Harbour Cafe

I have been looking; talking to the locals and asking why no one has ever thought of doing a beach braai restaurant on the Garden Route. And whilst I am sure that there are many reasons why no one is doing it I don’t understand why no one has ever once mentioned or suggested I speak to Niël and Laurika du Bois who started their restaurant De Vette Mossel five years ago.

Wrong, I do understand why it is. I enjoy the slow place of life on the Garden Route. But there are times when I ask myself whether its not taken a little too literally. Slow and relaxed should never degenerate into retarded and sometimes even obstructive. But in those dark days of winter I fear it does and it’s very difficult to understand why people find communicating so difficult.

Running a restaurant is never easy. And particularly in this part of the world. It’s not something you really want to do. Especially if you get the urge to do something out of the ordinary, something that requires and a bit of imagination and passion. But this couple knew no better. They arrived in Mossel Bay with a Chev lorry, that is a little older than I, “stacked with rough building materials, fishing nets and ropes – to give their free spirit free reigns and to establishing a seafood restaurant on a beach somewhere.”

Like most “locals” I will mutter a bit about the price but this is a must do.

De Vette Mossel is found between Klein- and Groot Brak River, near Mossel Bay. It is situated right on the beach at Souwesia, just follow the signs. They open on a Saturday evening and for lunch on a Sunday and booking is essential. During school holidays and in December they cook every day.

As a rule our local restaurants are not renowned for their imaginative menu’s and I well know why. But I still don’t understand why the restaurateurs do not do more to celebrate and promote the tastes that they could create. We live on the coast. Seafood should be part of our local cuisine. But there is, in my humble opinion, very little to celebrate. Be it winter, be it seafood, be it whole foods, artisan foods or whatever. New restaurants start up, the menu’s are sometimes different, sometimes even exciting. But it doesn’t take long before they are being pared down to a soggy offering of hake and chips if not the dreaded toasted sarmie and side salad for the weight conscious, difficult diners.

How many predominantly seafood eateries do we have in the Garden Route? Who is cooking? Who is making a difference?

Look Out Deck in Plett – I did their seafood bisque for breakfast this morning. Probably a bit salty for most but I thoroughly enjoyed the little pot of hot steaming fishy broth served with a french loaf which I dunked with enthusiasm. They also have a special fishy menu that starts with Lobster bisque and which offers a selection of prawn dishes followed by as many options for those who favour Mussels.

Angling Club Plett

Off the Hook Plett

34 South Knysna

The Anchorage

We haven’t done a seafood takeaway for awhile. It’s always ‘hot dog’ or ‘pizza’ or ‘pasta and cheese sauce’. But Seafood Safari has been running a special on their calamari and I thought I would try it out on the two boys. And we now have another slot filled in their supper menu.

And I thought I should profile fish and chip shops in Knysna where one can grab a quick bite.

Seafood Safari -

Morton’s -

Blue Fin -

Fish Bone -

Sailor Sam -

A visit to a fledgling Kob Farm just outside East London really opened my eyes to what can be done in this sector to produce top quality fish with minimal impact on the environment.  Imagine a Fish Farm that uses it waste (sludge from water purification & algae from water cleansing) to produce bio fuel to power the farm & feed for freshwater species which in turn are used in the production of organic pellets to feed the Kob!  How about the fact that no water is returned loaded with pollutants to the sea – instead it is purified, oxygenated, topped up with rain water (to make up for loss due to evapouration – remember the salts stay behind) and used agian in a near closed system.  Add to this the funds generated fund an organic farming system that produces it’s own bio gas for cooking and settling ponds for nutrient rich compost for the fresh produce to grow in!  The alien Black Wattle is used in a wood burning furnace to heat the water for the Kob Farm and the staff who live on site!  This and many more innovative ideas are beginning to take shape on this unique patch of defiance to the notion that fish farming is detrimental to the environment.  It might not be perfect but it is one of the best I have seen yet and proves that there is a surge towards responsible production of fresh food!

The Local Commercial Linefisherman is a fast vanishing species. His battle to keep his operation afloat is never-ending and he requires the support of the region in which he operates. To often we simply buy fish without considering where it comes from or how it was caught. To support local industry is important but also to know who is catching your fish and with what impact is an important ecological consideration. Why not seek out the local offering before picking up a box of imported seafood? Find out what is specific to the area you are in and get to know the way in which it is harvested – support those who support sound ecological practices. The local Fish & Chip shop is great because it is local – make sure his produce is as well.

Just a little something I need to get off my chest.

A question I get asked often at Robberg Seafood Safari Knysna is “Who is enforcing the Commercial Fishing laws / regulations / license conditions?”. The answer is very difficult to answer because Marine and Coastal Management and the Department Environmental Affairs and Tourism, who play a large role in regulating the industry, are just not doing enough. Thus my question is “Where is the Navy?”. Surely our greatest threat from the Sea currently is the Over Exploitation of the Marine Resource.

The best equipped and most suitably trained body, in my view, to actually monitor and physically enforce laws at sea are the Navy. I think that a far larger role should be played by the Navy in protecting our Marine Resource and that this should be singled out as one of their priorities. 

I recently spoke to various Navy personal during the Knysna Oyster Festival about this matter and generally the feeling was that involvement in enforcing Commercial Fishing Laws should be increased.

Any Comments? I would love to hear the general feeling on this matter.  

Somewhere up the west coast there is a beach restaurant set in the sand dunes which offers one of the few genuine fish braais I know of. However the only time I ever managed to find it was during the winter months when it is closed and to be quite honest I have no idea if it is still going.  And thats something that has always confused me. Why with our extensive coastline, have we not developed a finer appreciation for seafood and the reputation for offering a fishy cuisine?

We have just returned from a weekend in Cape Town and and as I drove into and through the V&A Waterfront I couldn’t help reflecting back to the days of the humble Harbour Cafe and asking myself whether it hasn’t lost something during the transition. It’s definitely different.

But a stop for a fish and chip take away supper from the cafe in the Kalk Bay Harbour did a lot to restore the sense that all is not yet lost and that its still worth looking around.

Seafood steak pizza and pasta in the Garden Route Western Cape South Africa. Information on where to dine, take the kids or just chill out over a sundowner. Restaurant reviews and customer feedback