You Can’t Miss These Monthly Steak & Wine Pairings at HQ! [Review]
Today’s delicious find is for all the meat lovers in Cape Town. Now, we all know that Cape Town has loads of great steakhouses but not many steakhouses offer a dedicated steak and wine pairing – well, besides HQ of course. That’s right, as if I couldn’t love HQ enough, they go and put two of my very favourite things – steak and wine – together in a super convenient, oh-so-lovely package. And the best bit? They do it every month, with a different winery each time! The monthly HQ Fine Wining evenings take place on a Wednesday night and are pretty much the best way to combat the hump day blues. Here’s why you need to book your place for the next event taking place in July!
I’ve been to the HQ Fine Wining events three times now and I must say I can’t get enough! It’s got everything you need to have a great night out – music, excellent food, and plenty of new wines to discover. The events are also great for any occasion – whether you’re looking for something special to do with your favourite person or want to get a little festive with a group of friends and family, you’re welcome to book in a group or ask for a more intimate table. No matter who you go with the Fine Wining evenings are always loads of fun. Each event is hosted by carasmatic crooner, Ricky Botsis, who entertains guests with beautiful music throughout the night and the evening also includes a brief introduction to the wines by the wine maker or someone else from the chosen winery of the night. So basically you get to learn all sorts of fancy stuff about wine (ok, not too fancy but enough to impress your mates) AND you get to enjoy a delicious steak dinner paired with said wine!
The night starts off with a welcome drink from the winery as well as an Aperitif and then moves on to a three-course meal including HQ’s signature salad starter (cos and iceberg leaves tossed with toasted pine nuts, parmesan shavings and dressed with a dijon mustard vinagrette), a 250g Sirloin steak (served with skinny fries and Café de Paris Butter) for mains and a special dessert created specifically for each evening. The next Fine Wining event on 5 July 2017 will see guests enjoying a special a dessert of White Chocolate Panna Cotta with pineapple, exotic sorbet, lime gel, fennel and treacle crumble (yum!).
During the meal, each course is paired with a different wine from the winery of the night (trust me, taking an Uber to and from the venue is highly recommended). If, for some reason, you have a vegetarian joining you for the evening then you will pleased to know that there’s also a vegetarian main meal option of Portobello mushrooms stuffed with a rich Duxelle, gratinated with parmesan cheese. This is also served with skinny fries and Café de Paris Butter.
If you’ve never been to HQ before then the Fine Wining events are a great way to get into the HQ spirit. HQ serves what is arguably the best steak in Cape Town and no matter when you visit the steak is always cooked to absolute perfection. Plus, the Café de Paris Butter that accompanies the dish is to die for (I often just eat mine with a spoon when no one is looking – it’s that good!) The salad starter is also the perfect start to any meal -it’s light and delicious and gets your palate ready for all the meaty goodness. The fries are also a winner at HQ and I love that they give you as many refills of fries as you want throughout the night.
So how much do you pay for all this loveliness? For a three-course meal and plenty of wine, you pay just R295 per person including welcome drinks and canapés on arrival! I think it’s a terrific deal and you’ll no doubt leave stuffed and feeling quite festive.
The next Fine Wining dinner is taking place on Wednesday 5 July 2017 from 19:00 – 22:00. For this next event, HQ is partnering with Creation Wines to bring guests a night of elegant simplicity and dining excellence. To whet your palate I must let you know that the night will start off with Sticky pork belly cubes served on a brioche bun with herbed apple-mustard crème fraîche and micro herbs paired with Creation Elation Brut 2014 (delicious!). Booking is essential (call 021 424 6373 or email matt@hqrestaurant.co.za to book). You can also find out more info on the event by clicking here.
Find HQ at 100 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town. For more information on HQ visit their website.
