ah da's adventures: Taste of Joburg

**updated with pictures**

Kanya and her husband Avon got complimentary tickets to the Taste of Johannesburg that was happening at the Montecasino. Unfortunately, they had other plans on Friday hence they invited Avon's cousin Amanda to go with me.

The Montecasino is a chain in South Africa and it's rather new. It was quite interesting to walk through the casino to get to the outdoors event area (where Taste of "Jozi" - what the local calls it). It was beautifully paved, lined with restaurants and gift shops on the side and looking up there's the fake cloud ceiling. It reminded me of the casinos in Vegas.

Taste of Johannesburg is an annual food festival that features restaurants around Johannesburg. Each restaurant will prepare three choices of food (samples) and then you can buy them using the Taste of Joburg currency - a crown. Each crown is worth R5 (~ $0.80 CAD) and are sold in packets of 20 (R100). Most appetizers cost around 5 crowns and mains are between 6 to 9 crowns. There are also wines, hard liquors and other types of beverages as well as cooking show area. We went to watch the pick n pay live show theatre and watched patrick williams (?) make a passionfruit cheesecake and fish curry.

I had a lot of fun and there was some great food available. Apparently some of the food items are pricey to local standards, but they are pretty reasonable in Canadian standards (when compared to all the other Taste of XYZ festival held in Canada)

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking:

At the entrance to Taste of Joburg at the Montecasino

That was supposed to show the fake sky, but the lighting did not work out.. it looks like the other casinos in vegas!

This way to the casino and the slot machines

our tickets!

Horned people sold the crowns

They feed you champagne, that's all i drank and then Amanda helped me finished it

The chef, patrick williams was using a new electronic sensor thermometer and was not used to it.. quite funny

They always showcase the products that you can get on a cabinet - it was like the one for loblaws in Toronto

Show guide and crowns, the currency

hmm, the passionfruit and honeycombe cheesecake and spiced fish and sweet potato curry.. yum

Looking at the montecasino, so pretty

These people were quite good, i can't remember who they are now... if you recognize, let me know

kiri cheese show

This was an area where people can sign up for 3 crowns and get to taste food paired with wines.. it was quite sold out by the time we got there

They had a Johnnie walker booth and it was quite cheap - 3 crowns for 3 shots (each of the listed) which means it was R15 for 3, ~ 2.50 CAD for all 3 shots

Because I was driving (and a lightweight), i decided to opt out =)

it was beautifully decorated, starting with the black label

then the green

and finally the red

Mediterranean vegetable tatin and aubergine caviar with Mozambican prawn (6 crowns = R30 = ~$5 CAD ) presented by La Bonne Table

Me in a tuk tuk near the thai food store and the thailand promotion area

my new friend Amanda

trying to look important

Parma Ham wrapped beef fillet served with lightly caramelized balsamic onions, black olives, peppers and asparagus (8 crowns = R40 =~6.50 CAD) presented by vivace (it was likely the best dish that i had that night)

Having had such a good experience at vivace, i went back for more: Chicken lollipop filled with basil, pine nuts, and sundried tomato filled with potato leek puree and thyme jus ( 6 crowns = R30 = ~$5 CAD) presented by vivace

Bought coconut juice from the Thai product stand - so happy =)

Yudkika, and her curry line (including recipe, all the spices and even rice). Didn't realize she was famous until we looked up and saw her picture there!

Bean theme!

Bean theme - Mel - i'll get you some coffee from here =) since other coffee drinkers said it's good!

IF you look closely you can see that there were people behind the Jagermeister sign in the bottom.. I was so confused and couldn't figure out why those people were hiding behind the sign... when i got close.. they were actually sitting on a low couch =P hehe oops

spicy prawn cakes with cucumber salad

I thought this was hilarious - it's a London underground sign no? but it says New york on it.. so confused

Shoes and vintage camera... of course...

Then we found Marilyn and Elvis who were promoting the Canterre (which was like a cabaret!)

They were super nice!

Then, this random lady wanted a picture.. and i was like " but how could we send it to you?" and then Elvis asked if she had a phone or a camera, and then she walked away disappointedly... Amanda felt bad for her so she told her to get into the picture... Meanwhile Marilyn asked if we know her, and when I said no, Marilyn responded "how random was that?!" indeed...