Sun risers at Sunset
|Published
The Sunset Club
Where: Gold Coast Estate, 100 Heleza Blvd, Sibaya
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 8am to 9.45pm
Call: 031 007 0057
It seemed unusual to have one’s rise and shine meal at The Sunset Club, but the Poet assured me they did excellent breakfasts. And so the bridge crowd made the trip north.
The Sunset Club is an open, modern restaurant that spills onto a wide verandah. The walls are decorated with vibrant bird scene wallpapers. It overlooks a wetland. There’s also a children’s play area at the back. Upstairs is the members’ club for those who live on the estate, but the restaurant is open to all.
I arrive and find the gang sitting on the verandah. On a beautiful day this would be bliss, but on a chilly windswept morning I soon move them inside. If for no other reason I don’t want a cold breakfast.
We are soon warmed up, sipping good cappuccinos.
The lunch-dinner menu covers many bases. There’s light bites like calamari, fish cakes and chicken wings along with deep-fried olives and loaded hummus. There are toasties and wraps, poke bowls and some salads. Burgers take in fish, beef, lamb, chicken, veg and a lobster roll. There’s a small selection of pizzas and pastas, along with a more dinner-inspired line fish or steak of the day, lamb chops and shanks, and chicken peri-peri. The kids too are well catered for.
But this is breakfast. For health nuts there’s luxury granola, oats or fruit, yoghurt and honey. There are some open toast and croissant options. The Poet goes for smashed avo, peppadews and feta on ciabatta (R80) which she enjoys ‒ although it’s something we could all make at home. I was tempted by the scrambled egg and chorizo croissant. But we all went for more substantial breakfasts.
Arjun enjoyed his chicken livers on toast topped with a fried egg (R85) and Vivek the shakshuka. This was eggs in a spicy tomato sauce on butter beans topped with feta and coriander (R88). Nice flavours, but I still can’t get excited by beans, no matter how home made.
There are omelettes and a maxi and mini English breakfast. The Advocate enjoyed a halloumi stack (R105) with a side order of bacon (R25), while Trevor had the special of a Spanish omelette topped with chorizo and caramelised onions. This was enjoyable, although a truly enormous plate. He couldn’t finish it.
Benedicts come with bacon and tomatoes, smoked salmon, capers and rocket, or mushrooms and baby spinach. I went for the bacon version (R100) which had lovely eggs and Hollandaise sauce, but the sweetness of the maple-glazed bacon intruded somewhat on what should be a savoury dish. I had read maple-glazed bacon on the menu but somehow it didn’t register. Probably too early for me. Otherwise I would have tried the mushroom option. I usually avoid smoked salmon because it often comes straight out the fridge and makes the eggs go cold. But whatever happened to the traditional Benedict with a slice of good, old-fashioned ham?
We finished up sharing a plate of blueberry flapjacks with home-made blueberry jam and cream (R80). These were lovely and light and fluffy. I know what I’m having on my next visit.
Food: 3 ½
Service: 3 ½
Ambience: 3
The Bill: R1 002 for six
Independent on Saturday