting!!) I woke up this morning and thought, ‘Tessa what have you actually done  in the last 5 months??!’

Uh….let’s talk about that another time!

Weekend
This weekend was filled with wine, pizza, running, brunching and reading. In a nutshell- all the things I ♥ !  An added bonus was that I didn’t have to haul out my raincoat once!! Yesterday was especially beautiful. Bright, sunny and warm with a hint of winter dryness in the air.

I met Sierra for a long run through the vineyards in Constantia. According to her Garmin we covered 11 miles (which after a quick calculation, equates to 17.7km). A delicious breakfast was inhaled consumed soon afterwards at Tashas. It was my first visit to the Cape Town branch but I’ve eaten at the one in Gateway twice.

My thoughts? Love it !

Tashas in Constantia

We got there at peak Sunday brunch hour so not surprisingly the place was heaving. Heady wafts of coffee and intoxicating smells of baked goods emerging from the kitchen had me telepathically thanking Sierra for the post-run breakfast suggestion! We were seated outside which was perfect as we were able to catch some sunny rays and merge  into the bustling, chatty atmosphere. Plus it offered great opportunity for people-watching!

We ordered drinks from our friendly and highly competent waiter who displayed a great sense of hospitality and provided top-notch service throughout the meal. I normally would’ve slammed him with a coffee order but the thought of freshly squeezed orange juice made my thirst-quenching glands (are there even such things??!) tingle! I’m so glad I ordered this because it was amazing!!!! Anything citrus for me in winter = heaven!

Now, if you’ve been to Tashas, you’ll know that the menu is rather extensive! And if you’re as indecisive as me…well, you’re in for a pretty tough time because there are so many amazing sounding dishes from which to make your choice. After going back and forth, and back and forth and back again, I finally decided upon the Breakfast Royale from the ‘Healthy appetite’ section – 2 poached eggs on asparagus spears, topped with a light lemon sauce, served with crispy Pama ham (optional) and a choice of health bread or polenta toast.

I was really happy with this choice. It totally hit the spot! My eggs were poached to perfection (for me) although I noticed they serve very small eggs! Hmmmm…  They were enveloped in a sauce that was smooth and velvety and very ‘light and lemon’- staying true to the menu description. The eggs were perched atop a layer of blanched asparagus spears and some salty and crisp Pama ham which provided a nice meaty contrast. I chose the polenta toast which was the base of the dish. The texture was spot on being creamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The only disappointment was that the polenta itself was rather under-seasoned so I had to hike it up with a lot of salt!

Sierra had this which looked phenomenal and came in a gorgeous copper pan. (I really admire their presentation!)

Sierra’s husband, Lennie – who met us at Tashas, had a version of the ‘classic’ breakfast which also looked deliciously appetizing.

I will definitely be making a plan to go back to try a few of their lunch options!