My Valentine hat

I have to send a love shout-out to my Valentine's Day hatterer, Merlyn M. I met Merlyn at a SecretsEats dinner. She was the only one in the room wearing a hat and I was immediately sorry that I hadn't thought to wear a hat myself that evening. I wasn't going to miss an opportunity like that again. So when I received an invitation to a special Valentine's Day dinner party, I seized the day and gave Merlyn a call. No stranger to wearing a cocktail fascinator on Valentine's Day, I commissioned Merlyn to create one for me to wear to the party.

@ Foil with another (not Malcolm) hat-topped hair stylist

My hair stylist Malcolm insisted I come to the salon so that he could affix my fascinator before the party. Turns out I wasn't the only one at Foil Salon in the Grayston Shopping Center who was wearing a Valentine hat!

To commission your next hat or fascinator, call Merlyn at 0835707795.

"You are an Angel"

checking out the student photography exhibition

That was the secret password phrase that gave us entree into last night's SecretEATS dinner. Not sure what the phrase signified and I forgot to ask. Maybe the host at the door just liked to be told he was an angel.

Once again, the welcome cocktail included some Bombay Sapphire gin - and once again, it was good. Dinner was prepared by Chefs James Diack and Matthew Wright, both from Coobs restaurant on 4th Avenue in Parkhurst (yet another restaurant I have been wanting to try!) Coobs sources their produce from local suppliers and organic farms to create unique modern bistro-style food. Close to 75% of ingredients come from our organic farm ‘Brightside’ in the Magaliesburg.

The secret location? The College of Digital Photography in Saxonwold. I didn't even know there was a local college of digital photography. But now that I do, I am going to take some classes there. And there was a 25% off voucher in the goodie bag - Woohoo!

photo studio turned dining space

clever centerpieces

the brew of the evening was Innis & Gunn ale aged in Scottish whiskey barrels

Radford Dale wines from The Winery of Good Hope

Merlyn M from Piece de Resistance 0835707795

I met a milliner ... or as they say in South Africa, a hatterer.

Vince chats with Chef James Diack

Vince met a chef. Maybe he was the angel in question. Dinner certainly was divine.











And because it was a photography school, they had a photo booth:

I love photo booths!!

A Secret Night of Pure Imagination

SecretEATS prides itself on the fact that every dinner they produce is different from the last.

SecretEATS is the South African version of the biggest trend in fine dining around the world, the pop-up restaurant. You receive an invitation by email. Very little is told to you up front except for the date and the city. The rest is kept tightly under wraps until the morning of the dinner.











Dinners have been hosted in private homes, vacant warehouses, underground wine cellars and rooftops in Cape Town, Joburg and Durban. Chefs have included Brad Ball from Bistro Sixteen82 and Chef Randall Maarman of the Mount Nelson Hotel. 

Last night's SecretEATS  popped up in the pop-up art gallery The Bombay Sapphire Imagination Room  in the heart of Soweto. The thatched roofed art gallery was once a butchery and for a limited time it is showcasing internationally recognized local artists in a show curated by the Mashumi Arts Projects.


A secret pass phrase and the secret location were revealed to us by email early on the morning of the dinner. Whispering "a secret night of pure imagination" got you through the door.

We and about 30 other adventurers started off the night on the veranda with a signature cocktail. A Bombay gin watermelon mojito-like concoction. We were free to hang out under the thatched roof and mingle or peruse the artwork inside the gallery.





Movember mustaches and an amuse bouche of Brie Fritters in a Beetroot Puree.












Chef Sasha Simpson, the creator of Prep'd by Sasha, described her philosophy of food.















The curator was on hand to describe the art work for sale.
















A Pear, Feta & Avocado Salad followed by a White Almond Gazpacho with Green Melon Ribbons and Chorizo Confetti.


















The wine and conversation flowed freely! This Duke of Wellington Cabernet Sauvignon is a private reserve which came straight from the farm to the table.








Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Carrot Puree, Braised Lentils, Caramelized Baby Carrots and Balsamic Jus.












Bunny chow. Use your imagination!

There was a raffle drawing with the proceeds going to a local Soweto school charity. It was a nice end to an imaginative evening.