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Category: Review

Review: The Shed Restaurant, Litchi Orchard, Salt Rock

I don’t often do that many restaurant reviews on this blog, but I definitely want to try and do a few more, especially of places in my area. There are so many cool places opening lately so it’s always worth giving them a shoutout!

Recently a new place opened in the area and is becoming a fast family favorite. It’s called The Shed and it’s situated in the awesome Litchi Orchard in Salt Rock. Many people may know the Litchi Orchard for their markets, but having this new spot makes it even better. The is also ample place for the kids to run around and explore, in fact we hardly even see the kids when we go there!

The Shed offers a variety of food & drink options in a great setting. It is set inside a wooden shed structure and also offers a cool outside area with bonfires. The food varies from Burgers, to Wood fired Pizza, to Flatbreads, fresh fish and even awesome tasting steaks. A little bit of something for everyone! Every time we have been with friends someone has tried something different, and everyone has been really happy with their food.

We have been a couple of times as a family and I really enjoy the burgers, while the kids love the pizzas. They also have a couple of local craft beers (Poison City Larger FTW) on tap as well as Gin & Tonic on tap, which is delicious. They also do these awesome gourmet milkshakes (Milo & Cookie Dough is to die for!!)

If you ever in the area looking for a spot to chill out, especially on a Sunday afternoon when they have live music, this is the place. I could easily spend a couple of hours here with the family.

Contact Details

w: theshedsaltrock.co.za
t: 032 8150516

Disclaimer: I was not asked to write this post. I love supporting new businesses in the area, so will probably start doing a few more of these :)

September 9, 2016
Review: East Oasis Ballito

Disclaimer: I was not asked to write this post, and neither did I benefit from it in anyway. Just sharing about this awesome new restaurant in Ballito

Last night the wife and I celebrated our 11 year wedding anniversary. Yay! We don’t do big gifts or surprises, but we do like to get out for a meal. We decided to pop in at a new place in Ballito for a drink after seeing a few people talk about it online, after which we would go to our favorite spot in town for dinner.

When we got to the door, the owner greeted us so enthusiastically I thought we had forgot to say HI to a friend. We sat down and ordered a cocktail each, and had a quick look at the menu. We decided to have a quick starter of chicken wings, drink our drinks and then move on.

Well….

We had the chicken wings and they were absolutely delicious. And hot. But not ugly hot, hot enough to make you want more! As we were about to call for the bill the owner came up and asked us what we thought of the place as it was new and was getting local feedback. He then asked us what we wanted for mains, and we told him we had plans to go elsewhere. Haha, he didn’t like that and convinced us to stay with some of the mouthwatering specialities.

Eventually we stayed, and I’m so glad we did. The food is absolutely phenomenal. And the owner, Shaun, is so passionate about his food, he won’t even let you add salt to it!!

We had a portion of calamari to share, and I had the baby chicken, while the wife had the most incredible rump. All served with a side salad and wedges. All the meat and salads are organic & free range, so it’s extra tasty. And the prices were not bad either, really worth it!

All in all, I can honestly say, that this place is the new kid on the block, and I hope it stays. Ballito tends to suffer from “December Turnover Syndrome” and too many good places close down too quickly. I really hope that East Oasis Ballito stays open for good and grows from strength to strength

Well done to Shaun and his team, I’m looking forward to spending more time at your place!

You can find them at 16 Compensation Beach road (near Shakers/Milk Cafe) or on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/eastoasisballito) or call them on 032 586 1034

[foogallery id=”4527″]

September 5, 2015
Review: Handpresso Portable Espresso Machine

The Handpresso Portable Espresso Machine is your ultimate go-anywhere espresso machine. Small and convenient, the Handpresso travels with you on vacation/business trips, hiking, boating – anywhere that you would like to enjoy a premium quality espresso, cappuccino, Americano, or latte!

The Handpresso is a simple and compact Nomadic Espresso maker. All you need is some boiling water and any E.S.E Pod, or ground coffee, no matter where you are. This also eliminates the mess associated with espresso making when on the go. Just pump up the Handpresso until the needle is in green area on the Pressure gauge; this says you’re at 16 bars of pressure, now you can add hot water from a kettle or a thermo-insulated bottle. Place the E.S.E. pod or ground coffee in the filter, close the top and press the button to dispense the espresso!

It’s never been easier or required less clean up to make your espresso or cappuccinos until now! Cleaning is a breeze, simply just wash out under a tap. It really can’t be any more hassle free than that!

You can order your Handpresso Pump from the very awesome Randomly website (www.randomly.co.za) for R1,589.

March 10, 2015
Lenmar Meridian BC5 iPhone 5 Battery Case

I recently got to test the awesome Lenmar Meredian iPhone 5 Battery Case before it launched in South Africa. There aren’t too many iPhone 5 battery pack covers on the market in SA, because Apple has strict policies when licencing to use the lightning connector, so when I got the opportunity to test it, I jumped at the chance.

The Lenmar Meredian iPhone 5 Battery Case (RRP 799) is a sleek designed, and super lightweight. Unlike other battery pack covers when the case is on your phone, it doesn’t feel bulky or add on too much weight. The crux of this case for me was it offers a 2300mAh battery which means your iPhone gets charged back to 100% in record time from 1% battery, and then still extra battery if it goes flat again. To put this in comparison the standard iPhone 5 battery is only 1400 mAh, and the nearest rival battery pack only offers a 2100 mAh battery pack.

I can’t tell you how many times this case has been a life saver, and I simply cannot recommend it enough. We all know the iPhone 5 battery sucks, so if you often find yourself with that dreaded 1% battery on your iPhone, then you have to get this. The only downside to this case is that there is no adapter for the headphone jack, but it is not a trainshmash as there is a inlet for the headphones, albeit quite far in, so if you using an L-Shaped headphone connector you may struggle.

The Lenmar Meridian BC5 iPhone 5 Battery Case retails for R799 and is available on Geekshop.co.za. Click to see the full Lenmar Range

June 3, 2013
Review – Cars.co.za iPhone app

There has been quite a number of South African iPhone apps released over the last couple of months, which is awesome to see that brands are catching on and releasing apps to enhance their product offerings.

One of the apps I came across recently was the new Cars.co.za iPhone & iPad (iTunes Link) app. The guys at Cars.co.za already have an amazing site which allows you to search for used cars, get info about new cars & also keep up to date with the latest motoring news in South Africa.

I have personally used the site a number of times when looking for info on cars and second hand cars, and have been pleasantly surprised with the amount info coming out of the site.

So I guess it was only logical when they developed an iOS app which basically replicates the site, and offers a number of search options as well as a feed of the latest news.

Using the app on iPhone & iPad you can search for used vehicles and mark them as favorites, which you can then access later. The app also offers a specials tab from dealers and the latest motoring news, replicated from the website.

One cool function I did find, which was obscurely hidden away in the tools menu, was the ability to see specs, images & prices on new cars from almost any manufacturer, and allow you to contact the dealer straight from the app. This is a really handy tool when doing research on new cars. A nice little add on for this would be the ability to email me the specs or save it as a favorite to view later.

All in all the cars.co.za is an awesome little app for not only the motoring enthusiast, but also anyone who is in the market for a new or used car.

[app url=”https://itunes.apple.com/za/app/cars.co.za/id626789511?mt=8″]

May 23, 2013